Children need scope to become involved in activities and situations that interest and intrigue them. Thinking is hard work, and young children will be unprepared to invest their energies unless they are highly motivated.
A well-organised and attractive classroom does not necessarily include scenarios that capture children's attention. However, introducing a strange artefact, a bulky parcel or a new routine may arouse their curiosity and lift the level of thinking.
The start to a session may be used, for example, to welcome and settle children. But it is also a prime time to set the tone for thinking. For example:
* Mystery - provide a giant pair of spectacles (made out of a coat hanger) and two giant footprints as starting points for a giant hunt
* Wonder - provide a captivating painting and encourage the children to walk into the picture and explore what the characters are doing
* Conjecture - start a story and leave on a cliffhanger. What happens next? Suggest that the children whisper their thoughts to an adult or draw a picture
* Planning - a new piece of equipment arrives. Where shall we put it? What do we do with it?
Time
Children need time to practise and apply what they have learned, to explore and experiment in depth, to follow through their interests and decisions, even if they don't work, and make connections.
Time is a precious commodity for all of us, but for young children it is an essential ingredient in securing their thinking. Their ideas about things that interest them are initially fragile and tentative. Over time, in different play contexts and discussions, they try out and strengthen or discard their hypotheses.
Children also need time to share their thoughts with us. A hurry-along curriculum may only keep children busy, but through having the opportunity to mull things over, they become confident thinkers.
Home links
Children need opportunities to link their home experiences with those in the setting, which raises the question of how they spend their time when they are away from us, their concerns and interests. Without hard information we can only guess or assume what is happening.
Case study
Billy, a new child in the reception class, didn't enthuse about the classroom provision, but during a maths game gave the correct answer and announced, 'I'm a great counter. Just ask my dad.' The teacher, Ray, talked to the father, who, it emerged, was an experienced card sharp, had long played cards with his son and taught him how to shuffle, deal and calculate totals. Ray then spent time with Billy and found that his mental calculations were very advanced. With this information, Ray was able to help Billy to generalise his thinking in other play situations and Billy settled easily into the class.
This happy situation was achieved as a result of:
* Billy's good relationship with his dad
* Billy's dad recognising his son's abilities and urging Billy to make his teacher aware
* Billy being sufficiently confident to speak out in class
* Ray taking time to check and use this information.
Example: To find out more about her pupils' thinking and learning at home, Sue, a reception teacher, invited parents, if they wished, to take home an exercise book entitled 'My child's thinking at home'. In this they could record their children's interesting comments and questions along with a brief description of the context. She promised to use this information when conversing with the child.
About 70 per cent of parents responded and most continued to use the books for the rest of the year. Sue felt the information she gained enabled her to further improve provision.
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
We provoke children to think by encouraging them to make choices and decisions. As soon as babies can sit unaided or can be propped up with a cushion, they can have access to a treasure basket filled with objects that appeal to the different senses. The baby is free to select and investigate any object to find out what it is and what they can do with it.
As toddlers become mobile, their horizons for thinking can be extended through heuristic play. This method involves making provision for children to move around to explore collections of items, fill and empty containers with items and transport and combine them. Again, the emphasis is on 'what does it do?' and 'how can I use it?'.
Later in the Foundation Stage, children's thinking will flourish when they recognise that their views and ideas are respected. They should also be encouraged to listen to and take account of the ideas of others. This is a challenge for young children, but once they learn to do so their thinking expands.
QUESTIONs
* How much do we know about the interests, concerns and experiences of children during their time at home?
* What do we do at different times of the day to promote children as independent thinkers?