Professionals, such as early childhood educators, use words and terminology specific to their field. In each issue of TYC, readers will find a plain language definition of a term used in the issue, along with a brief example to clarify its meaning. Below is a growing glossary of early childhood terms that is updated after publication of each new issue of TYC.
D
Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is the use of teaching strategies that are based on knowledge of how young children develop and learn, what makes each child unique, and the child's community and family culture and home language. DAP activities are not too difficult or too easy, but just right.
G
Guidance, according to Dan Gartrell (2010), is not punishing children for making mistakes; it is helping children to learn from their mistakes. Guidance is not disciplining children for having problems they cannot solve, but assisting children to learn to solve their problems. Friendly humor is important in good guidance, and so are these three considerations:
1. When using guidance, teachers are firm when needed, but firm and friendly, not firm and harsh.
2. Teachers who use guidance do well to think of a child’s age in terms of months rather than years. They understand that young children are just beginning to learn difficult life skills that may take a lifetime to master.
3. A partnership between the teacher, the child, and the family is necessary for guidance to be effective.
Graphic organizers are visual representations of information, such as charts, diagrams, and webs. Teachers can use them to discover and organize what children already know and to support and extend children's learning. Children can use them to show what they already know and what they have learned about a given topic.
O
Observation is a process used by early childhood educators to watch, listen to, and record children’s actions, facial expressions, body language, sounds, words,and gestures. Educators use the information collected through observations for several purposes. Observation helps teachers get to know children so that they can build positive relationships with them. Observation provides information teachers can use to understand what and how a child is thinking, feeling, and learning and plan ways to support and enhance the child’s development of skills in all domains.
Observations can be for a specific purpose—for example, to identify a child’s preferred playmates or what she knows about a topic. And observations can be open-ended—for example, to gather information in order to share a brief story about the child with a family member at the end of the day or in a note home.
To be most useful, it’s best for observations to be recorded in writing, on audiotape, through photographs, or through use of multiple strategies. When examined over time, observation recordings can document a child’s progress.
Oral language includes speaking and listening. For preschoolers, it involves understanding and using a growing vocabulary. Development of oral language skills begins in infancy as children listen to adults and older siblings talk to each other and to them. While oral language develops naturally, the more a child hears and is engaged in conversation, the greater his or her language skills will be.
Children use oral language skills to think and learn and in play with each other. Language skills help children share their ideas, make requests, and name and express feelings. Good listeners can take part in conversations, collaborate with others to make plans and solve problems, and respond to questions and comments. Children who have strong language skills can apply them when learning to read and write.
P
A portfolio includes thoughtfully collected examples of an individual child's work along with other items, such as photos and observation notes, to document the child's activities over time. Teachers use portfolios for ongoing planning and assessment of the child's learning and as a tool for demonstrating to the child, family, and others the child's efforts, progress, and achievements in general and in relation to specific early learning standards.
A print-rich preschool environment offers children many different materials for reading and writing and the time and opportunities to use them for a wide variety of authentic, everyday purposes. Such learning environments include books, magazines, and other forms of print; use signs and labels to communicate information; and o ffer paper and writing tools throughout the room. Children can look at books alone or with a friend, sign their names on the daily attendance chart, write cards and letters, record observations, and incorporate reading and writing in their play.
R
A reflective teacher considers what she knows about a child or situation, child development theory, and past experiences, then uses new knowledge and insights to plan next steps in teaching and learning.
In action a reflective teacher watches children’s play, documents children’s conversations, studies notes and photos to learn what is significant, reads professional literature, exchanges information with families, and applies this new information to plan ways to engage a child and encourage learning.
Reflective teachers are curious about and delight in children’s perspectives. They are eager to discover and use multiple approaches to support the amazing process of children’s development. Their professional development takes place daily in their classrooms as they watch and think about their work with children.
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from traumas, frustrations, and challenges. Resilient children and adults can figure out strategies to cope with difficulties rather than being overwhelmed by them. Resilient preschoolers tend to be able to do things on their own, but will ask for help when needed. They are optimistic, know their own strengths, have healthy and supportive relationships with peers and family, and take charge of their own learning.
To help preschoolers build resilience, teachers can nurture children's belief that they are capable and independent. They can comment on children's efforts as well as noticing their accomplishments. Teachers can help children see challenges and hard effort as normal; build strategies for children to use in difficult situations; and foster a classroom community that supports problem solving through a range of experiences.
Rough play refers to the vigorous, intense, physical play that all animal young, including young children, engage in. It is sometimes called big body play, rough-and-tumble play, roughhousing, horseplay, or play fighting. At times rough play may resemble actual fighting, but it is different. Rough play is a valuable and viable play style—one teachers and families need to understand and support.
S
T
V
Visual supports are used in early childhood settings to communicate expectations and information to children who have certain disabilities, are learning English, or need extra time to process what they hear and come up with a response. Supports include photos, drawings, objects, gestures, print, and environmental cues. Sometimes visual supports are used with verbal explanations. Various kinds of visual supports help children understand where to find things and where things belong, what will happen and when, what to do and how to do it, how to interact with others, and how to communicate thoughts, feelings, and choices.
