Facilitation of Learning
What is an example of applying concepts to the real world for toddlers?
As you are reading books about pets, you can ask children if they have pets in there home.
If two children are pretending to fly a plane, you can ask if they have ever been on an airplane, or how balloons and airplanes are similar.
Finding these opportunities and having these discussions can provide opportunities for you to expand upon chidlren's understanding and encourage them to think about how to connect classroom concepts to their own experiences.
Why is the quality of the feedback you give toddlers important?
Toddlers greatly benefit from assistance, information, and encouragement that can help them accomplish things on their own. This builds their confidence, helps motivate them to try new things, and helps them to persist when confronted with challenges. By intentionally looking for every occasion to provide meaningful feedback to children, teachers create many more learning opportunities throughout the day.
How does repeating and extending children's language help them?
When you focus on children's attempts to communicate and then build upon their contribution you are helping them to develop new langauge skills, which contribute to their academic and social success.
Honor toddlers attempts of communicating by repeating back what they have said. You can then expand upon their langauge by introducing new words and concepts. When a child picks up a dropped item and says, "shoe" a teacher might respond by saying, "Shoe!" You found Layla's shoe!"
What does it look like to actively involve children both verbally and physically?
What does it sound like to focus attention on children's efforts when providing feedback?
When you are providing feedback, focus on children's accomplishments and recognize their efforts b providing specific statements about their work. Saying, "I knew you could do it! You matched the two pieces of the puzzle together to make a cat," helps provide the child with individualized recognition and knowledge of the actions that helped the child accomplish the task.
What do conversations with toddlers sound like?
Conversations with toddlers may involve verbal exchanges, nonverbal communication attempts, or a mixture of both. Teachers can encourage children to use langauge by asking open-ended questions, by responding to children's communicative attempts, and by extending back-and forth responses over several attempts. Talk with chidlren about their lives outside of school, family members, and activities. Listen carefully when they approach you with something exciting to share; respond with follow-up questions to continue building the conversation.
How can you make the most out of routine times?
Slow down and talk with individual children during routine times of the day such as during meals/snacks and toileting diapering. Use this time to embed questions and learning opportunities instead of just going through the motions.
During meals you can ask questions to compare tastes or sizes, "Are our apples red on the outside and on the inside?" or "Do you have more crackers or more cucumbers?"
Why is it important to create learning moments in the classroom?
Many toddlers experience activities and events for the first time in early childhood classrooms. Based upon children's spontaneous actions, create learning moments in your classroom by responding to children with new or expanded information about their experiences. Rather than just commenting on what they are doing, ask questions, demonstrate an action, or supply information that facilitates new understanding.
What does advanced langauge look like for toddlers when being rated by the CLASS tool?
Many people think this means using what we as adults would consider advanced words. For toddlers, focus more on using a variety of words, speaking in complete sentences and using descriptive language in conversations.
How can you help toddlers get involved in activities?
You can help toddlers get involved by getting involved yourself.
Toddlers often wait for a teacher to demonstrate an activity before trying it on their own.
As children are playing, circulate around the room and talk to children about what they are doing. Help them discover different ways they can use the materials in the classroom by making suggestions or asking questions.
How can you encourage children to persist in their play?
When children run into difficulties, encourage them to keep trying. You might say, "You are trying to make a long train. I know it's hard when the train cars aren't staying connected, but I think you can do it. Let's try again!" The longer the children are involved in activities, the more opportunities they have for exploration and learning.
What does labeling look like for children?
When you are labeling objects, you are simply naming them for children. Describe events in a way that chidlren can easily understand. For example, When a child is playing with cars, a teacher might say, "You are driving the green truck." When the child holds up another car, the teacher continues saying, "and you have a red car! You have two vechicles- a green truck and a red car."
How can you build upon what children are currently doing to facilitate their learning?
Teachers can encourage children to practice problem-solving, build connections from past learning, and ehance thinking when they build upon what children are actively engaged in.
For example, if children are playing with dinosaurs, you can go over and ask questions about what dinosaurs eat, how their tails are the same or different, the types of noises they make, etc.
What is scaffolding and how can you scaffold children's learning?
Scaffolding is acknowledging a child's current level of understanding, and building on it by offering hints and providing assistance to help them get to an answer or complete a task.
A child may need physical assistance such as a teacher showing her how to climb the ladder one foot at a time, or a teacher may provide a child with hints such as, "Try climbing by lifting one foot up, there you go, now try lifting up your other foot."
Providing scaffolding helps children perform at a higher level than they could on their own.
What is self talk? What is parallel talk?
Self-talk is when you are narrating what you are doing as you do it. "I'm opening the box of graham crackers. Now I am handing out two to each of you. One, two!" Think of the host of a cooking show and how they talk about everything they are doing.
Parallel talk is when you provide language for children's actions, such as "Look at you! You are putting on a chef's hat and an apron and getting out a pot. You are a real chef!" Think about a sportscaster and how they tell you everything hapening during a sporting event.