1. How Much Can Young Children Learn and How Should We Teach Them?
Cathy Feldman
Reach Associates

2. How much can young children learn?
The Sky’s the Limit
My own practice and collaboration with teachers across the country has taught me to never underestimate the thinking of a child.

3. How should we teach them?
-4 pivotal anchors.
- 4 anchors come together to create an optimal learning environment.

4. 4 Pivotal Anchors Developmentally Appropriate Practices Trajectory
Balance
Teacher’s Role

5. Developmentally Appropriate Practices
Provide intentional learning opportunities that nurture and grow all domains of a child’s development
Value the role of play in learning
learning experiences - develop the cognitive, language, motor, social and emotional skills
- foster a child’s play
-all P- 3 students- a time for free choice where blocks, board games, in a real life dramatic center, arts etc.
- taught and given practice developing problem solving, taking turns, task persistence, self confidence to speak

6. Developmentally Appropriate Practices
Learning goals and opportunities are achievable and challenging
Learning opportunities are appropriate to a child’s age and development
Learning experiences recognize and address the whole child
asked open-ended questions providing access to all learners while challenging their thinking

7. Trajectory
Knowing and using the expected outcomes in all domains of learning
Believing in the ability of all students to achieve at high levels
Creating differentiated learning opportunities
instructional practices reflect knowledge of the age and grade level expected outcomes in all domains of development
teachers demonstrate high and fair expectations that are rigorous for all students
all students expected to engage – scaffolds of support and encouragement are provided.
materials are differentiated, culturally relevant, on various topics supporting all students’ success

8. Balance Achievable and challenging The whole child
The types of learning experiences
offering the next learning opportunity
learning experiences develop a social emotional skills, approaches to learning and learning behaviors as well as cognitive/academic skills
a balance of whole group and small group and independent learning experiences
a balance between teacher directed, student directed, structured and inquiry based activities

9. Teacher’s Role Create a caring and safe learning environment
Be responsive to students’ and families’ interests, cultures and needs
Maintain positive interactions fostering a child’s identity and confidence in him/herself as a learner
the impact of the teacher is pivotal –developmentally practices to be actualized, creating the needed balance, in knowing and bringing to fruition the trajectory.
teacher promotes a positive learning environment – encourages risk taking
teacher-child and teacher-family interactions are respectful, responsive and inclusive
teacher fosters a child’s identify of her/himself as a learner is fostered - teachers refer to students as learners, thinkers, writers, authors, scientists, mathematicians and readers
- teacher empowers children to think about themselves as learners – providing time for students to reflect on their learning and think about strategies and behaviors that helped them do their personal best and strategies and behaviors that didn’t help them do their personal best.

10. Teacher’s Role Nurture a child’s natural curiosity
Stimulate children’s thinking through thought provoking questions
Intentionally plan the learning environment and learning experiences
teacher intentionally:
- creates a learning environment
plans learning experiences
plans prompts and questions to stimulate each child’s higher level thinking
creates opportunities for children to develop grit and stamina to reach his/her potential

11. How should we teach them?
Teacher’s Role
Balance
Developmentally Appropriate Practices
Trajectory
when a teacher believes in the ability of all students to achieve at high levels
intentionally creates a learning environment
a balance of intentionally planned achievable and challenging learning experiences
based on the expected outcomes in all domains of learning
the Sky is the Limit for each child’s learning
The Sky’s the Limit