St.

Boniface School
ECC Professional Development
Themes, Development, & Scaffolding
St Boniface ECC, 2013

Thematic Units
Thematic Units provide an integrated
approach to teaching and learning.
The integrated learning approach is
supported by research on how the
brain works and how human beings
learn.
Thematic Units help young children
achieve higher levels of learning.

Brain Research &

Learning Psychology
Brain research challenges the belief that learning
(and teaching) can be separated into traditional
domains such as cognitive (thinking), affective
(feeling), and psychomotor (movement).
Gardners Multiple Intelligences
Learning activities should encompass all of the
intelligencesnot just math & language.

Activity
http://www.literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findy
ourstrengths.html

Language and Learning

Piaget, Vygotsky, & Bruner
Children learn by active engagement with their
environment and through social engagement with other
human beings.

Language appears to be the key to effective learning

in human beings.
Vygotsky:
The primary function of language is social.
Language communicates meaning from one person to
another.

The secondary function of language is to serve as a

mental tool for constructing meaning for ourselves.
Language and thought are closely related.

We use language
to help us remember;
to find an construct knowledge;
to organize our ideas;
to make what we know more precise by
reorganizing, transforming, and
interpreting facts;
to apply what we know to new situations
(Fisher & Terry, 1990).

Language helps us integrate facts

into concepts and ideas.
CATERPILLAR
We know this word when we see it.
We may be able to decode it and pronounce it correctly.
But if we see the word and have no concept or idea to go
with caterpillar it doesnt mean anything to us.

A young child who sees a caterpillar has difficulty talking

about it without knowledge of the word which names a
fuzzy, multi-legged insect.

Scaffolding & ZPD

Language serves another important purpose in
learning.
What a child can do in cooperation today, he can do
alone tomorrow.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The gap between a childs level of actual development
(determined by their independent problem solving) and the
childs potential development (determined by problem
solving that is supported by an adult or a more capable
child).

To move from actual development to potential

development, scaffolding is provided for the
learner by a more capable adult or peer.

Scaffolds are structures

which provide access and
safety to out of reach
places.

Scaffolding
Example:
Brylee going up the slide
First, put her up on the top, held her hand on the way
down.
Then, put her up. She went down by herself.
Walked her around to show her the stairs, held her hand
up, showed her the slide. She went down.
Stayed at the top and pointed the direction she needed
to go to find the stairs.
Stayed at the top and watched.
Went away to scaffold another child.

 The most common scaffold used is language

Parents, teachers, coaches, and other children
talk the novice child through new activities.
Gradually, as the child gains experience and skill,
the teacher does less talking and relinquishes
control.
Come on, thats good. Take another step.
Uh-oh. Get up and try again.

This kind of dialogue appears to be basic

to human learning.

Integrated Themed Units

Since learning is an integrated process, it is
important to present information in a themed
approach.

Identify a theme
Create specific activities
Implement the theme
Reflect on what worked and what didnt

Identify the theme

What do I hope children will learn as a result of
participating in this unit?
Is this a theme/topic about which children are
naturally curious?
Do the children have some understanding and
background knowledge about this theme?

Create Specific Activities

What activities lend themselves to this unit?
Are all of the activities developmentally
appropriate?
Are all of the activities meaningful and
worthwhile? (The fact that an activity is cute is not
enough reason to do it).

The Internet has some amazing resources

Implement the Theme

What will be an intriguing way to begin the unit?
Does the room need to be rearranged?
What resources (books, math and science
manipulatives, outdoor items, toys) do I need?
How will I end it?
How will I evaluate the units success?
How will I assess the childs development.

Reflection
After the unit is over, reflect on what worked and
what needed to be taken out or refined.
This will make the unit better for future use.