Too Much Talking?

A couple of weeks ago, I had an unusual experience in our church kindergarten class. It was quiet.

Only four kids were there that day - our four quietest kids. They worked and played the entire time.

But it was quiet. Not much talking, except for me and Mrs. Cindy. We would ask questions or make comments about what we saw happening. The kids would respond - with a nod or a soft reply.

But it was quiet. Sometimes the girls would quietly discuss what they were cooking as they worked in the kitchen. When the comments were soft and beyond my hearing...unless I moved into the kitchen myself.

So I began to do a lot of watching and a lot less talking. I didn't move into the kitchen to eavesdrop but instead stayed back and watched their play.

I watched a boy construct an elaborate structure in the blocks. He would modify the structure and try various things to get what he wanted. A couple of times, I made a comment or asked a question. But mostly I watched.

It was quiet in the classroom. But that doesn't mean it was boring or unproductive or non-engaging.

I've worked in early childhood classrooms for a while. I've seen and heard a lot of things. I expect and tolerate noise. But quiet was a new experience. Usually quiet signals danger or concern.

But this time quiet just meant thinking and working were happening.

And I learned that I don't need to talk too much.

Kids of a Sort

Tonight I was helping in our grades 1-3 choir at church. We were listening to music and drawing something the music made us think about. (This is a fun activity for younger kids, too.)

I came upon this as I walked around.

A girl was carefully sorting her handful of crayons into groups of like colors. Sometimes she would make a mark on her paper to test the color and then put it in the correct place. (I think she even sorted within the same color, too.)

As I watched her work, I thought about my kindergartners. Some kids just have a need to categorize and sort.

No matter what they are doing, this need makes itself known. One boy I know always sorts what he's using as he plays.

Sometimes he creates careful representations of different groups.

Sometimes he just lines things up in a particular order.

If he finds only one of a thing, he groups it with whatever seems to be the nearest to the lone item. ("Purple is kind of like blue. White is kind of like yellow.)

I'm thankful for these kids. One day they will become the organizers and planners. One day they can make sure that apps get written or accounting books get done. Maybe they'll become bankers or mathematicians.

They may become scientists - using similarities and differences to categorize and classify. They may become inventors, seeing how things are like other things. (For example, Velcro is like burrs.)

I'm glad I can foster that kind of thinking. Even when I don't plan to do so. (But it's better if I make sure to have something that can be sorted...if the kids choose to do so.)

What do you give your kids to sort? What have you seen your kids sort?

Top Ten of 2011 - #10 and #9

This week I'm reviewing the posts most visited during 2011. New posts will resume next week. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

#10 - Literacy Beginnings: Chapter 7
Last summer I participated in the book study blog party organized by Vanessa at Pre-K Pages. We read this book and took turns reviewing the chapters. If you missed that experience, I hope you'll follow some of the links. This particular post (my second turn to host the book study) focused on building strong oral vocabularies...and the conversations I have with kids.

#9 - Quiet Learners
Do you have any learners who are quiet and thoughtful? Who often prefer to play alone? This post gives some tips for supporting those types of learners.

Countdown continues tomorrow.

What's been your favorite post of 2011?

Learning Together

I've had a child in my class this year that puzzled me for a little while. He is often the first one to arrive. Now, I'm a stickler about being prepared so when a child arrives, things are ready to go. I arrange materials in ways that I hope are attractive and inviting. (But I'm still learning from Sherry and Donna ways to make things irresistible!)

But this boy comes into the room and browses around. He looks and touches. He asks about items or what to do. But, ultimately, he usually stands and looks. We will talk about what's been going on. He will tell me about his family. Sometimes he will want to do something, but wants me to do it with him. Many times he waits for his best friend to arrive so they can work together.

I thought he was always waiting for his friend...until I really began to notice what was happening. He would not do anything until someone did it with him. He learned best when experiencing things with others - relationships were key to his learning. He was a relational, cooperative learner.


This type of learner enjoys the shared experience. Often he talks...a lot. He explains what he is thinking and feeling. He loves to interact with others, jumping off their ideas, to share the experience. Sometimes he will play alone - but needs to share whatever he's done with someone else when finished. He is usually in the middle of whatever a group is doing. He may be good at negotiation and solving problems that arise among kids. He is caring and concerned with others' feelings. He is often the direct opposite for the quiet, reflective learner.

Much of what we do in the classroom is geared to this type of learner. Create a great environment for building relationships:

• Plan activities that encourage children to interact with one another and with adults. 
• Ask questions that encourage children to talk about their ideas and their thinking.
• Offer activities like dramatic play and blocks that encourage groups to work together to create play situations and to solve conflicts that arise through differing ideas. You may want to provide items that suggest a particular play direction (cooking and setting the table) but allow the play to progress as kids contribute their own ideas (travel in an RV).
• Encourage helping others, through real-life situations in the classroom and through play opportunities and suggestions.
• Ask open-ended questions to allow kids to talk about different ideas and feeling.
• Narrate what you see happening; talk about what the children are doing. Even if children do not respond verbally, you are building relationships and thinking skills. (Teacher Tom describes this well.)
• Let kids talk to each other. Sometimes in circle times or group learning times, teachers do a lot of the talking. Allow kids to express their thoughts or move the dialogue along in unexpected ways.
• Sit and build with a child; sit and talk about what he is drawing; sit and watch his puzzle-solving skills. Sometimes spending a little time building the relationship is the best teaching you can do.

Celebrate those kids who are the "life of the party." They can be the glue that holds your classroom together. They can be the spark that keeps learning fun and interesting. They can be the heart that cares for others. 

What do you do to encourage kids to learn together?

Quiet Learners

We all know those "rough and tumble" kids, the ones who come into the room loud and boisterous, taking charge and bounding around. I often talk with teachers who want to know what to do with these challenging bundles of energy. But I never hear anyone talk about the quiet kids, the ones who don't make much of a splash when they arrive. But we need to think about how we can teach those kids, too. After all, just because they are quiet doesn't mean they are learning.

Today (in this post from the archive) let's think about those quiet, reflective learners and how our environment can help them.

One of the boys in my class comes into the room quietly. He moves from place to place, seeing what is in the room. He pauses for a few minutes, watching kids build a tower or work a puzzle. He stands near one wall, apart from everyone else, and quietly takes in what is happening throughout the room. I ask, "Would you like to play this game with us?" and he silently shakes his head no. When he does choose something to do, he often finds a quiet activity that he can do alone. He typically chooses a drawing or writing activity, so he can express what he is thinking. He works diligently and smiles when I comment on what he is doing. Rarely do I hear him speak, and when he does, his voice is not much beyond a whisper.

My friend is a reflective, introverted learner. These learners take in lots of information and think about what they see. They enjoy working alone, or maybe one-on-one with an adult. They usually do not enjoy group games or talking with others. They think about how to apply learning to themselves personally and look for ways to process and express their learning...usually through pictures or writing.

Use these ideas to support your reflective learner:

• Allow a child to watch rather than participate. Reflective learners may learn more through watching a game than doing it. Don't force a child to join in. This can be challenging for teachers; after all, if we see a child not joining in then he's not participating. But quiet learners are participating, just in a different way.
• Provide quiet activities that allow a child to work alone. Provide areas of the room that allow solitary play. Create spaces for more quiet play.
• Deliberately find time to spend one-on-one with a reflective learner. Work a puzzle together or talk to him while he draws. Ask questions or make comments but be content if he just smiles, nods, or just continues working instead of responding verbally.
• In group time, ask a question and allow time before requiring an answer. Say: "Don't tell me yet. Just think about what your answer is." This time allows a reflective learner to process the question and formulate an answer.
• In a group setting, ask a reflective learner if he would like to add something to the conversation, even if he has not raised his hand or indicated he wants a turn to speak. Often more introverted kids feel unsure about jumping into a conversation. But also accept his choice not to contribute.
• Play quiet music to create a more contemplative atmosphere.
• Ask questions or pose problems that allow deeper thinking.

Often these learners can help other children see things in a new way. When they speak, they may offer insights that are original and surprising. Thank God that He has made some of your learners as reflective and introspective. One day these learners may become researchers, philosophers, or inventors. 

What ways can you encourage the quiet learners in your classroom?

This post originally appeared on Brick by Brick on May 28, 2009. It has been edited and updated.

Logical and Mathematical Learners

Things are a little hectic right now. So today I'm posting something from the archive. This post originally appeared on Brick by Brick on April 24, 2009; it's been revised slightly. 

I'm also planning to revive the series on types of learners.

Do you know your kids? Not just their names or their families. Do you know how they like to learn? Today we will begin a periodic series on types of learners. First up, the logical learner.

The structure in the picture was built by a child that looks at the world in a logical manner. How can you tell? Look at the symmetry. Blocks are arranged in a way that is almost mirror-image. Logical learners approach any learning--any situation--in a very systematic way. They want to know why and how and what is connected to what. They may ask lots of questions. They want to make any new learning fit into what they already know. They see the world as orderly and interconnected. When attempting a new skill, they want to know all the steps before they start. Details, details, details.

Use these ideas to support your logical learner.

• Offer items that can be sorted into categories.
• In group time, print a list of answers to a question.
• Choose children from left to right (in order rather than randomly) to choose a card or lead in a game.
• Encourage a child to create patterns and symmetry in building, drawing, or painting.
• Tell a Bible story or other story with chronological cues. "First this happened. Then they did this. The next day, they did something else...."
• Use picture sequence games.
• Print words of a Bible verse on index cards and challenge children to put them in order.
• Offer activities that encourage problem-solving or thinking through a problem.
• Use a predictable routine to make a logical learner feel comfortable in the environment.

Logical learners can provide valuable insight for other children. Recently, a group of children began moving, stacking, and shuffling blocks around to create a structure. As they stacked and moved, one exclaimed: "Look. These blocks look like stairs." 

"Wait," my logical learner said. "This is what you need to do to make stairs." He proceeded to create a foundational structure that held blocks in a gradually ascending manner - stairs. And those were sturdy stairs; they only fell when someone deliberately knocked them over.

Do you have any children that long for order or want to organize picture cards by background color? They may be logical learners. Thank God that they can learn about Him in a systematic way. One day they may be great mathematicians, theologians, architects, or philosophers.

How do you help a logical learner know more about the world? How can you help him learn more about God?

"Just Right" Challenge

Our Class Tree

Last week I was leading a workshop with a group of preschool teachers at a local church. We were talking about choosing activities that allow kids to be successful and how such activities encourage kids to continue exploring and discovering.

And then I heard my new favorite term: "just right" challenge. One teacher, also a physical therapist, said that this is the term they use at work. An activity that presents a challenge (isn't too easy) and but allows the child to accomplish it (isn't too difficult). I've talked about these types of activities...and tried to provide them for my kids. But I didn't have that great catchy term. "Just right" challenge.

In a classroom this becomes more, well, challenging. We must choose activities that challenge kids with a spectrum of abilities. What is challenging to some children may be too easy or difficult for others. So, activities must allow for many different kids to have a "just right" experience. I saw this in action this past week. 

We made decorations for a class tree and decorated it. (This post tells about what we did.) Some kids were challenged by using the stapler and making strips into rings. Some were challenged by bending and twisting the chenille stems to be the right shape (and hold that shape). Some challenged themselves to use the strips to make fish and other shapes. A couple accepted the challenge to create chains with the paper and chenille stems. (And a few were challenged to get their creations to stay on the tree.)

I love the "just right" challenge. When I see lots of kids trying an activity, I know I've hit it. When I see kids doing lots of different things with the same materials, I know I've reached that target.

And I've learned that each group of kids presents a "just right" challenge to me as a teacher. Can I reach that "just right" place where kids are learning, exploring, and discovering--when teaching is observing and getting out of the way so they can learn. I love it when it's "just right."

Paying Attention

This past year in my kindergarten class, I took lots of pictures. (The peril of the digital camera!) As a result, we gave each set of parents a CD with pictures of their child. As I reviewed the photos from this past year, I noticed something I hadn't before. One boy was drawing, writing, or using letters in almost every photo in which he appeared. As I looked over the photos, I saw him drawing with dry erase markers at the easel, printing words and drawing pictures in the writing center, creating a poster by printing words and taping the words together, and using the letter blocks to spell his name.

Did I just seem to take photos of him when he was writing or using letters? Or did he really do that a lot? I thought back over the year. While he did other things, I remember several specific instances of his printing, drawing, or painting with various implements as well as spelling his name and other words with letter blocks and letter stamps. How could I have not noticed that he was so interested in words and writing?

This started me off on another train of thought. What else had I missed this past year? Did I miss another child's interest? Did I not offer something that could have helped a child learn more about the Bible? Did I miss an opportunity that would have proved valuable learning for a child?

I cannot worry about the past and missed opportunities. But I can focus on now. I will pay attention to each child in my class - make a conscious effort to see what each child likes to do. Opportunities to teach come in many different forms; I won't be able to use every single one. But I will work to pay attention - to look for opportunities to increase a child's learning. I will watch for common patterns and plan activities that allow a child to do what he enjoys - so I can use that interest to teach about God.

What do you do to capture children's attention and focus their interests on Bible learning opportunities?

Quiet Reflection

Do you know your kids? Not just their names or their families. Do you know how they like to learn? Today we will continue the periodic series on types of learners. Today, the reflective learner.

One of the boys in my class comes into the room quietly. He moves from place to place, seeing what is in the room. He pauses for a few minutes, watching kids build a tower or work a puzzle. He stands near one wall, apart from everyone else, and quietly takes in what is happening throughout the room. I ask, "Would you like to play this game with us?" and he silently shakes his head no. When he does choose something to do, he finds a quiet activity that he can do alone. He typically chooses a drawing or writing activity, so he can express what he is thinking. He works diligently and smiles when I comment on what he is doing. Rarely do I hear him speak, and when he does, his voice is not much beyond a whisper.

My friend is a reflective, introverted learner. These learners take in lots of information and think about what they see. They enjoy working alone, or maybe one-on-one with an adult. They do not enjoy group games or talking with others. They think about how to apply learning to themselves personally and look for ways to process and express their learning...usually through pictures or writing.

Use these ideas to support your reflective learner:

• Allow a child to watch rather than participate. Reflective learners may learn more through watching a game than doing it. Don't force a child to join in.
• Provide quiet activities that allow a child to work alone.
• Deliberately find time to spend one-on-one with a reflective learner. Work a puzzle together or talk to him while he draws.
• In group time, ask a question and allow time before requiring an answer. Tell the children to think about their answers. This allows a reflective learner to process the question and formulate an answer.
• Play quiet music to create a more contemplative atmosphere.

Often these learners can help other children see things in a new way. When they speak, they may offer insights that are original and surprising. Thank God that He has made some of your learners as reflective and introspective. One day these learners may become researchers, philosophers, or inventors. 

What ways can you encourage the quiet learners in your classroom?

First in this series: logical learner

Photo by R. Scott Wiley

It's a Logical Conclusion

Do you know your kids? Not just their names or their families. Do you know how they like to learn? Today we will begin a periodic series on types of learners. First up, the logical learner.

The structure in the picture was built by a child that looks at the world in a logical manner. How can you tell? Look at the symmetry. Blocks are arranged in a way that is almost mirror-image. Logical learners approach any learning--any situation--in a very systematic way. They want to know why and how and what is connected to what. They may ask lots of questions. They want to make any new learning fit into what they already know. They see the world as orderly and interconnected. When attempting a new skill, they want to know all the steps before they start. Details, details, details.

Use these ideas to support your logical learner.

• Tell the Bible story with chronological cues. "First this happened. Then they did this. The next day, they did something else...."
• Use picture sequence games.
• Print words of a Bible verse on index cards and challenge children to put them in order.
• Offer items that can be sorted into categories.
• In group time, print a list of answers to a question.
• Choose children from left to right (rather than randomly) to choose a card or lead in a game.
• Encourage a child to create patterns and symmetry in building, drawing, or painting.

Logical learners can provide valuable insight for other children. 

Recently, a group of children began moving, stacking, and shuffling blocks around to create a structure. As they stacked and moved, one exclaimed: "Look. These blocks look like stairs."

"Wait," my logical learner said. "This is what you need to do to make stairs." He proceeded to create a foundational structure that held blocks in a gradually ascending manner - stairs. And those were sturdy stairs; they only fell when someone deliberately knocked them over.

Do you have any children that long for order or want to organize picture cards by background color? They may be logical learners. Thank God that they can learn about Him in a systematic way. One day they may be great mathematicians, theologians, architects, or philosophers.

How do you help a logical learner know more about God?

Structure by Brady

Photo by R. Scott Wiley