Actively guide and encourage
children to undertake a variety of
developmentally appropriate
activities
Encourage and acknowledge
children’s efforts
Quality carers strive to provide children with an environment that is safe, secure, stimulating,
positive and interesting to those in their care. They use tools of observation and planning to
ensure that they meet the needs of all those involved in the environment.
This is only part of the challenge. The next is actually getting the children to participate in the
environment and experiences on offer.
This might seem simple but again you will need to cater to individual needs and interests. This
topic looks at the strategies and skills needed to involve children effectively.
Specific strategies for providing
encouragement
Activity 1
Ways to provide encouragement are listed below.
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Focus on the person’s strengths rather than their weaknesses.
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Break down the new task into small achievable steps rather than one large step. This
helps confidence grow as they achieve each small part.
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Provide verbal support and guidance. This can be done by:
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using positive feedback
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talking the person through the steps—coaxing them along
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highlighting the steps the person has done well
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acknowledging all attempts in a positive light
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sharing achievements with others around the person.
Provide non-verbal support and guidance. This can be done through:
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standing close by
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smiling
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nodding
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clapping your hands.
Step in for assistance when needed.
Show you are interested in what they are doing and saying.
Use your body language to provide suggestions and feedback.
Give the person your full attention.
Listen and take seriously their concerns and fears.
Help them identify strategies for overcoming their fears.
Demonstrate that you believe in them.
Throughout your life there would have been stages where you doubted your own abilities. You
would have felt the disappointment and hurt when told your doubts were correct and you
were not as good at something as another person. On the other hand, you would also have
had experiences where you felt the pride and determination that comes from positive
feedback, support and encouragement.
The childcare worker’s role in providing children with encouragement is critical regardless of
their age, culture and background.
As quality caregivers, we must provide children with positive support and encouragement to
explore their environment. With our help, words and actions, the environment can become a
place that is exciting and challenging. We can provide them with the confidence to experiment,
broaden their interest, seek new challenges and develop new skills.
You need to ensure that your actions are appropriate for the age group you are working with.
This could include:
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not making assumptions about what a child can and cannot do
remembering that you need a balance of child-centred and adult-directed
experiences
not communicating your own doubts and fears
seeing each child as an individual with their own strengths, skills and personality
using appropriate strategies to identify individual needs and interests.
Our behaviour during experiences can provide a valuable tool towards the child reaching their
full potential, or it may restrict what the child can do.
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Encouraging, acknowledging and praising
children’s efforts
Encouragement is something that we should all have experienced in life. Sometimes we may
have even craved more. As childcare workers we have a great opportunity to offer the children
we care for guidance, confidence and hope. Encouragement is something that children need in
order to develop the ability to learn and explore independently.
Ensuring interactions are positive
Children in our care will constantly look for support, encouragement, love, information, advice,
praise, discipline, acknowledgment and the meeting of their other needs.
How we react to these needs will affect how the children interact with the rest of the
environment. If we show interest and are actively involved in the environment then the
children will follow our lead.
There are several ways in which we can create a positive environment through our
interactions:
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Listen to what they have to say as it is important to them.
Make eye contact when you or they are talking (please remember, however, in
some cultures this may not be appropriate).
Speak warmly and enthusiastically.
Value their work by putting it on display.
Encourage and guide children to recognise and solve problems in appropriate
ways.
Allow children to play an active role in setting up and maintaining the
environment.
Be aware of child-centred activities and do not take over.
Be positive in your language—both verbal and non-verbal.
Recognise and accept children’s emotions.
Follow through on children’s requests and interests.
Provide advice and suggestions, but allow them the final decision.
Treat them with warmth and respect.
Treat other staff members with respect.
Value the skills that others can bring to a service—staff, parents, students,
volunteers and children.
Our interactions can both support or limit what children get out of play.
When a child feels secure, safe and stimulated, their imagination and skills flourish.
As caregivers, it is essential that we create a positive impression and, therefore, establish a
safe, secure, stimulating and challenging environment.
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Activity 2
Children accomplish much through their play, and it is essential that we provide
encouragement and acknowledge their efforts. Encouragement, acknowledgment and praise
help develop children’s self-esteem. If the children feel they are valued it will enable them to
see their play as a valuable learning experience.
Activity 3
Some strategies for providing children with effective acknowledgment and encouragement
are:
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acknowledge all attempts in their play
provide positive feedback about their play
demonstrate an interest by enquiring about their play
share the child’s attempts and efforts with others at the service in a positive way.
Being acknowledged is the motivation that we all use to keep on trying. Having our attempts
recognised and valued is often why we continue to try, and it also is a boost to our self-esteem
and image.
Now think of how a child would feel if a carer never acknowledged their work and effort. The
play and skills that children gain are their work. Often adults can forget to recognise children’s
efforts, taking them for granted or simply overlooking them.
Positive acknowledgement
In order to be positive in acknowledging children’s work we need to follow the guidelines
below.
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Give them our undivided attention while they explain their work.
Show verbal and non-verbal interest. Children are very astute and pick up on a lack
of interest.
Do not put your own assumptions on the work. What looks like a house to you
may, in fact, be a rocket to the child. Encourage them to tell you what they have
done and appreciate the thought that has gone into it.
Offer praise but ensure that it is specific and genuine.
Just saying to a child ‘that’s a great piece of work’ actually tells the child nothing and gives
them no direction.
When you offer praise it must be genuine. Otherwise, the child will gain an unreal sense of
what they can do or simply recognise that you are not truly interested, and they will not
appreciate your acknowledgments on later occasions.
Other ways in which you can acknowledge children’s work are listed below.
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Record their achievements—use a video or photos.
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Show their work to parents.
Show their work to other children.
Create books as a record so children, parents and carers can see how the child’s
skills are progressing.
Place the actual work on display. While in early childhood we stress the process
and not the product, children are extremely proud of what they have achieved and
the way that we display it will, in turn, either demonstrate to the child we value it
or devalue it.
When a child has completed the task, make sure you accept it as finished. Do not
add your own little bits to make it ‘better’ in your eyes. If the child had wanted
another colour they would have added it.
Display the work in a presentable way that demonstrates that you respect their
efforts. Place it on cardboard with a border, the child’s name date and their brief
description. This will promote pride in their work, whereas taking a child’s work
and cutting it up into another shape may convey the message that it was not quite
good enough as it was.
Discuss with the children how they have developed over time. If possible, use
methods to collate a book that will help the child, carers and parents see the
progressive development.
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Remember that even young children will have ideas and suggestions. Respond
appropriately and include these as soon as possible.
While all of these ideas may sound easy, we can often forget to carry them out. Making time
will ensure that both the child and you will get the most out of the time together.
Activity 4
Use activities, resources and
materials flexibly to meet children’s
individual preferences and prompt
extensions of play
Allowing for flexibility
We need to consider how children will use the materials that have been set up in the
environment and ensure there are a range of options are available to them. We can do this in
several ways;
Open storage
Open storage that is visible and accessible allows children to be independent in their choices
and decision making. Displaying materials side by side can strongly suggest connections
between them and the possibility of combining them in some way. In this way combinations of
materials can suggest activities but ultimately the choice of how the resources will be used is
the child’s.
Open storage areas work particularly well in art and craft areas, dramatic play and
construction areas. You need to provide an orderly display of accessible play materials and
creative options and as the children grow in their independence they will select the materials
they need.
Room arrangement and material availability determine where children focus on their work. It
also influences the group dynamics including how the children interact with each other either
one on one or the way the group works together.
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Open ended materials
Open ended materials can be used in many different ways. They provide for flexibility in how
resources are used and allow for individual preferences. Group items together and storing
them near appropriate activity areas will increase the potential for their use.
Open ended or multipurpose materials offer rich opportunities for imaginative play, invention
and physical interaction. Examples could include pieces of plain and printed fabrics which may
become a cubby, a cape or picnic rug.
Natural materials such as smooth stones, shells, pods and seeds can be used in dramatic and
imaginary play. Recycled items such as boxes can be used to construct just about anything and
become increasingly important to children as they use them to represent concrete
experiences.
Open, found and recycled materials challenge children to find new uses for them. Real life
props such as pots and pans make good props for pretend play and can provide unique
opportunities for expanding children’s play and learning.
Portable equipment and space
Portable equipment makes it possible to rearrange the indoor and outdoor area and make
adaptations as required. Portable equipment can be changed on a daily basis to suit the
program. Flexible storage could be included here as it allows for the carer to arrange the space
into a combination of open areas, defined and intimate spaces.
The way space is organised suggests to children how they might move and act as they navigate
the space and pick up on the cues it offers. The same space will suggest different things to
different children. Ultimately it’s up to the children to decide what they will do. However the
carer’s presence is important for facilitating, supporting and scaffolding children’s learning.
Supporting and extending children’s play
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Children love adults to participate in their play, but it is their play and not yours.
You must develop the skill of balancing adult-centred or initiated activities with child centred
play, recognising that the way children play is part of their individuality and should be
respected. A tuned-in carer will provide appropriate choices to children and discuss options. It
is the carer’s role to ensure that they follow through on choices that are appropriate.
Extending children’s play is another part of the support you offer. This can be done through
observation and listening to children’s ideas. From this information you can then provide
suggestions for other experiences, introduce new and different props and materials into their
play and encourage children to think of alternatives they could pursue.
The following 4 vignettes show clearly how you can use your observations of children’s
interests to extend their play. They also demonstrate how you can set up the environment,
taking aesthetics and health and safety into consideration and engage with the children during
Activity 5
Encourage children to participate in
a variety of experiences and to
choose activities which support their
development and fundamental
movement skills competency and
confidence
Facilitating children’s play
Parents and caregivers are children’s first teachers. We guide, assist and facilitate the learning
if we provide environments that are positive, secure, inviting and challenging.
How do we do this?
By paying attention to all aspects of child development and providing experiences that are age
and stage appropriate for the children. Carers should provide a range of experiences for all
ages where the complexity will change as the child grows.
A simple experience such as finger painting can provide learning from infancy to school age.
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An infant can have the sensory feeling of it under their hands.
Toddlers extend this sensory experience by manipulating the paint in a variety of
ways.
Preschoolers begin to discuss colour changes and draw pictures.
School aged children may practice writing skills and experimenting with different
implements to create textured effects.
The important point is that experiences offered to children should provide challenges and
enjoyment.
Children are by their nature busy and interested and they use the environment around them
to play and learn. It is essential that caregivers provide experiences that are appropriate to
their stage of development and their abilities.
By developing stimulating environments and participating in play and learning with children we
are encouraging them to:
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Develop an interest in the wider world around them.
Experiment.
Develop an interest in learning and therefore become active learners.
Experience different emotions in different situations.
Extend on all their developmental areas.
Work together with others.
Following children’s interest
As we identified earlier you participate in experiences for a variety of reasons one being
interest. It is important to remember that children will favour some experiences over others.
This is okay as long as we use this focus to develop experiences and emerging skills.
As caregivers we need to be very aware of the developmental progress of the children in our
care. Through observation and consultation we should be able to identify where their
strengths lie, what they are interested in and how they relate to the environment around
them.
If you use children’s interests as a base you are saying to the child I value the skills you have
and this will encourage them to try other things. If you took the path of not allowing the child
to participate in their interest in order to focus on other area of development you are most
likely going to develop confusion, hostility and damage their self-confidence.
Consultation
Consultation is the process of:
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seeking information
asking advice
asking people if they want to be involved in an experience
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working out how an experience is going to be organised
working out roles and responsibilities.
Consultation is a normal part of life and is a way to ensure that decisions are shared and
people are committed to the action being taken.
We consult with other adults all the time but do we do it with children?
Children, no matter what age, make choices. Even infants as young as two months who have
not learnt to verbally express an opinion can show preference to a toy or rattle. The older
children get, the more personalised ideas and interests they possess.
If the adults working with them do not recognise these ideas the children may become
reluctant to participate and even resentful at being forced to do things that they show no
desire for.
The following strategies suggest ways you can consult with infants, toddlers and older children.
You may find that the strategies identified for infants and toddlers are applicable to the older
age group as well but the process may change.
Infants and toddlers
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pay close attention to all body language, this includes facial expression and
movements
use simple directions
use common language they will recognise
allow choice but do not overwhelm them
don’t rush the child for decisions.
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Older children
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use group discussion
use one on one discussion
have suggestion boxes
hold brainstorming sessions
ensure children are made confident enough to ask for experiences or changes to
an experience
provide children with choices and let children make final decisions.
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If we use consultation with children regularly and observe their reactions to the experiences
that are offered, we can be guaranteed to be running a programme that is successful in
meeting their needs.
The outdoor area
Activity 6
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Fundamental movement skills
We have defined physical skills mostly in terms of fine and gross motor skills. Fundamental
movement skills include many of the gross motor skills mentioned above. These skills are
divided into the following categories. Locomotor skills such as walking, running, jumping,
hopping, skipping and galloping. Nonlocomotor skills, involve coordination and balance such as
twisting and turning and manipulative skills which involve using various body parts to throw
catch and kick objects such as balls and beanbags. These skills are the foundation movements
to more complex skills used by the school aged child, teenagers and adults for activities such as
playing games, dancing, gymnastics and sports.
Opportunities for these foundation movements to develop can be incorporated in both indoor
and outdoor play. However as outdoor play generally promotes more physically active play it
is therefore an ideal area for setting up experiences to encourage the development of these
skills.
Outdoor areas should include:
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Climbing areas: for large muscle active play with frames, trestles, planks. Ladders,
large plastic and foam shapes, forts etc.
Jumping and bouncing: with boards, inner tubes, mini-trampolines or mattresses.
Obstacle courses: equipment set up to encourage crawling, bending, balancing,
clambering, etc.
Sand play: usually a sit-in pit or sand tray with props and accessories
Water play: with a trough, buckets, hoses, bubbles, spray bottles and a host of
other accessories to extend play.
Building and construction: with blocks, woodwork, hollow blocks, foam shapes,
cartons and boxes.
Garden area: for growing plants and vegetables and exploring nature.
Digging area: a mud patch really with or without water – children will need
suitable spades and protective clothing.
Small pits of pebbles, gravel, coarse sand and smooth river rocks
Natural environments that encourage birds, butterflies and other insects
Worm farms and compost areas
Bicycle track
Open area: for running, throwing and catching, ball games, rolling hoops,
beanbags etc.
Parachute games
Music and movement: including fitness routines and dancing
Quiet play area: to sit and reflect, listen to music, rest and be on your own.
Creative area: for painting drawing and collage.
Reading and writing areas.
Puzzles
Dramatic/imaginative play areas: for engaging in dramatic or imaginary play. You
could include dress- ups and props or imaginary play set-ups for individual children
or small groups.
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Outdoor play spaces need to be clearly defined and organised so children can see immediately
how spaces are to be used and can move easily between areas without disturbing others. It is
also important to have a variety of play areas. Outdoor play spaces should be planned for in
the same way as indoor play spaces.
Outdoor equipment
Outdoor equipment needs to;
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Allow children to explore and be self-directed.
Allow for imagination and creativity—setting up experiences so that children can
work at their own level and pace.
Avoid stereotypes and bias in materials.
Encourage investigation, discovery and enquiry into the functions of the play
materials.
Use developmentally appropriate materials.
Here are some ideas:
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add rocks and wood to the sensory table
prepare the sandpit by creating beautiful designs in the sandpit
add an array of natural materials to the play dough table including stones,
rosemary sprigs, pebbles. Also add massage tools to create an extra dimension to
manipulating the play dough. Display the play dough on wooden cutting boards
and other similar item.
hang a material pocket-holder from the window with lots of different treasures
(including plant life, seeds, grasses)—this can spark lots of enjoyment and
conversation
place bells on wooden trays to invite experimentation with different sounds
encourage children to explore in a pile of dirt, placing the dirt in a container on a
wheelbarrow for further investigation
provide a collection of mirrors and coloured objects on a mirror
provide translucent fabric and other similar fabrics to visually and physically
explore
provide a range of different bowls, baskets and so on with different shapes,
textures and designs.
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An outdoor water play area
An outdoor sandpit
Bikes and wheeled toys
Hard surfaces and paths in the outdoor area provide opportunities for the use of wheeled toys
such as bikes, tricycles, scooters and wagons. These toys will develop large muscle strength as
well as promoting balance and co-ordination. You can incorporate a specific bike track so that
the children are clear where they can ride these toys. For safety, providing helmets for children
to use is essential.
Activity 7
Music experiences and games provide fun opportunities for the development of fundamental
movement skills for children in a group situation.
These include;
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Moving and dancing freely to a range of music and directed movement.
Fitness routines including a warm up, vigorous movement and cool down period.
Circle games such as Punchinello, Farmer in the Dell, Ring a Ring a Rosie, Hokey
Pokey.
Musical statues or freeze
Parachute songs and games
Duck, duck, goose
Hop scotch
Simon says
Hide and seek
‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’
I’m sure you can think of a few more…
Remember, almost anything you plan indoors can be done outdoors (weather permitting). The
more carefully you plan the outdoor space, the more opportunity you can offer to learn and
grow.
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Demonstrate respect for children’s
choice not to participate and
encourage where experience is new
or unknown
Choice in whether to participate
Children have their reasons for participating or not participating. These should be respected
and valued. You must look at ways to provide assistance, guidance and support without
belittling their reasons.
Children may become involved in an experience because:
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they like and are interested in the experience
their friends are participating and they want to belong
they know that the experience is easy for them to succeed in
they are not interested in other options
they want to remain in the environment where the experience is on offer (eg
indoors or outdoors)
they want to blend in and not be the focus of attention.
They may decide not to be involved in an experience because:
they are scared of the experience
they want to avoid children already participating in the experience
they do not feel confident to try something new
they think that they will not succeed at the experience and therefore will not
attempt it
they think that the activity if too easy or too difficult
they have certain cultural or family preferences that do not encourage
participation in a particular type of activity
they do not want to get dirty
they want to participate only with a certain carer.
Strategies for encouraging participation
Throughout your time in childcare you will encounter children who will get involved in
everything you offer, and you also will have the observers who are happy to watch but not get
involved.
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Showing respect and accepting children’s choices as well as implementing strategies such as
the ones below will help you develop appropriate strategies to encourage all children to
participate.
Strategies include:
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Offer a variety of experiences in different and non-threatening ways—eg take
indoor toys outside or bring outdoor toys inside.
Offer basic materials to all age groups while altering just the accompanying
equipment.
Discover where the children’s interests are and build involvement on them.
Be positive and role model different experiences to children. For example, if carers
are reluctant to get dirty or involved the children often pick up on the vibes and
are also reluctant to participate.
Explain and discuss the different experiences available. Use positive language.
Break down the experience into simple and achievable tasks. A child who thinks it
will be too hard is more likely to participate if they are successful in small steps.
Recognise and be sensitive to children’s doubts and fears. They are as important as
yours.
Help a child verbally and non-verbally—eg hold their hand to walk along a beam
and praise them when they get to the end. Be close by, in case you are needed.
Talk about the fear and how you might overcome it.
Demonstrate the activity. You could also get other children involved in the
demonstration. This can help if a child is not participating because they are unsure
of what to do.
Discuss with the child what the participating children are doing. It is essential that
they are not pushed to participate and that you display respect for their choice.
Use other friends to help partner reluctant children. While your support and
guidance is still needed, children’s peers can provide another avenue of support.
Peer support is very effective with older children although you must remember
they need to be partnered with someone they like rather than someone who is
outstanding at the experience. We want to develop the skill not discourage the
child’s attempts.
Consult the children and involve them in planning. If the children feel like they
have ownership of an experience they are more likely to participate.
Remember: All children are different and will achieve different skills at different times.
Activity 8
Activity 9
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