Most parents think of education as a very passive process. They often imagine highly structured classroom settings where teachers transmit knowledge into the waiting, patient minds of students. Unfortunately, this does not reflect practical ways that children learn best. That’s why active learning in early childhood has become accepted best practice among educators–and among parents.
There are two ways that an emphasis on active learning may materialize in your daily life with your kids. The first is searching for a preschool or pre-K program that employs active learning on a regular basis. The second is supporting active participation philosophies in your home–and in so doing supporting the goals of an active learning approach.
This can be important for parents who prioritize their child’s education, as active participation can lead to long term improvements in academic achievement. Luckily, supporting active learning in early childhood plays to your child’s strengths: it uses their natural energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity to create a more comprehensive and effective learning experience.
What Does Active Learning in Early Childhood Look Like?
Active learning is a teaching philosophy that is aptly named. Where more passive teaching strategies simply expect an infant, toddler, or child to easily absorb what they are told, active learning is an approach that lets a child take a more dynamic role in their own education.
Active learning is hands-on and interactive. A child’s own sensory motor experiences are used to build knowledge and meaning. This can involve object manipulation, peer-to-peer or peer-to-adult discussions, and more. In other words, every activity is an opportunity to learn. (Instead of reading about construction equipment in a book only, an active learning approach would invite children to play with toy trucks in the sandbox and then discuss their experiences.)
Some common examples of active learning might include:
Singing and dancing.
Playing with objects, such as dolls or action figures.
Physical activity such as running or climbing or jumping.
Working with volume (for example, filling and emptying containers).
Painting or drawing or doing other art activities.
Discussions with peers and adults.
And more!
In many cases, group discussions will be organized after these activities, in which the kids can digest and talk about their experiences. This can add essential context for children, help them process information, and learn from each other.
Why is Active Learning in Early Childhood Effective?
Active learning is widely adopted by educators for good reason. There are several significant advantages of this approach over more passive techniques. Some of those benefits include the following:
During active learning, children are more easily able to connect new topics and subject matters with what they already know and understand. This helps create a stronger foundation of knowledge–and kids are typically able to place that knowledge in a context that makes sense for them.
Some children may easily digest facts but have a hard time applying those facts. Active learning emphasizes the application of information as learning, improving the overall process. In other words, it will be easier for kids to understand concepts and the practicalities of those concepts.
Humans are incredibly social beings, and there’s growing consensus that many kids learn better when in groups rather than individually. With active learning, it’s easy to provide a group learning environment for students during early childhood.
Active learning processes often encourage an element of discussion. Learners are asked to articulate the lessons they’ve learned. This process helps kids better incorporate what they’ve learned. They’re able to help each other contextualize the lesson in their own terms.
How Do You Search for Active Learning in Childcare Settings?
For most parents, the goal of childcare is multifaceted. On the one hand, you want your kids to stay in a setting that is safe and secure–that way you can go to work without worrying about the safety of your kids. On the other hand, preschools and daycare provide significant potential for learning opportunities.
It makes sense, then, that parents may want to seek out those programs which have adopted active learning approaches.
It’s not always easy to tell which daycare and preschools use active learning. You can certainly ask! But a direct ask about “active learning” may only scratch the surface. Instead, you can ask about the program’s approach to learning: how much time do kids spend in activities or discussions? Or how much time is more passive? Inquire about interactivity. And ask to take a tour of the daycare or preschool while learning is occurring. The information you gather can help you decide whether that particular program is active enough for your child.
Ways to Encourage Active Learning in Early Childhood
Of course, active learning does not happen only in structured, academic settings. At home, there are several ways you can encourage active learning in everyday settings. This could include the following:
Engage in activities that use fine motor skills: This could include crafts, painting, drawing, or even cutting stuff out with scissors. Playdough is also a great option for kids. Any time you can encourage your child to use these skills, they’ll get essential practice that will likely serve them well going forward.
Find activities that engage the senses: When you go for a walk with your child, ask them how the grass feels on their fingers–or how it smells. You can do this while baking, too: how does the cookie dough feel? How does it change when the cookie is baked? Engaging the senses can help children in a multitude of ways.
Using movement as communication: “Movement as communication” might sound too abstract at first. But think about it this way: dancing is moving your body to communicate ideas. You can encourage your kids to dance or move in ways that help them explore their world and learn something new!
Encouraging children to be active learners has significant benefits–but so too does simply limiting the amount of passive time your child experiences. For most parents, this will mean limiting screen time (and avoiding using screens as digital pacifiers). Encouraging your child to play outside or use their imaginations can lead to opportunities for natural active learning.
Using Language
Active learning places a significant emphasis on movement and the body. The idea is to get the body moving–and to learn because of that movement. But language is also an important part of this overall approach.
After all, language is used to shape cognition–it’s used to inform the thinking that children do. An active learning approach to language may include several approaches:
Exploring the names of objects in the environment or around them.
Noting the placement of objects in time and space.
Communicating personal feelings, thoughts, and more with language.
Comparing and contrasting with language.
Telling stories.
And more!
Using language forces children to confront several concepts, including representation. (Square isn’t just a random word–it represents a real shape they can find in the world.) In other words, getting children to talk about and discuss what’s going on around them can be an important part of active learning–both at home and in an academic setting.
For parents, this means that speaking to your kids is an easy way to engage them–and make their learning more active. If you have questions about how to engage your child linguistically or with active learning at home, talk to your pediatrician during your child’s regular wellness exam.
What Are the Benefits of Active Learning in Early Childhood?
One of the primary appeals of active learning is that it keeps education fun. And when children are having fun, they’re more likely to retain what they learn. This can lead to long-term academic benefits.
Generally, some of the most significant benefits of active learning include the following:
Improvements of kindergarten readiness and other academic measurements: When employed regularly, active learning can help your child more quickly become ready for preschool, kindergarten, and other academic achievements.
Improvements to self-esteem: The process of constructing meaning from experienced events can help your child feel a greater sense of self-assurance and self-esteem. You won’t have to worry about your child “not getting it”--because that’s not really a factor when it comes to active learning.
Improvements in memory recall: Most children who engage with active learning will see improvements in their retention and memory recall
Practice with problem solving and teamwork: Active learning often takes place in a group setting. This gives kids practice with problem solving and teamwork all at the same time.
Improvements in social skills: In the same way that group work can help improve education, working collectively can also improve a wide variety of social skills in children, giving them essential practice with peer-to-peer interactions.
Gross and fine motor skill improvements: When children are engaged in passive learning, they remain relatively sedentary–and so gross and fine motor skills often remain unused. Active learning, on the other hand, uses all kinds of fine and gross motor skills, giving your child an early start with practicing these essential skills.
For most children, the benefits of active learning will be long-lasting. Kids that enter kindergarten with a stronger education base will often find greater academic success in the early years of their primary education.
Active Learning Can Make All the Difference
Active learning is a core teaching philosophy that has transformed early childhood education. By creating a learner-centered experience, active learning helps kids understand and explore their world more fully and with greater ease.
Passive learning strategies have their place. But for most parents–and for most kids–active learning is going to be a more effective and efficient way to learn. If you have questions about how to encourage your child to take an active learning approach, make sure to talk to your pediatrician today! Contact our Chicago or Northbrook offices to make an appointment!