Effective Teaching Strategies

How to Extend Learning in Everyday Life by Noticing the Good

How to Extend Learning in Everyday Life by Noticing the Good. This is part of a series: How to Extend Learning as Part of Everyday Life part 1. Effective Teaching Strategies: Acknowledging and Encouraging. In this article I am going to teach you how to extend learning as part of everyday life by acknowledging and encouraging your child’s efforts.

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: Acknowledging and Encouraging

Definition: explicitly focusing attention on a child’s effort by giving positive verbal or nonverbal attention that promotes a child’s persistence and effort.

Another way I might put this one is: notice the good in your child

Look for and notice your child’s efforts.

Children are people too, and everyone likes their effort to be noticed. It is incredibly frustrating to work so hard at something only for all that hard work to go unnoticed and the small mistake or oversight brought up. 

Acknowledging and encouraging your child’s efforts will help build a love of learning, exploring, and trying. It will build resilience, persistence, and grit. 

How to Extend Learning in Everyday Life by Noticing the Good

What this looks like:

  • “I’m really proud of how you kept trying, even when it was hard.”
  • “It looks like you worked so hard on that. I bet it feels good to see your final product.”
  • “It was tricky, but you kept trying solutions until one worked. You really stuck with it.”
  • “You worked so hard to get that done, and when it was too much you noticed you needed help and asked me. Thank you for asking for help, let’s work together.”
  • “You noticed your body was feeling angry, so you took some time to be by yourself and take deep breaths. I am so proud of how you were in control and not your feelings.”
  • “Your big smile tells me that you feel proud of your hard work.”

I hope that through this series: How to Extend Learning in Everyday Life, you will begin to see learning happening all around you. My goal is that your toolbox will be filled with strategies that you can implement in the ordinary moments of life that will strengthen your child’s educational foundation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.