Nothing Brings a Smile Like...

A visit to ECE!

Every time I visit ECE, I think, "I need to be here more."  I can't help but smile as those 2, 3, 4, and 5-year olds learn through play and discovery.  Listening to their little voices as they explain a newfound skill or understanding melts my heart.  But, it's not all sweetness and smiles; there are also fundamental learning structures that apply to all grade-levels and contents: scaffolding learning to build independence, providing choice to differentiate for student interest, inquiry-based models to build understanding and retention of concepts, and so much more.

Scaffolding through visuals:  at the preschool level and into the early grades of elementary, students need to learn the social structures of school.  The use of visuals helps students understand the routines of learning, the skills of working with peers, and the processes of following directions.  While visuals are an essential part of early literacy and pre-reading skills, they don't have to end there.  Students struggling with the transition into elementary school benefit from these same supports and as students progress through more rigorous content, visual supports meet the diverse needs of learners.

Learning to stand in line:  each dot is a visual and physical reminder of expectations.

Learning to work together:  when in conflict, students have tools to independently solve the problem.

Procedural expectations:  these cards remind students how to behave during circle time and can be used for the whole group or for individual students who need reinforcement.

Learning a new skill:  until they've mastered putting on a coat, they have visuals to help them apply their skill.

Student choice and exploration in learning:  rotating through centers gives students the chance to build skills in various content areas.  We all know that we learn more when we are interested in the topic, and that's what's happening in early childhood.  There's a balance of student-selected play and teacher-directed learning opportunities.  Through exploration, students are furthering their literacy skills and building understanding of sophisticated science topics, such as gravity and scientific inquiry.

Students use favorite books to inspire their own writing.

Students mix dyes to observe color variations.