Early Literacy Learning Model: Additional Practice Exercises for Practitioners about Responsive Teaching Distance Learning Events brought to you by the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) Thank you for accessing the additional practices for distance learning. What follows are three additional practice exercises about responsive teaching for the classroom teacher/practitioner. To access the slides and slide notes, click on the PDF file titled “Distance Learning Responsive Teaching Practice Exercises for Practitioners Slides and Notes” on the home page. This file can be used to print copies of the content.

What are additional practice exercises for practitioners? Created specifically for those who work in the early childhood classroom. Cover the four main components of the CELL early literacy learning model Utilize the Participatory Adult Learning Strategies (PALS) approach to learning These additional practice exercises were designed specifically for those practitioners who work with families in the early childhood classroom. The practice exercises provide more opportunity to practice, evaluate, and reflect about a particular component of the CELL early literacy learning model. The additional practice exercises in this presentation focus on the responsive teaching component of CELL’s early literacy learning model. The intent is to take these practices into the classroom to provide the practitioner with an authentic, hands-on experience utilizing the CELL components. As you move through each practice exercise, you will see that you are asked to practice, evaluate your knowledge based on the practice, and then reflect on what you learned. As you may remember from training, these are key components of the Participatory Adult Learning Strategy or PALS, a research-based approach to teaching adult learners. The main ingredient of PALS is active learner involvement that promotes learner understanding and use of the knowledge and practice.

Additional Practice: Responsive Teaching Over the course of a week, focus on one aspect of responsive teaching per day. Identify one child for your focus. Day One Practice Pay attention-take a closer look at the child and notice specific cues and signals. For example, what behaviors does this child exhibit when bored? When excited? Evaluate Half way through the day or at the end of the day, write down the child’s cues and signals that you had not noticed. For this additional practice exercise, you will need a pen and paper. The practice takes place over a series of 5 days. Over the course of a week, focus on one aspect of responsive teaching per day. Identify one child for your focus. Day One Practice Pay attention-take a closer look at the child and notice cues and signals. For example, what behaviors does this child exhibit when bored? When excited? Evaluate Half way through the day or at the end of the day, write down the child’s cues and signals that you had not noticed.

Responsive Teaching Additional Practice: Day Two Respond promptly and appropriately to the child’s behaviors when noticing a particular interest or moment of frustration. Evaluate Half way through the day or at the end of the day, write down what happened to the children’s behaviors when you responded promptly to their behavior. What happened, specifically, when your response was prompt? Day Two Practice Respond promptly and appropriately to the child’s behaviors when noticing a particular interest or moment of frustration. Evaluate Half way through the day or at the end of the day, write down what happened to the child’s behaviors when you responded promptly. What happened, specifically, when your response was prompt?

Responsive Teaching Additional Practice: Day Three Interact with that child by introducing new information based on the child’s interest such as expanding on the child’s contributions or challenging and encouraging the child to do something different as part of the activity. Evaluate Half way through the day or at the end of the day, write down any new literacy behaviors of the child that evolved from your interactions. Day Three Practice Note a child engaged in an interest-based activity. Interact with that child by introducing new information based on the child’s interest such as expanding on the child’s contributions or challenging and encouraging the child to do something different as part of the activity. Evaluate Half way through the day or at the end of the day, write down any new literacy behaviors of the child that evolved from your interaction with this child.

Responsive Teaching Additional Practice: Day Four As the child engages in free-play, take opportunities to ask the child questions. Comment on behaviors and accomplishments. Note any new skills developed and provide opportunities for use. Evaluate How did the behaviors change when you supported and encouraged new behaviors? Day Four Practice As the child engages in free-play, take opportunities to ask the child questions and comment on behaviors and accomplishments. Note any new skills developed and provide opportunities for use. Evaluate How did the behaviors change when you supported and encouraged new behaviors?

Responsive Teaching Additional Practice: Day Five Reflection Consciously put all four Responsive Teaching techniques together. At what aspects of Responsive Teaching do you excel? What aspects do you struggle with? How can you continue to work on the aspects that were difficult? Do you need more enforcement? Do you need prompts? We strongly encourage you to reflect on the information you have learned in this distance learning event. Reflecting assists you to determine your level of knowledge and the outcome of your practice. Are you comfortable with the level of knowledge acquired? Do you need more practice? For this additional reflection, consciously put all four responsive teaching techniques together and think about your response to these questions: At what aspects of Responsive Teaching do you excel? What aspects do you struggle with? How can you continue to work on the aspects that were difficult? Do you need more enforcement? Do you need prompts?