The project approach is a good example of a curriculum model that respects child-guided learning while also allowing for adult-guided learning. In fact, any model of early childhood education that is considered "constructivist" is compatible with a balanced approach to learning because such models recognize that children "construct" or build their own knowledge, but do so with the active guidance of parents and teachers. Examples of constructivist models include the project approach, HighScope, and Reggio Emilia. NAEYC publishes an excellent book on the project approach, "Young Investigators: The Project Approach in the Early Years, 2nd edition" by Judy Harris and Lilian Katz. Here is a link to the website: http://www.naeyc.org/store/node/17191. Hands-on science learning in preschool also provides many opportunities for child- and adult-guided learning. However, rather than focusing on "magic," it is more intentional and appropriate to help children regard their observations as "real" phenomena. Encourage them to describe what they experience using all their senses. Ask them to explain, in their own words, how or why what they observe is happening. Use open-ended questions (e.g., "Why do you think that happened?") and add new words to the children’s science vocabulary. I can recommend two science resources for teachers who work with preschoolers. NAEYC publishes "Worms, Shadows, and Whirlpools: Science in the Early Childhood Classroom" by Karen Worth and Sharon Grollman. Here is the link to the website: http://www.naeyc.org/store/node/249. You will also find links to other NAEYC publications on early science learning on that page. In addition, HighScope publishes the book "Real Science in Preschool: Here, There, and Everywhere" by Polly Neill which you can learn about at http://secure.highscope.org/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=926&idc...

Two overall strategies that programs can use to provide both adult-guided and child-guided experiences every day are a consistent daily routine and daily planning. A consistent daily routine should provide a variety of child-initiated and adult-initiated activities that offer opportunities for children to work on their own, with one or two peers, in small groups, and in large groups. Free play (choice time) should occupy the majority of the program day. Children should be able to choose and carry out activities that interest them with diverse materials. There should also be short small-group times and large-group times that are planned by adults with specific learning goals in mind (e.g., in mathematics, literacy, science, motor skills, creative arts). However, even during these adult-initiated times, children should be free to use materials and interact with others in their own way. Moreover, whether an activity is initiated by children or adults, teachers should be intentional in scaffolding (supporting and gently extending) children’s learning. Daily team planning also helps insure that there is a balance of child- and adult-guided learning. Teachers should observe children every say and jot down objective anecdotal notes describing (not judging) their behavior. As teachers review and share these notes, they can plan ways to facilitate the development of each child and the class as a whole. For example, if teachers notice one child has been doing a lot of filling and emptying, they might add materials (scoops, containers, sieves) to the sand and water table. If several children get interested in these materials, adults might plan a small-group time to explore concepts related to quantity (more, less, and same). In another example, teachers may observe that many children like to play “kitties” by crawling on the floor and meowing. These teachers might then plan a large-group time where the children explore different ways of moving their bodies on the floor. They might later play instrumental musical selections to see if children move their bodies in different ways (depending on the music’s tempo or loudness). In these examples, adults are initially guiding the learning with content in mind but children also have opportunities to engage with the materials and other people in ways that are consistent with their own interests and developmental levels.

It can be upsetting when toddlers bite or otherwise hurt one another. The important thing to remember is that they are not being bad or naughty when they do this. Very young children simply have not yet learned more acceptable ways to express their feelings. It is also important to take care of the needs of both children, the one who did the biting and the one who was bitten. Don’t take sides because they are each feeling upset and need your support and understanding. There are several steps you can take when these situations occur. First, stay calm. Knowing that you are in control and there to help (not punish) them will help the children calm down too. Get down on the children’s level so you are not towering over them. Say something like, “There seems to be a problem here. Let’s work it out.” If the children are fighting over a toy, tell them you need to hold it while you help them solve the problem. This lets them focus on their feelings instead of the toy. Validate each child’s feelings and give a simple label to their emotions (e.g., “Suzie you look upset. James you are sad because your arm hurts”). Encourage children who are old enough to talk to name their own feelings. Identifying feelings helps children let go of them. Provide comfort in whatever form each child responds to (e.g., hug, stroke, sit beside them). Suggest alternative ways to meet their needs. For example, find another similar toy and ask if each child would be happy playing with one of them. Older toddlers can begin to come up with their own ideas, while preschoolers can play an active role in thinking of solutions to their social conflicts. Once the children have returned to their play, check back in a couple of minutes to make sure they are no longer upset (and repeat the process if necessary). When you are sure that calm is restored, say something like, “You solved the problem!”

You are right that sleep is very important for the healthy development of young children’s brains and bodies. There are several strategies you can use to help your children sleep and deal with their fears. First, make sure that there is a regular routine for bedtime. Children should go to bed every night at the same time (early enough to get the required number of hours before it is time to get up) and make bedtime routines into a pleasant ritual. For example, read a book of the child’s choice and sing a lullaby or other favorite song. Make sure your children get enough active exercise during the day so they will be tired at bedtime. They should also not eat large or sugary snacks before bed. During the day, encourage your children to share their feelings with you about the things that scare them. Observe their pretend play, because young children often act out the things they are scared of (e.g., going to the doctor). Talk with your children about the fears expressed in their play and what you and they can do to alleviate them. For example, if they are afraid of the dark, you can put night lights in their room. If they are bothered by noises on the street, try to eliminated or reduced these (e.g., play soft instrumental music and tiptoe in and turn it off after they fall asleep). Most important, reassure them you are right outside the bedroom door if they need you. They might be comforted by taking a stuffed animal or other cuddly toy to bed. They can put a photo of you under their pillow. Even if they can’t see it in the dark or dim light, they can slip their hand under the pillow and feel it and know you are nearby.

The program you developed sounds like a wonderful active-learning opportunity for the children and their caregivers. To assist parents further, help them develop and trust their observational skills. Most parents trust their instincts when it comes to knowing when their children are hungry or tired (e.g., they get cranky or rub their eyes), yet they don’t trust themselves to know what and how to support their children’s learning. Young children give many clues about when they are (not) interested in something, when they want to explore on their own or with an adult partner, and when they want to play or practice at their current level of understanding or are open to a new challenge. So by helping parents become better observers of their own children, you can help them know when and how to offer child-guided or parent-guided learning opportunities. If you’ve had HighScope training, you may be familiar with the Child Observation Record, in which adults record objective anecdotal notes about children and use them to plan appropriate ways to support their development. You can use this same training with parents. With videotapes (if available) or written anecdotes, discuss with parents what is happening in each situation and what parents could do to support learning. Have them practice writing short objective anecdotes at home, then bring them to a parent session, and brainstorm as a group how to use child- or parent-guided learning in that situation. By sharpening parents’ observational skills, you will not only help them use intentional support strategies now, but also give them a valuable tool they can use as their children continue to grow.

Most learning does not happen after a single exposure to a new concept or skill. It requires repeated experiences to understand and absorb new knowledge and to practice the new skills. For example, children may need to hear a word many times in context before they add it to their vocabulary. They may understand it long before they are ready to try using the word themselves. So, rather than periodically “revisiting” a concept or skills, think about how to incorporate relevant experiences on a daily basis in the context of what children typically do. For example, don’t explain healthy eating or recycling and then reexplain it a week or a month later. Instead, talk with the children every day about the foods they eat at snacks or mealtimes; set out recycling bins for them to use every day at clean-up time. Ongoing (rather than revisited) exposure allows them to create an understanding about foods that are and are not good for their bodies, or how they can save and use classroom supplies in many ways. Most important, observe what the children say and do. They will let you know how much they understand, and whether or how you need to intentionally provide additional experiences to help them learn specific concepts and skills.

A balance between self-guided and other-guided learning is equally valid at all ages, from birth through adulthood. Depending on the subject matter and our personal dispositions, we all learning some things on her own and other things through more active intervention by others. Infants in particular (who are characterized by sensory-motor learning) learn a great deal about the world through self-guided exploration. They see, hear, touch, taste, and smell things on their own. Adults cannot “make” them use their senses. However, adults can provide a sensory-rich environment for infants to experience. Likewise, infants gradually gain control over how they use their bodies. Adults cannot “make” them roll over or creep and crawl. However, adults can create safe and open spaces in which infants and toddlers can move freely, and provide interesting materials they want to move toward. Remember that adults need to be intentional whether the learning is child-guided or adult-guided. Child-guided learning does NOT mean the adult is passive. Rather it means that the adult provides materials, and supports the child (verbally, physically, emotionally) in his or her investigations. Adult-guided learning means the adult introduces information (knowledge and skills) the child is less likely to encounter or create on his or her own. Regardless of the type of learning, the adult acts intentionally by having learning goals in mind, knowing how children develop and progress toward those goals, and scaffolding the learning process to match the child’s development, dispositions, and emerging interests.

HighScope offers professional development workshops in intentional teaching and many other related topics. For information on professional development opportunities, visit the HighScope website at www.highscope.org and click on “Training and Conferences.” Thank you for your interest.

It can be frustrating when we feel as though we are working at cross purposes with parents. So it helps to first remind yourself, and tell parents, that you are in agreement about wanting to support and nurture their children’s development. Once everyone feels validated, not judged or criticized, it will be easier to have a respectful discussion. You can tell parents honestly that what they do outside of class is their choice, but as the teacher you ultimately decide what happens inside the classroom. Say you are eager for parents’ input and open to problem solving with them, but you have to be true to the program’s educational philosophy and curriculum. Acknowledge the wonderful learning opportunities these conscientious parents are providing their children (in literacy, mathematics, science, etc.) but say that you are interested in making sure they are “well rounded” and that includes social-emotional development, physical development, the creative arts, and so on. The parents you describe may appreciate hearing the words “Research shows that ...” Tell them that studies prove social skills are at least as, if not more important than, academic skills in predicting school success. Share anecdotes about how their child is developing friendships, solving problems with materials, resolving social conflicts with adult guidance, taking initiative and showing independence, and sustaining attention on tasks of interest to him or her. You can also point out the “academic” learning that is happening in these play situations (e.g., “When Sophie and Jason worked together a long time to build the block tower, not only were they learning social skills, they were also learning about spatial relationships, which is the foundation for understanding geometry!”). Ultimately, a teacher may need to tell parents that if they don’t agree with the program’s educational philosophy and curriculum, they may want to enroll their child elsewhere. If there is no other option (e.g., a public school kindergarten with one classroom), each party can agree to accept and support what the other does with the child in their respective environments. If this is done respectfully, everyone can feel validated and affirmed in his or her role vis a vis the child.

If you scroll through the other questions, you’ll see you’re not alone in wanting to help parents understand that meaningful learning can and does occur during play! One way to help parents appreciate the importance of play is to encourage them to observe in the classroom and to share anecdotes with them about the “academic” learning that happens in play situations. For example, point out how children are learning letters and numbers when they play “restaurant” (e.g., writing menus, taking orders, making up prices). Explain that when children build with blocks, they are learning mathematics (shape and size, spatial relations) and science (the principles of balance, i.e., physics). When children choose what and how to use materials during free play, they inevitably encounter and have to solve problems (e.g., “The tape isn’t strong enough to hold the blocks together. What else can I use?”), which develops critical thinking skills. Explain to parents that the specific knowledge and skills learned in these play situations will not only help their children perform well on tests, but more generally to like and succeed in school. [Note: I should also clarify that both child-guided and adult-guided learning are equally “intentional” on the part of the teacher. It takes just as much child development knowledge to recognize and support child-guided learning as it does to initiate adult-guided learning. Don’t think of only adult-guided learning as being intentional.]

In my opinion is that there are many factors that aren't allowing our children to participate in class, but it is very important, that if a child is fall asleep and teacher knows the reason, given time and quiet rest space for 30 to 1 hour is fine. Daily sleep is vital, school time are long and depending on the child age/ state of mind, allowing a child to rest improve his /her behaviour and concentration skills.

Children who are tired – or hungry or sick – can’t learn. The first step is for a teacher or another staff member (e.g., social services or parent coordinator) to talk with the parent or guardian about why the child is coming to school tired. Together they can begin to problem solve ways to allow more time for sleep and other basic needs to be met at home. Of course, the program’s ability to affect the home situation may be limited, but there are things you can do in the classroom. Rather than making the child “awake,” plan time that is quiet and restful. For example, begin the day by sitting quietly with child in a comfortable spot and reading together. If possible, provide a cot, mat, pillows, or other soft place in a safe corner of the room where the child could actually nap. The child and/or other children might even build an enclosure with a low wall of blocks to designate a “quiet place.” This space, filled with pillows, soft toys, books, and so on, can be a spot that any child could retreat to when he or she felt a need for quiet time. That way, the child who comes to school tired wouldn’t feel singled out or left out using it, but would in fact be participating in one of the classroom options. Creating the space together with the children would provide an opportunity to talk about how people need sleep (“down time”) to grow healthy and strong, i.e., the teacher could introduce an “intentional” discussion about physical development and health inspired by the children’s own experiences.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and make “push down” academics disappear. However, while I lack magical powers, I do believe in the power of child observation. The best way to help teachers reflect on and improve their teaching practices is to get them to observe what children do and say. Then teachers can ask themselves whether the instructional strategies they use are working and (if they are not) to change. For example, during scripted academic lessons (e.g., when a large group of children are being asked to repeat isolated letter sounds), observation will reveal that while one or two children are responding, others may be bored, restless, puzzled, lost, angry, or disruptive. By contrast, children observed during appropriate activities – in which they engage with materials and people at their own developmental level and pace – will be visibly engaged, eager to learn, and display more creative problem solving. Teachers report that discipline problems decrease dramatically when they replace forced “lessons” with a more balanced approach to learning. When less time is spent on behavior management, there is more time for other meaningful learning to occur. In sum, I think that if teachers watch and listen to children, they may get the message more effectively than if other adults tell them how to teach. Perhaps we need a companion book, “Intentional Children,” to remind us that learning doesn’t have to pushed on children, but rather guided and supported.

All areas of early development are important and should be addressed in a comprehensive and integrated early childhood curriculum. For young children, learning isn’t compartmentalized into topics. However, I would say that two areas of learning are especially important because they provide the foundation for other types of learning. Those areas are (1) language and literacy and (2) social-emotional development. Language development (including listening, speaking, comprehension, vocabulary development) is essential because so much information is acquired through communicating with others. Early literacy is vital; children need to “learn to read” so they can eventually “read to learn.” Because so much early learning takes place in a social context, positive interactions with adults (parents and teachers) and peers is also central to healthy development. Research shows that children who feel good about themselves and their relationships with others do better in school. They enjoy learning and are willing to take on new challenges.

Questions about children’s feelings and emotions cannot be “planned” in advance. Rather, they need to arise out of the situation in which they occur. Comment on the emotions you see children expressing. Identify and help them label their feelings. Begin with simple feeling words, e.g., “You look upset” or “It seems like you and Janie really enjoyed playing with the soap bubbles.” As children feeling words (such as angry, mad, happy), you can gradually introduce new ones (such as frustrated or excited). Be sure to recognize positive as well as negative emotions. Ask children to tell you how they feel and always accept their emotions as valid. You can also support affective development in non-verbal ways. Depending on what each child finds comforting, you can hug, stroke, cuddle, or simply sit beside a child who is upset. You can smile, laugh, and join as a partner in the exuberant play of a child who is delighted with his or activity. In sum, while you can’t plan specific open-ended questions, you can be intentional about introducing the language of emotions to “match” the situation, and encouraging children to identify and name their feelings.

As a teacher, you cannot directly help parents deal with their substance abuse problems. However, you can help parents access whatever services your agency offers to connect them with substance abuse programs in your community. The best way for you to connect directly with parents in your role as teacher is through your shared concern for their child’s well-being. Regardless of the stresses in their own lives, parents want what is best for their children. Share observations with parents about what their children are doing and learning at school. Ask parents to tell you what they have observed their child doing at home. As you trade anecdotes, recognize what parents are doing “right” at home and suggest ways they can build on the positive learning interactions they share with their children during everyday activities. Encourage parents to read to their children every day, and problem solve with them to find a time and place in their daily schedules when it will be relaxed and convenient to do so. Explain to parents the importance of talking with their children (other than talking just to give directions or make requests). Encourage them to listen to and comment on what their children are doing and saying. If you can help parents support their children’s language and literacy development, you will help to lay the foundation for development in other areas as well.

Children – and teachers – would benefit from more child-guided learning in the early primary grades. The over-reliance on teacher-directed instruction is a response to pressures to be academically accountable, and is based on the false assumption that children do not learn when they play a more active role in shaping their education. One child-guided strategy that has been used successfully at the early elementary level (e.g., in HighScope settings) is daily “workshops.” A workshop might last an hour or more, depending on the students’ developmental level, and could happen once or twice a day. Students choose a topic or project of interest to them, and then work alone or collaboratively with others to learn more about it. For example, they might research written, audiovisual, or other materials on the subject; create a drawing, model, story, song, drama, or other representation; or take a field trip to a relevant location, such as a museum or place or business. Although children self-guide their learning, teachers play a very active and intentional role in this process too. For example, teachers provide resources (written and electronic), challenge children to think of where and how they can access resources on their own, ask open-ended questions to encourage students to think about their topic from different perspectives, work with students to generate hypotheses and make predictions, ask students to verify their conclusions, and so on. The benefits to students are that they are engaged in the topic (since it is self-chosen), learn about it in depth, and also “learn how to learn” by developing their investigative skills. Students who chose to work together also develop social skills. The benefits to teachers are that they listen more closely to students, gain an awareness of students’ interests and current levels of knowledge, and draw on their own creativity to identify the most effective scaffolding strategies for each individual or group. At the end of each daily workshop session, students can report back to the whole class on what they did that day. In addition to solidifying their knowledge, this activity allows students to reflect on what they learned and how they went about learning it. It helps them think about (plan) the next step in their workshop. Planning and reflection are essential to the development of students’ critical thinking skills. Sharing this information with the rest of the class also enhances the language skills of both the speakers and the listeners.

My Name is Ms. Toni R. Ingram, and I have been attending Columbus State College for the Last year and a half. My Major is Early Childhood Development, and I would really like to know if there are any intership positions avaliable. Because I have a lot of great Ideas that I would like to share with the National Association, and perhaps learn more creative plans for our young children today.

Most meaningful child learning and adult teaching takes place during children’s free choice time (child-initiated experiences) rather than during adult-planned activities. So even settings that use long-term planning should still have most of the program day taken up by experiences that children initiate. However, if a setting requires long-term planning for adult-initiated activities (such as small- and large-group time), this should be as flexible as possible to allow for both child- and adult-guided learning. For example, teachers may plan a small-group literacy activity working with alphabet letters. How they introduce these materials and support each child’s exploration of them can be determined by where each child is at the time the activity is carried out. Some children may simply be interested in holding and turning the letters, others may ask the names or sounds of the letters, and still others may be ready to pick out familiar letters such as those in their first names. Based on their daily observations of children, as well as watching and listening to what the children do during the activity, teachers can determine which intentional strategy will work best at the time. Ideally, planning would take place on a daily basis, with teaching teams sharing their child observations as they plan for the next day or two. Where long-range program planning IS important role is in professional development. Intentional teaching flourishes with a sustained and ongoing plan for staff to learn about early development in all the content areas, and how to support that learning through a balance of child- and adult-guided experiences.

There are many times when adult-guided experiences are appropriate, and the death of a loved is one of those times. Death is confusing and can be overwhelming to young children (just as it is for grown-ups!) and adults need to take an intentional role in helping a child deal with the pain of losing a loved one. Adults encourage the grieving child to play an active role by inviting the child to talk about his or her feelings, share something concrete (e.g., a memory about something they enjoyed doing with dead person), or represent the person (e.g., in drawings). By listening to the child and providing whatever emotional support that child finds comforting (hugs, songs, simply sitting together), the adult is also following the child’s lead. In these ways, both adult-guided and child-guided learning can help a young child through a difficult time.

Preschool children deal with death in very concrete ways. For example, they know someone they love is not there to talk to or play with. They see that other people are sad about the person’s absence. One way to help young children is to let them know it is okay to talk about their feelings. The parents, for example, might begin with a simple statement that they miss the child who has died and say something specific about them (e.g., “I miss Janie. I liked to make her favorite food, pancakes”). This opens the door for the grieving child to express his or her feelings and to share a concrete memory as well. It helps to have a photo of the person who died to o pen up discussion, especially if the photo also includes the child who is grieving. Ask the parents if they can give you a photo of the sibling to help you talk to the child in your center. Invite the grieving child to draw pictures, tell stories, or do a puppet play, about the sibling he or she lost. A good picture book to help preschool children talk about death is “I Miss You: A First Look at Death” by Pat Thomas and Leslie Harker. In addition to the clear pictures and simple words, there are questions the adult can ask to help the child share his or her feelings. Another resource is a non-profit organization located in Michigan called Ele’s Place, which is specifically to help grieving children. Here is the link to their website: http://www.elesplace.org/. The site has information about how children grieve, how adults can help, articles, and many other resources.

Hi Courtney,
Thanks for posting your question. Here are a few articles from the TYC website that you may find helpful.

Teacher Resources on Death - http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/Teacher%20Resources%20on%20Death.pdf
Children’s Books about Death - http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/Childrens%20Books%20About%20Death.pdf

Best regards,

Meredith MacMillan
Senior Editorial Associate
NAEYC