One of the best educational moves I have learned is to activate student background knowledge prior to teaching a new concept. "Activating prior knowledge means both eliciting from students what they already know and building initial knowledge that they need in order to access upcoming content (Ferlazzo & Hull Sypnieski, 2018)." This strategy can be applied in a variety of subjects with a variety of materials.
Let's take transportation, for example. Transportation is a common and highly-popular unit of study for boys and girls. Whenever I do this unit, I usually begin by talking about cars. Cars are, perhaps, the most basic type of transportation. Most families have access to a car, and the majority of children have experience with cars. They know what cars look like, what it feels like to be in a car, and uses for cars. In instances like this, when children already have prior knowledge from experiences outside the classroom, our job as educators is easier. Technically, we could rest on the assumption most students have cars and do little else to activate background knowledge. However, teachers want to provide equitable experiences for all children. Ideally, we would provide all of the students with the same experience so they all have the same knowledge when entering a new unit of study.
- Begin the week by reading a book about cars. (My personal favorite is My Car by Byron Barton. This book labels parts of the car and presents car maintenance in an accessible way for young children.)
- Go on a walking field trip around the school parking lot. Keep track of how many cars of a certain color you see. Point out differences between cars, SUVs, minivans, and trucks. Show the students your vehicle. (Option, and not for the faint of heart: allow students to sit inside your car. I did this last year and I was scrubbing mud out of the upholstery for several weeks after.)
- Conduct a car wash with your vehicle or with toy cars. If using
a real car, park in safe space and bring soapy water, wash cloths, sponges, and towels out. Allow students to wash doors, windows, tires, whatever they can reach. Make sure to provide space for students with mobility devices and park in a wheelchair-accessible space. You might want to have a smock or rubber gloves handy in case there are any students who don't like the sensation of wet clothing or the texture of sponges. Gloves might also be helpful for students with eczema.
If you conduct a car wash with toy cars, cover them in paint (or encourage students to paint the cars). Provide sponges, wash cloths, soap, and a rinse bucket. I also like to lay out paint brushes and spray bottles so students can wash the cars without getting their hands wet.
I also like to switch out materials in my classroom to fit the theme. If I were doing a transportation unit, I would bring in more books about vehicles, add extra cars to the building center, turn the sensory table into a car wash. I might also make a car out of a cardboard box and turn dramatic play into an auto body shop.
Assessing Students
Assessing students is an essential part of education. It allows teachers to monitor student progress, determine gaps in learning, and support students to reach their own educational goals. However, assessment of a four-year-old looks very different from assessment of a twelve-year-old. My recommendation is to use informal assessments to measure preschool student knowledge. Anecdotal records, observation notes, and student work samples are great ways to determine student understanding.
Informal assessments are also, to my eyes, the most equitable way to assess students regardless of developmental profile. ECE teachers teach to state standards, just like K-12 teachers do. I have administered formal assessments that were directly aligned with those standards. Unfortunately, standards seem to be designed with only typically-developing, English-speaking students in mind. If a student has a developmental delay, for example, and they are not able to communicate what they know, their scores suffer. This suggests the student does not know material. Instead, create a play scheme that targets a particular skill. For example, if you are assessing understanding of shapes, instead of holding up shape cards and asking kids to label them, place a shape sorter toy in a center. Notice if a student is able to match blocks with the correct shape, how long it takes them to sort, and what their problem solving skills look like. With more advanced students, you might want to lay out magnet tiles and ask you students to turn the blocks into a new shape (such as using two triangles to form a square). Turn lessons into play as often as you can. "Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength (Ginsburg, 2007." It is the best way for students to learn and demonstrate their knowledge.
References
Ferlazzo, L. & K. Hull Sypnieski (2007). Activating Prior Knowledge With English Language Learners. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/activating-prior-knowledge-english-language-learners/
Ginsburg, K. R. (2007) The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/119/1/182/70699/The-Importance-of-Play-in-Promoting-Healthy-Child?autologincheck=redirected?nfToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
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