Move from Teaching to Thinking

"We tend to fling questions at children, one after another, a rapid-fire sequence of queries that bear little relevance to a child's pursuits and that hold little interest for us or for the child," writes Ann Pelo in her article "Finding Questions Worth Asking" that inspired an Out of the Box Training Kit of the same name. 

"Our intention is to teach, but our verbal quizzes reduce learning to a recitation of superficial facts.

"When we reshape our intention, though, from teaching to thinking, our exchanges with children change. They become authentic conversations, and we ask our questions with the mutual aims of understanding a child’s thinking and of supporting a child's search to make meaning — a search to know, rather than to learn...

"We act with regard for children’s human dignity when we:

• Listen with our full attention.
• Learn the languages that children speak.
• Join our attention to their attention.
• Allow space and time for exploratory thought.
• Relax our urgent push to teach."

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

© 2005 Child Care Information Exchange - All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Return to Site