Describe the child’s behavior out loud: what exactly is the child doing?
Example: the child is playing with building blocks and takes all the blue building blocks. You say: “You take all the blue building blocks.”
You can also describe what you notice concerning the way the child is doing something.
Example: the child is solving a puzzle. You say: “I see that you are completing the puzzle row by row.”
This way, you show you are keeping a close watch on the child’s play and you stimulate the child to continue playing.
Think of yourself as a sports commentator on the radio who is reporting on a soccer game in a neutral voice. Do this only when it is functional. Don’t overdo it. Keep silences in between to make space for the child to say something.
It is also interesting to describe the behavior when there are emotions of surprise, enthusiasm, frustration, or if you don’t understand.
You can also listen to what the child says and repeat this out loud in approximately the same words (=paraphrasing).
Example: When the child says: “Look, I have drawn my mommy”, you can say: “Ah, indeed, you have drawn your mother”.
Do not describe everything the child does. It may sound unnatural and could disrupt the child’s game.
Next, you can watch video fragments where the teachers of our project verbally describing the behavior of the children in their classroom.
These videos are financed by the EU Erasmus+ grant. Authors are responsible for the content.
“Playing with geometric figures”
Teacher Alberta is playing with Melissa (3; 8 years old) using geometric figures. Alberta observes Melissa’s actions and listens to what Melissa is saying. She imitates Melissa’s play, describes her actions and also the child’s discourse around what she is doing.
Alberta is taking her time to observe and mirror Melissa’s play. In turn, Melissa is also attentive to Alberta’s actions and gives her time to complete them. It is possible to see that this is an exchange that makes the child feels good and respected in her decisions.
“Playing in the riding arena”
Teacher Alberta joins Rodrigo while he plays in a riding arena that he built. She observes what Rodrigo is doing and starts to describe some of his actions and some of the things that Rodrigo is saying. She respects Rodrigo´s initiative and is an attentive play partner.
Alberta gently integrates Rodrigo´s play without being intrusive. When you integrate a play situation, it’s important to respect the child’s protagonism, show interest and encouragement. A visible impact comes from the feeling that your teacher is (ongoing) attentive and respectful of your decisions and actions.
Describing “Upwards”
Teacher Jorge begins to play with Farhat (4;2 years). Farhat speaks Dutch as a second language. Jorge first observes what Farhat is doing and describes his actions. He responds to Farhat’s initiatives to communicate and use language.
When you describe the play of children, it is important to find natural moments to do so. Moments in which you are truly enthusiastic or interested in what happens, are perfect. What other moments are triggers for you to describe what you observe?