Engaging Children
Engaging children through high-quality conversations is a pivotal aspect of fostering their cognitive, emotional, and social development. Research-based strategies emphasize the significance of rich and interactive dialogues in enhancing language acquisition, critical thinking skills, and emotional intelligence in young minds.
By actively listening to children, responding thoughtfully to their inquiries, and expanding upon their ideas, caregivers and educators create an environment that promotes curiosity and intellectual growth.
Incorporating open-ended questions, encouraging expressive language, and acknowledging the unique perspectives of each child are proven strategies that contribute to the development of strong communication skills.
These conversations not only stimulate cognitive abilities but also cultivate a sense of belonging and confidence, laying the foundation for lifelong learning and positive social interactions.
Resource: Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov
Technique #1: I do/We do/You do
Technique #1: I do/We do/You do
When teaching a child a new skill, this strategy will work well in a small group or one-on-one setting.
First, you demonstrate the skill and have the child watch. Use a key phrase while modeling. For example; showing how to trace the letter a on a salt tray and saying "around, up, down." Repeat this a few times.
Second, take the child's hand and guide him to trace the letter a while repeating the phrase. Encourage the child the to say the phrase as well. Third, once the child is ready to try on their own, have them trace the letter and say the phrase without any support. If the child struggles, then practice together again.
This instruction may need to be repeated the following day, but use less modeling and more opportunities to do it together or for them to practice independently. Watch their confidence grow!
Technique #2: No Opting Out- Circle Back
A sequence that begins with a child unable to answer a question should end with the student answering that question as often as possible.
First, you ask a child a question in which they respond that they don’t know the answer. The child may look away, feel uncomfortable or act out to avoid the question again, making the child feel unsure, avoidant or resistant. This is a critical moment. For example, asking the children at circle time ts say the names of numbers in Spanish. When a child is asked to say the number 10 in Spanish and they reply that they don’t know.
Next, turn to another child for an answer. If the child answers correctly, turn back to the first child and ask the question the same question. The moment you circle back and as the child to reanswer the original question is the no-opt out. For example, asking another child how to say ten in Spanish and they respond correctly, then the educators turns back to the other child and asks the question to them again. If both children do not know, ask a third child. If they answer correctly, then give the first two children another chance to answer again.
The sequence starts with a child unable to answer and ends with the child answering the question. The second child answering didn’t replace the originals student’s; it supported them. It creates an accountability group.
Technique #2: No Opting Out- Circle Back
Technique #3: Right is Right
Set and defend a high standard of correctness in your educational setting. This strategy is the difference between partially right and all-the-way right- between pretty good and 100%.
The educator will affirm the child’s response and repeat it, then adding some detail of their own to make it fully correct even though the child didn’t provide the differentiating factor. For example, asking a child to name the shape you are displaying. The child answers that you are showing a triangle. The educator would say, “Yes I’m holding a triangle and I know this because it has three sides and three angles.”
There are four categories within Right is Right:
1. Hold out for all the way. This is when the educator will praise the child for their effort, but never confuse effort for mastery. This is using positive language to express your appreciation for what the child has said/done and your expectation to reach a little further in a positive tone. Educators can use phrases such as “Okay, but there’s a bit more to it than that” or “You said most of the answer and there is one part missing.” For example: The children are organizing objects into piles based on their shape. The teacher asks “how do we know that the book belongs in a pile with other rectangular prisms? The child says “because it has four sides. The teacher can say “the book has four sides like a rectangular prism, but so does this block. How do you know this is a rectangular prism and not a block?” The child can answer, because these two sides are longer than the other two sides.”
2. Answer the Question. This strategy is used when the child answers a question, but not the question you asked, so the educator insists that the child answer your question. The educator can respond, “We will talk about that in a few minutes, but right now I want to talk about this part.” For example, asking a child “what is a circle?” and they respond, “the sun, a pizza, or a clock.” The educator can say, yes those are example of circles, but how do we know they are circles? Circles have curved edges and the don’t have corners.
3. Right answer, right time. This is used when children want to show you how smart they are by getting ahead of your questions. For example, you ask a small group of children to build a tower with some blocks. One child responds, “I can’t wait to knock it down.” While this is ok to do after they build the tower, you want them to focus on the first steps of working together and taking turns to build the tower and how tall they should make the tower. Then after they all build it, they can all break it. The educator can respond to the child by saying “yes we can break it, but first we need to learn how to build it using teamwork and when we are done with that, we will talk about how to knock it down fairly for everyone.”
4. Use technical vocabulary. This helps educators ensure children develop an expansive vocabulary and build comfort with the terms they will need for school. For example, while reviewing the alphabet, instead of the teacher asking the children to find the uppercase letter ‘C’ the teacher asks, “lets identify the capital letter C and lowercase letter ‘c’. If the child says “I found the big ‘C’”, the teacher can restate by saying, “You identified the capital C, now can you identify the capital ‘B’ and see if they use the new vocabulary.
Technique #4: Stretch It- Ask for Another Answer
When children get an answer right, there’s a temptation to respond by saying “good” or “yes” or by repeating the right answer. This strategy is a sequence of learning that does not end with a right answer. It rewards right answers with a follow up question that extends knowledge and test reliability. This technique is important for differentiating instruction.
Here are some specific questions that are effective:
1.Ask How or Why. This give children an opportunity to explain how they got an answer. They practice narrating their thinking process. Example: an educator ask the children if they know what time it is. One child will answer, lunch time. The educator asks how do you know this? The child can explain the events of the day and they know after outside playtime is lunch time. says its time.
2.Ask for another way to answer. There are multiple ways to answer questions. You can ask that same child another way of showing how they know it is lunch time. The child can refer to a picture of their daily schedule they do at morning circle time. They can refer to a digital clock that shows 11:30 and they know that is the usual time they start making lunch. They can refer to their tummy being hungry.
3.Ask for a better word. Children often begin framing concepts in the simplest possible language. Offer them opportunities to use more specific words, as well as new words. For example, the child can say lunchtime in Spanish, or think of other words that mean lunch such as mealtime, gather around the table, the adult will begin cooking our meal.
4.Ask for evidence. As children mature, they are increasingly asked to build and defend their conclusions and support opinions. By asking for evidence to support their conclusion, ou stress the process of building and supporting sound arguments in the larger world, where right answers are not so clear. Ask the child, what if the adult doesn’t want to make lunch right now because they are too tired. How would you and the other children feel?
5.Ask children to integrate a related skill. In the real world, questions rarely isolate a skill precisely. To prepare children for that, try responding to the master of a skill by asking them to integrate the skill they recently mastered. For example: ask the child to get cups, plates out by counting the necessary amount aloud to you.
6.As children to apply the same skill in a new setting. Once children have mastered a skill, consider asking them to apply it in a new or more challenging setting. For example, as the children later in the day what activity is coming up next using the same strategies as listed earlier but used by other children. Then go back to the child that was answering about lunch questions and ask them to explain these strategies used again.
Technique #5: Format Matters- Complete Sentences
It’s not just what children say that matters, but how they communicate it. To succeed, children must take their knowledge and express it in the language of opportunity.
1.Grammatical format. The educator corrects the phrase by repeating and emphasizing the part of the sentence needing correction. For example, the child says “I gots four crackers.” The educator would repeat the phrase and emphasize “You gots four crackers?” and then causing the child to correct by prompting, “You have… and then letting the child complete the sentence and then repeat it correctly, “I have four crackers.”
2.Complete Sentence Format. Strive to give children the maximum amount of practice building complete sentences in the moment. For example, an educator asks the children how many strips are on the bumblebee picture. A child answers, three. The educator can respond, “There are…” prompting the child to say, “There are three strips on the bumblebee.”
Technique #6: Without Apology- Making it Exciting
Sometimes the way we talk about expectations inadvertently lowers them. If we don’t catch it, we can unintending apologize for teaching worthy skills, content and expectations.
1.We assume something will be boring. We say things like, “I know story time is not very much fun for you, but let’s get thought it.” Or “I know you don’t like vegetables but please try one bite.” Instead our job is to find a way to make activities that a child will find more engaging. Not every activity will be fun for every child, especially if it’s not a primary way of learning for them. For a child that doesn’t like story time because they don’t’ like to sit and read, give them an assignment while reading. They can answer questions on each page. They can act out the actions or emotions of the characters.
2.Blaming it. This is when educators the responsibility for the appearance of the activity to some outside entity. This may be said using phrases such as “your mom and dad don’t like when you talk like that” or “your grandma wants you to try two bites of broccoli.” Instead, educators assume its part of the roles/activities of the group. This can be said in phrases such as “we use kind words when talking to our friends because we are all friends here” or “it’s important we try and nutritious foods so we can have a healthy body.”
3.Making it “accessible.” Making all types of materials, toys, spaces accessible to challenge children is important. Educators can say phrases such as “we are going to have some fun while we do this.” “A lot of people are afraid of this, so after you try/learn/master this, you’ll know as much as older kids that are in school.” “When you are in kindergarten, you can show off how much you know about this.” “Once you learn how to do this (put on your own shoes), you are going to be so proud of yourself.”
Technique #7: Begin with the End
Its best to start an activity with an objective. This is asking, “what will the children do and learn today.” Next, educators start a new activity/lesson/skill by circling back to anything they’re not sure the children mastered the day before. If the children were working on colors in Spanish, but most children needed reminders on the color learned last week, the educator would review that color first. Then add in the new color and combine the color by reinforcing the previous color.
For example. The children are asked to run and find blue objects and when they do, they must say aloud “azul” three times and point to the blue object. Now this week if you are working on pink, the children must run and find pink objects and say aloud 3 times “rosa” while pointing to the object.
Technique #8: Shortest Path
When educators can think of more than one possible activity to teach an objective, educators can use the “all things equal, the simplest explanation or strategy is best.” Typically, the mastery of an objective is through open inquiry, multisensory approaches, and group work. Highly effective educators are generally inclined to make activities motivating by switching up activities with a variety of tones, paces, and methods.
For example, if an educator wants to teach children parts of a body. Educators should do several activities such as: reading a book, then turning on music and dancing along with the words, followed up with a short art project drawing the faces in a picture, then lastly tracing the children body outside with chalk and coloring in the body. These are all short activities using multisensory approaches. They are all short activities guiding children directly to the skill.
Technique #9: The Hook-
When necessary, use a short, engaging introduction to excite children about learning. This should capture what’s interesting and engaging about the activity/skill they are about to begin.
1.Eductors can tell a quick and engaging story that leads to the activity. For example, the educator can tell the children about how they played soccer when they were in high school and college. One game while playing in high school, they scored three goals in one game (called a hat trick)! Then process by saying “I want to teach you how to score goals too.”
2.Props can make a story, activity or game more fun and engaging. Give each child a felt frog to hold up while singing a new song about frogs.
3.Media is great to start a new lesson. For example, the children will make an art project about penguins and the educator shows a video about the different types of penguins and the children can recall details about the specific penguin for their art project.
4. Describe something great. Great work done by a student or by the author that wrote the book you are about to read. For example, tell the children that the author that wrote the book we are about to read as wrote 16 other books and is known as one of the greatest authors of their generation.
Technique #10: Name the Steps
When possible, give children solution tools- specific steps by which to work or solve problems of the type you’re presenting. This involves breaking down a complex task into specific steps.
For example, teaching children how to put on their shoes. A child that does not know how to put on their shoes but is told to may not respond to you at all or they will pick up the shoe and try to put it on without any success. The educator needs to break it down into simple step the child can understand and only do the steps they are physically able to do. Maybe the child can only pull open the Velcro straps, but not wiggle their foot inside. With some support, they will learn to get their foot in and stomp their foot to get it all the way on. Then, they need to pull and close the straps. For a child that has never completed any of these steps, learning one a day with support while the educator names the steps while help the children learn more quickly. The same goes for removing their shoes.
Technique #11: Wait Time
Delaying a few strategic seconds after you finish asking a question and before you ask a child to begin to answer. The typical adult waits about a two and a half seconds after asking a question to allow a child to answer. The goal for educators should be waiting three to five seconds. This allows for more children to come up with an answer after asking instead of just calling on one child when they have an answer. This also teaches children a tolerance for waiting and creating a behavioral environment where reflection, rather than goofing off, is likely to fill the space between question and answer.
For example, while having children at circle time, the educator asks for someone to count the stars on a picture. Instead of letting the first child that wants to do, wait three to five seconds to see how many more children would like to try. The educator can say “I’m waiting for more people who would like to help me count the stars.”
Another example, the educator has all of the children gluing precut shapes together to form a house. While introducing the activity the educator asks the children one at a time to go around and put some shapes together to model how they would make their house while the other children watch. The educator may want to help the children get started right away and go quickly, but if the educator waits three to five seconds, the child will likely have enough time to plan out how they want to begin.
Technique 12#: Decontamination
When a child is needing extra behavioral support while playing with other children, it will help to have the child move away from the area so the educator and child can talk further about the situation. Talking about the problem in that space may make it for more difficult to rejoin an activity. Its better to move a child to an area the is not specifically assigned for any specific task such as the table for lunch/snacks/projects, or a bed where they sleep. Conferencing with the child in a neutral area makes them feel safer and rejoining the activity without everyone else feeling like they were a part of the situation.
For example, a three-year-old boy continues to take toys out of a child’s hand without asking and he is making the other children upset. The educator has already given a warning to return the toy because the rules are that we ask for a turn. After the second time of the child taking a toy, the educator has the child leave the play area and go to a neutral spot, typically a doorway entry, a space near a book shelf, etc. The teacher then can conference with the three-year-old further and allow them to return to play when ready. The play space has not been “contaminated” with the difficult conversation or behaviors.
Technique #13: Entry Routine
This is making a habit out of what’s efficient, predictable, and comforting for the children. The child can remove and put away belongings as developmentally appropriate, a good-bye routine to person dropping them off, and the first activities available to them after entering the room.
For example, a three-year-old can take off their shoes and hang up their coat, then give a hug and kiss goodbye, then be greeted by the educator to come, and join the morning activities. If a child is struggling with this routine, be sure to take time to talk to the adult about how you would like the routine to go, plan and then support the adult and child while learning the routine. This may require extra support in the beginning and a quick follow up with the adult after dropping off, letting the adult know that the child has calmed down and how everyone did a fine job and to keep working on it. Remember, “this too shall pass.”
Technique #14: Props
Also, called “shout-outs” and “ups” are public praise for children who demonstrate excellence or virtues. Everyone responds to praise and to people that cheer them on. Recognizing a specific skill, task, positive behavior, kindness, friendship, etc. will reinforce this. Everyone should join in with the prop with a hand clap or foot stomp in a fun and lively manner. An overstatement can be counterproductive, such as “wow on your way to being the best baseball player.” (See technique 16 for ore on this)
For example, an educator saying “Let’s clap for Lucy for holding the door open for everyone while we walked outside, what a kind friend.” Then the group says “Oh yeah Lucy” though the pattern: “Oh” (stomp foot) “yeah” (other foot stomp) “Lucy” (hand clap)
Technique #15: Do it Again
When children are not able to successfully complete a basic task that you’ve shown them how to do such as washing hands at the sink, lining up to go outside, cleaning up toys/supplies, etc- doing it again and doing it right, or better can be the best consequence. This shortens the the time lag between action and response as the more effective the response will be in changing the behavior. It sets a standard of excellence/community and not just compliance towards the educator. This also holds accountability for children and ends the task with success. DO it again typically is needed during the end of a task or in transition between tasks.
For example, a child is splashing water all over the bathroom while playing in the sink. Instead of removing the child from the sink, turn off the water and remind the how to wash their hands properly using the steps taught. Then the educator says, “Let’s try it again.”
Another example, a four-year-old refuses to help clean up the toys. The educator stops the cleaning process, talks to the child about their role and task for cleaning and which toys they will be responsible for. Then the educator says, “Let’s try it again.”
Another example, a three-year-old takes all of the crayons and carries them over to the draw to put them away but throws them in the drawer instead of in the crayon container. Instead of removing the child from space and cleaning it up for them, the educator stops the child. The educator shows the child how to put the crayons in the crayon box. Then, the educator grabs the crayons and hands them back the child and says, “Let’s try it again.”
Technique #16: Positive Framing/Precise Praise
Make corrections consistently and positively. Narrate the world you want your students to see even while you are relentlessly improving it. Interventions to correct behavior that are framed positively are far more likely to be effective. The greatest power of positive framing is its capacity to allow you to talk about nonconstructive behavior consistently and correct it positively so that you guide children to improve developmental skills.
Positive Framing corrects and guides behavior by the following six rules:
1.Live in the now. In public, in you educational setting, or while activities are underway- avoid harping on what children can no longer fix. Talk about what should happen or what can happen next. There’s a time and place for processing what went wrong, but then time to move forward. For example, instead of saying “You are not picking up the toys.” Say, “Lucy, these toys are your responsibility to clean up.”
2.Assume the best. Don’t attribute ill intention to what could be the result of distraction, lack of practice, or genuine misunderstanding. Saying thigs like “some children don’t think they have to clean up their toys” or “Now I have to clean up the toys because some kids don’t think they have to.” This assumes negative characteristics. Instead show some trust in the child and don’t connect a poor behavior directly towards the child’s character. Instead, the educator can say, “Oh no, some people have forgotten to clean up, so let’s go back to the mess and get it right this time.”
3.Allow plausible anonymity. Allow children the opportunity to strive to reach expectation in plausible anonymity as long as they are making a good-faith effort. Begin by correcting them without using their names. If a few children struggle to follow a direction, a first correction can sound like, “Check yourself to make sure you are doing what is asked of you” or “Some people were not able to follow the direction, so let’s stop and try again.”
4.Build momentum and narrate the positive. Momentum is the force that drives something forward on a tide of energy. An example is an educator saying, “I need three people. Make sure you clean if you need to fix what you are doing if needed. Now I need two people. We are almost there. Ah, thank you. Now I see everyone cleaning and working together.
5.Challenge! Children love to be challenged to prove they can do things, to compete and to win. So challenge them: exhort them to prove what they can do by building competition in the day. Children can be challenged as individuals or as groups. Some examples, “Lets see if we can all be sitting at the table for lunch in 10 seconds” or “Can I hand out the snacks before you all grab your water bottles” or “Can you be in your circle time spots before I grab our book to read.”
6. Talk expectations and aspirations. Talk about who the children are becoming and where you’re going. Children love to look up to older children and strive to be “bigger, taller, smarter.” Frame praise in those terms. For example, “everyone is sitting criss cross and ready to listen to the story. This is how kids are in kindergarten. Wow you all look like kindergarteners already!”
Avoid rhetorical questions and contingencies. Rhetorical questions are questions you really don’t want answers to. These questions sound like, “would you like to join us at circle time?” If you don’t want to hear “no”, then don’t ask the question. Saying “Thank you for joining us at the rug.” Contingencies are phrases such as “I’ll wait” unless you really plan on waiting it out. The point is that you won’t. Saying “we need you with us” is more positive and direct.
Technique #17: Warm/Strict
My daily goal: Every child should be given a one-on-one moment of direct eye contact and a smile.
Educators show they can be both: caring, funny, warm, concerned and nurturing -and also strict, consistent, and precise. Not only can you seek to be both, but be both at the same time. When educators are clear, consistent, and firm and at the same time positive, enthusiastic, caring and thoughtful, they send the message to children that having high expectation is part of caring and respecting someone.
1.Explain to students why you’re doing what you are. “Lucy, we don’t’ do that in this classroom because it keeps us from making the most of our learning time. I’m going to have to help you remember that.”
2.Educators need to distinguish between behavior and people. Saying, “Your words are hurtful” and NOT “You are mean.”
3.Demonstarte that consequences are temporary. Show a child that when they need to deal with a consequence of a mistake, it is immediately in the past. Smile and greet them to rejoin. “After you are done cleaning up those toys, I can’t wait to have you come back and join us with the next activity.”
4.Use warm, nonverbal behavior. Put your arm around a child’s shoulder and kindly tell them they need to give the toy back to the child they took it from because you know they are a kind friend and forgot the rules.
Technique #18: The J-Factor: Joy
People work harder when they enjoy working on something. The joy can take a surprisingly wide array of forms: loud or quiet, individual or groups. The common theme is for an educator to let their own genuine version of joy shine though. For some, quiet passion is the most common form, for some its humor or music, for others is high-energy antics.
Here are five categories of activities that highly effective educators use.
1.Fun and Games. Activities that draw on. Kids love for challenges, competition and play. For example, racing such as student compete to see who can complete a task the fastest. Also, challenging, chasing, or playing against the educator. Examples are all of the children catching the teacher in a game of tag, adults playing hide-n-seek, joining in on a game of baseball or soccer, or dancing/singing along with the music.
2.Us (and them). Children take pleasure in belonging to things. The educational setting should allow all children to have a sense of belonging. This is done with using names, rituals, songs, traditions, culture created in the environment. Nicknames are a fun way of to personalize a relationship. Secret signals or special words also can create a special bond. Singing songs about group inclusion, for example “We are all in this together.”
3. Drama, song, and dance. Music, dramatic play and movement raise spirits and also establish collective identity. Acting things out and singing about them can be an exceptional way to remember information and power-up memory.
4. Humor. Laughter is one of the base conditions of happiness and fulfillment, which is a powerful tool to building an environment of happy and fulfilled children and educators. Humor can be used in so many ways for young children. For example, while playing kitchen with some children, the educator started pretending the food tasted terrible and acted out large emotions of disgust while saying “oh this food is soooo spicy!” or “ahh this is sooo sour.” The children would laugh and then be inclined to bring more food. Another example is an educator getting really upset that they lost the game of Candy Land and stomped their feet and claimed they will never play again. The children found this hilarious as this is not how adults are typically allowed to act.
5. Suspense and surprise. Routines are powerful drivers of efficiency and predictability. For example, an educator can tell the children she has a mystery box, and they can’t wait to show the children because it's an example of what they children will be doing for their activity.
Technique #19: Emotional Constancy
Treading cautiously around much of the language that other educators use as a habit, thinking carefully about what they imply the goal of the children’s decisions should be. For example, saying “I’m really disappointed in you” questions the motivation for the child’s behavior. Is the point of a rule to please an educator or adult? Instead, try saying “We are all here to try our best and be kind to others.” This teaches children to trust they are in control of themselves and not being controlled by others.