Policy and decision makers do not always understand the development and educational needs of young children. It is the job of the early childhood educator to advocate for the resources required to meet the needs of all students. Early childhood educators should be ready to provide the information policy and decision makers need to determine the value of differentiated early childhood education programs.

For this benchmark assignment, research a current statute in which the state legislature has made a decision that affects the differentiation needs of early childhood students. Then, write a letter to your legislative representative either for or against the statute, advocating for the differentiated needs of early childhood students.

Include:

Two or more of the theoretical concepts studied in this course to support your position.

How you identify the students’ readiness for learning in at least two developmental domains (cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and/or physical development).

How educational professionals, such as key researchers, speech pathologists, reading specialists, etc. collaborate to evaluate the outcomes of teaching and learning and to adapt and differentiate planning and practice for all students.

How differentiating instruction for young children can positively influence the developmental domains.