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Introduction to Northampton Community College's
Early Childhood Education
Teaching Skills and Strategies
The following Teaching Skills and Strategies are used by NCC students for observing children, planning learning experiences, and interacting with children. It is to be used with its companion guides, NCC Early Childhood Education's Curriculum Framework for Young Children and the NCC Early Childhood Child Observation Guiding Questions. The Teaching Skills and Strategies are also used as the indicators for evaluating the student's lab and/or internship competencies with children.
The central teaching skill is observation. Observe involves watching children and documenting their interactions. Careful looking and listening leads to knowing each child's development, interests, and abilities; and to understanding the child within the context of his/her family. This information is used to respond to, and scaffold, children's actions, serve as the basis for planning curriculum, assessing learning, and communicating with parents.
Observation is used prior to deciding if and when to intervene with a child and/or children. Sometimes, further watching and listening is the best response. When an interaction is to occur, the teacher is to decide on a particular form of interaction-support, stretch, direct, and stimulate.
Support is responding to children by describing their actions and acknowledging their initiatives. Support provides feedback to a child about the uniqueness of their actions and thinking, which contributes to the child's sense of competence and the development of a positive self-concept.
Stretch extends, challenges and scaffold children's learning by providing the materials, ideas and questions that provide the opportunities for the child to construct meaningful knowledge and develop skills required to effectively communicate, learn, and work with others.
Direct is providing children with information and skills necessary for being a competent learner. Children are provided with consistently enforced rules, directions and information that provide an emotionally safe and secure environment where they feel nurtured and valued. This environment allows children to take risks with their learning, and supports the development of their social and emotional competence.
Stimulate is providing children with ideas, objects and situations that enable them to generate new ideas, develop skills, and learn information.
Planning is preparing arts-based, emergent learning opportunities for children that are based on observed developmental abilities, responsive to their interests and relevant to their culture. Plans are prepared using information from children's portfolios linked to the learning opportunities from the Curriculum Framework and implemented using Teaching Skills and Strategies.
All Northampton Community College Early Childhood Students are prepared to view themselves as professionals. They are required to use the National Association of Young Children's Code of Ethics when needing to make decisions. Professionalism is practicing behaviors and displaying attitudes that demonstrate a commitment to providing, and advocating for, the highest quality programs for children and families.
Observe
Observe is to watch children and document their interactions. Careful looking and listening leads to knowing each child's development, interests, and abilities; and to understanding the child within the context of his/her family. This information is used to respond to children's actions, serve as the basis for planning curriculum, assessing learning, and communicating with parents.
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What Teachers Do….. |
How Teachers Do…. |
Examples….. |
Watch individual children while periodically scanning the entire environment
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Ø Periodically scan the room to notice safety hazards
Ø Note changes in a child's health
Ø Identify learning opportunities |
Child is about to hit another child
Toddler is about to bite
Child has built a ramp…
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Decide If , When and How to Intervene |
Intervene with child in order to Support, Direct, Stimulate, and/or Stretch a child's actions and/or ideas
Continue to Observe when:
Ø Intervention would be intrusive to the child's play and thinking
Ø Intervention would interrupt a child's creating or solving a problem
Ø Child needs Wait Time…i.e., time to respond
Ø Child can accomplish the task without assistance |
Record observations on Responding to Children's Ideas/Actions Form |
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Create a Child Portfolio |
Record children's actions using a variety of tools:
Ø Written records: observation notes, time samples, running records, anecdotal records and/or developmental checklists
Ø Photos of children's in action and/or their work
Ø Samples of children's work, i.e. art work, journals
Ø Lists of books, computer work, dictations, tapes, etc. |
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Gather information from child's family |
Record family's views about the child's interests, abilities, physical needs, etc.
Record family expectations |
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Communicate observations and assessments to parents |
Complete daily parent communication forms
Create displays for parents
Observe and/or participate in parent teacher conferences |
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Develop assessment reports |
Write Child Analysis Papers |
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Support
Support is responding to children by describing their actions and acknowledging their initiatives. Support provides feedback to a child about the uniqueness of their actions and thinking, which contributes to the child's sense of competence and the development of a positive self-concept.
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What Teachers Do….. |
How Teachers Do…. |
Examples….. |
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Be attentive, listen, and attune |
Ø Use facial expressions with animation appropriate for the situation.
Ø Use eye contact; Physically get down to the child's level to allow child to see into your eyes.
Ø Use body language with appropriate positioning and gesturing of body in response to situation |
Ø Surprise, happy, sad
Ø Leaning forward
Ø Attuning to child's movement/position
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Attach words and actions to child's products, actions, feelings |
Ø Tell a child exactly what you see her/him doing… use correct vocabulary to name elements and/or product
Ø Tell child what you hear him/her saying
Ø Provide the physical support required that allows the child to continue and/or complete. |
"You are drawing yellow circles."
" I see lots of tears. You look as if you are feeling sad."
"You made the letter M." |
Co-construct and Play-with |
Ø Play and engage with materials and child/children
Ø Attach words to child's actions
Ø Attach actions to a child's words
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Ø Building with blocks and talking about patterns, shapes, etc.
Ø Playing "house" and talking about the roles, set, etc.
Ø Modeling with clay and talking about the smoothness, amount, length |
Nurture |
Ø Hold, hug, and rub while being sensitive to the child's style /sensory preferences…some like physical, tactile contact, while others prefer more space.
Ø Soothing tones, music
Ø Smiling |
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Stretch
Stretch extends, challenges and scaffolds children's learning by providing the materials, ideas and questions that provide the opportunities for the child to construct meaningful knowledge and develop skills required to effectively communicate, learn, and work with others.
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What Teachers Do….. |
How Teachers Do…. |
Examples….. |
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Offer New Materials and Ideas |
Provide materials and tools that :
Ø Add a challenge to the learning experience.
Ø Stimulate re-representation
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A child is building a marble roll with blocks. The teacher gets hollow blocks so the child can create a sturdier base.
Infant pulls self up on knees…offer your arm so child
Pulls to stand. |
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Ask Connect Questions
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Make connections to prior experiences and knowledge.
Talk about experiences and interests |
"Yesterday you used the wide brush, would that work today?"
"When you mixed the paint you got a new color, what do you think will happen when you put the yellow with the red?" |
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Ask Extend Questions |
Encourage the child to think further about actions, materials, and language.
Ø Pretend to be someone else
Ø Identify parts/steps
Ø Decide when finished
Ø Predict and Reflect/Critique |
A child is building with blocks. "What can we do to make both sides the same size?"
A child is at the easel. "Let's see what will happen if you use this thinner brush?'
What does this animal have that you could put on yours? |
Encourage Representation |
Guide child to represent in a different symbol system
Use one object to stand for another
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Create a play from children's experience
Draw a block structure
Take dictation about an event or piece of artwork. |
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Put children in touch with each other |
Suggest they do an experience together
Ask them to give each other ideas/joint problem-solving |
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Direct
Direct is providing children with information and skills necessary for being a competent learner. They are provided with consistently enforced rules, directions and information that provide an emotionally safe and secure environment where children feel nurtured and valued. This environment allows children to take risks with their learning, and supports the development of their social and emotional competence.
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What Teachers Do….. |
How Teachers Do…. |
Examples….. |
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Demonstrate and Model |
Use individual and group demonstrations to
Ø Help children explore and gain skills using tools and materials
Ø Help children learn procedures and sequences
Ø Learn information and symbols
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Clay is introduced to the art area. Techniques for rolling are demonstrated.
When providing demonstrations:
Ø Have materials ready
Ø Focus children's attention
Ø Explain and/or show in a step-by-step sequence |
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Create and enforce ground rules that lead children to safe and appropriate behavior
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Post ground rules that promote safety and respect for:
Ø People and materials
Ø State what a child is to do
Ø Are limited in number |
Ø Walk inside
Ø Return materials to the shelf
Ø Wash hands |
Focus children's attention |
Ø Use a sensory stimuli: ring a bell, change the lighting
Ø Do a finger play or action/realization activity (stomp feet, clap hands, breathe deeply, etc)
Ø Listen for a quiet sound…a bird singing, a wind chime |
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Redirect to alternative experiences. |
Ø Tell a child to choose a new material and/or experience. Based on your knowledge of the child and the situation you may offer the child:
Ø an open choice
Ø a limited choice
Ø no choice
Ø Lead the child to the new material or experience.
Ø Model the appropriate behavior |
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Present ideas and situations to help children resolve conflict |
Ø Use drama and storytelling to recreate a classroom situation
Ø Put children in touch with each other by asking the children to describe what happened and what could be done |
Two children were building with blocks and a third child wanted to join them…..Take roles and discuss as a group.
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Provide opportunities for children to express feelings and/or gain another perspective |
Ø Record a child's narrative about the event and/or feelings
Ø Direct child to their journal to write/draw
Ø Role play
Ø Use music, movement, art materials |
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Require children to take responsibility for their actions |
Ø Show/describe actions that are appropriately connected to the child's behavior |
Provide tape to mend a torn book page
Have child hold ice on child that was hit |
Stimulate
Stimulate is providing children with ideas, objects and situations that enable them to generate new ideas, develop skills, and learn information.
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What Teachers Do….. |
How Teachers Do…. |
Examples….. |
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Prepare visually aesthetic and organized environments
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Organize tools and materials, and make accommodations so all children can access and return them without adult assistance.
Support children in returning materials when completed. |
Put control pads/pictures as labels on the shelves
Describe the child's work..use computer printing.
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Display children's work
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Give attention to aesthetics - color, pattern, texture, neatness.
Use display to document and communicate learning |
Refer to NCC Guidelines for Display |
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Provide references
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Present and/or display an object, art reproduction, picture, book, music, etc. that stimulate inquiry and connect children's learning to the their family, community, and culture
Role play/act out a situation: Tell or read a story |
Hang a ceremonial African mask
Put turkey feathers on a table
Shake a rattle
Still life arrangement in the art area |
Provide Wide Variety of Tools and Materials |
Have tools and materials
Ø Available for each arts/communication area:
Ø Adapted as necessary to meet the needs of individual
Ø Appropriate to interest of children and/or to stimulate new interests
Change materials and tools frequently
Change the setting
Vary the technique
Provide a motivating experience |
Ø Provide a twig for painting
Ø Read outdoors
Ø Add music to water play |
Plan
Planning is preparing arts-based, emergent learning opportunities for children that are based on observed developmental abilities, responsive to their interests and relevant to their culture. Plans are prepared using information from children's portfolios linked to the learning opportunities from the Curriculum Framework and implemented using Teaching Skills and Strategies.
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What Teachers Do….. |
How Teachers Do…. |
Examples….. |
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Identify developmental abilities and interests. Link to curriculum. |
Use child observations to identify abilities and interests |
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Identify materials to be available for play and exploration. (See Stimulate)
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Plan with children
Web/think about possible materials, techniques, teaching strategies. Link to the Curriculum and Observation Guides
Modify environments and experiences based on
Ø Child's interests and abilities.
Ø Health and safety issues |
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Identify teaching strategies (See Observe) |
Direct, Stretch, Support, and/or Stimulate |
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Reflect/Evaluate |
Use child observations to identify what children learned, their level of interest and engagement with the materials and each other |
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Professionalism
Professionalism is practicing behaviors and displaying attitudes that demonstrate a commitment to providing, and advocating for, the highest quality programs for children and families. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethics serves as a guide.
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