All Modules B6-Development Matters in the early years | Page 8

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Playing and Exploring, Active Learning, and Creating and Thinking Critically support children’s learning across all areas

1. Characteristics of Effective Learning
i. A Unique
Child:

Creating
and
Thinking
Critically
thinking

b. observing how a child is
14. Having their own ideas
a. Thinking of ideas
b. Finding ways to solve problems
15. • Finding new ways to do things
16. Making links
a. Making links and noticing patterns in their
experience
b. Making predictions
c. Testing their ideas
17. • Developing ideas of grouping, sequences, cause and
18. effect
Choosing ways to do things
a.

19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

Planning, making decisions about how to
approach a task, solve a problem and reach a
goal
b. Checking how well their activities are going
c. Changing strategy as needed
d. Reviewing how well the approach worked
Initiating a Metacognitive process of being aware of own
thoughts and reflecting on them.
Understanding the power of collaboration and the value
of other’s and own contributions.
Selecting thinking strategies to solve situations in and
outside school.
Using the language of thinking in a variety of context.
Showing acts of wisdom where value is added to the
situation faced
Listening with empathy and acting accordingly

Positive Relationships:

Enabling Environments:

what adults could do

what adults could provide

• Use the language of thinking and learning: think, know,
• In planning activities, ask yourself: Is this an
remember, forget, idea, makes sense, plan, learn, find out,
opportunity for children to find their own ways to
represent and develop their own ideas? Avoid
confused, figure out, trying to do.
children just reproducing someone else’s ideas.
• Model being a thinker, showing that you don’t always know,
• Build in opportunities for children to play with
are curious and sometimes puzzled, and can think and
find out.
materials before using them in planned tasks.
• Encourage open-ended thinking by not settling on the first
• Play is a key opportunity for children to think
creatively and flexibly, solve problems and link
ideas: What else is possible?
ideas. Establish the enabling conditions for rich
• Always respect children’s efforts and ideas, so they feel safe
play: space, time, flexible resources, choice,
to take a risk with a new idea.
control, warm and supportive relationships.
• Talking aloud helps children to think and control what they
• Recognizable and predictable routines help
do. Model self-talk, describing your actions in play.
children to predict and make connections in their
• Give children time to talk and think.
experiences.
• Value questions, talk, and many possible responses, without • Routines can be flexible, while still basically
rushing toward answers too quickly.
orderly.
• Support children’s interests over time, reminding them
• Plan linked experiences that follow the ideas
of previous approaches and encouraging them to make
children are really thinking about.
connections between their experiences.
• Use mind-maps, concept maps, organizers to
• Mode