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Importance of Timing
June 6, 2016
You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
-Indira Gandhi (1917-1984), first female Prime Minister of India

In Simple Steps: Developmental Activities for Infants, Toddlers, and Two-Year Olds, Karen Miller comments on the importance of timing in working with the youngest children:

"Offer an activity when the child is alert, calm, and in a good mood.  It makes sense that an activity will be uninteresting, frustrating, and unsuccessful it the child is tired, not feeling well, fearful, frustrated, or angry....

"Don't make everything available at one time or you will find a distracted and frustrated child, unable to concentrate.  Offer something new when current interest lags....

"It is also important to know when to stop the activity.  Watch the child closely.  Young children, especially infants, have a limited tolerance for stimulation and new things....  Let the child set the pace....

"Resist the urge to interrupt, if some child is concentrating deeply on an activity... let the child play it out unless something urgent requires attention.  Even your own play interactions with the child can interrupt.  However, when you see the child's attention lag, some interaction on your part can prolong the child's involvement.  Try to do the minimum.  Don't take over the scene.  You might play alongside with similar materials and talk to yourself, or move another object close by."





Simple Steps: Developmental Activities
for Infants, Toddlers, and Two-Year Olds

Open the door to teaching infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds successfully with these 300 activities linked to the latest development in child development. Observe what children are already doing, then give them varied opportunities to develop at their own pace. Simple Steps outlines a typical development sequence in ten domains: social/emotional, fine motor, gross motor, language, cognitive, sensory, nature, music and movement, creativity, and dramatic play. Chapters on appropriate curriculum development and creating a positive learning environment are also included. The activities offer children the opportunity to practice new skills in a developmentally appropriate way.

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Comments (1)

Displaying 1 Comment
patty west · June 06, 2016
Boulder Montessori School
Boulder, CO, United States


This advice actually applies to the preschool age as well as toddlers. Montessori practice in the EC classroom is based on fostering the child's independence and concentration in this way also. Observing the responses and emotions of the child is key to supporting-not diminishing- the learning children accomplish through their activity.



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