Home icon

About this Video

The video takes place in a toddler room of a university laboratory child care and preschool. As children are arriving for the day, they are free to choose an activity. Devan (27 months) and Max (19 months) are at the easel. Their teacher, Connie, is next to them observing and commenting on their interactions. She facilitates a child-to-child interaction for one child to share a marker with another child. This is a nice example of the caregiver reading the cues of the child and assisting them through an interaction that had the potential for conflict.

Video

Transcript

Devan: D, D, D

Connie: That’s a D. What do you think, Max? Would you like … would you like to write some, too?

Max holds out his hand to ask for a marker.

Connie: (to Devan) Can he have one of yours?

Connie: (to Max, who is reaching for a marker) Wait. Put your hand out. Say “Can I have one?”

Connie: (to Devan) Can Max have one? Which one can he have? The blue one or the purple one? Which one can Max have?

Max takes a marker from Devan.

Connie: Oh, Max, here wait.

Connie gives the marker back to Devan.

Connie: Let’s let Devan give that to you. Do you want … put your hand out. (To Devan) Can he have the blue one or the purple one?

Devan: Blue

Connie: Blue one. Alright! Thank you, Devan.

Both boys begin to draw at the easel.

Connie: Max is going to make some circles.

Devan: I make circle!

Connie: You did. You made some purple circles. Max is making some blue circles.

Devan watches Max as he draws and begins to imitate him. He then makes quick marks and both boys begin saying “dot, dot, dot” as they are drawing. They take turns saying this.

Devan makes small circles.

Connie: Little tiny ones.

Devan: A big one!

Connie: A big one.

Illinois Early Learning Guidelines for Children Birth to Age Three and strategies that caregivers used

Self-Regulation: Foundation of Development
Emotional Regulation
Children demonstrate the emerging ability to identify and manage the expression of emotion in accordance with social and cultural contexts.

  • Indicators for children (16-24 months): Remain physically and emotionally available for the child
  • Strategies for interaction (21-36 months): Remain physically and emotionally available for the child
  • Action: The teacher was physically and emotionally available to both children as they were negotiating which marker to use.

Self-Regulation: Foundation of Development
Behavior Regulation
Children demonstrate the emerging ability to manage and adjust behaviors in accordance with social and cultural contexts.

  • Strategies for interaction (16-24 months): Provide the child with clear limits and provide reminders of them through the day
  • Strategies for interaction (21-36 months): Be consistent in limit-setting and responses
  • Action: The teacher provided clear limits for both children when Max wanted the marker and Devan was not sure that he wanted to share.

Developmental Domain 1: Social & Emotional Development
Relationship with Peers
Children demonstrate the desire and develop the ability to engage and interact with other children.

  • Strategies for interaction (16-24 months): Recognize and respond thoughtfully to the child’s verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Strategies for interaction (21-36 months): Provide activities that encourage sharing, while limiting the risk for frustration
  • Action: The teacher recognized and responded to Max’s nonverbal cue that he wanted to use a marker. She helped Devan through the interaction and acknowledged when they shared the markers. Finally, the teacher allowed them to engage in parallel play at the easel.

Developmental Domain 2: Physical Development & Health
Fine Motor
Children demonstrate the ability to coordinate their small muscles in order to move and control objects.

  • Strategies for interaction (16-24 months): Provide the child opportunities to scribble with crayons, or use chalk on sidewalk
  • Strategies for interaction (21-36 months): Provide experiences and objects that promote fine-motor development
  • Action: The teacher set up an easel with paper and markers.

Developmental Domain 3: Language Development, Communication, & Literacy
Receptive Communication
Children demonstrate the ability to comprehend both verbal and nonverbal communication.

  • Strategies for interaction (16-24 months):
    • Use gestures while asking the child to complete actions
    • Ask the child questions while engaged in interactions and activities
  • Action: The teacher facilitated an appropriate negotiation between the boys, with both boys responding to her requests.

Developmental Domain 3: Language Development, Communication, & Literacy
Expressive Communication
Children demonstrate the ability to understand and convey thoughts through both nonverbal and verbal expression.

  • Strategies for interaction (16-24 months): Acknowledge and extend what the child is expressing
  • Strategies for interaction (21-36 months): Model but do not correct when the child is speaking
  • Action: The teacher acknowledged Max’s attempt to request the marker and modeled words for both Max and Devan to use to complete the exchange.

Developmental Domain 4: Cognitive Development
Spatial Relationships
Children demonstrate an awareness of how objects and people move and fit in space.

  • Strategies for interaction (21-36 months): Describe everyday objects by size, shape, and other characteristics
  • Action: The teacher described Max’s and Devan’s drawings by size, shape, and color.

Approaches to Learning
Problem Solving
Children attempt a variety of strategies to accomplish tasks, overcome obstacles, and find solutions to tasks, questions, and challenges.

  • Strategies for interaction (16-24 months): Narrate while assisting the child in figuring out a solution
  • Strategies for interaction (21-36 months): Model and narrate problem-solving skills through play
  • Action: The teacher narrated for both children when seeking a solution to the problem. The boys were then very proud when the problem had been solved and they could both draw at the easel.