We overestimate children academically and underestimate them intellectually.
— Lilian Katz

One of my worries about the growing focus on academics and school readiness in programs for young children is it keeps many teachers from seeing children's innate, lively minds at work. When teachers are overly concerned about teaching the alphabet and other isolated skills and facts, they may miss children's serious approaches to tasks and voracious quests to understand the world around them. As Lilian Katz's quote above suggests, children are more apt to be interested in intellectual pursuits than academic lessons. I think clarifying the difference between the two can help teachers see and appreciate children's thinking, and in turn offer meaningful experiences that engage their lively minds. Webster's dictionary defines academic as "very learned but inexperienced in practical matters," "conforming to the tradition or rules of a school," and "a body of established opinion widely accepted as authoritative in a particular field." And intellectual is defined as "given to study, reflection, and speculation," and "engaged activity requiring the creative use of the intellect." Obviously it is important for children to learn appropriate academic skills and tasks, but rather than overly focusing on these goals, I strongly claim and enjoy my responsibility to help children become engaged thinkers, excited about the wonders around them. Young children bring an eager disposition to learn all of the time, so it's my job to find ways to really see, appreciate, and further their intellectual pursuits.

Take children's actions seriously

It's easy to dismiss children's explorations because they move quickly, make messes, and put themselves in seeming-ly risky situations. I have developed the practice of waiting before jumping into a situation to determine what the thinking might be underneath a child's behavior. I have come to see that with most everything children do they have something in mind; a purpose or question they are pursuing. When I take even their smallest actions seriously, I am astonished at children's deep engagement with the simple wonders around them; I notice they are studying and speculating, engrossed in the moment. Notice nine-month-old Maddie's lively mind at work in the following photos and story.

Sounds and sparkles

Maddie was captivated with the shiny, crinkly paper that she found in a basket. She grabbed the paper and began to shake it with excitement as it made a loud, crackling noise. Then she pinched it with her fingers and explored it with her mouth. She quickly began to shake the paper again. I was curious as she put the paper up to her eyes and then went back to shaking it. Was she noticing the light reflecting off the surface of the paper? Did she see the transparency of the paper?

Maddie's joy in her investigation was obvious as she smiled and laughed with me as she tried each new action. Her favorite activity was shaking the paper. I think she loved the sound she was able to produce and my reaction to her, and she may have been delighting in the sparkles she could see coming from the paper as it moved. Next, Maddie clasped the paper with both her hands and began to stretch and pull it, watching the paper intently as she did this. I wondered if she had discovered something about the paper when she was shaking it and was exploring it further with this new action. What noise will it make if I pull it? Does it still sparkle when I stretch it this way? I loved seeing the paper from her point of view and watching her joy and intense engagement with the magic of this unusual material.

Use a Thinking Lens

I use questions from a Thinking Lens that I developed with Margie Carter to help me to remember to slow down, look for the details of what is unfolding, suspend my teacher agenda, and try to see children's perspectives. This one-page chart was part of a Beginnings Workshop article I wrote for the November/December 2008 issue of Exchange. The chart can be downloaded from www.ChildCareExchange.com/free. As I participate with children in these daily quests for understanding, I document what I am seeing to tell the stories of their rich intellectual pursuits. I study my photos and notes carefully to capture the significance of the children's work. These stories show how children bring their whole selves — body, mind, and emotions — to every task. Notice the details and children's perspectives in the following photos and stories.

Immersed in bubbles

Two-year-old Mackenzie was totally absorbed in an intense study of bubbles today. I watched her purposefully fill a small cup and then pour the sudsy, wet substance onto her hand. She studied her wet and soapy hand for a long while and then poured some more water and bubbles on her hand again. I was surprised when, after investigating the bubbles this way for several minutes, Mackenzie leaned over and totally immersed her arms into the water, stretching her hands and fingers under the surface and again looking closely at the bubbles on her skin. She spent about 30 minutes playing in the water tub this way.

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