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FEBRUARY 15, 2016

GROWING A MODEL PRE-K:CULTIVATING STRATEGIES FOR AMBITIOUS INSTRUCTION.

PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENTI N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H T H E P E A B O DY R E S E A R C H I N S T I T U T E

Leadership

Transformation

Reflection

Creativity

Bordeaux * Casa Azafrán * RossMNPS CENTERS FOR EARLY LEARNING INNOVATION

revised for MNPS-PRI Partnership

website on 9/22/16

Roadmap for Today

• Framing the Conversation: Origins of the “Magic 8”

• Growing a Model Pre-K

• Where are we?

• What are the next steps?

• Cultivating Strategies for Ambitious Instruction

• Examples

• Discussion

• Strategies: How to apply these techniques in your classroom

• Lunch -- with Teacher & EA Panel

• Closing Thoughts

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 2Professional Development

Framing the Conversation

• Results from the 2014-15 school year became the basis for the

“Magic 8”

• We identified classroom practices most closely associated with children’s gains

across the year in achievement and self-regulation

• Magic 8 were adopted by ELC directors and teachers as part of the goals for this

year

• Observations are not an evaluation – they are a part of our shared

continuous improvement process.

• PRI is your partner in this endeavor

• ELC teams are working to identify and understand classroom practices that are

most important for a quality pre-k program

• PRI team is working to gather and report back information that best supports your

efforts

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 3

This is an continuous improvement process that will be successful when

we work together to accomplish the shared goal of higher quality pre-k

for Nashville’s children.

Professional Development

The Magic 8 Classroom Practices

1. Reduce transitions

2. Increase quality of instruction

3. More positive environment

4. Increase teacher listening to

children

5. Increase opportunities for

sequential activities

6. Foster associative and

cooperative interactions

7. Foster higher levels of

involvement

8. Create more math opportunities

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 Professional Development 4

Growing a Model Pre-K:

Components of the Vision

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 5

Foundational

Classroom

Processes

Precursors to

Higher-Level

Instruction

Ambitious

Instruction and

Child Engagement


Foundational Classroom Processes

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 6

• Reduced transition times

• More positive tone

• Decreased “behavior disapproving” comments

• Increased “behavior approving” comments

• Increased listening to children


Precursors to Higher-Level Instruction

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 7

• More teachers employing cognitive demands:

• Multi-word responses

• Turn-taking talk

• Making connections

• Many teachers more sequential

activities

• Many teachers have associative

interactions


Ambitious Instruction & Child Engagement

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 8

• Level of instruction seems

particularly difficult to change. • The average is the same as last year for

most classrooms.

• Children’s level of involvement,

particularly in centers, also seems

difficult to change.


Strategies for increasing both

the level of instruction and

children’s engagement:

Incorporating more associative

and cooperative interactions

Providing more opportunities for

children to engage in sequential

tasks

Utilizing teachable moments as

opportunities for meaningful

teacher/child interactions

9FEBRUARY 15, 2016

Today’s Focus


Today’s Format

• Associative & Cooperative: Dalila Duarte

• Sequential Tasks: Tandekile Francis

• Teachable Moments: Diana Lyon

• Rotate between each section for discussion and hands-on

activities

• “Tree” Groups: Apple, Orange, Pear (3 of each)

• We will have breaks (restrooms are located on this floor to

the right, at far end of hall; or take elevator/stairs up or

down one floor)

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 Professional Development 10

INCORPORATING ASSOCIATIVE AND COOPERATIVE INTERACTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM

Dalila

DuarteDirector, Casa Azafrán

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 11PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Your Thoughts about Associative &

Cooperative Play• Playing together

• Interactions

• Group doing a common activity with materials/themes

• Builds empathy

• Fosters social skills

• Cooperative: there is an end goal in mind!

• Associative: everyone contributes!

• Questions: • Is it more than just playing together?

• What are examples?

• How do we do this outside of dramatic play?

• How to model for children?

• What are differences between associative and cooperative play?


Defining Associative & Cooperative Play

• Occur when children are sharing materials and interacting

to co-create something.

• Associative interactions are often open-ended.

• Cooperative interactions require children to work together with

shared rules and/or organization.

• Children have to communicate and work with peers

• Children monitor their own behavior and adapt to the

needs and expectations of others

• Each participant contributes


Benefits of Participating in Associative &

Cooperative Play

• Associative and cooperative play can have positive effects

on children’s academic achievement, and self-regulation.

• Findings from 2014-15:

• More social learning interactions Larger gains in:

• Mathematics

• Self-regulation

• Letter knowledge


Examples of Associative Learning

Interactions• Completing a puzzle together

• Building a block tower together

• Sharing a book (in a pair or small

group)

• Assisting each other with a task

(spelling a name, counting out

objects)

• Pretending with each other in

dramatic play (not high-level)

• Co-constructing an idea (e.g.,

group brainstorming on how a

postman could carry letters, during

which everyone can talk)

FEBRUARY 15, 2016 15

“Here. Try this

piece there.”

“Yes! That fits!”

“You can bring

your baby over

here.”

“This is my map.

See?”


Examples of Cooperative Learning

Interactions

• Playing games, Candy Land, Bingo, etc.

• Completing a computer activity/game

(or Smart Board) in a sequence while

following rules and taking turns

• High-level dramatic play: a recognizable

scenario, with appropriate role-speech

and interactions that follow a script

(predetermined sequence)


Cooperative Play (high-level dramatic play):

Going to a Wedding


• Children enacting a

wedding scenario with roles

and role speech

• Bride

• Groom

• Minister

• Guests

• Following a script:

• Writing invitations

• Getting ready

• Driving to wedding (in

picture)


Planning for your own classroom• Brainstorm strategies to promote high level associative

and cooperative play and barriers that may prevent

associative and cooperative play in your classroom.

• Discuss and plan how you can implement some of these

strategies/approaches in your own classrooms.

• Discuss as a group how you can overcome barriers to

high level associative and cooperative play—choose one

to share out with the whole group.


Based on candy selected:

M&M’s – Pear Table

Hershey Bars – Apple Table

Reese’s – Orange Table


SWITCH GROUPS!


PROVIDING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO ENGAGE IN SEQUENTIAL TASKS

Tandekile

FrancisDean of Instruction, Ross


Your Thoughts about Promoting

Sequential Play• “Process that builds on itself”

• Have first, next, last parts – order and process

• Build cognitive skills and fosters critical thinking

• Require pre-planning

• Examples: playing games, using writing tools,

building according to a plan

• Questions

• What is it?

• What are examples?

• How can I incorporate more in my

classroom?


Defining Sequential Activities

• Follow a logical order or sequence

• Require child to have a working plan

• Promoted by physical materials, shared

scenarios, or themes


What are the benefits of children engaging in

Sequential Activities?

• When children participate in sequential activities, they

engage in higher-level thinking: reflecting and planning

• Promotes greater self-regulation and problem-solving

• Findings from 2014-15

• Children who spent more time in Sequential center time

activities made greater gains on:

• Letter and sight word recognition

• Early spelling

• Writing

• Mathematics knowledge


What are some examples of Sequential

learning activities in your classroom?

• Putting together a puzzle

• Sorting objects

• Acting out a scenario with a general script in Dramatic

Play

• at a restaurant, customers order food, waiters take orders, and the

chef prepares food

• Matching numerals with quantities

• Attempting to write recognizable words


Strategies for Promoting Sequential Activities

• Incorporating self-correcting materials or real-world objects• Puzzles or sorting activities

• A cash register lends itself to any number of retail scenarios in dramatic play

• Previewing activities and demonstrating uses for materialsbefore center time to give children ideas about how to use them in a more sophisticated way

• Tying in themes or scenarios to structure play• Further exploration of Creative Curriculum studies (e.g., buildings,

plants, clothing)

• Scenarios to act out during dramatic play

• Structures to build together in the block area


Creative Curriculum Roads Study Sequential

Activity Student Planned Project


Follow a

logical

order or

sequence

Require child to

have a working

plan

Promoted

by

physical

materials,

shared

scenarios,

or themes


Creative Curriculum Building Study

Family Engagement Sequential Activity


physical materials

Follow a logical order or

sequence

Require child to have a

working plan

Promoted by

physical materials,

shared scenarios,

or themes


Strategies for Promoting Sequential Activities

(cont.)

• Setting up games that children can play with or

without guidance from adults

• Explicit instruction about rules, turn-taking, and roles

• Can be commercial, homemade, or movement-based

• Incorporating Math, Science & Writing content

• Science: drawing an observation, planting, mixing colors

• Math: counting, sorting, grouping, comparing and patterning

• Writing (purposeful): can be added to virtually any activity

• Messages for upcoming holidays

• Taking orders during dramatic play

• Creating plans for a building in block area


Facilitating Sequential Play


Role Playing Activity

Count off, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3…

1. 1’s = teachers

2. 2’s & 3’s = children

3. Form a group with

teacher and children


Guiding Questions

• HOW may the children in your classroom interact with

these materials?

• HOW might you facilitate opportunities for Sequential

activities using these materials?

1. Children are playing with play-doh at the art center.

2. Children are using markers in the writing center.

3. Children are stacking blocks in the block center.


Which Sequential Activities Will I Adopt?


Based on candy selected:

M&M’s – Orange Table

Hershey Bars – Pear Table

Reese’s – Apple Table


SWITCH GROUPS!


UTILIZING TEACHABLE MOMENTS AS OPPORTUNITIES

FOR MEANINGFUL TEACHER/CHILD INTERACTIONS

Diana

LyonDirector, Bordeaux


Your Thoughts about “Teachable

Moments”• Authentic, in the moment opportunities to learn

• Can be any conversation between teacher and child

• Unexpected/not planned

• Throughout the day!

• Engaging the child’s natural curiosity

• Opportunities: Centers, dramatic play, one-on-one conversations

• Questions:• How does teacher effectively engage with children in centers and

still manage classroom?

• How to be responsive to teachable moments, but still keep track with schedule and curriculum?


What is a “teachable moment”?

Can manifest in a number of ways:

• Pursuing student interests

• Leveraging existing knowledge to facilitate

understanding of new concepts

• Scaffolding children’s engagement in exploration


Visit to the Pet Store…


Pet Store (cont.)


Benefits of Engaging with Children during

Teachable Moments

• Teachable moments can facilitate higher levels of instruction, more child talk, and greater child engagement.

Findings from 2014-15:

• Higher levels of instruction were related to

• Early literacy

• Math skills

• Self-regulation

• Children who were more engaged made greater gains, particularly on vocabulary and narrative recall (ability to retell a story).


Making the Most of Teachable Moments

• Use authentic open-ended questions

• Allow wait time for children to process information and

formulate responses

• Give positive acknowledgement; extend and elaborate

responses to children’s questions

• First rule of improvisation: “Yes, and….!”

• Highlighting and comparing children’s responses

• Identify productive elements of a child’s misconception

• Encourage relevant questions and comments from peers


Video Introduction: Guiding Questions

Teachable Moment Video

What evidence do you see of each strategy at work in the

video example?

• Authentic questions

• Wait time

• Positive acknowledgement

• Extending/elaborating a child’s questions and/or responses

• Identifying productive elements of a child’s misconception

• Are there other aspects about this interaction that make it

a “teachable moment”?


https://youtu.be/L4J1cj_dv-0

Discussion Activity:

Planning for Your Own Classroom

• Teachers discuss and plan how they can implement some

of these strategies/approaches in their own classrooms



CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

BETTER TOGETHER : MAINTAINING PRODUCTIVE EA + TEACHER PARTNERSHIPS

FEATURING:

Shalanda Carter + Jasmine Cliff

Bonita Whitehead

Bordeaux

***

Christy Combs + Ashley Shelley

Casa Azafrán

***

Dale Upshaw + Shandereen White

Ross

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