Identifying and Extending Children’s Learning: Responsive Practice and Higher Level Conversations 2012 Cindy Green Cindy M. Green and Associates

EMERGENT PRACTICES Observe Listen Pause Wonder Dialogue Plan Document Reflect Extend Sustain (C. Green, 2011)

Observation is the initial step in the process of supporting children’s thinking, problem-solving and subsequent learning. Making Thinking Visible: - Critical (analyzes situations and ideas using logic and reasoning skills) - Creative (uses imagination, sees things from multiple perspectives) - Divergent (tries many ways to solve a problem or find an answer) - Metacognition (to think about their thinking, making knowledge visible) - Engage in their sense of curiosity in how things work/how things are - Engage in mental representations and demonstrate symbolic thought Barbour, Green & Kashin, 2011

Observation is the initial step in the process of supporting children’s thinking, problem-solving and subsequent learning. Making Problem Solving Visible: To be able to; - Persist with an idea, even in the face of challenge - Revisit an idea - Make adaptations in order to reach a desired goal - Use multiple strategies to solve a problem – e.g. questioning, active exploration, observation, hypothesizing and testing theories - Reflect and reach conclusions - Apply previous knowledge to new situations/problems Barbour, Green & Kashin, 2011

GOALSSTRATEGIESTHEORIES What the child is trying to do. Dr. G. Forman (2007) How the child goes about it. What the child might be thinking, their ideas or what they might know.

GOALSSTRATEGIESTHEORIES Observing for ….

Higher Level Conversations Rich conversations include descriptive statements as well as open and thought- provoking questions. I notice …. Look how … I see that you …. That bike is ….

(2012) Next Session with Cindy: Oct 18 6:30 pm The Art Studio: Fostering Creativity