Responding to the Ideas of Children

12/21/2017

Responding to the Ideas of Children

The heart of anti-bias education is a vision of a world in which all children and families can become successful, contributing members of their society.
Louise Derman-Sparks, Debbie LeeKeenan and John Nimmo

"Seeing the significance of what toddlers do requires that I notice the small details that reflect the ideas going on beneath a child’s actions," writes Deb Curtis in Really Seeing Children. "When I study their experiences, I see that almost everything they do has an important purpose or question – an idea they are pursuing. Cultivating my observation skills is the most useful way to begin to see, value and extend children’s ideas...

"For example, picking up on their idea of exploring size and scale, my co-teacher Jesly and I offer different-sized materials in the sensory table so the children can try more ideas related to these concepts...Caitlin explores the idea of filling up a very large container with a very small one. It takes her extra effort to move the container to the ground where she can more easily accomplish her idea. We wonder how it must feel to her to be only a little taller than that container, and marvel at how she is able to lift it and dump the water back into the sensory table."

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