Why is the practice important?
When educators are aware of children’s needs, children experience a greater sense of security, predictability, and comfort in the learning environment. Understanding the learning styles, interests, strengths, and needs of individual children allows educators to identify gaps in development and create learning experiences that maximize engagement and learning.
Being aware of children’s needs strengthens positive adult-child relationships, and as a result, children’s engagement in learning activities increases. When educators observe and understand the learning styles of each child individually and within the learning environment alongside peers, gaps in development become more apparent. Educators can then address those gaps in the moment within the natural activities that make up the child’s day.
Connecting to Children’s Everyday Lives
A responsive approach follows the child's lead. Educators plan learning opportunities (studies, themes, or investigations) that reflect children’s interests, as well as their family routines and culture. The Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework states that “each child has strengths rooted in their family’s background, language, and beliefs." “Responsive and respectful learning environments understand that children learn and relate to others based on their experiences within their family and community. Effective teaching practices and learning experiences build on the unique backgrounds and prior experiences of each child.” A culturally and linguistically responsive approach includes suggestions for studies, themes, or investigations that reflect children’s family backgrounds, cultures, interests, and knowledge.
Educators working closely with families and community members can learn about children’s cultural and language experiences and backgrounds to provide meaningful learning opportunities. Here’s how:
- Use home visits for group care settings and home visitors to learn about the child’s skills and interests.
- Talk with families about the ways their child learns and communicates in the home.
- Encourage families to share how they support their children at home to use similar strategies in the program.
- Ask about the family’s traditions, values and beliefs related to learning and education.
- Invite families to share about their culture and traditions with children in the learning environment, in socialization groups, or with staff.
- Seek out and attend community events to learn more about the families in your program.
Practices for Children with Disabilities or Suspected Delays
Educators who are aware of children’s needs know about the varying abilities in the learning environment. They support the success of all children by individualizing their curriculum to support learning needs. They provide varying levels of help, depending on a child’s learning needs. For example, educators can:
- Adjust the physical environment. This may include widening pathways so a child using a wheelchair or walker can independently move around. Do a walkthrough of your setting and consider the following questions from each child: Can I get to each area? Am I able to use the materials in each area? This could include a picture schedule posted on a wall to help a child anticipate routines and support transitions. Home visitors can work with families to make sure that the home environment is responsive to children’s needs. Increased access leads to a higher level of participation.
- Modify curriculum activities. A curriculum modification is a small change that can make a powerful impact on a child’s participation and opportunities to learn and to build relationships Modifications and adaptations help a child access the learning activities, materials, experiences, and routines. Curriculum modifications do not significantly change the content, scope, or sequence of a curriculum.
- Provide a variety of ways for children to show what they need. Through consistent and intentional observation of children throughout the day in a variety of activities, educators can see where to modify and individualize curriculum and environments to fit the needs of each child. Educators can provide adaptive scissors that require less hand strength, a chair with sides or armrests to help with balance, and spoons with foam wrapped around the handle for self-feeding.
- Provide planned adult support of Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. When an adult has built a responsive relationship with a child and understands the child’s IFSP/IEP goals, they can create and facilitate individualized learning opportunities that support the child’s learning, engagement, and sense of connection.
Education staff are aware of children’s needs when they notice if and where children are struggling or are ready to be challenged.
Learning Stages for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
Infants – Early On
Infants are ready to learn how to:
- Social and Emotional
- Express a variety of emotions
- Comfort themself by cooing, babbling, sucking, or holding a blanket or favorite toy
- Look for the caregiver’s response in uncertain situations
- Physical
- Hold their head steady without support
- Push up from the ground onto elbows when lying on their tummy
- Sit without support
- Cognitive
- React to familiar sounds in their environment
- Recognize familiar faces or voices
- Respond to interactions with sounds and gestures
Toddlers – Emerging Skills
Toddlers are ready to learn how to:
- Social and Emotional
- Use words to describe some feelings
- Ask about the emotions of others
- Use different ways to calm or comfort themself, with adult support
- Physical
- Walk independently
- Drink from a cup
- Climb on and off furniture independently
- Cognitive
- Identify their reflection in a mirror
- Name objects from a picture book
- Sort objects into categories (e.g., animals, flowers, food)
Preschoolers – Increasing Mastery
Preschoolers are ready to learn how to:
- Social and Emotional
- Identify and describe more subtle and complex emotions
- Use a variety of coping strategies to self-regulate, with adult support
- Interact readily with trusted adults
- Physical
- Wash and dry their hands
- Use scissors
- Swing and climb
- Cognitive
- Sort objects by shape and color
- Recall parts of a story
- Engage in imaginative play
See
The videos in the playlist are short examples of practices that facilitate Being Aware of Children’s Needs in early childhood learning environments. As you watch these videos, think about what you already do and what additional practices you can implement to support being aware of children’s needs.
