The Adult and the Learning Environment

The role of the adult is to promote and stimulate children’s development and facilitate their learning. The adult guides learning experiences through strategies that encourage children to think creatively, problem-solve, make decisions, and expand their thinking skills.

The Adult:

• Relates to all children with warmth, sensitivity, and caring to establish and sustain a climate in which learning is joyful
• Invites children to participate in planning and creating a rich, stimulating environment which encourages interaction, exploration, and investigation by all children
• Provides encouragement, support, guidance and appropriate challenges to help children achieve goals
• Models respect for people, materials and equipment in the environment
• Partners with other professionals and the children to plan, create, and sustain a safe climate in which children may work harmoniously, creatively, and productively
• Makes maximum use of space and integrates a variety of materials and equipment that stimulate active learning
• Structures opportunities for children to work individually and with other children, with their teacher, caregiver and other adults, and in groups of different sizes and groupings formed for different purposes
• Focuses on the ongoing learning of each individual child using developmentally appropriate assessment and evaluation procedures
• Uses a range of teaching methods from coaching to direct instruction to maximize children’s learning
• Supports or increases the child’s participation in existing or desired learning activities
• Exchanges information about the child with the child and family on an ongoing basis
• Learns about each individual child in order to link previous and new learning experiences
• Models and demonstrates enthusiasm for learning, and helps children to enjoy learning as meaningful, relevant, and personally satisfying
• Uses the information gained through observation, assessment and evaluation to make thoughtful and informed interventions as needed/indicated