How to Extend Learning By Supporting Reflection

How to Extend Learning By Supporting Reflection. This is part of a series: How to Extend Learning as Part of Everyday Life Part 13. Effective Teaching Strategies: Supporting Reflection. In this article I am going to teach you how to extend learning as part of everyday life by supporting reflection.

How to Extend Learning as Part of Everyday Life

When it comes to bringing learning into the everyday moments of life, there is a simple three step formula I like to keep in mind. This is called the Powerful Interactions Framework.

The three parts to the formula are 1- be present, 2- connect, and 3- extend learning. This third step includes learning and implementing teaching strategies that build on the knowledge your child already has.

It is my goal to help teach you these effective teaching strategies so you can confidently extend learning when those key moments come up in your life. 

Effective Teaching Strategies: Supporting Reflection

Definition: Engaging your child in the process of reflection by helping them describe, summarize, and evaluate experiences and consider new information to develop understanding and reasoned thinking.

Provide opportunities for your child to reflect on their actions by thinking and talking about the process, their thoughts and actions, and summarizing and evaluating.

How to Extend Learning By Supporting Reflection

What this looks like

“What were you thinking when you drew this?”

“You felt really frustrated earlier when your plan didn’t work. What were you hoping would happen? What actually happened? Why do you think that happened instead of your plan? Do you think there would be a way to prevent that from happening next time?”

“That block wouldn’t fit in the hole like you wanted it to. But you kept trying different things. You tried putting it in a different hole. Then you tried turning it upside down. And finally it worked when you twisted it. It looked like you felt really proud that you kept trying even when it was hard. Did it feel satisfying to have an idea work out after trying some different solutions?”