Educating Young Children Volume 1 – Spring 2025 | Page 30

our state’ s preschool science standards about children using their senses and simple tools to“ observe, manipulate, sort, and describe physical properties... in the classroom and outdoor environment based on size, shape, color, texture, and weight.”

I work to balance learning goals with learner autonomy when choosing among materials and formats. By providing this balance, I can nurture and draw upon what I value in children: Their ability to attend to the ordinary with inquiry, creativity, and invention. As they do so, they generate questions, seek answers, and think about the next steps. If a child seems momentarily stuck, I offer support by asking a question to prompt further inquiry, such as“ What do you think?” Asking questions is a developmentally appropriate teaching strategy that promotes deeper thinking. It can also foster children’ s confidence as learners and help them persist in gaining new knowledge and skills. In addition, I intentionally plan small- and whole-group activities that encourage collaborative peer learning. As children learn with one another in different formats, they develop content-specific ideas and skills in ways that are meaningful to them.

To intentionally teach toward learning goals and children’ s interests and choices, I use a variety of learning formats to promote their engagement and learning. Each format also allows teachers to observe and support children in different ways. In the following