Higher Level Thinking, Brain Science

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HOT: Big Questions Online Module

This self-paced online module provides strategies to introduce higher order thinking skills and big questions into preschool classrooms.

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Teacher and students playing game with materials

Article

Teaching Young Children

February 1, 2019

Conversations with Children! Asking Questions That Stretch Children’s Thinking

This is the fifth and final article in this TYC series about asking questions that support rich conversations.

Authored by

Authored by: Janis Strasser

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Teacher and students setting up project in class

Article

Teaching Young Children

December 1, 2018

Conversations with Children! Asking Questions to Support Their Understanding of Family Diversity

The fourth article in a TYC series about asking children several different types of questions and inviting meaningful conversations, this piece focuses on discussions about diversity.

Authored by

Authored by: Janis Strasser

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Three children sitting on a rock in the woods

Article

Young Children

November 1, 2018

Big Questions in the Great Outdoors

Mr. Joe has set the stage for ongoing learning opportunities by creating a weekly routine that focuses on the children’s in-depth study of Todd, the adopted oak tree.

Authored by

Authored by: Sue Mankiw, Janis Strasser, Lisa Mufson Bresson

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Teacher and three preschool students with hands up

Article

Teaching Young Children

October 1, 2018

Conversations with Children! Big Questions Lead to Math Adventures

This is the third article in the TYC series about asking children several different types of questions and inviting meaningful conversations.

Authored by

Authored by: Janis Strasser, Ellie Maiorana

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Blog

August 27, 2018

Hello Book Club: NAEYC Members Discuss Big Questions for Young Minds by Janis Strasser and Lisa Mufson Bresson

Last month, NAEYC continued with the second iteration of our successful online book club, as members were invited to read Big Questions for Young Minds: Extending Children’s Thinking, by Janis Strasser and Lisa Mufson Bresson.

Authored by

Authored by: Gilmar Rosas

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Article

Teaching Young Children

August 1, 2018

Conversations with Children! Using Questions during Center Time

This is the second article in a TYC series about asking children questions and inviting conversations.

Authored by

Authored by: Janis Strasser

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Article

Young Children

July 1, 2018

Mathematizing with Toddlers and Coaching Undergraduates: Foundations for Intentional Math Development

The key to mathematics with toddlers (and infants) is sportscasting—talking aloud using self-talk, parallel talk, and reflective speech—to highlight math concepts.

Authored by

Authored by: Julia Luckenbill

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Article

Young Children

July 1, 2018

Helping Young Children Learn Language: Insights from Research

Educators really are brain builders helping very young children gain language and literacy skills!

Authored by

Authored by: Ellen Galinsky

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Teacher helping student count with his fingers

Article

Young Children

March 1, 2018

Using Hand Symbols to Scaffold Student-Generated Questions in Kindergarten Classrooms

This article explores the instructional value of student-generated questions and how to support children's curiosity.

Authored by

Authored by: Douglas DiStefano, Molly Ness

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Article

Young Children

March 1, 2018

From Our President. Questions that Illuminate and Expand Learning

How can we foster children's critical thinking skills and scaffold and extend their learning? Ask great questions!

Authored by

Authored by: Tammy L. Mann

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Book

Big Questions for Young Minds: Extending Children's Thinking

Learn more about Big Questions for Young Minds

Authored by

Authored by: Janis Strasser, Lisa Mufson Bresson

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HOT Tinkering

This interactive online module provides preschool teachers with strategies to promote children's Higher Order Thinking skills and increase understanding of STEM concepts in the classroom.

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Readiness: Not a State of Knowledge, but a State of Mind

Here are eight parenting practices that nurture children’s untold potential and readiness to learn.

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Blog

May 1, 2017

Young Minds: The Important Role of Brain Science

Editor's note introducing the cluster topic for the May 2017 issue of Young Children

Authored by

Authored by: Lisa Hansel

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Blog

February 1, 2017

The T in STEM: Creating Play-Based Experiences That Support Children’s Learning of Coding and Higher Order Thinking

Coding can be engaging and fun, but it’s only meaningful when there are strong higher order thinking (HOT) foundational skills first put in place.

Authored by

Authored by: Tamara Kaldor

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Blog

April 30, 2018

Jellyfish or Bubbles: What a Trip to the Aquarium Revealed About How Toddlers Learn

When our son could barely speak he communicated what he was thinking by signing. I still remember one particularly memorable story to this day because of what it revealed to me about how toddlers think and learn.