Why Is It Important to Make Children’s Thinking Visible?
This article is also featured on the Spoke, ECA and the Sector https://thespoke.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/author/anna-zhang/ https://thesector.com.au/2023/08/30/why-is-it-important-to-make-childrens-thinking-visible/ If we see learning as a consequence of thinking, then it is paramount that children have the opportunity and are supported to explore their ideas and thinking during the learning experience. This allows children to then understand their own thinking process. Meaningful learning takes place when children are fully engaged in the ideas of the learning experience - when they ask questions children are engaging in ‘meaning making’ processes (Richard & Church, 2020). In teaching, I am often wondering what children are thinking? What kind of open-ended questions I should ask them to prompt them to ask (more) questions, and how do I guide them to find the answers themselves. Most importantly, how can I understand children better and gain expertise about them to be a...
