Chapter+5++Coach+Children+to+Learn+About+Learning

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I'm trying out this wiki!

I liked the story on p. 112 of our Learning Together book where the girl says, "I really like coming to Pre School and playing, but when are you going to teach me something?" And then they go on to talk about helping children be aware of what they are learning as they play.

Inspired by the coaching chapter, I've been trying out telling children as I take a photo of them that I am taking a picture of them because they are learning something new... and trying to point out what they are learning. This is new for me - I used to just take a picture and show it to them but not necessary tell them why I took a photo of that activity.

I have a lot more thoughts, but I have to go up to Enfield for a team meeting right now!

Varya,

Thanks for your comment. I think that is really important to do and something I too hadn't done with students. Usually I just make a comment about "Tell me what you did", or "I like that", but I am not being specific enough. I think more and more how necessary it is for the adults in the room to be really conscious and specific when using language. So, maybe something like, "I noticed you are learning how to make bubbles in the water." Then, it would seem that the children will have models on how to comment on their own work and be more reflective about what they are doing.


 * )Liz

Hi.

Yes, I really know what you mean about specific comments as opposed to general ones. Along those same lines of helping kids to be aware of what they are learning, I am trying out something new with a child I am working with. I see him twice a week, once at his community daycare and then the very next day at home. All of hs IEP goals center around expanding his play skills, so I am trying out taking a photo of him at his daycare and then bringing it to his house the next day. And then we talk about what is happening in the photo, what his other friends are doing, what roles children might be taking in their play - with the gola of helping him be more aware of his peers and conscious of play in his classroom. I ask him lots of leading questions to get him to talk about the photos and then I write it down. And then after that he gets to draw his own picture. I usually ask him who he wants to draw. We keep it all in a notebook, and then he can look at it with his family during the week. Anyway, this came from the idea in our book of children helping to put together their own portfolios. It's just one child, so it's been easy to try it out (as opposed to the logistics that might come up in a classroom!).


 * ) Varya