Teaching

Young
Children

OBJECTIVE 3.02
Understand selection and use of teaching methods.
Teaching Young Children
Part 1:
Selecting Teaching Methods

Ways Children Learn

The Role of Play Materials

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 Selecting Teaching Methods

• In order to select appropriate teaching

methods, you need to know about
– The ways children learn
– The role of play materials
– Factors to consider when selecting toys and
play materials

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How do children learn?

• From the
environment
• From a teacher
• From their
experiences

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Learning from the
environment
• Variety of
manipulatives
• Interactive
environment with
opportunities to
explore and
experiment

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Learning from a teacher
• Provides positive
reinforcement
• Is a good role model
for children to imitate

When a person shows

someone else how to do
something, this is called
modeling.
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Learning from experiences

• Sensory
elements
• Trial and error
• Learn from
mistakes
• Address all
areas of
development
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The Role of Play Materials
Play is the
business
of children.
 Play =
Learning

Play “plays” a very important role in learning.

2 Types of Play Materials

1. Open-ended --- can be used in a

variety of ways, with no one correct
way to play with them
2. Closed-ended --- structured materials
meant to be used in one way, with one
intended outcome

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Can you think of examples
of each?
• Open-ended • Closed-ended

Both types offer benefits for children.

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Benefits of Open-ended
Materials for Children

1. Develop independence
2. Learn to make decisions
3. Learn to solve problems
4. Use their imagination

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Benefits of Closed-ended
Materials for Children
1. Learn to follow
directions
2. Develop sensory
perception
3. Help develop motor
skills

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Factors to Consider When
Selecting Toys & Play Materials

• Safety
– Rounded,
smooth
edges
– Nontoxic

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Factors to Consider When
Selecting Toys & Play Materials

• Durability
• Easy to clean
• Appropriate for
different ages
• Encourages
cooperative play, not
aggressive play

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Factors to Consider When
Selecting Toys & Play Materials

• Number of children
who can use at one
time
• Storage space
available

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Factors to Consider When
Selecting Toys & Play Materials

• Multi-purpose
• Encourages
active
involvement, not
passive
observation

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Factors to Consider When
Selecting Toys & Play Materials

• Teaches
basic
concepts
• Allows for
sensory
learning

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Factors to Consider When
Selecting Toys & Play Materials

• Enjoyed by both
boys and girls
• Fun to play with

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Teaching Young Children
Part 2: Using Teaching Methods

Planning
Lessons

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Using Teaching Methods

• In order to use teaching methods

effectively, you need to know
about
– Planning lessons
– Teaching styles
– Teaching techniques

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 Lesson Plan
• A detailed written
explanation of a
learning activity
Like an architect prepares a blueprint so that the builder will know
every detail about how the building should be built, and to
guarantee that the building is physically sound and aesthetically
pleasing; similarly, a teacher prepares a lesson plan with every
detail about how the lesson is to be taught, which better ensures
that the lesson will be effective and that children will participate
and learn. The only difference is that . . .

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The only
difference is
that the
teacher is
both the
architect
and the
builder.
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Purposes of Lesson Plans
• Serves as an organizational tool
• Forces teachers to think ahead
• Enables teachers to think through
what they want to do
• Provides time to gather needed
materials
• Can be saved for future reference

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Results of Teaching
without Lesson Plans???
• Lessons flounder
and fail
• Time wasted
• Children bored
• Materials not ready
• Things left out

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Components of Lesson
Plans Let’s look at
each of these
• Target age group more closely. . .
• Topic or theme
• Purpose
• Concepts to be learned
• Skills to be developed
• Materials needed
• Procedures
• Questions
• Follow-up activities
• Evaluation

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Target Age Group

• Age or level of
development of
children
Example:
Three-year-olds

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Purpose of Lesson

• Stated as
objectives
• Things to aim
for and reach Example:
The learners will be able to
• Targets (TLWBAT)
recognize basic shapes.

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What could be an objective
for this learning activity?

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Concepts to Be Learned
Skills to Be Developed
• List exactly the
concepts and skills
that will be
learned/developed.

Concept: Objects can be

counted one at a time.

Skill: Counting from 1 to 10

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Concepts to Be Learned
Skills to Be Developed
• List exactly the
concepts and skills
that will be
learned/developed.

What concepts and skills can be developed from playing

dress-up?
Concept? Skill?

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 (Example)
Materials Needed Materials Needed
6 sets crayons
1 4-in. paper square per child

• List all materials 6 bottles white glue

Yarn, assorted lengths, colors
needed
• State quantities
• This serves as the
teacher’s checklist
for getting
prepared.
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Procedures
• Outline steps for
leading the
activity Procedures:
(Example)

• Put them in 1. Have children sit in a circle.

2. Introduction: Ask children to close
correct their eyes and picture their most
favorite food.
sequence 3. Tell children that they are going to
learn about foods that make their
• Be thorough bodies strong and healthy.
4. Read the first page of the book . . .

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 Lessons usually include these
lesson functions:
• Focus and review - an introduction to capture
attention, focus on the topic, review
• Statement of objective – to state what children will
learn
• Teacher input – to introduce new information
• Student guided practice – to give children a chance to
use the new information
• Independent practice –to see how well children can do
things on their own
• Closure - to summarize, bring the activity to an end

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Questions Example:
“What happens if we
push just one button
• To focus at a time?”

thinking
and
guide
learning

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Follow-up Activities

• To reinforce what
was learned
• To provide
additional help
for children who
need it

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 Example:
“Next time I will remember to work
with a smaller number of children
Evaluation at a time . . .”

• To assess the
effectiveness of the
lesson
– Number of children who
were successful
– Adaptations needed for
different ability levels
– Ways to improve
– Would you use again?

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Transitions

• Short activities
that guide
children
smoothly from
one activity to
another

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Transition signals may be

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 Transition “Move to Circle
Methods Time like an
elephant walking
through the jungle.
• Move a few children at a
time while others do
another activity
• Sort children by colors of
clothing worn (or other
categories); move by
groups
• Have children move as
though they were specific
animals
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 Transition Methods
• To start an activity, use a
prop or something special
to capture interest
• For clean-up transition,
use a job board or a job
jar
• Use choice time to let
children decide the
activity they wish to do
next
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Teaching Young Children
Part 3: Using Teaching Methods

Teaching Styles
Teaching
Techniques

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Teaching Think about the ways
in which some of
Styles YOUR teachers
conduct their classes .
..
• The
ways in
which
teachers
conduct
their
classes

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Teaching style includes

• The teacher’s expectations about behavior

• The degree of structure in lessons
• The degree of spontaneity in lessons

You know, spontaneous!

What’s
Spontaneity is when the
spontaneity
teacher follows her impulses,
?
lets things happen naturally.

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Factors Affecting Teaching
Styles
• The teacher’s
personality
• The teacher’s own
learning style
• The teacher’s beliefs
about teaching and
learning

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Ways Children Respond
to Teaching Styles
• One style is not
necessarily better
• Children benefit from
many different styles
• Sensitive teachers are
aware of their own
teaching styles
• Effective teachers know
how to adapt their styles
as needed
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Teaching
Techniques

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Teaching Technique #1:

Arrange the environment

• Provide adequate
space
• Organize space so
activity can be done
safely and easily

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Teaching Technique #2:

Set the stage

• Use an opener to catch their

attention
• Let children know what to expect
• Help children get into the right
frame of mind
• Use a focus object – an item related
to the activity that helps introduce it

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Teaching Technique #3:

Handle play activities

• Serve as the facilitator,
not the controller
• Help children get the
most out of play
• Recognize teachable
moments --- unplanned
times when children are
ready to learn

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Teaching Technique #4:

Group children appropriately

• Factors to consider
– Number of children
– Age range
– Ability levels

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Methods of Grouping

• Chronological grouping – same age together

• Developmental grouping – same ability levels
together
• Family grouping – same age range together
• Random grouping – grouping with no pattern
in mind; each child has an equal chance to be
in any group

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Advantages/Disadvantages of
Grouping by Age or Ability

• Advantage: Easier to plan lessons

• Disadvantage: Children miss the
opportunity to relate to children of other
ages/abilities
• Can you think of other advantages or
disadvantages?

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Advantages/Disadvantages
of Family Grouping
• Advantage: Individual children have a greater
chance of learning
• Advantage: Children have more opportunity to
learn to relate with children of other ages
• Disadvantage: The range of developmental
needs is challenging for teachers
• Can you think of other advantages or
disadvantages?
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Conditions under which
smaller groups are needed:
1. When much personal attention is
required
2. When learning new skills
3. When the activity is complex
4. With younger children
5. When children are prone to misbehave

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Teaching Technique #5:

Use concrete objects

• Children understand
best when they can
see and touch
• Descriptive words
sometimes have little
meaning for young
children

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Teaching Technique #6:

Use open-ended questions

• Require more than a “yes” or
“no” answer
• There is no right or wrong
response
• Encourage children to express
themselves
• Stimulate creativity and language
development
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Teaching Technique #7:
Use other techniques effectively.

• Visuals can reinforce

learning
• Props can capture
attention and add
variety

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That’s all for now!

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