Dig Deeper to Learn With Children Chapter 6 Learning Together with Young Children
Language of Learning Are we viewing children as competent or as incompetent? This has a lot to deal with how we interact with children, what our expectations are, and our attitudes toward others.
The Hundred Languages of Children by Loris Malaguzzi (translated by Lella Gandini)
The child is made of one hundred The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands a hundred thoughts a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred ways of listening of marveling of loving a hundred joys for singing and understanding a hundred worlds to discover a hundred worlds to dream.
The child has a hundred languages (and a hundred hundred hundred more) but they steal ninety-nine. The school and the culture separate the head from the body.
They tell the child: to think without hands to do without head to listen and not to speak to understand without joy to love and to marvel only at Easter and Christmas.
They tell the child: to discover the world already there and of the hundred they steal ninety-nine. They tell the child that work and play reality and fantasy science and imagination sky and earth reason and dream are things that do not belong together.
And thus they tell the child that the hundred is not there And thus they tell the child that the hundred is not there. The child says: No way. The hundred is there.
Improvisational Theater Follow the lead of the child Try not to shoot down their ideas Allow for the excitement of their ideas to come through
Impacting Quality of Responses Wait time Clarity Placement Calling on children in different ways Thought level
Wait Time Increasing wait time increases number and quality of responses. Three second average 15 seconds is best
Clarity Ask specific question, then stop talking.
Avoid Unclear Questions What about elephants?
Avoid Asking Series of Questions What do tigers eat? Do they eat plants? Would you find one attacking another tiger to eat it?
Placement of Questions Before reading—to comprehend specific information During reading—to focus After reading—for general comprehension
Methods of Calling on Children Solitary response (Jim, what is the date?) Controlled response (What is the date, Jim?) Uncontrolled response (What is the date?) Mass response (What is the date, class?)
Thought Level Literal Interpretive Application
Literal Read the lines. “Does he love me?”
Interpretation Read between the lines “Did he kiss me like he loves me?”
Improving Questioning Wait time Clarity Placement Calling on children Thought level
Application Read beyond the lines. “Will he ask me to marry him?” —
Open Ended questions
Challenge Children to Go a Step Further in their Pursuits Figure out what they are exploring and talking about, LISTEN carefully to what they are saying and not saying, try to view the situation from their point of view
Help Children Represent Their Ideas with Multiple Materials Drama, drawing, songs, stories, buildings, play dough, clay, photography, (amazing what can be done with digital photography these days) http://playsplus.com/video.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Whgmm rLyBI&eurl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGBNUYtt 4no&feature=related Surgery
Tap into Children’s Love of Songs and Music Spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down!!
Draw on Children’s Deep Fascination with Drama and Magical Thinking
Harness Children’s Instinctive Drive to Use their Bodies
Build on Children’s Attention for the Natural World
Explore Children’s Theories for Deeper Learning
Reflect Children’s Ideas Back to them with Documentation