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A title in the Learning Moments series

Children with learning challenges can demonstrate their best thinking during play, both spontaneous and planned. When we slow down and look closely, we are often surprised at the depth and breadth of children’s thinking when they are in their zones of familiarity.

Dryden is standing in a deep hole, digging with a small shovel; Ewan stands above with a large shovel. Ewan accidentally swipes a bit of mud onto Dryden’s right cheek. Dryden says he needs an ice pack. The teacher asks Ewan to go into the school building to get the ice pack for Dryden. When Ewan demurs, the teacher puts into clear words the value that one needs to help a friend to whom you have brought discomfort, even if the act was an accident. The teacher understands Ewan’s reluctance as he holds the much-coveted large shovel.

This video shows two infants crawling and climbing in their classroom. Infants explore their world with their whole bodies. As teachers, how can our classroom environments reflect the infants’ need for physical as well as cognitive challenges? Is it possible that the tunnel was intended as an invitation to go through, not over? What do we gain by sometimes abandoning our original intention for materials? In taking a closer look at the two children’s experiences, the second child seems to want to imitate the actions of the first child.

As you view this video, find what problems the two girls confront as they pour water on a wheel. Also notice any place where either girl is surprised by what happens or disappointed by what does not happen. In this way you will find the educational value of play, even two minutes of play. Once you have looked for problems, surprises, and disappointments, consider what questions you might have asked these girls or what changes you might make in the physical environment that would extend their exploration. We offer our answers below, but you will certainly have others.

A title in the Learning Moments series

Children learn through play - but where do we look to find the learning and what do we do as adults to support these ordinary moments when children are deciding what to do next?

A title in the Learning Moments series

Children learn through play - but where do we look to find the learning and what do we do as adults to support these ordinary moments when children are deciding what to do next?

Four girls find a flat sandstone and decide to decorate it with paint. We see their project unfold over three days, with the teacher encouraging the children to plan what they will paint and how to divide the work among the four girls. The girls offer a list of elements: lines, squiggles, and flowers. But they decide to paint only the lines and squiggles first, perhaps because they understand that the flower shapes will be harder to paint or harder to see in the foreground of the other painted areas.

This video illustrates the value of authentic literacy experiences for young children. The video begins with Xavier attempting to send a message to Wesley. Xavier asks Wesley how to spell his name. What does the request indicate about Xavier’s understanding of messages? Notice the peer scaffolding that occurs during the process, when Wesley encourages Xavier even when he makes mistakes. Wesley returns to Xavier to add Xavier’s name to the work. This step changes the intention of the message that was originally a message from Xavier to Wesley.

This video captures toddlers interacting with their shadows. The first child names his shadow size, calling, “Big, big, big, giant.” As teachers, how might we introduce the vocabulary: big, bigger, biggest to provoke his further understanding of relative size? The first child manipulates his shadow by walking closer then further away and also attempts to combine his shadow in the corner, eventually causing his shadow to disappear. When the teacher asks the child a question to encourage him to verbalize his theory about shadows, the child moves away.

Zenia is learning to draw and paint. This clip spans her work from 15 months to 22 months. She begins with making marks on objects printed in a catalogue. Notice how deliberate she is about where she places her marks, usually in the middle of pictured object, deftly lifting her pen with a flare after she has added her mark.