[akeem]

1. connect the learning to the real world

2. Use group work and collaboration

3.Give your students a say

[Winter Clark]

In my experience, themes help keep the children actively engaged in a fun and exciting way. I like to make things by hand and the children notice and it sparks interest in them creating their own designs and art for the classroom. There are so many different ideas and curriculum you can attach to each theme, and can repeat them if children show extreme interest. Themes are also great to build on skills and new information as the children progress through the class. Everything from dinosaurs, ocean life, and trains can help keep the children focused and want to participate in learning activities in the classroom.

[Mandy Hung]

I like to do some silly moves or games to get children engaged in learning. We are learning the letter C for construction theme week. I ask if students want to write C with their finger, elbow, or their butt. Some laughed and said I am silly, but the highest vote goes to butt, so we all stand up and use our butt to write the letter C.

A memory game that lets students look at the book that I am about to read and ask simple questions like what animal is on the book cover. What color are their hats?

[Jayhla tatro]

Some creative ways to get children engaged in activity could be doing activity’s that each kid could like

[Kim Arman]

Let children guide the activities on what to engage with and provide meaningful direction to help them grow and learn with those activities.

When learning a new skill, be sure to provide support and time to try things at the children’s pace, making sure to not bring up any comparisons between children.

[Rubi]

What are some creative ways to get children engaged in active, meaningful learning?

Dance! Children love a dance party, this could be held right before lunch, or toward the ending of the day, before pick-up. This is meaningful because the music can be familiar to the children, they learn the same songs, and can relate with one another after they grow familiar with it together.

[Morgan]

having a variety of materials and activities. also by showing interest yourself in an activity and encouraging when they try something

[Skylar Salsbury]

I like to create lesson plans around their interests and specific developmental needs. And stay flexible so I can keep them engaged.

[Shoshana Lavetter-Keidan]

To explore color and food, I might hand out a coloring sheet that has different types of fruit outlines. Then we could take pieces of fruit, let’s say watermelon, and in a cup squish it around with a fork and some water and try to paint with it. Does it make the same color as the original watermelon? What does it look like on the banana?

[Jessica]

Some ways to get them engaged are doing songs like head and shoulders or Simon says. They are learning but also enjoying learning. A few others would be the teacher doing the sctivity with the students, small groups and cheering them on.

[Sara F.]

To engage children in active, meaningful learning, you should expand upon a concept that is familiar and of interest to them, and then provide new, stimulating material. For example, as Halloween nears, the children are read stories about the holiday, asked questions about their relationship to the holiday, and also presented with other culture’s seasonal celebrations and traditions. The children have a costume party and make culturally relevant and diverse decorations.

[Christine Taft]

Use play as an opportunity for learning (for example: if they are playing with chalk, you could show them how to write their name.) Ask them questions, sing educational songs, engage with them on their interests. One activity I like for children who are learning color names is to read the book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” Every time a color is mentioned, I let the children go find something in the classroom that is that color.

[olivia grace]

Find activities that allow the child to learn more about themselves and ask meaningful questions that allow children to wonder and use their imagination to respond with more than just yes or no questions.

[Yaire Campos-Cigarroa]

Ensure the materials and practices of your program reflect the backgrounds and current practices of the children’s families enrolled. Or even encourage creative expression, representation and appreciation for the arts.

[H]

It is helpful to take the initiative to encourage children to think critically by asking questions and experimenting with them. This could mean that we go outside for a nature walk and collect different shaped leaves, and then participate in a share-circle and ask each other why we chose the leaves we did, what we like about them, and why the leaves fall off the trees- which can lead into a discussion of the changing seasons. Another activity could be drawing a picture of how we feel today, and then ask questions like why we chose the colors we chose, and how we are expressing how we feel with pictures instead of words. This could lead into a discussion of helpful ways to express how we feel that are safe and asking questions to then suggest how it is important to be in tune with our emotions, and how we can communicate those feelings to our friends and teachers.