The observation that I decided to conduct was in a preschool childcare center. In this scenario, the teacher is down on the ground playing legos with a girl student. The student is making a design on the lego board, when the teacher says, "Look! You made a symmetrical pattern! That's when something is the same on both sides!" The student gives a big smile and goes back to her design. She then places some pieces on the left side of the design, and then teacher asks, "Do you know what you would have to do to keep the design symmetrical?" The girl student thinks about it for about three seconds, and then adds the same pieces to the right side of the design. "Look!" she exclaims.
I thought that this example was very much so an example of teachers speaking with children in small groups. By adding dialogue and vocabulary into play, children are easily able to pick up this information simply by thinking about its meaning through play (Dangei & Durden, 2010). I thought that this communication technique was very effective because the child not only learned what "symmetrical" meant, but she also learned how to make a design or picture reach the criteria of being considered symmetrical.
As for the student's sense of worth, I can imagine that this boosted her self-esteem. She knew from the beginning that "symmetrical" was a big word... and not only did she inadvertently make her design symmetrical to begin with, she also used the simple definition provided in order to continue keeping her design this way. After this scenario, she truly beamed with joy and excitement...she even showed several other students.
After reading the resources and performing several observations this week, I have determined that I do believe that I communicate well with children. I oftentimes do add words and concepts to their free play, allow them to convey their thoughts and feelings to me, and give them the opportunity to problem solve through speaking and role playing without providing them with the answers. These are only a few ways in which effective communication skills are utilized, and I now know that there are several more techniques I can use in the classroom.
References:
Rainer Dangei, J., & Durden, T. R. (2010). The nature of teacher talk during small group activities. YC: Young Children, 65(1), 74–81. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.
Asking open-ending questions is a very important strategy for building effective communication with children. It helps children develop critical thinking, encourage participation, and fosters children's language, and convey ideas (Rainer, & Durden, 2010). When children are able to build ideas when communicating they are able to make connections with the outside world.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Rainer Dangei, J., & Durden, T. R. (2010). The nature of teacher talk during small group activities. YC: Young Children, 65(1), 74–81. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database. http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=47964033&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Beki,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great to learn that you are already doing most of the things even before you officially learn them.
Even though it is important to use simple language with the young children, I personally believe that it is important to introduce advanced vocabulary to young children as well. Most children love to learn and use "big words" in their conversations.
Thank You for sharing!!