The early learner

Approaches to learning in the early years

How teachers support skills development

Categories What teachers do:
• Model the language of thinking, such as “I wonder”, “I noticed”, “I inferred”.
• Ask open-ended questions.
• Provide sufficient thinking time to respond to questions, and so on.
• Offer open-ended materials.
Thinking skills
• Provide time for reflection at all stages of learning—before, during and after
inquiries.
• Co-create and reflect on individual learning goals within the zone of proximal
development.
• Ensure sufficient time for uninterrupted play (in responsive learning spaces) to
practise and develop research skills.
• Collaborate with, for example, the librarian and technology specialists to build
Research skills
research skills and to help students identify sources of information.
• Model academic integrity by acknowledging where materials and ideas came
from.
• Plan opportunities for students to practise and apply these skills in meaningful
contexts (including play, class meetings and small-group learning
engagements).
• Encourage students to consider potential opportunities and challenges arising
from shared ideas.
• Encourage physical cues.
Communication
skills • Model appropriate, respectful and rich language use.
• Encourage communication using different languages.
• Ask open-ended questions.
• Put thinking ahead of knowing.
• Have informal conversations.
• Encourage students to explore a variety of perspectives and modalities.
• Provide explicit opportunities for students to practise and develop these skills,
including (dramatic) play and games.
• Provide opportunities for students to reflect on their social skills.
• Reflect and provide feedback on different interactions and other moments
they observe.
Social skills
• Offer students opportunities for taking perspective.
• Use the language of the learner profile in conversations and discussions, and in
the development of essential agreements.
• Model the social skills and language needed to greet, solve problems, share
resources, and so on.

The learner 15
Approaches to learning in the early years

Categories What teachers do:

• Ensure sufficient time for uninterrupted play.
• Support children with transitions by sharing a visual timetable and by counting
down reminders.
• Provide opportunities to meet as members of a learning group.
• Involve students in planning and organizing learning spaces (including
cleaning up).
Self-management
skills • Create an atmosphere where learning is viewed as a process of gradual
improvement.
• Continually reflect on how they are supporting student agency as an intrinsic
motivation for participation.
• Develop their skills in supporting students with developing their ability to self-
regulate (including focus, working memory, managing emotions and making
choices).

How students develop approaches to learning

Thinking skills
Sub-skills What students do:
Critical thinking Analysing
Analysing and evaluating issues and • Observe carefully.
ideas, and forming decisions • Find unique characteristics.
• Consider meaning taken from materials and events.
• Synthesize new understandings by seeing relationships and
connections.
Evaluating
• Organize information.
• Evaluate evidence.
• Test generalizations, strategies or ideas.
Forming decisions
• Revise understandings based on new information and
evidence.
• Draw conclusions and generalizations.
• Apply rules, strategies and ideas from one context to
another.
Creative thinking Generating novel ideas
Generating novel ideas and • Use discussion and play to generate new ideas and
considering new perspectives investigations.
• Make unexpected or unusual connections between objects
and/or ideas.
• Practice some “visible thinking” routines (Ritchhart, Church
and Morrison 2011).
Considering new perspectives
• Seek information.

16 The learner
 Approaches to learning in the early years

Thinking skills
Sub-skills What students do:
• Consider alternative solutions, including those that might be
unlikely or impossible, in play and other situations.
• Ask “what if” questions.
• Practise some “visible thinking” routines.
Information transfer • Apply skills and knowledge in unfamiliar situations or outside
Using skills and knowledge in multiple of school.
contexts • Make connections between units of inquiry.
Reflection and metacognition • Identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Using thinking skills to reflect on the • Reflect on their learning by asking questions such as:
process of learning What did I learn today?
What can I already do?
What will I work on next?

Research skills
Sub-skills What students do:
Information literacy Formulating and planning
Formulating and planning, data • Ask or express through play questions that can be researched.
gathering and recording, synthesizing • Select information sources and digital tools.
and interpreting, evaluating and
Data gathering and documenting (audio recording, drawing,
communicating
photographing)
• Gather information from a variety of sources (people, places,
materials, literature).
• Use all senses to observe and notice details.
• Record observations—drawing, charting, tallying—using
emergent writing skills, when possible, to write comments,
annotate images, and so on.
Synthesizing and interpreting
• Sort and categorize information and materials; arrange into
forms or order, for example, with graphs, marks or symbols
using emergent writing skills.
• Analyse and interpret information.
Evaluating and communicating
• Notice relationships and patterns.
• Present information in a variety of modalities.
• Acknowledge sources, for example, from a book, movie or
peer.
Media literacy • Draw connections among media resources.
Interacting with media to use and • Use media to communicate, share and connect with others.
create ideas and information • Communicate information and ideas using a variety of media
(as their skills progress).

The learner 17
Approaches to learning in the early years

Communication skills
Sub-skills What students do:
Exchanging information Listening
Listening, interpreting and speaking • Listen to information.
• Listen actively and respectfully to others’ ideas.
• Ask for clarifications.
Interpreting
• Interpret visual, audio and oral communication: recognizing
and creating signs, interpreting and using symbols and
sounds.
• Understand the ways in which images and language interact
to convey ideas.
• Recognize the meaning of kinaesthetic communication (body
language).
Speaking
• Express oneself using words and sentences.
• Participate in conversations.
• Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.
Symbolic exploration and Reading, writing and mathematics
expression • Take on pretend roles and situations.
Using language to gather and • Understand symbols.
communicate information
• Access a variety of sources for information and for pleasure.
• Make inferences and draw conclusions.
• Understand that mark-making carries meaning.
• Use mark-marking to convey meaning.
• Document information and observations in a variety of ways.
• Communicate using a range of technologies and materials.

Social skills
Sub-skills What students do:
Interpersonal relationships, social Interpersonal relationships
and emotional intelligence • Practise empathy and care for others.
Developing positive interpersonal • Listen closely to others.
relationships and collaboration
• Be respectful to others.
• Play cooperatively in a group: sharing, taking turns.
• Help others.
Social and emotional intelligence
• Be aware of own and others’ feelings.
• Manage anger and resolve conflict.
• Be self- and socially aware.
• Be aware of own and others’ impact as a member of a
learning group.

18 The learner
 Approaches to learning in the early years

Self-management skills
Sub-skills What students do:
Organization • Choose and complete tasks independently.
Managing time and tasks effectively • Follow the directions of others.
• Follow classroom routines.
• Share responsibility for decision-making.
States of mind Mindfulness
Using strategies that manage state of • Take responsibility for own well-being.
mind • Be aware of body–mind connections.
Perseverance
• Demonstrate persistence in tasks.
• Use strategies to problem-solve.
• Manage own emotions.
• Manage feelings and resolve conflict.
Resilience
• Work through setbacks.
• Work through disappointment.
• Show ability to adjust to new situations.

The learner 19
The early learner

Bibliography

Cited
Bird, J and Edwards, S. 2015. “Children learning to use technologies through play: A digital play framework”.
British Journal of Educational Technology. Vol 46, number 6. Pp 1149–1160.
Copple, C and Bredekamp, S. 2009. Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving
children from birth through age 8. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Washington DC,
WA, USA.
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. 2004. “Young children develop in an environment of
relationships”. Working paper number. 1. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/national-scientific-
council-on-the-developing-child/. Accessed on 28 September 2016.
Ritchhart, R, Church, M and Morrison, K. 2011. Making thinking visible: How to promote engagement,
understanding, and independence for all learners. San Francisco, CA, USA. Jossey-Bass.
Rushton, S and Juola-Rushton, A. 2010. “Neuroscience, play and early childhood education: Connections,
implications and assessment”. Early Childhood Education Journal. Vol 37, number 5. Pp 351–361.

Further reading
Britt, C and McLachlan, J. 2015. Unearthing why: Stories of thinking and learning with children. Baulkham Hills,
NSW, Australia. Pademelon Press.
Carr, M. 2008. “Can assessment unlock and open the doors to resourcefulness and agency”. In Sue Swaffield
(Ed.), Unlocking assessment: Understanding for reflection and application. Pp 36–54. London, UK and New
York, NY, USA. Routledge.
Carter, M. 2007. “Making your environment ‘the third teacher’”. Exchange, The Early Leaders’ Magazine.
Vol 176. July/August issue. Pp 22–26.
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. 2016. From best practices to breakthrough impacts: A
science-based approach to building a more promising future for young children and families. Cambridge, MA,
USA. http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/from-best-practices-to-breakthrough-impacts/.
Accessed on 28 September 2016.
Curtis, D and Carter, M. 2014. Designs for living and learning: Transforming early childhood environments.
St. Paul, MN, USA. Redleaf Press.
DeViney, J, Duncan, S, Harris, S, Rody, MA and Rosenberry, L. 2010. Inspiring spaces for young children. Silver
Spring, MD, USA. Gryphon House, Inc.
Fleet, A, Honig, T, Robertson, J, Semann, A, and Shepherd, W. 2011. What’s pedagogy anyway? Using
pedagogical documentation to engage with the Early Years Learning Framework. NSW, Australia. Children’s
Services Central.
Hedges, H and Jones, S. 2012. “Children’s working theories: The neglected sibling of Te Whariki's learning
outcomes”. Early Childhood Folio. Vol 16, number 1. Pp 34–39.
Rinaldi, C. 2006. In dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, researching and learning. London, UK and New York,
NY, USA. Routledge.
Smith, PK. 2009. Children and play: Understanding children’s worlds (Volume 12). Chichester, UK. John Wiley &
Sons.
Whitebread, D, Basilio, M, Kuvalja, M and Verma, M. 2012. The importance of play: A report on the value of
children’s play with a series of policy recommendations. Brussels, Belgium. Toys Industries of Europe.

20 The learner
 Bibliography

Whitebread, D and Coltman, P (Eds.). 2015. Teaching and learning in the early years (Fourth edition). London,
UK and New York, NY, USA. Routledge.

The learner 21