The Intentional Teacher: Choosing the Best Strategies for Young Children's Learning

Educators must act with knowledge and purpose to make sure young children acquire the skills and understanding they need to succeed. Intentional teachers keep in mind the key goals for children's learning and development in all domains by creating supportive environments, planning curriculum, and selecting from a variety of teaching strategies t hat best promote each child's thinking and skills. The Intentional Teacher considers how and when each type of learning (child-guided, adult-guided, or a combination) is most effective, and what teachers can do to support them.

"This is one of the best early childhood books that I have ever read, and I have read a lot of them. It takes on a difficult topic about which little direct research exists and does an outstanding job of framing the discussion in ways that not only will push the practice of current teachers but will also provide a new theoretical framework for pushing a new generation of research in the field."
- Sue Bredekamp, Council for Professional Recognition

Acknowledgments

Preface—Why "The Intentional Teacher"?

1. Introducing Intentional Teaching

• Intentional Teaching Terms

2. Best Practices for Intentional Teaching

• An Overview of Best Practice
• Using Best Practices to Support Intentional Teaching

3. Language and Literacy

• Young Children’s Development in Language and Literacy
• Teaching and Learning in Language and Literacy
• Fitting the Learning Experience to the Learning Objective Language
1. Reading
2. Writing

4. Mathematics and Scientific Inquiry

• Scientific Inquiry and Its Relationship to Mathematics
• Young Children’s Development in Mathematics and Scientific Inquiry
• Teaching and Learning in Mathematics and Scientific Inquiry
• Computer Technology
• Fitting the Learning Experience to the Learning Objective
1. Number and Operations
2. Geometry and Spatial Sense
3. Measurement
4. Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
5. Data Analysis

5. Social Skills and Understandings

• How Social Studies Fits In
• Young Children’s Development Understandings
• Teaching and Learning in Social Understandings
• Fitting the Learning Experience Objective
1. Emotional Learning
2. Social Learning

6. Physical Movement

• Young Children’s Development Movement in Physical Movement
• Teaching and Learning in Physical Movement
• Fitting the Learning Experience to the Learning Objective
Movement Skills
1. Movement Concepts

7. The Visual Arts

• Young Children’s Development in the Visual Arts
• Teaching and Learning in the Visual Arts
• Fitting the Learning Experience to the Learning Objective
1. Creating Visual Art
2. Appreciating Visual Art

8. Reflections on Intentional Teaching

• Guiding Principles of Intentional Teaching
• Final Thoughts

Resources

References

Index

ISBN: 9781928896418