SUPPORT FOR RESPONSIVE INTERACTION

John is sitting at a table drawing. His drawing is a selection of colours, straight and curved lines. The teacher watches John, then moves closer to him. She is unsure of what to do or say. Should she say something like: ‘Good work, John, beautiful drawing.’ Should she ask him questions like ‘Tell me about the colours and shapes in your drawing?’ Should she ask John ‘Tell me about your drawing’ Or should she wait for him to talk about his drawing without prompting? Have you, just like John’s teacher, ever felt that you are never quite sure of what to say, or what to do when children are involved in activities?

Responsive Interaction

Why responsive interaction strategies are important.

What teachers and parents believe about learning and teaching directly affects both their own actions and the children’s actions. When adults are friendly, warm, encouraging, and attentive to individuals and small groups when they relate in a non-directive way with large groups, and when they encourage children to make decisions, children are more likely to achieve the following:

– exhibit high ‘task’ involvement,
– language comprehension,
– social participation,
– constructive use of materials,
– spontaneity,
– creativity,
– sympathy, and
– independence.

Yet many teachers are unsure of how to interact with children when they are busy with activities. Some teachers avoid interacting with children when they are busy drawing, painting, cutting and pasting, building, fitting puzzles, or reading books. Very often teachers think: The children are busy and don’t need me. Anyway, what would I say?’

Other teachers understand the need to support children while they are busy, but are uncertain about how to start and carry on with the interaction. Too unsure of themselves to interact naturally with children, these teachers often fall into dull patterns. They always ask the same kind of questions, too many questions, or automatically praise everything children make or do.

It is important for teachers to understand how children learn and how this affects their relations with children. For example, a teacher who believes that children learn mostly by listening and by following instructions would probably manage and instruct children during activities.

On the other hand, a teacher who believes that children learn best on their own would probably withdraw from children while they are busy, while the teacher continues with his/her own everyday work.

But teachers who believe that children learn best through the active involvement of choosing their own materials, using the materials in their own way, and talking about what they are doing, find it easy to engage in meaningful conversation with children.

Finding the right approach

Facilitating children’s learning is the key to creating responsive and supportive learning experiences for children.
Every day, teachers plan activities to ‘teach’ children new information or skills, e.g. new information or skills about numbers, colours or shape concepts; or new information on specific topics such as people and their professions, transport, animals or events such as traditional holidays. However, ‘the way we engage with children in learning situations’ is of utmost importance, as this shows our beliefs about how children learn. Let’s look at two approaches namely, the instructor and the facilitator.

The teacher as an instructor

If a teacher ‘instructs and manages’ children’s learning, s/he runs the risk of taking away their creativity, independent thinking, problem-solving skills, and the sense of exploration and curiosity. In this approach, the teacher ignores the contributions of children when introducing new information or skills to be learnt. This teacher assumes that children have no prior knowledge or experiences of the new topics or skills. This teacher also believes that children must be silent and follow instructions. Here the teacher is more interested in the ‘end product’ rather than the ‘process’ of learning.

The story of a teacher as an instructor

It is nearing Easter time, and teacher Zodwa has planned for the children to make ‘Easter bunny cards’. Teacher Zodwa supplies the children with perfect circles she cut out for the bunny’s body, cotton wool for the tail, small black round circles for the eyes, two white rectangles for the teeth and pieces of wool for the moustache. She gives the children clear instructions about what to place where. The children remain silent as they carefully follow her instructions. They are too afraid to make a mistake. Teacher Zodwa is pleased to see all the cards look alike. The children are very happy the activity is over and run off to play outside. How much do you think these children learned?

The teacher as a facilitator

This approach shows a balance between the contributions of children and the teacher. The teacher ‘facilitates’ children’s learning by respecting the children’s own knowledge and experiences. The teacher welcomes the contributions of children when introducing new information or topics. Here the teacher is interested in the ‘process’ of learning rather than the ‘end product’. Facilitating children’s learning happens throughout the day and in all aspects of the daily programme.

A story of a teacher as a facilitator

Teacher Belinda has also planned to make Easter bunny cards.
For the activity, the teacher – together with the children and parents –
collected a variety of shiny paper (sweets, chocolate, gift wrap), non-shiny
paper, pieces of wool, small buttons, bottle caps, pipe cleaners, pairs of
scissors, glue and straws.
Teacher Belinda sets up two tables, arranges the materials on the tables and
invites eight children to join her. She reminds the eight children of their
morning ring discussion about Easter and the plan for them to make Easter
cards for their parents. They discuss the materials set out on the table, the
main features of a bunny before getting started with the activity.
The children speak to each other about what they are doing. Teacher
Belinda sits listening and waits for the right moment to join in their
conversations. She makes notes about what she hears children saying and what she saw them doing. At the end of the activity, the children are very excited about their Easter bunny cards. They continue to talk about their cards. Teacher Belinda is very happy to see the variety of cards made by the children.

How much fun do you think these children had?
In Situation 1:
The teacher planned to ‘initiate
discussions’ about the national flag.
In Situation 2:
The teacher planned to ‘teach the
children’ about the national flag.
This is how the day went
Situation 1 Situation 2
Morning ring: Children gathered on
mat. Teacher engages children in
discussion.
T: I have a very important song I would
like you to sing along with me. It is
about South Africa. They sing it when
there are big national rugby, cricket or
soccer games. All the countries sing
their own one before the games begin.
T: Can anyone tell me which song they
think I am speaking about?
C: Yes miss, yes miss! (Children name
all kinds of songs.)
T: It sounds something like this (Hums
‘Nkosi Sikelel’ i-Afrika’.)
C: It is Kosi sekeleli …
T: Yes, it is Nkosi Sikelel’ i-Afrika, and it
is our National Anthem.
T: Now I have something in this box. It
is made of cloth; it has red, blue, white,
green, yellow and black colours. When it
hangs up everyone knows that it means
South Africa. Who can guess what it is?
There is always one hanging at the police
station.
C: A flag, a flag!
Morning ring: There is no morning ring.
Children sit at tables singing songs while
teacher hands out photocopy picture of
flag for colouring-in, red, blue, green,
yellow and black crayons.
T: Today we are going to make a flag
like this (holds up a picture to show).
T: Now the flag has different colours.
T: Asks children ‘What colour is this?
as she points to each colour.
C: Red.
T: And this?
C: Green.
T: And this?
C: Yellow.
She continues until all the colours have
been mentioned.
T: Now I want you to colour-in the
picture in front of you. You must colour
your picture just like the one I am
keeping in my hand. I am going to stick
it on the board.
Teacher then walks between tables
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Compare teachers as ‘facilitators’ and ‘instructors’
The situations below take us through a typical day in a Grade R class. Situation 1 demonstrates the teacher as facilitator, and situation 2 shows the teacher as instructor.
Situation 1 Situation 2
Morning ring: Children gathered on
mat. Teacher engages children in
discussion.
T: I have a very important song I would like you to sing along with me. It is about South Africa. They sing it when there are big national rugby, cricket or soccer games. All the countries sing their own one before the games begin.
T: Can anyone tell me which song they think I am speaking about?
C: Yes miss, yes miss! (Children name all kinds of songs.)
T: It sounds something like this (Hums ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ i-Afrika’.)
C: It is Kosi sekeleli …
T: Yes, it is Nkosi Sikelel’ i-Afrika, and it is our National Anthem.
T: Now I have something in this box. It is made of cloth; it has red, blue, white, green, yellow and black colours. When it hangs up everyone knows that it means South Africa. Who can guess what it is? There is always one hanging at the police station.
C: A flag, a flag!
T: Yes. It is our country’s flag. It is our national symbol. Let’s open the box and take it out.
C: Yeeh, where can we keep it?
T: I was thinking of hanging it up across the board for all to see. If you like you can paint, draw or colour in your own flag in the art area. I also added some pictures of the flag in the Book Area, small flags in the Block Area, and small ornaments with the flag on it in the Pretend Area.

Morning ring: There is no morning ring. Children sit at tables singing songs while teacher hands out photocopy picture of flag for colouring-in, red, blue, green, yellow and black crayons.
T: Today we are going to make a flag like this (holds up a picture to show).
T: Now the flag has different colours.
T: Asks children ‘What colour is this? ’ as she points to each colour.
C: Red.
T: And this?
C: Green.
T: And this?
C: Yellow.
She continues until all the colours have been mentioned.
T: Now I want you to colour in the picture in front of you. You must colour your picture just like the one I am keeping in my hand. I am going to stick it on the board.
Teacher then walks between tables
correcting children’s work.
T: No, Busi, that part must be red not
green. Look properly at the picture!
T: Hands Busi a clean copy and tells her
to do it over.
At the end of the session all the flags look the same.

Snack Time
Teacher invites children to have their
snack.
T: I saw some of you made some
interesting flags.
Children start telling teacher about the
flags they made.
Snack Time
Teacher tells girls to fetch their snack
first, followed by the boys.
T: Stop talking and eat your snack.
Children sit quietly at tables.
Music Time
Children gather in a large circle.
T: Let’s try singing our national anthem
‘Nkosi Sikelel’ i-Afrika’.
T: Can we pretend to be flags blowing in
the wind?
C: Yes, like this.
T: Okay, Thabo, let’s move like this
C: Can we blow like in a storm, fast like
this?
T: Tumi wants us to blow fast like in a
storm! Come on everyone let’s blow
fast.
T: Now let’s blow very slowly and think
about the colours you saw in the flag.
As children name the colours, the
teacher invites them to look at the flag
hanging on the board to make sure all
the colours were mentioned.
T: Who has seen our national flag
hanging at the police station?
C: Me, me, me!
T: Do you know how it stays in the air?
C: Some say ‘Yes’, some say ‘No’.
T: Let’s look at this picture to see, shall
we?
C: ‘It is on a pole with ropes to make it
go up and down’, says Peter.
Music Time
Children sit at tables on chairs.
T: Come, everyone, what can we sing.
C: Can we sing ‘Down in the jungle’?
T: No, Dineo, every day you want to sing ‘Down in the jungle’.
T: Joseph, what can we sing?
J: Five little elephants.
T: Vuyo, Willie, Tracy, Peter and Sam come here. You are the elephants. All the others you sing loud. Louder, I can’t hear you!

Story Time
Teacher gathers children in a circle on
mat. They join teacher in singing ‘‘Nkosi
Sikelel’ i-Afrika’.
T: Today, instead of our usual story, you
are invited to come and tell us a story
about the flag you made this morning.
Tumi: I am going to tell a story about
my flag I painted!
T: Very well, Tumi, you go first.
Story time
There is no story time.
Children sit quietly on the mat while the teacher puts children’s colour-in flags in their portfolio files.

4.1.3 Principles of National Curriculum Statement (NCS)
Guided by the philosophy of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS), we believe that
children learn best through their active involvement with people, places, things, ideas,
and events. The role of the teacher is to provide interactive and responsive learning
experiences for children throughout the day.
Teachers encourage children’s creativity, independence, problem-solving abilities and
their need to experiment when they move away from directing or instructing children on
how to do things.

Eight Responsive interactions strategies

1. A supportive environment: Provide a variety of interest areas such as block play, quiet play, painting, and
   book and pretend play.
2. Sharing management: Teachers and children work together as partners. Children are in charge of their own decisions such as where to play, how to play, what to play with, and with whom to play. Teachers are in charge of adult decisions such as managing the daily programme, planning group activities and ensuring children’s safety.
3. Offer comfort and closeness: Be aware of children who need comforting by offering a reassuring hand to hold, a hug, a lap to sit on, or just a comforting word.
4. Help children resolve conflict: Engage children in a process of solving problems and conflicts.
5. Take part in children’s play: Join in a child or children’s play at their physical level, either by invitation from children or for the opportunity to connect with them. Follow children’s guidance, and take on the role they suggest. Jody is pretending to be a nurse at a clinic injecting the babies: ‘Teacher, teacher, bring your baby, come sit. You must get your prick’.
6. Ask open-ended questions: Ask questions that encourage problem-solving skills, e.g. ‘What do you think will happen if you stack the blocks higher?’ ‘How many more boxes do you think you need to pack in the row to make your long train?’
7. Observe, listen and make notes: Spend more time observing, listening and making notes. Watch carefully to understand the thought processes of children before asking questions or making comments. Avoid asking too many questions. This may take the fun out of the activity.
8. Talk to children as partners: Talk to children in a natural way about what they are doing. Encourage the conversation to continue without forcing the child for answers. Make objective (real) comments that encourage children to expand their descriptive language and think about what they are doing.

 

Tips for interacting responsively

In the Art area, the teacher observes Thembi carrying her wet painting to the drawing table. At the drawing table, she draws curved red and yellow lines. Thembi fetches a pair of scissors and cuts out around the lines she drew. She takes her cut-out to the pasting table, spreads glue at the back of it, then sticks it in the right-hand corner on the page of her drawing, and takes it outside to dry. The teacher walks toward her where she is putting her picture to dry.

Teacher: I see you are hanging your paper to dry, Tembi! You were quite busy in the art area.
Thembi: Yes, I made a picture.
Teacher: You made a picture, and what is your picture about?
Thembi: It is a burning building.
Teacher: A burning building? Hmm, I see, so what part of the building is burning, then?

– Acknowledge children’s efforts.
– Ask questions to encourage children to tell you about what they are doing.
– Listen to what you hear children say and see them do.
– Repeat what children say. Then make a comment or ask a meaningful question.

Avoid this !

Don’t assume what you think they did.
Teacher: Oh Ruby, I see you painted a house!
Child: It’s not a house, it’s my church where I go to on Sunday!
In the house area, Aruna is setting a table with four plates and spoons. ‘ I’m waiting
for Sam, Lily, Jabu and Mary to come and eat.’
Learning outcomes achieved: Numeracy – ‘one-to-one correspondence’

Steps to get started

If a responsive interaction approach is new to you, then here is one way to get started.
1. Ensure that the learning environment has been set up as suggested in the
section on support for creating indoor and outdoor learning environment.
2. Scan the interest areas and check what children have chosen to do.
3. While you are scanning, look for specific types of play:
• Who is exploring, manipulating, trying out something?
• Who is constructing or making something?
• Who is pretending, role-playing?
• Who is playing some sort of game?
4. While you are scanning the interest areas, decide on:
• Whom to interact with, and how?
• What play type you would like to support, e.g. reading in the Book Area; building in the Block Area; or role-play in the Pretend Area?
5. While scanning the interest areas think about:
Learning experiences that may be happening (number, classification, language,
movement).
Efforts that need to be encouraged e.g. a child ‘reading’ on her own, a child battling
to stick boxes together
6. Choose children to observe. You might see:
• A child finding it difficult to start an activity on his/her own.
• A child calling for help.
• A child enjoying what he is doing.
• A child not doing anything.
• A child taking the lead and involving others in a game.
• Children inviting you to join their play.
• A child or children calling you to handle a dispute.
Activity
In the House Area, Jacob is rolling a
piece of play dough he brought from
the art area.
C: I am making a pizza. It is going to
be a big pizza.
Learning outcome:
Thinking and Reasoning
(LO5)
The leaner is able to use
language to think and reason,
as well as to access, process
and use information for
learning.
Assessment Standard: ?Understands concepts and
some vocabulary relating to
size.
Activity
In the Book Area, Thabo is pointing to
pictures in a book and reading.
C: First Papa bear, then Mama bear,
and last Baby bear.
Learning outcome:
Reading and viewing
The learner is able to read and
view for information for
enjoyment, and respond
critically to the aesthetic,
cultural and emotional values
in texts.
A?ssessment Standard:
Reads picture books.
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7. Take notes. Write down the child’s name and keywords about specific
things the child did or said during the day. Use these notes to assess
learning outcomes. See the example below:
35
4.1.4 Encourage responsiveness in children
Support children and encourage them to be responsive. Children need support in
developing their emotional and social needs and abilities.
Conflict and violence have become a topic that crops up often and is of great concern
in the education arena. Teachers working in early learning settings, who adopt a
responsive interaction style, can make a huge contribution towards reducing violent
behaviour.
However, while responsive interaction styles are an important aspect of developing
cognitive, intellectual, social, emotional and physical needs of children, it is probably the
most difficult style to master.
To adopt a responsive style, start by carefully analyzing the ways in which you interact
with children. Many teachers, who have analysed their interactions with children, are
often surprised to find out: ?How often they ‘talk at’ children without listening to them. ?How often they ‘manage’ children’s activities without joining them. ?How often they ‘jump in and take over’ when children are in conflict, rather than
help children to work out a solution to the conflict.
On the good side, teachers who have learned to be interactive and responsive have
reported significant changes in the behaviour of the children and the management of their
class.

When teachers use a responsive approach to children’s needs, children are inclined to
adopt a similar technique. Children are being responsive when:

They interact positively with their peers.
They freely express how they feel.
They confidently initiate their own ideas.
They copy the caring style of their teachers.
They understand the feelings of others.
They begin to show an understanding of sharing space, sharing materials, teacher’s time with others, taking turns and following rules.
They treat materials and others with respect.
They trust their own decisions and the decisions of others and take responsibility for their actions.
They are confident that their teachers will be supportive.

Nurturing children to grow into socially acceptable and responsible citizens is probably the greatest contribution that teachers can make towards building a peaceful society.

5. References

Books
High/Scope Educational Research Foundation (1996)
Supporting Young Learners 2:
Ideas for Child Care Providers and Teachers, USA
Training Manuals
Department of Education (2002) National Curriculum Statement Grades
R-9, Pretoria
Department of Education (2004/5) Facilitating Creative Art Activities in
ECD Programmes Pretoria
US Department of Education and the US Department of Health and
Human Sciences, Teaching our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool
Teachers and Child Care and Family Providers
Report
Juma, A. (2004) Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood: Improving
Practices in Early Childhood Classrooms in Pakistan: issues and
challenges from the field:, Volume 5, Number 3, Aga Khan University,
Parkistan
Journals
Hansen, C.C. and Zambo, D (2007) Early Childhood Education
Journal:
Loving and Learning with Wemberly and David: Fostering Emotional
Development in Early Childhood Education, Vol 34. No 4

Websites
Hampshire County Council: Foundation Stage Journal Issue 2,
Independence in the Learning Environment
Queensland Studies Authority (2006) Reflecting on my teaching practices:
Early Years Curriculum Materials, The State of Queensland
High/Scope Research Foundation (2007) Adult-Child Interaction
Ladders to Literacy Outreach (2007) A Preschool Activity Book
National Association For the Education of Young Children (2003) The Essentials of Early Literacy Instruction, USA
Stoecklin, V.L. and White, R. (2007) Designing Quality Child Care Facilities
http://www.hants.gov.uk
http://www.eric.ed.gov

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