The Right To Choose

"Our view of children strongly determines if we support and challenge them or direct and correct them.  Adults must believe that children deserve the right to choose and are capable of understanding that with rights come responsibility.  If we believe this, then we will use our role to coach children in making good choices."

These are the words of Deb Curtis and Jess Guiney in their Exchange article, "Seeing and Supporting Children's Right to Choose," which serves as the basis for Exchange's newest Out of the Box Training Kit by the same name.  The authors give an example of how to support children in making choices:

"A teacher who values autonomy in decision making will organize his classroom so that materials are accessible to children — and so that children are responsible for the care of those materials.  Children benefit from an environment that is intentionally designed and well provisioned with engaging materials so they are able to see what is available.  The arrangement and care of the environment communicates to the ­children the value of focus, collaboration, and choices for complex play and learning."

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