“An investment in knowledge pays the best dividends.”
Benjamin Franklin
Ask questions
Questioning our children at any age about what they have done in school is a natural thing for parents to do. We want to make sure that they are happy and secure, and that they are learning. Doing this immediately after class is a good strategy, when things are still fresh in their minds and that you are still in the school environment.
Similarly, a child’s artwork can provide a prompt for asking open-ended questions:
- ‘What (or who) is it?’;
- ‘What colors did you use?’;
- ‘Can you show me how you did it?’;
- ‘Did you like making it?’;
- ‘What other things did you like today?’;
- ‘Who did you play with?’; and so on.
Teachers also want their students to reflect on their lessons, but with young children this skill must be taught. Teachers should set aside a few minutes at the end of a lesson to ask children what they liked best, or what helped them, is always a good idea. It is most beneficial when followed up with ‘Why?’. For very young children, providing them with pictorial prompts that illustrate feelings – fun, exciting, interesting, easy, hard and boring, etc. – can often help elicit responses. Using crafts or activity books to prompt reactions is also useful. Reflection will later build into self-reflection if the habit is reinforced, enabling children to recognise the value in the activities we set them.
Praise good behavior
Lessons for young learners should contain themes and values that are broadly desirable as opposed to culturally specific. They should include sharing, helping friends, saying sorry and forgiving each other, making amends, accepting each other, team work, taking turns and being polite.
Children don’t learn these behaviors automatically, yet they are an essential part of being a well-rounded adult. Starting early and reinforcing good behavior will yield positive benefits in the future. For parents, letting children talk politely with adults and older children is a positive way to keep the context real for them. Also, encouraging positive behavior when playing with friends or asking for something supports the process enormously.