Young children acquire language naturally; they motivate

themselves to learn a form of communication without conscious

learning, unlike adolescents and adults. They have the ability to
imitate pronunciation and make up the rules themselves. Any idea
that learning to speak English is difficult does not occur to them
unless it is suggested by adults, who probably learned English
academically at a later age through grammar-based textbooks.
According to the Early Childhood Foundation Stage framework
(England), and taking into account that children develop at their own
pace and in their own way, children typically develop the following
skills within these age ranges:

From 16-26 months:

• Copy familiar expressions, e.g. Oh dear! All is gone.
• Explore and experiment using your senses and your entire body.

From 22-36 months:

• Listen with interest to the noises adults make when reading stories.
• He is interested in other people's games and is starting to join in.
• Run safely.
• He is aware that some actions may hurt or harm others.
• Repeats words or phrases from familiar stories.
• Recite some number names in sequence.
• Experiments with blocks, colors and marks.

From 30-50 months:

• Responds to simple instructions, e.g. “Put your toys away.”
• Can catch a big ball.
• They notice what adults do, imitate what they observe, and then do
 it spontaneously when the adult is not there.
• Can play in a group.
• Holds books correctly and turns pages.

From 40-60+ months:

• Uses a pencil and holds it effectively.
• Expand vocabulary by grouping, naming, and exploring the sounds
of new words.
• Write your own name and other things like tags or titles.
• Build with purpose in mind, using a variety of resources.

You will notice a very rich and varied vocabulary. We would not
expect a child to produce this type of language, especially if English is
an additional language, but the adult can expose the child to this
language, introducing key words and expressions associated with
different activities in a fun and natural way. Remember that children
like to play with words, even if they don't know what they mean, and
this is a valuable opportunity to work on pronunciation. Children will
reap future benefits from this language-rich environment, so closely
connected to the activities they love to do.

The advantages of starting early

Young children continue to use their individual, innate

language learning strategies to acquire their native language and
soon discover that they can also use these strategies to learn English.
They also have time to learn through play activities, participating in a
shared activity with an adult, first giving meaning to the activity and
then gaining meaning from the language shared by the adult. On the
other hand, they have more time to include English in the daily
program.

School programs tend to be informal and children's minds are

not yet filled with data to be stored and tested, they may have little or
no homework and are less stressed by having to achieve set
standards and those who have the opportunity to learn a second
language while still young seem to use the same innate language
learning strategies throughout life when learning other languages, so
learning a third, fourth or even more languages is easier than picking
up a second.

Young children who acquire language rather than consciously

learn it are more likely to have better pronunciation and feel for the
language and culture. As monolingual children reach puberty and
become more self-aware, their ability to learn language declines and
they feel they must consciously study English through grammar-
based programs. The age at which this change occurs depends
largely on the developmental levels of the individual child as well as
the expectations of his or her society.

Stages in learning English

Spoken language comes naturally before reading and writing,

which is why constant speaking and surrounding them with an
English-rich environment is essential for their rapid learning. To do
this, it is necessary to establish the periods in which children learn.
These stages can be:
 Period of silence

When babies are learning their native language, there is a

"silent period," when they look, listen, and communicate through facial
expressions or gestures before they begin to speak. When young
children learn English, there may be a similar "silent period" when
communication and understanding can take place before they actually
speak any words in this language. During this time, parents should
not force them to participate in spoken dialogue by having them
repeat words. Spoken dialogues should be one-sided, adult talk
provides useful opportunities for the child to learn language. When the
adult uses parentese (a form of adjusted speech) to facilitate learning,
the child can use many of the same strategies he or she used to learn
his or her home language.

Starting to talk

After a while, depending on the frequency of the English

sessions, each child (girls often faster than boys) begins to say single
words ('cat', 'house') or ready-made short phrases ('What is that?', 'It's
my book', 'I can't', 'That's a car', 'Time to go home') in dialogues or as
unexpected statements. The child has memorized them, imitating the
pronunciation exactly without realizing that some may consist of more
than one word. This stage continues for some time as the child learns
more language, using it as a shortcut to dialogue before they are
ready to create their own sentences.
 Building the English Language

Gradually, children construct sentences consisting of a single

memorized word to which they add words from their own vocabulary
(“a dog”, “a brown dog”, “a brown and black dog”) or a single
memorized idiom to which they add their own word (“That´s my chair”,
“Time to play”). Depending on the frequency of exposure to English
and the quality of the experience, children gradually begin to create
complete sentences.

Understanding

Understanding is always better than speaking and young

children's comprehension skills should not be underestimated as they
are used to understanding their home language from a variety of
context clues. While they may not understand everything they hear in
their home language, children get the gist—that is, they understand a
few important words and figure out the rest using different clues to
interpret meaning. With encouragement, they soon transfer their
comprehension skills to interpret meaning in English.

Frustration

After the initial novelty of English sessions, some young

children become frustrated by their inability to express their thoughts
in English. Others want to speak this language quickly, but their
period of tolerance and understanding will depend on the intrinsic
capabilities of each individual. Frustration can often be overcome by
providing children with "performance" pieces such as "I can count to
12 in English" or very simple rhymes, consisting of ready-made
phrases.

The mistakes

Children should not be told that they have made a mistake

because any correction is immediately demotivating. Mistakes may be
part of the process of developing English grammar rules or they may
be a flaw in pronunciation. "I went" will soon become "went" if the
child hears the adult repeat "Yes, you went"; or if the adult hears "Zee
bus" and repeats "The bus." Just like learning your home language, if
children have the opportunity to hear the adult repeat the same
language correctly, they will self-correct in their own time.

Gender differences

Boys' brains develop differently than girls' and this affects how
they all learn and use language. Sometimes mixed classes are not
enough for boys, who may be overshadowed by girls' natural ability to
use language. For young boys to reach their potential, they need
different language experiences from girls and their achievements
should not be compared to those of girls.

The environment for language learning

Young children find it more difficult to learn English if they are

not provided with the right kinds of experiences, accompanied by
adult support using "parental" techniques. They also need to feel safe
and know that there is an obvious reason to use English. Activities
should be linked to some interesting everyday experiences that they
already know, for example, sharing a picture book in English, saying a
rhyme and eating a snack.

The activities are accompanied by adult language that

provides a running commentary on what is happening and dialogues
that use appropriate Parentese language. English sessions should be
fun and interesting, focusing on concepts that children have already
understood in their home language. In this way, they don't learn two
things, a new concept and a new language, but simply learn English
to talk about something they already know. Activities are supported by
specific objects, where possible, as this aids understanding and
increases overall interest.

Reading

Children who can already read in their home language often

want to know how to read in English. They already know how to
decode words in their native language to get meaning from the text,
and if they are not helped to decode in English, they can transfer their
decoding techniques from their native language and end up reading
English with the accent of their home language. Before they can
decode English, young children need to know the 26 letter names and
sounds of the alphabet. Since English has 26 letters but on average
44 sounds (in standard English), it is best to leave the introduction of
the remaining sounds until children have more experience using
language and reading.

Starting to read in English is easy if young children already

know the language they are trying to read. Many children teach
themselves to read in English if they have shared picture books with
adults or have learned rhymes, as they have likely memorized the
language. Reading what they know by heart is an important step in
learning to read, as it gives children the opportunity to decode simple
words on their own. Once children have built up a bank of words they
can read, they feel confident and are ready for a more structured
approach.

Parental support

Children need to feel like they are making progress. They need
constant encouragement and praise for their good performance, as
any success motivates them. Parents are in an ideal position to
motivate and therefore help their children to learn, even if they
themselves have basic English and are learning alongside their young
children. By sharing, parents can not only incorporate their children's
language and activities into family life, but they can also influence
their young children's attitudes toward learning languages and other
cultures. It is now generally accepted that most lifelong attitudes are
formed by the age of eight or nine.

The importance of speaking

The growing education gap between rich and poor is not news
to those working in education, many of whom have been struggling to
close the gap that begins the day poor children enter kindergarten or
preschool.
 When Dr. Dana Suskind, director of the Thirty Million Words
Center at the University of Chicago, began performing cochlear
implants on infants — a cutting-edge surgical technique that allows
deaf babies to hear — she noticed a big difference in the way the
children's hearing functioned as they acquired language. Once they
could hear, some children's language skills thrived and grew, while
others languished. Why was this so annoying that it started to bother
her? What was causing some children to excel in their language
skills?

The difference turned out to be the words the children heard

from their parents and caregivers. Babies talk, explain and describe,
ask questions even when they won't get an answer: adults "using their
words" is what some parents and caregivers do thousands of times a
day to develop a baby's brain. While auditing a graduate course on
child language development at the University of Chicago, Suskind
heard about Hart and Risley's groundbreaking study of differences in
how parents of different income levels interact with their children.
After carefully following families and recording how often they
conversed with their children, Hart and Risley found that children of
professional parents heard about 11 million words in a year, while
children from poor welfare families heard only 3 million. Extrapolated
over time, Hart and Risley estimated that by the time poor children
reached age 4, they had heard 30 million fewer words than their
wealthier counterparts.

There was a direct correlation between children who heard a

lot from their parents and how prepared they were to learn once they
got to school. Hart and Risley wrote: "With few exceptions, the more
parents talked to their children, the faster the children's vocabularies
grew and the higher the children's IQ scores at age 3 and older."
Human brains are wired for social interaction, and the brain-
building benefits of “tuning in,” talking more, and taking turns happen
when dealing with a real human being, not a TV or tablet. However,
there are certain technologies that can really increase social
interaction: "A recent study shows that if you had a Skype with your
grandmother," Suskind said, "someone on the other side of the
screen responds [to your child], that counts!" A human being on the
other side of the technology works."

Suskind’s passion for speaking is contagious, and she hopes

to turn not only the parents who have benefited from the “Three
Million Words” program into evangelists, but also teachers and child
care providers. She encourages educators to talk to parents about the
science of talking with children, and to explain that any opportunity,
even the most mundane, is a chance to practice, especially reading a
book together. "It's really about having a conversation about the
book," she said. "You don't have to read every word if the child
doesn't want to. It's really about having a conversation, tuning into
what your baby is interested in, talking about the pictures."

Near the end of "Thirty Million Words," Suskind writes about

James, a young father who used the program's benefits with his son
Marcus, and then began telling everyone in his life how he learned to
talk to children, even enlisting the help of his son's kindergarten
teacher. "She knew a little bit about that, but not about 'Tuning In' or
the fact that watching TV doesn't teach words in a way that sticks,"
James told Suskind. "When I learned new things, I would always bring
them to her and she would start using them at daycare." Suskind said
this type of outreach is crucial to getting the word out. "Of course, I
want teachers to read it [the book]," Suskind said. “But I want them to
feel empowered, I want them to become evangelists. Because unless
the entire population understands how important parents and
teachers are, we're never going to get the investment."

Play and learn

"What did you do at school today?" "We just played." We've

talked about why children play and the benefits of play, but the idea
still persists that if it's too much fun, children aren't learning. However,
the evidence suggests otherwise. Research shows that children
actually learn through play, that is, play is learning. Tina Bruce, an
internationally recognized expert on childhood and play, describes in
her book, “Early Childhood Education,” the 12 characteristics of free-
flowing play, which you will find summarized below:

1. Children use first-hand experiences they have had in life

during play.
2. Children remain in control while playing. Play does not bow
to pressure to conform to external rules, outcomes, goals, or adult-
directed projects.
3. Playing is a process. Has no products.
4. Children choose to play. He is intrinsically motivated and
spontaneous.
5. Children rehearse their possible futures in their play. Play
helps children learn to function earlier than they can do at present.
6. The game has the potential to take children into a world of
simulation, beyond the here and now, into the past, present and
future, and transform them into different characters.
7. The game can be solitary, and this type of game can be
very deep.
8. Children can play together or with an adult, in company
(parallel play), associatively or cooperatively in pairs or groups.
9. Play can be initiated by a child or an adult, but adults
should respect the child's play agenda by not insisting that the adult's
agenda dominate the play.
10. Children's play is characterized by deep concentration.
11. In play, children test their new learning, mastery,
competence, and skills, and consolidate them.
12. Play develops children into well-rounded individuals,
capable of continuing to balance their lives in a rapidly changing
world. (Tina Bruce, 2015. Early Childhood Education 5th Edition).

Playing is fun, all children love to play, and children learn a lot
through play without even realizing it. Therefore, we must give
children time to play, not just ten minutes when they finish their
"work." When children play, they are experimenting with ideas, testing
hypotheses, mastering skills, using their imagination, and
representing their world. If you cut out play when teaching English,
you're eliminating a vital step in child development.

Here are some examples of the different types of things

children are learning and developing while playing.

When playing with clay, children develop their fine motor

skills. Children work on hand-eye coordination and develop the
muscles in their hands and fingers when they model the clay. These
are valuable pre-writing skills, as good muscle strength and hand-eye
coordination will help children hold and use writing tools correctly later
on. When playing with clay, children are also experimenting with
things like color, shape, and texture. When they play with dolls and a
tub of water, they are learning about the concepts of wet and dry,
floating and sinking, clean and dirty. They also engage in sensory
play and experiment with the way water feels.

By playing musical instruments, children develop sound

recognition (the sounds that different instruments make and an
understanding of how sounds can change (e.g., high, low, soft, loud,
fast, slow) and an appreciation of music. These valuable listening
skills are transferable to the area of language and communication.
When playing with transportation toys, children experiment with
friction and motion, up and down, forward and backward, fast and
slow. When children play with blocks, they are learning about color,
shape, and patterns, as well as concepts of weight, size, height,
length, vertical, and horizontal.

In dramatic play and small world play (acting out real-life

scenes, stories, and/or imagination created with small figures and
objects), children act out ideas that help them understand the world
around them. They can also experiment with different roles and invent
different scenarios, taking them beyond the real world and developing
their imagination.
 Safety Considerations

Security is essential for a rich gaming experience. Early

childhood professionals must provide a safe environment where risks
are minimised and well managed. Very young children have little or
no understanding of danger or dangerous behavior. They need the
adults around them to keep them safe from harm and help them learn
to make decisions about safe and unsafe behavior.

Toys and resources for play should be chosen on the basis

that they are:

• Safe: Toys should be checked regularly and broken toys should be

thrown away.
• Clean, soft toys and clothing should be machine washed regularly.
• Age Appropriate: No toys with loose or small parts for babies and
toddlers (0-3 years), safety scissors for children learning to cut,
sharp objects stored out of reach.

On the other hand, adults should:

• Provide adequate supervision of children at all times.

• Be a model of safe practice and behavior.
• Set clear limits according to the child's age and stage of
development.
• Encourage children to respect each other while playing.

• Encourage children to think about the consequences of their

actions.
 Children will learn best knowing that they can play without
hurting themselves, and are safe to experiment with new and different
things. Teaching English to preschoolers can be daunting for new
teachers of this age group. Young children have a shorter attention
span than older children and adults, and they are still learning their
native language. But teaching these learners can be enormously
rewarding once you have some basic principles in mind.

The importance of active learning

Active learning means fully involving children in the learning

process. To achieve this, we must provide environments that appeal
to all of their senses, including visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile.
Appropriate learning activities include things like chants, songs,
rhymes, dances, games, videos, and arts and crafts. For example,
when learning a new word in class, children can first: hear the word
(in songs or chants); repeat the word (when you sing); see the word (if
they are ready to recognize some letters); trace the word (ideally with
different materials, such as Play-Doh or wool); then produce the
words (when they are asked some questions about the topic or in
games that require producing the new word).

Promote learning through play

Play is a very important part of what life means to children at

this stage of their development. Therefore, teachers should promote
learning through play as much as possible. Card games,
competitions, races, etc., are among the most exciting ways for
children to learn. In addition to encouraging active learning, they help
develop social skills.

Fostering children's creativity and imagination

It is important that we help young people develop beyond mere

language skills. Creativity and imagination are part of the learning
process and should be encouraged by the teacher. For example, you
can create new songs with the help of students by trying to use their
suggestions. Arts and crafts also provide children with a good
opportunity to use their imagination and creativity. But we must not
insist that they imitate a hand-made model that we have prepared.
Instead, allow them to go further and use their own ideas.

Developing children's social skills

The development of social skills is also very important at this

stage of learning. Children need to learn to socialize with each other,
applying some important values, such as respect and sharing. It is
essential for the teacher to explain why such values are important and
then constantly remind them of their importance when conflicts arise
within the classroom.

Five important tips for teachers who are new to this age group:

• Establish a set of classroom rules from day one. This will help you
control behavior in the classroom. Remind them of the rules
regularly.
• Use procedures to organize the class. Children at this stage should
know what to do before starting activities. Remember that
 instructions should be direct and activities should be demonstrated
(modeled) in advance.
• When conflicts arise, don't panic. Demonstrate that you are calm
and approach students at their level, making eye contact. Speak to
them in a soft tone of voice.
• Show enthusiasm for the activities they will be participating in. Be
part of the activities too.
• Have a set of quick songs, chants, and games on hand to keep
their attention. You can use them at any time during class to switch
from one activity to another.

Ask the right questions

When my daughter came out of her class one day shortly after
school started, I asked her, "What did you do in class today?" She
replied, “I sneezed.” I realized that if I wanted to get any useful
information about what she had done in class, I would have to change
my line of questioning. Although my daughter is only two years old
(and more experienced parents than me would not have asked such a
broad question to begin with), asking our children at any age about
what they have done in class is a natural thing. We want to know that
they are happy and calm, and that they are learning. Doing this right
after class is a good strategy, when things are still fresh and you are
still in the school environment.

Similarly, a child's artwork can provide a prompt for asking

questions: “What (or who) is it?”; “What colors did you use?”; “Can
you show me how you made it?”; “Did you enjoy 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
especially with young children, this is a learned skill. Setting 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 with 'Why?'. For very young children, providing pictorial
prompts that illustrate feelings (fun, exciting, interesting, easy, difficult,
boring, etc.) can often help elicit responses. Using crafts or activity
books to elicit reactions is also helpful. Reflection will then become
self-reflection if the habit is reinforced, allowing children to recognize
the value in the activities we set up.
Reinforce desirable behavior

Early years lessons should contain themes and values that are
broadly desirable rather than culturally specific. They should include
sharing, helping friends, apologizing and forgiving each other, making
peace, accepting each other, working as a team, taking turns, and
being polite. In the classroom, activities can easily be developed to
include turn-taking and sharing, and to encourage polite and
cooperative behavior, but the teacher must provide support and
encouragement. For parents, allowing children to speak politely to
shopping assistants and people in elevators and restaurants is a
positive way to keep the context real for them. Additionally,
encouraging positive behavior by playing with friends or asking for
something greatly supports the process. Children do not learn these
behaviors automatically, however, they are an essential part of being
a well-rounded adult. Starting early and reinforcing this behavior in
and out of the classroom will pay positive dividends in the future.
 Avoid the rating

This is one aspect of early childhood education that can be

difficult for parents from a variety of educational backgrounds to
accept. In many countries, children are graded and compared to their
peers just to enter a kindergarten. However, we would never dream of
grading our children at home.

Every child has a variety of strengths, but these will not be

apparent at the same time. The absence of grades means that
children can develop their skills and try out new ones in a relaxed and
natural environment. It also means that teachers can spend more
quality time helping children develop those skills without feeling the
pressure of assigning a grade. When planning lessons, we must take
into account all of our students and their diverse needs. Children will
find that movement, reading, writing, visual input and audio will help
them learn. Children use a combination of these, and how they use
them is not set in stone. As children gain new skills, they develop new
ways to solve problems and get the most out of activities. Similarly, at
home, providing a variety of materials and toys for children allows
them to experiment with different ways of learning.

Of utmost importance is the issue of trust. If young children can

use English in a fun, creative and inclusive way, the hope is that this
will lead to happy and confident learners who, in the future, will not
see English as an obstacle to overcome, or just another school
subject they have to cope with. study.
 Praise strengths, but also effort

Giving a compliment can be tricky. Both parents and teachers

naturally want to encourage children and instill a positive sense of
achievement, but this often takes the form of fairly generic
compliments, such as "well done" or "good job." In a classroom, it is
also often reserved for academic progress. While praise itself is
encouraging, it can be much more effective when focused on specific
aspects. One way to do this is to comment on what a child did well,
such as sharing, following directions, helping a friend, giving a correct
answer, or singing well. This shows that a teacher or parent
appreciates that particular aspect, and in doing so reinforces it as
desirable and provides an example to others.

Another aspect of praise, often overlooked, is effort. For young

children, this is at least as important as the result. Praising their
efforts shows that we support them throughout the process and notice
their small triumphs. It is important to keep in mind that adults do not
do things as well either, but the effort is still appreciated.

Develop the parent-teacher relationship

There are many ways in which the parent-teacher relationship

can be mutually beneficial. Both parents and teachers can share
valuable information about a child's personality. Teachers can convey
information about how the child copes in the classroom environment,
and additional strengths and abilities they have discovered through
various activities. Teachers can keep parents informed about the
curriculum, including topics, which can be easy to reinforce at home.
Parents can easily introduce the topic of helping friends, for example,
by introducing a book, cartoon, or song on the topic, role-playing with
toys, or setting up a play date with another child.

It's most effective when teachers and parents talk face-to-face,

but sometimes emailing parents with brief feedback can help maintain
the relationship and encourage a more meaningful exchange.
Keeping the lines of communication open for parental questions or
information helps make the relationship more equitable, so that
information doesn't go in one direction, as it often does. Finally, one of
the most important ways to develop and maintain a good parent-
teacher relationship is simply by showing appreciation for each other.
If a child sees a parent and teacher thanking each other, the
cooperative aspect is reinforced. It is also valuable for your child to
thank the teacher and for a teacher to thank the children for coming.

How are happiness and learning connected?

We've all heard of the fight or flight response. We go into

survival mode when we are threatened by something or someone. We
either put our dukes up (literally or metaphorically) or ran away
(literally or metaphorically). Students often go into survival mode
when they feel threatened by an overwhelming cognitive task or
confusing text, or when they are called on and don't know the answer,
or are confronted or teased by another student (or a teacher).
Learning in such an environment? It is a question that deserves our
full consideration.

As teachers, we also know that when students' affective filters

or defenses are very high, fight-or-flight responses will be the modus
operandi. A room full of defensive behaviors (withdrawn, angry) is a
sad and unproductive place to teach and learn. Now let's do it and
take a look at how much more we can learn when we are in harmony
with people and things in a given educational environment. Being in
harmony means feeling safe, feeling valued and a necessary part of a
group and, in this case, a learning community.

Hearts and minds in perfect synchrony

What does research show is the opposite of the brain's fight-

or-flight response? It shows that when we don't feel threatened at all,
we have the willingness to be vulnerable, to be open to new ideas and
guidance from others - the ideal learning environment!

NeuroLeadership Institute co-founder Dr. David Rock says,

"Commitment is a state of being willing to do hard things, to take
risks, to think deeply about problems, and to develop new solutions...
Interest, happiness, joy and desire are emotions of approach. This
state is one of increasing dopamine levels, important for interest and
learning."

Unfortunately, the over-focus on standardized testing has

gravitated many public schools far away from teaching and learning
for the whole child. Less time is spent on social-emotional and
behavioral activities that help create and maintain an engaging
classroom environment. And we know that in order to engage
students in deeper learning, in those moments when we really stretch
their thinking, there is a certain vulnerability that they have to
surrender to. It is a magical mix of will and curiosity. So how do we
get them?

On this subject, Dr. David Rock says the following: "There is a

large body of research that indicates that people who experience
positive emotions perceive more options when trying to solve
problems, solve more non-linear problems that require information,
and collaborate better, functioning better in general."

In the classroom

Before we challenge students with such high-level cognitive

demands as problem-solving, we need to cultivate a safe and
harmonious learning environment that invites vulnerability and
genuine inquiry. Here are some essentials to do that:

Essential 1: Make sure you build community all year long.

Routinely include strategies and activities in your lessons, such as
Save the Last Word for Me, that allow students to express who they
are, their thoughts and ideas, build relationships, and practice
collaboration. This will help grow and maintain a sense of emotional
and intellectual security in your classroom.

Essential 2: Design group guidelines together. We've all felt

fear (or some anxiety) when working in a group: will they like me? Will
my contributions be valued? It is important for students to have input
when creating the guidelines so that they feel connected and have
ownership of them. They will also be more on board with joining them.
“One speaker at a time,” “Respect all ideas,” “Listen with your whole
body” are valuable norms when students collaborate. Make
suggestions, but let them decide on the wording of the rules.

Essential 3: Have “non-negotiable” guidelines. Along with

classroom rules and procedures, students should know what is non-
negotiable from the beginning. My biggest non-negotiable: insults.
This resulted in an immediate consequence (a call to the Dean and/or
removal from the classroom for the day). We have to stand up to
things like name-calling and teasing, or children won't feel safe being
themselves, let alone learning.

Essential 4: Post student work everywhere. This is simple and

easy. When displays of essays, poems, projects, and exams
dominate the walls, there is a sense of belonging for students in the
room. When they look around and see their own writing and thinking,
they certainly experience a higher level of comfort than if they look at
store-bought posters. That said, if informational posters are needed,
ask your students to create them.

Observation, evaluation and planning

To support, challenge and plan the next steps in a child's

learning and development, we need to really know the child.
According to the Early Childhood Foundation Stage Development
(England), the cycle of observation, assessment and planning is at
the heart of effective early childhood practice. This is how we really
get to know the children in our care. So how does the cycle work?
Since every child is unique, the individual child is always at the center
of the cycle.
 Observation is seeing where a child is and describing what you
see. We observe children at play, in their daily activities, and during
more structured activities. When we observe children, we look, we
listen, and we take notes. Through observation, we get to know the
child, his interests, abilities and existing knowledge.

Assessment involves analyzing our observations and

understanding each child's potential. When assessing a young child,
we should ask ourselves, What do my observations tell me about this
child? Children's development rates are so varied in early childhood
that it makes no sense to highlight what a child cannot do. What does
make sense, however, is to point out, based on evidence, what a child
can do.

Planning must be linked to observations and assessments.

Once we observe the child and analyze what our observations tell us
(assessment), we should ask ourselves, what will we do now?
Knowing the child well helps us plan the next steps in their learning
and development.

Children learn by making connections and building on what they

already know.

By identifying what the child already knows or can do, the

educator or parent can help the child move forward by providing the
right amount of support or challenge. Really knowing children means
you can help them develop their interests and build their skills without
feeling overwhelmed. To conduct an observation, the adult takes a
back seat and observes the children in different situations. Observing
children while they play or engage in an activity is a non-threatening
way to see what children can do, what they are interested in, who
they like to play with, and more specifically, what language they are
using while playing.

Observations are conducted regularly and can be recorded on

sticky notes, in scrapbooks, digitally (photos or videos), or written up
in a more formal way. Conduct an observation with the children in
your care:

1. During free play, write down what the children do, who they play
with, some of the things each child can do, and things that interest
them.

2. What things did you notice? Were you surprised by anything you
saw or heard?

Examples of fun classroom learning activities for younger

learners to introduce new vocabulary

Playing with blocks

• Use language to count and order: How many are there? Shall we
put the blue ones here?
• Use positional language: in, on, under, below, behind, next to.
• Explore language related to size: big, small, long, short

• describes what a child does while playing: finding, stacking, pulling,

 pushing, building, pressing, dragging.
• Describes shapes and objects that children make: square,
rectangle, tower, house, castle, garden.

Costumes (Drama)

• Describes the costumes (fairy, princess, pirate, king, clown) and

the actions to dress up: put on, pull up/down, zip up, do the buttons
up, unbutton, unzip.
• Highlight the relevant body parts: put your arms through here, tie
this around your waist/wrist, put these on your feet - first your left
foot, then your right foot, put this over your head.
• Use nursery rhymes and stories to model imaginary play language.
• Develop listening comprehension by encouraging children to act
out the rhyme or story in their costumes.
• Expand vocabulary related to role-playing: hospital, airport, artist's
studio, garden centre, vet, doctor, routines
(breakfast/lunch/dinner/bed time).

Manufacturing and decorating (arts and crafts)

• Name the materials: paint, paintbrush, crayon, felt-tip, marker,

card, paper, crepe paper, shiny paper, tissue paper, newspaper,
glue, scissors, cotton wool, fabric, sequins, feathers.
• Describe the properties and textures of materials: runny, thick,
smooth, hard, long, short, spiky, rough, shiny.

• Experiment and describe the color

• Instructions for use: paint, draw, colour, smudge, blur, blow, copy,
 pour, make, cut, stick, decorate, hang (it) up.
• Appreciate art and describe what children have made, painted or
drawn.

Malleable materials (dough, plasticine, clay)

• Use manipulative language: push, pull, drop, squeeze, press,

bend, twist, roll, stretch, squash, squish, pinch, flatten, poke,
scrape, break apart.
• Describes length/thickness: longer than, shorter than, the same
length as. Uses language related to color and smells.
• Describe the texture: soft, hard, squishy, lumpy, grainy, shiny.
• Talk about the materials that can be added to the dough: feathers,
sticks, twigs, shells.
• Explore language related to shapes.

Music and movement activities

• Use language related to actions, position and body parts: put your
hands up in the air, draw circles in the air, touch your nose, wriggle
your fingers, jump, hop, lie face down on the floor, lie on your back,
move over there, come closer, curl up into a ball, stretch your arms
out as wide as you can, take a nap.
• Name of musical instruments: shaker, drum, recorder, xylophone,
block, triangle, bell, tambourine.

• Use language to describe sounds: loud, quiet, soft, high, low, long,
short, fast, slow, tap, shake, scrape, knock, tick, hum, howl.
• Familiarize children with a range of sounds through onomatopoeia
• Use songs and rhymes to work on pronunciation, rhythm, stress
and intonation.

Toys and small games of the world

• Expand vocabulary related to a particular topic: park, zoo, farm,

hospital, transport.
• Comment on the objects, toys or figures that children play with.
• Comment on the settings, scenes, themes, or stories that children
are developing as they play.
• Describes the position of things that children play with: behind,
next to, in, on, under.

Puzzles

• Describe the pictures and colors in the puzzles.

• Discuss the shapes of the puzzle pieces: rectangle, square,
triangle, circle.
• Comment on the position of the puzzle pieces: up/down,
here/there.
• Encourages the social aspects of using puzzles: take turns, it's
your next turn, share.

Sand and water games

• Use language related to equipment and resources: brush, spade,

scoop, spoon, cup, jug, bucket, sieve, cutters, rake, comb, funnel,
sponge, soap, bubbles, straw, ladle, teapot, watering can.
• Expand vocabulary related to imaginary play: boats, diggers,
 bulldozers, tractors, treasure, dinosaurs, pirates, gardens, tea

party, firefighter, plumber, dolls.

• Use descriptive language: wet, dry, damp, gritty, hard, lumpy, flat,
smooth, wavy, sticky, cold, frozen, clean, dirty.
• Use language related to size, shape and position.
• Describe the capacity and quantity: enough, more, less, too
much/little, overflowing, how much/many? a pile/cup of…
• Describe actions or what is happening: it's fallen down, it's gone,
flatten, pour, tip, fill, scoop, cover, stir, splash, leak, drip, float, sink,
trickle, spray, wash, dry.

The key person and attachment

The key person

Children thrive from a foundation of loving and secure

relationships. This is usually provided by a child's parents, but may
also be provided by a key person. A key person is a designated
member of staff with responsibilities for a small group of children who
helps the children in the group feel safe and cared for. The role is
important and an established approach that works well in the setup
and in the reception classes. Involve the key person to respond
sensitively to children's feelings and behaviours and meet their
emotional needs by providing reassurance, for example when they
are new to a setting or class, and supporting the child's wellbeing.

The key person also supports physical needs, helping with

issues such as changing diapers, toileting, and dressing. That person
is a familiar figure who is accessible and available as a point of
contact for parents and a person who builds relationships with the
child and parents or caregivers. Development and care records are
created and shared by the key person, parents and child. Small
groups foster close bonds between the child and the key person in a
way that large groups cannot easily do. These groups allow the key
person to better "tune in" to the children's play and conversations so
that they really get to know the children in the group well. Children
feel calm and happy and have more confidence to explore and, as a
result, become more capable learners.

Why does attachment matter?

What is attachment and why is it important for young children?

Attachments are the emotional bonds that young children develop
with parents and other caregivers, such as their key person. Children
with strong early attachments cry less when separated. They engage
in more pretend play and maintain attention longer. They are less
aggressive and are popular with other children and adults. Their
sense of who they are is strong. Children need to be secure in the
relationship they have with parents or caregivers. They are
vulnerable, but will develop resilience when their physical and
psychological well-being is protected by an adult. Being emotionally
connected to such an adult helps the child feel secure that the person
they depend on is there to help them. When children feel secure, they
are more willing to try things and be more independent. They are
confident in expressing their ideas and feelings and feel good about
themselves. Attachment influences a child's immediate overall
development and future relationships.
 Recommendations and tips

A child who is not talking may be actively listening and may

need time to process what he or she is hearing before saying
something. It is important to value listening and speaking by giving the
child plenty of exposure to the language. Nonverbal responses from
young children are perfectly acceptable. They show that the child has
understood the message. Don't force a child to talk, they will do it
when they are ready. Forcing a child to speak before he or she is
ready could delay language development.

Be genuine in your interactions with young children. Use

gestures and mime as you would if you were speaking to the child in
his or her home language. Value the home language. The skills
children develop while learning their home language are transferable
to an additional language.

It is the teacher's responsibility to plan interesting play-based

activities that all children find engaging. That's why it's very important
that you know your students very well and find out what interests
them first. You might think your class likes dinosaurs, when maybe
they prefer cars, dolls, or something else. Therefore, it is very
important that you see what children like to wear and also plan
activities around those areas. The challenge, of course, is very
important. Children must learn to test their abilities and have some
difficulty in the areas as well. Children at this age are very curious and
everything is fun for a toddler, so as soon as you start a new activity,
they tend to jump right into it. So actually, you're lucky right now. You
have a captive audience. So if you put something that's interesting
and while they're playing there, you can go over to them and put on
the second or third language, if that's the goal of the activity.

When children are motivated then, if you go in and you're, for

example, teaching English, you can put language in, talk to them in
English, ask questions and often they don't know that you're speaking
a different language. That way, whatever language you're putting in
there, they're learning and accepting it without feeling threatened by
it, because they're enjoying the activity they're doing.

As teachers and parents, we follow certain principles in our

roles. However, often these principles overlap and all we need to do is
recognize and reinforce these areas. In addition to all that, remember
to put love and passion into what you do, because without it, nothing
works.

See you later, Baby!