Views & Opinion Differentiation: what it
means in Early Years Comment by Alicia Blanco-Bayo, Early Years teacher at Kirkham Grammar School
Teaching Early Years for me is about holding a child’s hand as he goes on the exciting journey that will lead him to a place where he will encounter those magical experiences that will make him want to go further and learn more.
When this adventure begins, we teachers all have big plans and hopes for the children we teach. However, working with three year olds allows us to modify our plans – we are free to redirect our teaching as we observe how children learn and what it is they are ready for. It is here that the excitement begins and that previously planned topics can be interpreted in
so many different ways. It is magical to follow children and hold their hands as we support and encourage their curiosity and enthusiasm. However, it is suggested to us as professionals that we provide evidence that actual learning is taking place. It is here that “differentiation” comes into Early Years teaching.
Our observations are the starting point of all future assessments for the learning children will go through. We base future learning intentions on the outcome of these observations and, since we have a framework that advises us on the different stages of development, we can plan to guide children so that they attempt a range of activities. The result of children attempting to complete a task or play with a variety of toys will, without doubt, lead us to a well-differentiated approach to teaching and learning. Are we differentiating?
Let’s remember that unless we find out where children are, we will not know where to go with them. This is what tells us that differentiated teaching is the key. A break-down of what individual needs are in each of the seven areas of the curriculum gives us insight into what we should be working towards. We can select a focus and plan accordingly, record briefly how each child follows the path that we have created for purposeful learning experiences to happen, and then analyse which new direction should be taken to support the development of new skills. That is how we show progression and individual achievement in Early Years. Some of us choose to gather evidence; often photographs, videos and recordings and at times art creations made of interesting materials, perhaps aiming to justify what we are referring to when we describe individual accomplishments within specific areas of learning. Every step a child takes makes them who they are and being who they are is cause for celebration.
The concept of differentiation is not a new one to consider when teaching in any key stage. It is simply about having realistic expectations, so that we can adapt our own approach to teaching, and make it possible for everyone to have access to what we have to offer in the learning environments we welcome children into.
Being who you are is not an easy task in today’s world, where at times we are made to believe that fitting into a mould is essential. It is how we teach the children of today to be children first so that they learn to make the choices that will lead them to adulthood, when they are free to be who they choose to be as adults.
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www.education-today.co.uk Do we praise too much?
This month, Education Today contributor Kirsty Bertenshaw looks at the effectiveness of praise.
Encouraging students to continue learning lesson after lesson, trying harder tasks and encountering unfamiliar situations is part of our role as teachers. Positive praise can make those pupils keep trying and reward changes in behaviour. A large proportion of distraction or lack of motivation is often put down to a lack of confidence, so we try and praise those pupils to encourage confidence, but are we actually helping them?
Praise sandwiches are often taught as a method for feedback to teachers when they are training; giving a positive comment, then a comment for improvement, then another positive comment. Depending on the task, this can often result in praising for praising’s sake to find the second positive comment, or just praising what is really an expectation. Often this means pupils seek merits or rewards for just doing what you asked them to.
Another common praise method taught to teachers is two stars and a wish. This is where two positive comments are made followed by a “wish” for next time, a way to improve the next piece of work. Pupils tend to only focus on the wish and ignore the positive praise, thus failing to highlight what was actually good about the piece of work. In a study by Carol Dweck and colleagues, the mindsets of learners are studied by using feedback which praises intelligence and feedback that praises effort. The study found that praising effort makes children more likely to try harder tasks than praising intelligence. In reality, praising intelligence makes pupils shy away from the possibility of failure and therefore no positive comments, in favour of guaranteed praise. This behaviour does not encourage progress.
Some studies have suggested that we are creating approval junkies - often seen in the classroom as pupils who always put their hand up, desperate to be heard and receive praise. It can be hard to engage all pupils in a room when this is happening, and choosing that eager pupil just fuels their need to be praised further. The studies suggest that too much praise causes pupils to link their self worth with the opinion of others, a mindset which is certainly not healthy for good self-esteem. Many school marking policies have developed to give a statement of effort or attitude to learning followed by a ‘what went well’ and an ‘even better if’. Pupils then use this same method to self and peer assess, although again praise is an issue and usually ineffective. If praising is to be successful, it needs to praise the effort given and the specific positives about the task, not just good effort. This does require more in depth reading of the piece that is being marked, and more time. In fact, it requires clear goals to be set before the pupils attempt the work, so they know what you are expecting when it comes to marking. In summary, if the pupil has met the expectations, tell them well done. If the pupil has done a specific thing which should be praised, praise them for it. But please, don’t continually praise the pupil for doing what they were supposed to do or for their intelligence – it won’t help them in the long run!
October 2015
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