Actively guide and encourage children to undertake a variety of developmentally appropriate activities

Encourage and acknowledge children’s efforts

Quality carers strive to provide children with an environment that is safe, secure, stimulating, positive and interesting to those in their care. They use tools of observation and planning to ensure that they meet the needs of all those involved in the environment.

This is only part of the challenge. The next is actually getting the children to participate in the environment and experiences on offer.

This might seem simple but again you will need to cater to individual needs and interests. This topic looks at the strategies and skills needed to involve children effectively.

Specific strategies for providing encouragementActivity 1

Ways to provide encouragement are listed below.

• Focus on the person’s strengths rather than their weaknesses.

• Break down the new task into small achievable steps rather than one large step. This helps confidence grow as they achieve each small part.

• Provide verbal support and guidance. This can be done by:– using positive feedback– talking the person through the steps—coaxing them along– highlighting the steps the person has done well– acknowledging all attempts in a positive light

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– sharing achievements with others around the person.• Provide non-verbal support and guidance. This can be done through:

– standing close by– smiling– nodding– clapping your hands.

• Step in for assistance when needed.• Show you are interested in what they are doing and saying.• Use your body language to provide suggestions and feedback.• Give the person your full attention.• Listen and take seriously their concerns and fears.• Help them identify strategies for overcoming their fears.• Demonstrate that you believe in them.

Throughout your life there would have been stages where you doubted your own abilities. You would have felt the disappointment and hurt when told your doubts were correct and you were not as good at something as another person. On the other hand, you would also have had experiences where you felt the pride and determination that comes from positive feedback, support and encouragement.

The childcare worker’s role in providing children with encouragement is critical regardless of their age, culture and background.

As quality caregivers, we must provide children with positive support and encouragement to explore their environment. With our help, words and actions, the environment can become a place that is exciting and challenging. We can provide them with the confidence to experiment, broaden their interest, seek new challenges and develop new skills.

You need to ensure that your actions are appropriate for the age group you are working with.

This could include:

• not making assumptions about what a child can and cannot do• remembering that you need a balance of child-centred and adult-directed

experiences• not communicating your own doubts and fears• seeing each child as an individual with their own strengths, skills and personality• using appropriate strategies to identify individual needs and interests.

Our behaviour during experiences can provide a valuable tool towards the child reaching their full potential, or it may restrict what the child can do.

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Encouraging, acknowledging and praising children’s efforts Encouragement is something that we should all have experienced in life. Sometimes we may have even craved more. As childcare workers we have a great opportunity to offer the children we care for guidance, confidence and hope. Encouragement is something that children need in order to develop the ability to learn and explore independently.

Ensuring interactions are positiveChildren in our care will constantly look for support, encouragement, love, information, advice, praise, discipline, acknowledgment and the meeting of their other needs.

How we react to these needs will affect how the children interact with the rest of the environment. If we show interest and are actively involved in the environment then the children will follow our lead.

There are several ways in which we can create a positive environment through our interactions:

• Listen to what they have to say as it is important to them.• Make eye contact when you or they are talking (please remember, however, in

some cultures this may not be appropriate).• Speak warmly and enthusiastically.• Value their work by putting it on display.• Encourage and guide children to recognise and solve problems in appropriate

ways.• Allow children to play an active role in setting up and maintaining the

environment.• Be aware of child-centred activities and do not take over.• Be positive in your language—both verbal and non-verbal.• Recognise and accept children’s emotions.• Follow through on children’s requests and interests.• Provide advice and suggestions, but allow them the final decision.• Treat them with warmth and respect.• Treat other staff members with respect.• Value the skills that others can bring to a service—staff, parents, students,

volunteers and children.

Our interactions can both support or limit what children get out of play.

When a child feels secure, safe and stimulated, their imagination and skills flourish.

As caregivers, it is essential that we create a positive impression and, therefore, establish a safe, secure, stimulating and challenging environment.

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Children accomplish much through their play, and it is essential that we provide encouragement and acknowledge their efforts. Encouragement, acknowledgment and praise help develop children’s self-esteem. If the children feel they are valued it will enable them to see their play as a valuable learning experience.

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Some strategies for providing children with effective acknowledgment and encouragement are:

• acknowledge all attempts in their play• provide positive feedback about their play• demonstrate an interest by enquiring about their play• share the child’s attempts and efforts with others at the service in a positive way.

Being acknowledged is the motivation that we all use to keep on trying. Having our attempts recognised and valued is often why we continue to try, and it also is a boost to our self-esteem and image.

Now think of how a child would feel if a carer never acknowledged their work and effort. The play and skills that children gain are their work. Often adults can forget to recognise children’s efforts, taking them for granted or simply overlooking them.

Positive acknowledgementIn order to be positive in acknowledging children’s work we need to follow the guidelines below.

• Give them our undivided attention while they explain their work.• Show verbal and non-verbal interest. Children are very astute and pick up on a lack

of interest.• Do not put your own assumptions on the work. What looks like a house to you

may, in fact, be a rocket to the child. Encourage them to tell you what they have done and appreciate the thought that has gone into it.

• Offer praise but ensure that it is specific and genuine.

Just saying to a child ‘that’s a great piece of work’ actually tells the child nothing and gives them no direction.

When you offer praise it must be genuine. Otherwise, the child will gain an unreal sense of what they can do or simply recognise that you are not truly interested, and they will not appreciate your acknowledgments on later occasions.

Other ways in which you can acknowledge children’s work are listed below.

• Record their achievements—use a video or photos.

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• Show their work to parents.• Show their work to other children.• Create books as a record so children, parents and carers can see how the child’s

skills are progressing.• Place the actual work on display. While in early childhood we stress the process

and not the product, children are extremely proud of what they have achieved and the way that we display it will, in turn, either demonstrate to the child we value it or devalue it.

• When a child has completed the task, make sure you accept it as finished. Do not add your own little bits to make it ‘better’ in your eyes. If the child had wanted another colour they would have added it.

• Display the work in a presentable way that demonstrates that you respect their efforts. Place it on cardboard with a border, the child’s name date and their brief description. This will promote pride in their work, whereas taking a child’s work and cutting it up into another shape may convey the message that it was not quite good enough as it was.

• Discuss with the children how they have developed over time. If possible, use methods to collate a book that will help the child, carers and parents see the progressive development.

• Remember that even young children will have ideas and suggestions. Respond appropriately and include these as soon as possible.

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While all of these ideas may sound easy, we can often forget to carry them out. Making time will ensure that both the child and you will get the most out of the time together.

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Use activities, resources and materials flexibly to meet children’s individual preferences and prompt extensions of play

Allowing for flexibilityWe need to consider how children will use the materials that have been set up in the environment and ensure there are a range of options are available to them. We can do this in several ways;

Open storage Open storage that is visible and accessible allows children to be independent in their choices and decision making. Displaying materials side by side can strongly suggest connections between them and the possibility of combining them in some way. In this way combinations of materials can suggest activities but ultimately the choice of how the resources will be used is the child’s.

Open storage areas work particularly well in art and craft areas, dramatic play and construction areas. You need to provide an orderly display of accessible play materials and creative options and as the children grow in their independence they will select the materials they need.

Room arrangement and material availability determine where children focus on their work. It also influences the group dynamics including how the children interact with each other either one on one or the way the group works together.

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Open ended materialsOpen ended materials can be used in many different ways. They provide for flexibility in how resources are used and allow for individual preferences. Group items together and storing them near appropriate activity areas will increase the potential for their use.

Open ended or multipurpose materials offer rich opportunities for imaginative play, invention and physical interaction. Examples could include pieces of plain and printed fabrics which may become a cubby, a cape or picnic rug.

Natural materials such as smooth stones, shells, pods and seeds can be used in dramatic and imaginary play. Recycled items such as boxes can be used to construct just about anything and become increasingly important to children as they use them to represent concrete experiences.

Open, found and recycled materials challenge children to find new uses for them. Real life props such as pots and pans make good props for pretend play and can provide unique opportunities for expanding children’s play and learning.

Portable equipment and spacePortable equipment makes it possible to rearrange the indoor and outdoor area and make adaptations as required. Portable equipment can be changed on a daily basis to suit the program. Flexible storage could be included here as it allows for the carer to arrange the space into a combination of open areas, defined and intimate spaces.

The way space is organised suggests to children how they might move and act as they navigate the space and pick up on the cues it offers. The same space will suggest different things to different children. Ultimately it’s up to the children to decide what they will do. However the carer’s presence is important for facilitating, supporting and scaffolding children’s learning.

Supporting and extending children’s play

Children love adults to participate in their play, but it is their play and not yours.

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You must develop the skill of balancing adult-centred or initiated activities with child centred play, recognising that the way children play is part of their individuality and should be respected. A tuned-in carer will provide appropriate choices to children and discuss options. It is the carer’s role to ensure that they follow through on choices that are appropriate.

Extending children’s play is another part of the support you offer. This can be done through observation and listening to children’s ideas. From this information you can then provide suggestions for other experiences, introduce new and different props and materials into their play and encourage children to think of alternatives they could pursue.

The following 4 vignettes show clearly how you can use your observations of children’s interests to extend their play. They also demonstrate how you can set up the environment, taking aesthetics and health and safety into consideration and engage with the children during

Activity 5

Encourage children to participate in a variety of experiences and to choose activities which support their development and fundamental movement skills competency and confidence

Facilitating children’s playParents and caregivers are children’s first teachers. We guide, assist and facilitate the learning if we provide environments that are positive, secure, inviting and challenging.

How do we do this?

By paying attention to all aspects of child development and providing experiences that are age and stage appropriate for the children. Carers should provide a range of experiences for all ages where the complexity will change as the child grows.

A simple experience such as finger painting can provide learning from infancy to school age.

• An infant can have the sensory feeling of it under their hands.

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• Toddlers extend this sensory experience by manipulating the paint in a variety of ways.

• Preschoolers begin to discuss colour changes and draw pictures.• School aged children may practice writing skills and experimenting with different

implements to create textured effects.

The important point is that experiences offered to children should provide challenges and enjoyment.

Children are by their nature busy and interested and they use the environment around them to play and learn. It is essential that caregivers provide experiences that are appropriate to their stage of development and their abilities.

By developing stimulating environments and participating in play and learning with children we are encouraging them to:

• Develop an interest in the wider world around them.• Experiment.• Develop an interest in learning and therefore become active learners.• Experience different emotions in different situations.• Extend on all their developmental areas.• Work together with others.

Following children’s interestAs we identified earlier you participate in experiences for a variety of reasons one being interest. It is important to remember that children will favour some experiences over others. This is okay as long as we use this focus to develop experiences and emerging skills.

As caregivers we need to be very aware of the developmental progress of the children in our care. Through observation and consultation we should be able to identify where their strengths lie, what they are interested in and how they relate to the environment around them.

If you use children’s interests as a base you are saying to the child I value the skills you have and this will encourage them to try other things. If you took the path of not allowing the child to participate in their interest in order to focus on other area of development you are most likely going to develop confusion, hostility and damage their self-confidence.

ConsultationConsultation is the process of:

• seeking information • asking advice• asking people if they want to be involved in an experience• working out how an experience is going to be organised

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• working out roles and responsibilities.

Consultation is a normal part of life and is a way to ensure that decisions are shared and people are committed to the action being taken.

We consult with other adults all the time but do we do it with children?

Children, no matter what age, make choices. Even infants as young as two months who have not learnt to verbally express an opinion can show preference to a toy or rattle. The older children get, the more personalised ideas and interests they possess.

If the adults working with them do not recognise these ideas the children may become reluctant to participate and even resentful at being forced to do things that they show no desire for.

The following strategies suggest ways you can consult with infants, toddlers and older children. You may find that the strategies identified for infants and toddlers are applicable to the older age group as well but the process may change.

Infants and toddlers• pay close attention to all body language, this includes facial expression and

movements• use simple directions• use common language they will recognise• allow choice but do not overwhelm them• don’t rush the child for decisions.

Older children• use group discussion• use one on one discussion• have suggestion boxes• hold brainstorming sessions• ensure children are made confident enough to ask for experiences or changes to

an experience• provide children with choices and let children make final decisions.

If we use consultation with children regularly and observe their reactions to the experiences that are offered, we can be guaranteed to be running a programme that is successful in meeting their needs.

The outdoor areaActivity 6

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Fundamental movement skills We have defined physical skills mostly in terms of fine and gross motor skills. Fundamental movement skills include many of the gross motor skills mentioned above. These skills are divided into the following categories. Locomotor skills such as walking, running, jumping, hopping, skipping and galloping. Nonlocomotor skills, involve coordination and balance such as twisting and turning and manipulative skills which involve using various body parts to throw catch and kick objects such as balls and beanbags. These skills are the foundation movements to more complex skills used by the school aged child, teenagers and adults for activities such as playing games, dancing, gymnastics and sports.

Opportunities for these foundation movements to develop can be incorporated in both indoor and outdoor play. However as outdoor play generally promotes more physically active play it is therefore an ideal area for setting up experiences to encourage the development of these skills.

Outdoor areas should include:

• Climbing areas: for large muscle active play with frames, trestles, planks. Ladders, large plastic and foam shapes, forts etc.

• Jumping and bouncing: with boards, inner tubes, mini-trampolines or mattresses.• Obstacle courses: equipment set up to encourage crawling, bending, balancing,

clambering, etc.• Sand play: usually a sit-in pit or sand tray with props and accessories • Water play: with a trough, buckets, hoses, bubbles, spray bottles and a host of

other accessories to extend play.• Building and construction: with blocks, woodwork, hollow blocks, foam shapes,

cartons and boxes.• Garden area: for growing plants and vegetables and exploring nature.• Digging area: a mud patch really with or without water – children will need

suitable spades and protective clothing. • Small pits of pebbles, gravel, coarse sand and smooth river rocks• Natural environments that encourage birds, butterflies and other insects• Worm farms and compost areas• Bicycle track• Open area: for running, throwing and catching, ball games, rolling hoops,

beanbags etc.• Parachute games• Music and movement: including fitness routines and dancing • Quiet play area: to sit and reflect, listen to music, rest and be on your own.• Creative area: for painting drawing and collage.• Reading and writing areas.• Puzzles• Dramatic/imaginative play areas: for engaging in dramatic or imaginary play. You

could include dress- ups and props or imaginary play set-ups for individual children or small groups.

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Outdoor play spaces need to be clearly defined and organised so children can see immediately how spaces are to be used and can move easily between areas without disturbing others. It is also important to have a variety of play areas. Outdoor play spaces should be planned for in the same way as indoor play spaces.

Outdoor equipmentOutdoor equipment needs to;

• Allow children to explore and be self-directed. • Allow for imagination and creativity—setting up experiences so that children can

work at their own level and pace. • Avoid stereotypes and bias in materials. • Encourage investigation, discovery and enquiry into the functions of the play

materials. • Use developmentally appropriate materials.

Here are some ideas:

• add rocks and wood to the sensory table • prepare the sandpit by creating beautiful designs in the sandpit • add an array of natural materials to the play dough table including stones,

rosemary sprigs, pebbles. Also add massage tools to create an extra dimension to manipulating the play dough. Display the play dough on wooden cutting boards and other similar item.

• hang a material pocket-holder from the window with lots of different treasures (including plant life, seeds, grasses)—this can spark lots of enjoyment and conversation

• place bells on wooden trays to invite experimentation with different sounds • encourage children to explore in a pile of dirt, placing the dirt in a container on a

wheelbarrow for further investigation • provide a collection of mirrors and coloured objects on a mirror • provide translucent fabric and other similar fabrics to visually and physically

explore • provide a range of different bowls, baskets and so on with different shapes,

textures and designs.

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An outdoor water play area An outdoor sandpit

Bikes and wheeled toysHard surfaces and paths in the outdoor area provide opportunities for the use of wheeled toys such as bikes, tricycles, scooters and wagons. These toys will develop large muscle strength as well as promoting balance and co-ordination. You can incorporate a specific bike track so that the children are clear where they can ride these toys. For safety, providing helmets for children to use is essential.

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Music experiences and games provide fun opportunities for the development of fundamental movement skills for children in a group situation.

These include;

• Moving and dancing freely to a range of music and directed movement. • Fitness routines including a warm up, vigorous movement and cool down period. • Circle games such as Punchinello, Farmer in the Dell, Ring a Ring a Rosie, Hokey

Pokey. • Musical statues or freeze• Parachute songs and games• Duck, duck, goose• Hop scotch• Simon says• Hide and seek• ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’

I’m sure you can think of a few more…

Remember, almost anything you plan indoors can be done outdoors (weather permitting). The more carefully you plan the outdoor space, the more opportunity you can offer to learn and grow.

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Demonstrate respect for children’s choice not to participate and encourage where experience is new or unknown

Choice in whether to participateChildren have their reasons for participating or not participating. These should be respected and valued. You must look at ways to provide assistance, guidance and support without belittling their reasons.

Children may become involved in an experience because:

• they like and are interested in the experience• their friends are participating and they want to belong• they know that the experience is easy for them to succeed in• they are not interested in other options• they want to remain in the environment where the experience is on offer (eg

indoors or outdoors)• they want to blend in and not be the focus of attention.• They may decide not to be involved in an experience because:• they are scared of the experience• they want to avoid children already participating in the experience• they do not feel confident to try something new• they think that they will not succeed at the experience and therefore will not

attempt it• they think that the activity if too easy or too difficult• they have certain cultural or family preferences that do not encourage

participation in a particular type of activity• they do not want to get dirty• they want to participate only with a certain carer.

Strategies for encouraging participationThroughout your time in childcare you will encounter children who will get involved in everything you offer, and you also will have the observers who are happy to watch but not get involved.

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Showing respect and accepting children’s choices as well as implementing strategies such as the ones below will help you develop appropriate strategies to encourage all children to participate.

Strategies include:

• Offer a variety of experiences in different and non-threatening ways—eg take indoor toys outside or bring outdoor toys inside.

• Offer basic materials to all age groups while altering just the accompanying equipment.

• Discover where the children’s interests are and build involvement on them. • Be positive and role model different experiences to children. For example, if carers

are reluctant to get dirty or involved the children often pick up on the vibes and are also reluctant to participate.

• Explain and discuss the different experiences available. Use positive language. • Break down the experience into simple and achievable tasks. A child who thinks it

will be too hard is more likely to participate if they are successful in small steps.• Recognise and be sensitive to children’s doubts and fears. They are as important as

yours. • Help a child verbally and non-verbally—eg hold their hand to walk along a beam

and praise them when they get to the end. Be close by, in case you are needed. Talk about the fear and how you might overcome it.

• Demonstrate the activity. You could also get other children involved in the demonstration. This can help if a child is not participating because they are unsure of what to do.

• Discuss with the child what the participating children are doing. It is essential that they are not pushed to participate and that you display respect for their choice.

• Use other friends to help partner reluctant children. While your support and guidance is still needed, children’s peers can provide another avenue of support. Peer support is very effective with older children although you must remember they need to be partnered with someone they like rather than someone who is outstanding at the experience. We want to develop the skill not discourage the child’s attempts.

• Consult the children and involve them in planning. If the children feel like they have ownership of an experience they are more likely to participate.

Remember: All children are different and will achieve different skills at different times.

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Activity 9

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