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Yes, children need to be actively engaged, and making their own choices. So as learning partners, teachers and other caring adults need to be supportive of children, by having a well-organized classroom setting of different areas that interest children. When we have small group work with children, each child should have some interesting and varied materials to work with, and choose from. And the adult facilitating the small group could make an opening statement like " I wonder how many things we can count today?" (number lesson), or any open-ended question like "I wonder what we can make with these materials today?" Children will begin to show you at record speed, what they know, by what they choose to do or say. And we jot down children's language and what they do, to study later and plan for the next day, on today's results of the small group, with our adult co-teachers. Keeping our eyes and ears open, restating what children are saying to encourage conversation, and staying alert, in the moment, is the key to being with children and being their partners in learning. Authentic relationships are formed and developed every day as a community of learners, old and young together!!!