Active Agency by

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:33:53 UTC

Story Time - While reading a story, asking how does a particular character feel or what could be the end of the story.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:34:38 UTC

Predictions made while conducting a science activity. Example - Sink and Float activity - Will the ball of clay sink or float predict and then check if your predictions are correct.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:37:00 UTC

Communicating with peers during a group task done. Example - While making a 2D shape mosaic art in group discuss each other ideas and taking it into consideration.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:38:11 UTC

Display visual time tables in the classrooms help children know and understand what activities are designed for that specific day.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:41:43 UTC

Gestures and hand movements to make the children understand certain terms. Example nodding your head or thumbs up or down etc.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:46:13 UTC

Choosing where and how they want to sit while reading.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:46:47 UTC

Choosing in the outdoor play activities. Example - water play, sand play etc.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:50:01 UTC

Learning the steps of the water cycle through actions to remember the vocabulary, e.g. rain comes down hands down with wriggling fingers to remember the term 'precipitation'.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:51:44 UTC

Story telling with props will help children imagine and create own stories.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:53:23 UTC

Scavenger hunt for 2-D and 3-D shapes.

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:53:44 UTC

Pretend play

diptilelebvrtse — 2025-02-09 13:56:18 UTC

Questioning

2025-02-10 11:07:34 UTC

Using age-appropriate stories, where children can relate to characters in the story to build vocabulary about feelings. The teacher can have open-ended conversations with the children to discuss their feelings while they hear the story, also helping them articulate feelings.

2025-02-10 11:12:55 UTC

Using gestures and expressions to convey feelings of happiness, excitement, sorrow etc, while storytelling to help hold younger children's attention and also help them identify with the character's emotion and relate to them. Give them a smiley/sad sign to display when they feel good or bad during the story. Take breaks and discuss it.

2025-02-10 11:16:25 UTC

Use songs with gestures and movement to learn concepts -- Sing songs like Big Big Big..Small Small Small, Tall Tall Tall, Short Short Short with gestures and movement to understand the concept of Opposites

2025-02-10 11:23:10 UTC

Create some paths on the floor with coloured tape - Straight, Curved, Zig Zag etc. Give children the choice to pick a path to find the treasure while enacting an animal of their choice (Stomp like an Elephant/Hop like a Bunny etc) while finding the treasure in the jungle. We are giving them choice and they can learn about Animals, and they have fun with movement.

2025-02-10 11:24:28 UTC

By asking open-ended questions, being an active listener, understanding every child's learning style and ability and planning interactions for every child.

2025-02-10 11:55:41 UTC

Math - Understanding patterns by creating with body parts by only observing as prompted by the teacher

2025-02-10 11:56:50 UTC

By creating learning stations with varied tasks across disciplines which students can move on to after completion of one.

2025-02-10 11:57:44 UTC

Emotional check in by the teacher where students learn to identify and verbalise emotions, feelings and perspectives as per situation.

2025-02-10 11:58:47 UTC

Creating interactive displays where children can move and draw/colour or write responses to a prompt based on class discussions.

2025-02-10 12:00:58 UTC

Counting tiles in class to study numbers, shadow play with objects

2025-02-11 06:21:20 UTC

Offering choices to encourage decision-making, such as asking, would you prefer to draw with crayons or paint with watercolors?” This allows children to take ownership of their learning and express their preferences.

2025-02-11 06:26:21 UTC

Use picture cards, symbols, or hand signals to help children communicate their choices and needs without speaking.

2025-02-11 06:33:04 UTC

Using songs and dance to help children express themselves and move their bodies.
Example: Play "The Wheels on the Bus" and let children act out the movements, like turning a steering wheel or opening bus doors.

2025-02-11 06:34:50 UTC

Using pretend play to encourage movement and help children take ownership of their learning.

2025-02-11 06:38:32 UTC

Encouraging children to work together on group activities where they can make decisions Example: Build a large block tower as a team, taking turns adding pieces and deciding on the design.

2025-02-11 06:51:37 UTC

Providing activities where children can actively engage with their learning through hands-on exploration like setting up a sensory bin with sand and water for children to dig, pour, and explore.

Young children rely heavily on non verbal signals to communicate effectively than on the explicit use of language per se.

2025-02-12 06:32:56 UTC

They resort majorly to body cues and gestures in order to understand, communicate or express themselves better with their peers and elders alike.

Thus as educators the onus lies upon us to make them feel at ease and promote a sense of security amongst the children. And thus we could sort to a softer tone, maybe a cooler composure, a more relaxed body language so as to be more approachable than merely an authoritative figure.

Encourage children with smiley stickers on a placard with their names on.

Draw a little star on their wrists for a job we'll done. A small thumbs up n so on..

Clap for the child if he/she does something thoughtful for his/her peer thereby encouraging their gesture.

We could Hold and comfort them during meltdowns which in turn bolsters them to develop better life skills of handling crisis, n so on..

And most importantly our Body cues as educators must, must correspond with our verbal communication inorder to build on our learners trust.

Dhanashree Sable

Activities/ Methods that support Agency

2025-02-12 07:34:03 UTC

The homeroom teacher could assign different leadership roles to the kids on a rotational pattern. Thus providing each learner an opportunity to work on his like skills of leadership, communication and discipline.
Conducting Group activities for slightly older children which are mainly goal oriented. Like, undertaking a scientific inquire. Project making and presentation of the same.
Amongst younger children the educators could come up with some creative and fun team activities outside the classroom, maybe at the sand-pit area, garden area. Asking open-ended questions in a fun yet inquire based model, eg is the sky always blue, what helps the birds eat, fly n so on..
Through art and craft sessions. As basic as mixing and adding colours to textures to see and understand if a new colour is made or how they react differently on paper n cloth etc..
Story telling sessions provide the best platform to boost their imaginary skills. Also enacting stories/dramas and plays encourages the learners to develop and understand different real life scenarios.

Dhanashree Sable

Asking for help when they are stuck

2025-02-12 08:31:38 UTC

Learning to use their words to resolve issues

Encouraging a lot of free play

2025-02-12 08:32:27 UTC

Encouraging collaboration

2025-02-12 08:33:20 UTC

Understanding body language and using appropriate body language

2025-02-12 08:36:18 UTC

2025-02-12 08:37:16 UTC

* Choice in activities- I have 2 to 3 activities planned and allow children to pick.

* I encourage free play

* Encourage children to learn skills like wearing their shoes, closing their lunch box, washing hands.

* Encouraging them to communicate

* Involving children in simple decision making like choosing a story book, what song they want to sing, what fun activity they want to do.

Reader's Theatre: provides plenty of scope for agency, students read from scripts, work collaboratively in groups, employing many ATL skills, they assign roles amongst each other, and execute the task. Relevant in slightly older children: reading skills readiness. In younger groups, role playing can be used: give them a simple scenario and let them decide what, how... etc.

hamsinikrishnan — 2025-02-12 11:28:57 UTC

simple science experiments: students plan, and conduct. The scientific method can be used, verbal discussions of the steps.

hamsinikrishnan — 2025-02-12 11:30:36 UTC

2025-02-12 11:52:24 UTC

Some activities like ball balancing on head, Simon says for improving motor skills.

Trying out the puzzles.

Scavenger hunts for exploration.

2025-02-12 12:21:53 UTC

Primarily, Use of words that are encouraging, positive in nature.

Allowing the child options to choose as and where possible. Maybe at the art s class. Maybe to select his own play mate for a fun pair activity..etc..

If a child shows signs of discomfort then lending a ear. Expressing interest and engaging in small talk so as to understand the child better. It will def provide a base for safe n secure classroom environment.

In case if a disagreement breaks out then to use affirmative tone so as to lay boundaries and set a tone for what's the accepted behaviour in the class and what's not.

tanayabhosale — 2025-02-12 12:55:21 UTC

Story telling

activities that involve non verbal communication- such as pantomime, shadow play, puppet play, encouraging children to use strategies such as thumbs up/down/to the side to indicate understanding of concepts.

hamsinikrishnan — 2025-02-12 13:17:48 UTC

emotion cards or posters: children can point to the relevant emotions through the day, on an individual desk helper or poster, or a class poster with each child's name.

hamsinikrishnan — 2025-02-12 13:19:43 UTC

Verbal - Using Stories

tanayabhosale — 2025-02-12 13:23:44 UTC

Eg: Reader's Theatre

Using stories to role play

to introduce complex themes

Recognising emotions

Recently, for an ESL student who moved from France, she had near zero English knowledge, we printed out posters with words in English, and accompanying pictures, the child would move around with it, and point to the relevant ones to help her go through the day.

hamsinikrishnan — 2025-02-12 13:24:43 UTC

Nature Class: take the learning session outside, use the school ecosystem. Further, nature walks, foraging, identifying insects, leaves, etal.. could be for tuning in, or going further in concepts, or purely as a change to a daily routine.

hamsinikrishnan — 2025-02-12 13:28:50 UTC

Non Verbal - Creating the Third Teacher environment

tanayabhosale — 2025-02-12 13:31:36 UTC

Eg - Creating a Timetable for responsibility

Progress chart for goals

Flashcards

Visual cues

Shadow/puppet play

carpet time/circle time

hamsinikrishnan — 2025-02-12 13:31:41 UTC

Movement - Experiential Learning

tanayabhosale — 2025-02-12 13:35:06 UTC

Eg - Nature walks

Songs and movement for retention

Scavenger hunts

Pretend plays

Floor Assignment for skill building

tanayabhosale — 2025-02-12 13:39:04 UTC

Eg - Working on gross motor skills with balancing/hopping

Circle time

Groups tasks to build things

Creating sensorial experiences

co creating activities, checklists

hamsinikrishnan — 2025-02-12 13:40:22 UTC

Support Agency - Facilitating Learning

tanayabhosale — 2025-02-12 13:43:14 UTC

Eg - Open ended questioning

Actively listening to student responses

Choice of learning method

Decision making - activities and assessment checklist

2025-02-15 13:10:32 UTC

Having puppets in class

During phonics lesson children can be made to sit in a circle and pass the “Talking Tom toy or the cactus “and ask them to say a word that starts with a specific sound eg ‘b’ . And the toy is passed to all the children and repeat in the same way. As an extended activity, children can more words and form simple sentences. Eg “ I like to eat bun”. Or “The bun is hot”

2025-02-15 13:20:04 UTC

A digraph word wall can be created where children match the word cards with respective pictures for example thumb for th word , to make it more interesting children can use puppets to pick the card . Instead of speaking the other children can show gestures or quietly place their matches to build confidence in recognizing sounds visually.

2025-02-15 13:25:01 UTC

Phonics mystery box : An object box is given to the children with objects related to the phonic sound for example “cat” they can mime a cat or say “meow” while the others guess the words and say the beginning sound. This helps in sound recognition through play.

2025-02-15 13:29:30 UTC

Jenga game - Teacher writes letters, words , blends, total sum for numeracy on the Jenga blocks . The learner pulls a block , they must say a word that starts with or has the sound before stacking it . If they successfully say the word, they keep the block .

2025-02-15 13:47:11 UTC

Another way is to use scratch and match Jenga blocks for numeracy - children scratch a card to reveal a math problem (example 5+4 ), solve it and find the corresponding total numbered Jenna block. Before stacking they must say the number .

Phonics Bowling

2025-02-15 13:52:23 UTC

Teacher can set up bowling pin/ plastic cups with letters on them . Children roll the ball , knock down some pins and blend the letters they hit to form a word . Eg ‘b’ , ‘a’, ‘t’, they say “BAT”. This helps to keep the children active and engaging .

The teacher can create tricky word island where the children blend the sounds before they move forward eg jump to “sh” and then to “op” and say the word “shop”.

2025-02-15 13:56:58 UTC

Teacher can set up a pretend post office , with envelopes and letters cards . Children write /draw words based on phonemes ,”stamp”them with the correct beginning sound, and deliver them into the correct phonics mailbox (eg mail box “b” gets box , bat, bug , bus, ball etc”.) This integrates sounds with words and literacy skills .

2025-02-15 14:02:42 UTC