I will no longer post on TALK. You can find relevant posts on the following sites:

My sites on Language, Literacy, and Learning.  I hope you will follow one of those sites!

Grow and Learn….has its own table of contents

http://growandlearn.pbworks.com/w/page/130742346/Table%20of%20Contents

Classroom Discourse:  Posting directly from Grow and Learn….already posted Table of Contents

https://classroomdiscourse.wordpress.com/

Learn to Learn:

http://wanttolearn.edublogs.org/category/worth-learning-purpose-outcome/

Facebook: Explorience: LL and L 

https://www.facebook.com/tooomey.edu/

Supporting Early Literacy Skills

https://www.facebook.com/FToomey/

Models of Individual Differences

Models of Individual Differences

Developmental	Curriculum Developers	Current & Popular	Assessment Based
Piaget	Differentiated Instruction	Growth Mindset	Wide range of types of assessments
Vygotsky	Personalized Learning	Mindfulness	WISC-R
Bonfenbrenner	CAST	Grit (Perseverance, Resilience)	Woodcock Johnson Cognitive
Bjorklund		Habits of Mind	CASEL

 From Grow and Lean Wiki

A New Resource: Grow and Learn Wiki

I am shifting my emphasis on this TALK blog to creating pages for the Grow and Learn Wiki.

There will initially be many page revision as I get more skillful at creating folders and files in the Wiki.  Even though I began using wikis 10 years ago, I have forgotten some of the guidelines.

Here is the Front Page of new Grow and Learn Wiki:

http://growandlearn.pbworks.com/w/page/112457719/FrontPage

AGENCY: PART 3

CRITICAL REFLECTION AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Educators are encouraged to reflect on the following points when considering how the service involves children in decision making:

                What is an appropriate level of autonomy for children in the age range?

                How are children involved in program decision making and contributing to the environment? How do they assist everyday routines and transitions? How are they involved in menu planning and food preparation?

                What responsibilities do children have? How does this contribute to their sense of agency?

                What strategies do you employ to capture the voices of children in planning and seek their feedback?

                How will children know they have been heard?

                How are children’s interests pursued and celebrated?

                Does the physical environment and culture of the service allow for educators and children to chat about ideas?

                   

WHAT TO CONSIDER FOR ASSESSMENT AND RATING

Authorised officers may look for and discuss a range of different behaviours which demonstrate that educators value children’s agency. They might also look for how this is reinforced through the service’s policies, the educational program and educator’s practice.

Observing educators:

                Encouraging children to try new things

                Positively impacting children’s self-esteem and belief in their own ability

                Bolstering children’s motivation to try new things

                Encouraging family’s expectations for their child

                Making a positive difference to children’s sense of wellbeing and agency.

Discussing with educators about:

                Believing all children are competent and capable

                Having an awareness of their own beliefs, culture and the values they hold around children’s learning and considering how this may influence the opportunities they provide for children to promote agency

                Having high expectations for all children regardless of their age, gender, ability, cultural, linguistic or family background

                Valuing and showing respect for children’s autonomy and independence.

Sighting:

                Philosophy and policy that recognises children’s rights and describes their role in decision making

                Documentation and planning for children’s wellbeing, decision making and supported self-regulation.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Early Childhood Australia’s Professional Learning Program e-Learning videos, Connecting with practice – EYLF & NQS, Doing your own thing—Child’s agency at www. earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/nqsplp

Brain-Based Learning: 4 Short Videos

Learning and the Social Brain

In a series of interviews/videos, researcher Patricia Kuhl reveals the science behind the social brain—which she calls the gateway to human cognition.  July 25, 2018

[Dr. Patricia Kuhl, the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair at the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, in a series of interviews on the science of human learning…..]

https://www.edutopia.org/package/learning-and-social-brain?utm_medium=socialflow&utm_source=facebook

…..”For educators, an awareness of the social brain presents an opportunity to tap into some of our most durable, deeply seated abilities. If the species is hardwired to work together, then our classrooms should continue to feature a healthy dose of activities that emphasize cooperation, teamwork, and peer-to-peer teaching.
Even the simplest tactics should reap dividends, according to Kuhl, who suggests using “circles or U-shaped arrangements”—or anything that gets kids interacting with one another. “The social context is extremely important to learning,” she noted, “not only in infancy, but in school-aged children, who use the social brain when they’re collaborating with one another, when they’re studying how another person goes at it, when they’re watching the eyes, even unconsciously, of their study partner as they work towards a solution together.”….

In this four-part video series, see “Kuhl’s fascinating insights on the science of human learning, with a focus on the positive—and cautionary—aspects of our social brain.”

Edutopia developed this series in collaboration with the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

BRAIN-BASED LEARNING….a series of 4 short (under 3 minute videos

What Is the Social Brain?  https://www.edutopia.org/video/what-social-brain     The research is in: Learning is a social endeavor.         

Masters of Social Learning:  https://www.edutopia.org/video/masters-social-learning We’re hardwired from birth to decode facial expression, posture, and tone of voice—and to work collaboratively.

When the Social Brain Misfires   https://www.edutopia.org/video/when-social-brain-misfires

Sometimes our powerful urge to belong can hurt us. We look at how stereotypes undermine learning. 

The Social Classroom   https://www.edutopia.org/video/social-classroom

Increasingly, modern classrooms support group work and peer-to-peer collaboration. The science says that’s right on.

An Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving Program for K-5

A Well respected research-based program...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqpkEWnNuKI&list=PLM3PYurzmKsBVF-8oiUnt2v0fwG087Zti&index=3

The model “I Can Problem Solve” was developed by Myrna B. Shure in the 1990’s.  It was implemented and researched in several schools.  The link above offers a 5 minute video explaining the model.  It can also be obtained in book form as “I Can Problem Solve.”  It consists of 77 lessons.  Each lesson consists of 4 or 5 pages and addresses Purpose, Materials, Teacher “Script”*, and  a series of short Mini-Plays.  There are also graphics and games.  *Although there is a “script” teachers are advised to use their judgment and knowledge of the children to carry out the lesson.

The first 36 lessons are called “Pre-Problem Solving Skills.”  These include, for example, the following topics:

1-2          Begin to develop sensitivity toward and awareness of others and ….                                                       

                To focus on ICPS concepts relating to negations (Is/Not) and choice (Or/And)

7-9          To help children recognize the importance of listening to others, of getting the

                whole message and of getting information directly from the original source.

12-13     To give children practice in paying attention and remembering a precursor to sensitivity to                   others’ feelings, needs, and preferences.

20-21     To introduce the concept “There’s more than one way” of thinking by focusing on different                   ways of observing, listening, watching, and asking.

27           To further sensitize children to the perceptions of others through role-playing Problem-                       Solving Skills

37-46     Alternative Solutions

47-53     Consequences

54-61     Solution-Consequences Pairs

62-77     Means-Ends Thinking

All Learning Starts Early and Involves Interaction

From Harvard Developing Child Series:

a 2 minute video on language and literacy development beginning in infancy:

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/serve-and-return

For the entire Brain/Development series:

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/brain-architecture/

From The Development of Emotional Competence by an acknowledge expert: Carolyn Saarni

Social Emotional Development : Saarni

http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/emotions/according-experts/emotional-development-childhood

Emotional Development in Childhood  Carolyn Saarni, PhD  Sonoma State University, US  September 2011

PDF version   Excerpts Below from a 6 page article        

See Also Saarni’s book: The Development of Emotional Competence, c 1999 (old but classic/still relevant) One chapter for each skill

“Introduction and Subject

Theoretical Perspective 

The theoretical perspective taken toward emotional development in childhood is a combination of functionalist theory and dynamical systems theory¹: A child’s encounters with an environment can be seen as dynamic transactions that involve multiple emotion-related components (e.g., expressive behaviour, physiological patterning, action tendencies, goals and motives, social and physical contexts, appraisals and experiential feeling) that change over time as the child matures and in response to changing environmental interactions. Emotional development reflects social experience, including the cultural context. Elsewhere I have argued that emotional development should be considered from a bio-ecological framework that regards human beings as dynamic systems embedded within a community context.² Table 1 summarizes noteworthy descriptive markers of emotional development in relation to social interaction.  Full range Infancy to 15+

Age                       Social/Emotional Coping

Age Period                 Regulation/Coping                       Expressive Behavior         Relationship 

[Not sure why these charts are not printing....see original article]

Table 2. Skills of Emotional Competence

 1. Awareness of one’s emotional state, including the possibility that one is experiencing multiple emotions,…..

 2. Skills in discerning and understanding others’ emotions, based on….

3. Skill in using the vocabulary of emotion and expression in terms….

4. Capacity for empathic and sympathetic involvement in others’ emotional experiences.

5. Skill in realizing that inner emotional state need not correspond to outer expression, both in oneself and in others, …

6. Capacity for adaptive coping with aversive or distressing emotions by using self-regulatory strategies ..

7. Awareness that the structure or nature of relationships is in part defined by both the degree of emotional immediacy or genuineness of expressive display and by the degree of reciprocity or symmetry …

……Conclusions Strengths in the area of emotional competence may help children and adolescents cope effectively in particular circumstances, while also promoting characteristics associated with positive developmental outcomes, including feelings of self-efficacy, prosocial behaviour and supportive relationships with family and peers. Furthermore, emotional competence serves as a protective factor that diminishes the impact of a range of risk factors. Research has isolated individual attributes that may exert a protective influence, several of which reflect core elements of emotional competence, including skills related to reading interpersonal cues, solving problems, executing goal-oriented behaviour in interpersonal situations, and considering behavioural options from both an instrumental and an affective standpoint.”

a Cautionary Tale: Agency balanced with SEL

Many of my earlier posts have focused on talking/language development.  I'm concerned that I didn't balance that with posts on the equally important skill of listening.  Communication doesn't happen if it is only one way!

Here is a nice collection of children's books that focus on listening:

“I’m not going to say these books are magical cure-alls, but they are pretty effective in getting kids thinking about the many different ways to “listen” and why they’re all so important….” Says Jennifer Barry in her blog!

”This book is a perfect choice for little readers who are learning to socialize and pick up on social cues. Crunch is a bashful brontosaurus who is hiding in some bushes because he’s super shy. The simple text coaches children to coax him out of his hiding spot by doing things like speaking softly and showing an interest in things he likes. It’s a great way to show kids how to listen… and observe unspoken signals when making new friends.”

https://www.readbrightly.com/childrens-books-about-listening/?sid=302&mcg=1D9709FD9C22402DE0534FD66B0A23F3&ref=PRH0563577803&aid=randohouseinc13256-20&linkid=PRH0563577803&cdi=1D9611378EA6402BE0534FD66B0A5D70

Barry, a freelance writer, also recommends the following books on listening:       

Strega Nona

by Tomie dePaola

Strega Nona is the classic tale of how things can go terribly wrong when you don’t listen

Quiet Please, Owen McPhee!

by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton

Owen McPhee loves to talk. He talks all day long. He talks to his teachers, his classmates, his parents, his dog, and even himself. But sometimes all of that talking means he doesn’t do such a great job listening. 

That Is Not a Good Idea!

by Mo Willems

This hilarious book was inspired by the evil villains and innocent damsels of silent movies. When a hungry fox invites a plump, old goose to dinner, little chicks warn that it is not a good idea.

Wordy Birdy

by Tami Sauer, illustrated by Dave Mottram

Like Owen McPhee, Wordy Birdy likes to talk a lot. She talks her way through just about everything, but she doesn’t stop to listen much

                                                                               

Supporting Children's Agency

http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/QualityInformationSheets/QualityArea1/supporting_agency_involving_children_in_decision_making.pdf

 National Quality Standard | Information sheet

QUALITY AREA 1

SUPPORTING AGENCY: INVOLVING CHILDREN IN DECISION MAKING

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states children have a right to be active participants in all matters affecting their lives.

In the approved learning frameworks, agency is defined as being able to make choices and decisions to influence events and to have an impact on one’s world. Supporting children’s agency is about recognising that children have a right to make choices and decisions, and are capable of initiating their own learning.

LINKS TO THE NATIONAL QUALITY FRAMEWORK

The National Quality Standard (NQS) recgonises children as competent and capable. Supporting children’s agency and involving them in decisions cuts across all seven quality areas of the NQS, with a particular focus in:

Standard 1.1: An approved learning framework informs the development of a curriculum that enhances each child’s learning and development.

Element 1.1.6: Each child’s agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions and influence events and their world.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT CHILDREN’S AGENCY

Intentional teaching

When educators are intentional, purposeful and plan for children’s learning, this helps children to be active agents in sourcing their own learning. This can be achieved by allowing children to make decisions about, plan for and help set up their preferred method of learning. Children might decide how to research information on dinosaurs for example, or what they would like to cook in a cooking experience.

Genuine decision making

Sharing the power that adults hold, and trusting that children are competent decision makers can support children’s agency.

For example, educators can:

                arrange activities, routines and the physical environment so that children have a range of opportunities to make choices about what they will do and how they will do it

                provide children with the opportunity to make choices in circumstances where their decisions will be able to be accepted.

Supporting agency involves educators taking a step back and critically reflecting on, “Do I need to decide for children?”.

Instead, consider ways of setting up environments, routines and learning experiences that support children to make decisions and have agency independently of adults. For example, asking children what they know about areas of interest and what they would like to find out more about.

Think about ways educators support children to make their own choices throughout the day.

Quality Area 1 | Supporting agency: Involving children in decision making

Page 1 of 4

Does "Self-Regulation" Address All We Need to Know About a Child's Sense of Agency

As I searched for information about Self-Regulations, I found a number of labels that are used to describe the same kind of “Affective” Skills: Self-Management, Self-Control, Emotional Development, and  Hot-Cognition.  Here are a few links that address Executive Function

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/46956/why-executive-function-is-a-vital-stepping-stone-for-kids-ability-to-learn

“The data just keeps coming in about the importance of focus, self-control and working memory for learning and life,” Wexler said in an edWeb webinar. One meta-analysis of six studies found that a child’s executive functioning skills in kindergarten predicted reading and math achievement into middle school and beyond. This research is particularly important because students who have poor executive functioning skills because of trauma, poverty, or diagnosed disorders are missing out on learning. Often these children haven’t had a chance to develop executive functioning skills required for school before arriving there.

 For a more thorough discussion of Executive Function

Activities and Programs That Improve Children's Executive Functions.

Diamond A¹.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4200392/

Caring About Struggling Readers in K-3. and Their Social-Emotional Development

Understanding Reading Anxiety: New Insights from Neuroscience

Mary Renck Jalongo • Rae Ann Hirsh

Published online: 13 March 2010

_ Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010

A second grader named Mark reads aloud, the very picture

of impulsive style. Although he painstakingly sounds out

the first couple of words, that effort is followed by a rush of

words—even nonwords—that bear little resemblance to the

print on the page. Mark appears to realize that comprehension

has been lost. His freckled face begins to flush with

embarrassment and his hands begin to tremble.

This child approaches the task of reading with the same

expectation of pain and grim determination that is summoned

up before pulling off a bandage. When Mark’s tutor

asks him to say something about himself, it is clear he and

his family have been stunned by his placement in a learning

support class at his new school. Mark says softly, ‘‘I know I

was smart in kindergarten and I think I was still smart in….

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10643-010-0381-5

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10643-010-0381-5.pdf