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Cognitive Development: Interactions that Support Learning

Relationships are critical for development from birth through childhood and adolescence. This lesson will focus on ways you can help staff members interact with children to support play, exploration, and learning.

Objectives
  • Describe the importance of relationships to cognitive development.
  • Discuss the role of culture in interactions.
  • Identify ways you help staff build interactions that support play, exploration, and learning in your program.

Learn

Teach

The Importance of Relationships

One of the most important findings from modern brain research is how critical others are to the developing brain. As Ellen Galinsky says, “there is no development without relationships.” Relationships are central to all of your work. The importance of relationships is a theme you will see in almost every course on the Virtual Lab School. Relationships will be covered in greater depth in the Families course, but they are also crucial for promoting cognitive development.

Relationships don't just happen. They take time to develop and deepen. According to Janet Gonzalez-Mena and Dianne Widmeyer Eyer, relationships grow from interactions that are respectful, responsive and reciprocal. These types of interactions build security and confidence in children and youth and support them in becoming capable learners.  

For a powerful example of the importance of interactions, consider the famous “Still Face Experiment.” In this experiment, caregivers were asked to interact playfully with an infant. Then they were asked to look away and remain unresponsive for a period of time. Researchers found that infants became quite distressed by the sudden unresponsiveness of the adult. These experiments have been used to investigate many aspects of parent-child attachment, social emotional development, and cognitive development. Daily interactions matter!

Interactions that Support Learning

Scientists have recently started to describe the “serve and return” style of interactions and their impact on brain development. Interactions literally change the brain. To learn more, you can watch Harvard University's "Serve and Return Interaction Shapes Brain Chemistry" video to see how interactions influence the developing brain.

This lesson, and the lessons completed by direct care staff members, covered two essential aspects of interactions: physical and verbal. Physical interactions include play. Verbal interactions include encouragement and conversations.

Physical Interactions

It is often said that play is children’s work. Play is the time when children explore their interests. This is true for infants as well as school-age children and youth. As they explore materials, interact with other children, and create new ways of playing, they are learning. Some challenges during play and learning are expected and OK. Allowing children time to work through an issue gives them time to solve the problem and builds their self-confidence. You can model something, such zipping your own coat, and then encourage them to give it a try. Providing just enough help to keep frustration at a minimum motivates children to learn new skills. This concept is referred to as “scaffolding,” a term coined by developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky. As the child learns how to avoid frustration with each step, the adult can provide less and less support.

Scaffolding is a method of support that helps a child learn a new skill. According to Vygotsky, scaffolding occurs in the zone of proximal development. ZPD is the difference between what a child can do independently and what they can do with the support of someone who is more experienced. Scaffolding requires the following, which can be obtained through thoughtful observations and interactions (Gillespie & Greenberg, 2017):

  • Understanding of child and youth development
  • Understanding the ways children approach learning
  • Establishing realistic learning objectives
  • Matching strategies to each child’s interests, knowledge, and skills

Adults can increase learning by interacting with children during play in different ways:

  • Remaining close during periods of play or free time and providing occasional support or problem-solving assistance.
  • Modeling complex ideas. They can build a tower with blocks. They can shake a rattle. They can experiment with mixing paints. They can create rockets with children in the school-age program. In short, they can be involved in learning experiences.
  • Imitating and expanding children’s ideas. If an infant waves, the adult waves back and says “Hi.” If a toddler or preschooler begins to dance, the adult adds a movement and sings a song. If a school-age child tosses a basketball, the adult tosses it back and suggests a game.
  • Helping children expand their play by offering interesting materials and by asking open-ended questions about what the child is doing or going to do.
  • Modeling complex vocabulary words or focusing on key skills from the curriculum. For example, an adult might comment on the “stethoscope” in the dramatic play doctor’s office. Or an adult who knows children are working on identifying insects might provide magnifying glasses, soil, and plastic insects in the sensory table.
  • Involving children and youth in decision-making and problem-solving during play.

Verbal Interactions

Children and youth want and need adults to interact with them. They desire human interaction. The amount and types of interaction they desire during play and learning will differ among children and the types of experiences they are involved in. Adults should always be available. Here are some strategies direct care staff members learned in their courses and that you can help adults use to promote learning with children of all ages:

  • Use children’s names throughout the day, being sure to pronounce them correctly, and make sure children know adults are interested in their ideas.
  • Use rich vocabulary and descriptive language. For example, with a young toddler a staff member might say: “You stacked two green blocks on top of the red block.” Using the word “stacked” instead of “put” or “placed” introduces new language; using color names reinforces color identification; using “on top” is a directional word; and the number “two” supports math concepts; all of these expand learning in an appropriate way. With school-age youth, a staff member might take children on a nature walk around the “perimeter of the facility” or notice the “aromas” coming from the cooking activity.
  • Converse and ask questions during play, learning and everyday routines. Consider these examples from across the age span, and notice that similar scenarios across age groups require different kinds of responses from adults:

See Say Do

 

Scenario

What you see:

Jeremy’s block tower is almost as tall as he is. As he reaches to add one more block, he looks at you and smiles.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • What do you think will happen?
  • Wow! Look how tall it is. I wonder how high it can go.
  • It looks like Bobbie has an idea to help. Bobbie, what can we try?

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Count the blocks as they are stacked.
  • Help balance a block to make it easier to build or offer a smaller block for the top.

Scenario

What you see:

A 6-month-old is exploring a bin of colorful fabrics.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • You look so fascinated by the fabrics!
  • How does it feel on your skin? Oh, is it so soft?
  • What do you see in there? Let’s take a look together.
  • I notice this one has stripes. What happens when you shake it?

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Wave the fabrics to show a new or interesting way to explore.
  • Offer fabrics the child hasn’t touched yet and describe the texture or pattern.

Scenario

What you see:

Felix and Olivia are trying to fill buckets with water in the sensory table, but they are using cups that are designed with holes in the bottom. All the water drips out before they can pour it into the bucket.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • This reminds me of the cups we have in the sand box that let the sand drain through the bottom.
  • What would happen if you covered the bottom with your hand?
  • What’s different about this scoop?
  • What happens when I fill this cup with water?
  • I wonder where we could find other tools to fill the bucket.

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Provide a measuring cup or scoop.
  • Move the bucket closer to the children.

Scenario

What you see:

Jayla is frustrated that she can’t get the box of blocks back on the shelf. You notice other blocks have fallen and are in the way.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • Look over here.
  • Let’s ask a friend for some help.
  • I’m noticing something’s in the way. Let’s look at some options…

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Point out the blocks that are in the way.
  • Move a block out of the way to make it easier for Jayla to figure out the solution.

Scenario

What you see:

Three children have noticed a bird nest in the tree outside the playground fence. They really want to get closer to the nest.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • You look really curious about something. What do you see? What do you hear?
  • What do you notice about the nest?
  • What do you think is happening in the nest?
  • What tools could we use to get a closer look without disturbing the babies?
  • I notice the mother bird chirping loudly right now. Why do you think she is doing that?

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Provide safe binoculars.
  • Take a photo of the nest with a zoom lens. Look at details together from a safe distance.
  • Create a “viewing spot” that is a safe distance away from the nest.
  • Bring in books about nests and the species of bird.

Scenario

What you see:

D’Angelo and Kaitlyn are trying to build a ramp for cars to race down, but it keeps falling. They are starting to look frustrated.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • This reminds me of the ramp we built outside yesterday. Do you remember what we used to keep that ramp from falling?
  • Let’s go look at the ramp for ideas.
  • What’s the same or different?
  • Do you think this part is big enough/ small enough?

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Point out ideas that might help the children figure out the problem.
  • Move a few pieces around to help make it easier.

Scenario

What you see:

Jose is frustrated that he can’t get the model plane wings constructed like they look in the directions.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • Did you notice that this piece looks different?
  • Let’s ask a friend for some help.
  • Remember when we built the model truck, and we had to use glue. Do you think that would work?

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Hold the pieces for Jose while he works on connecting them.
  • Point out the pieces he needs.

Scenario

What you see:

Three children have noticed a bird nest in the tree outside the fence. They are very concerned about the well-being of the baby birds.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • What are you concerned about? What might threaten them? What keeps them safe?
  • What do you think is happening in the nest?
  • What tools could we use to get a closer look without disturbing the babies?
  • How could we monitor the nest? What could we do to let others know a nest is nearby?

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Provide safe binoculars.
  • Provide materials for the school-age children to create signs about the nesting area.
  • Take a photo of the nest with a zoom lens. Look at details together from a safe distance.
  • Create a “viewing spot” that is a safe distance away from the nest.
  • Bring in books about nests and the species of bird.

Scenario

What you see:

Dominic and Ashley are playing pool. Dominic is having a hard time getting any balls into the pockets.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • What would happen if you stood over here and hit? Why do you think that happened?
  • Did you notice how the ball bounced when you hit it? Why do you think that happened?
  • Watch this. How is my hand different?

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Point out where to hit the ball.
  • Show him where to stand.
  • Avoid the tendency to tell children what to do, what will happen, or what they are thinking. You may know what will happen when they pour sand through a sieve, but letting them figure it out allows learning to happen and encourages further learning. Telling them what will happen takes away that moment of discovery. A better option would be to ask what happened to the sand after it was poured into the sieve.
  • Be patient after asking a question or making a statement. Allow time to process what was said. Too many questions can impede the natural learning process.
  • Challenge stereotypes that children express or that are expressed in the media (race, ethnicity, language, disability, sexuality, gender, language, etc.). Create a space where staff and children feel comfortable talking about identities, differences, and similarities.

The Role of Culture in Interactions

Elements of culture affect every part of our life. Think about your childhood and the way you were raised. Did your family value independence or family loyalty? What were your parents' attitudes and beliefs about how children should interact with adults? What were your family's views about the role of parents in their children's education? Did your family believe that parents should take an active role, or did they think that a child's education is best left in the hands of teachers and other educators? How you answer these questions is influenced by your culture and upbringing and will likely influence how you interact with children.

Children enter our programs with unique backgrounds and experiences. Knowing children's backgrounds and preferences is the heart of developmentally appropriate practice. You can use this information to send the message, "You belong here." By acknowledging, respecting, and celebrating the cultures and traditions of the children, parents, and staff in your own program setting, you promote a sense of belonging and community. For example, some children and staff may enter your program with a first language other than English. Be prepared to build upon the language assets that these children and staff bring. See the Supporting Language Diversity focused topic for more ideas and information.

Be aware of how your interactions- and those of staff- support the learning of all children. Watch for evidence of bias like:

  • Do you comment equally on girls' and boys' appearances and accomplishments?
  • Do you praise African American boys for their athleticism more than their academic achievements?
  • Do you comment on children's size (e.g., "He's going to be a football player")?
  • Do you encourage girls and boys to play sports or lift weights? Do you encourage girls to "be careful" while saying "boys will be boys"?
  • Do you encourage peaceful solutions for all children (e.g., avoid giving directions like not hitting kids with glasses)?
  • Do you have conversations with all children-including those who may have speech and language difficulties or who are learning English?

When it comes to being culturally relevant, children and youth need opportunities to learn about their world and their community. Their community includes their families, staff and their other caregivers, your program, and their neighborhoods. Consider working with staff to implement the following strategies across your program:

  • Support the home language of children and their families by learning a few words from the child’s native language to help them feel more comfortable. Work with staff to identify resources for learning common words and phrases of the languages spoken in your program.
  • Maintain open communication with families on what materials you are providing to support their child’s cognitive development. Work with staff on newsletters, resource libraries, and other communication. Be available to answer families’ questions.
  • Ensure each classroom or program library features books with children of many different races, religions, and cultures.
  • Work with management to ensure the program’s displays reflect a commitment to cultural and linguistic diversity. Choose artwork, posters, and decorations that honor global traditions.
  • Ensure staff have access to paint, paper, and crayons that represent the range of human skin tones and that children can choose materials they want to use.
  • Talk with other staff about how the program honors holidays. If staff talk about Christmas or Halloween, for example, make sure they also know and discuss additional holidays that are important to families like the Lunar New Year, Ramadan, and Diwali.

When you and staff offer culturally relevant activities and materials that are based on children’s real-life experiences you are supporting their cognitive development.

Model

Take the time to model the following behaviors that support cognitive development:

  • Get to know the children in your programs by name. Greet them and their families. Notice their efforts and accomplishments.
  • Join activities, play with children, or read to babies whenever you have a chance. Structure your schedule so you have opportunities for quality time with children and staff.
  • Show staff that you enjoy your job and enjoy spending time with them! Have rich and interesting conversations with staff members throughout the week.
  • Model an inclusive attitude. If you see any examples of bias in your programs, say something. Model unbiased language and interactions. Make it clear that men and women can be equally strong and nurturing, that we all benefit from a range of experiences, and that our labels do not define our interests or abilities.

Observe

Remember your role is to empower staff members. You support them as they grow professionally. It can be tempting to jump in and "fix" problems for staff members. It is important to take a long view of staff development. It is your role to help them build skill and confidence in their work. They can only do that if you empower them to solve problems, make decisions, and reflect upon their own work. You play an important role in helping them think about how their interactions promote development.

In the following video, you will see several scenarios that involve interactions between children and staff members. As you watch, think about how you might empower the staff members to think about ways to strengthen their interactions and support cognitive development. How might you support each staff member?

Helping Staff Support Cognitive Development: Interactions

Think about ways you can help staff support cognitive development

See Say Do

 

Scenario

What you see:

  • Toddlers sitting around the table.
  • Staff members comment on how pretty the girls are.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • “I noticed something today that I think could be really interesting for us, as a team, to think about: I noticed when I came in today and picked up Bryce, I automatically called him a “big guy.” And when I walked over to the table, you and I talked together about how pretty the girls were. I want to be fairer about gender. How could we help each other give the infants clearer messages about boys and girls?”

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Offer to observe and collect data on what staff members say to boys and girls; share back and reflect.
  • Encourage staff to self-monitor the way they talk to boys and girls.

Scenario

What you see:

  • Child who is learning English as a second language is attempting to join play.
  • She gets closer to other children and makes animal noises. Tries to get the other children’s attention. No adult is nearby.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • “I noticed Alisha was really interested in what Micah was doing in the block area. What have you noticed about how she and the other children play?”
  • “What do you think would have happened if you were sitting in the block area, too?”
  • “It looked like Alisha was trying hard to play with other children today. How does she usually get your attention or children’s attention?”

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Offer to help observe Alisha over several days and share your notes.
  • Model strategies for helping Alisha communicate with peers (sitting near the children and promoting language).
  • Spend time with the teacher looking into social toys or games that might interest Alisha and spark language.

Scenario

What you see:

  • Two girls are playing on bars outside.
  • Adults and peers encourage the child with a special need to try other things, but she persists.

You Say

What staff might say to support thinking skills:

  • “Tell me more about what Sophia likes to do on the playground.  Why do you think she likes it?”
  • “Let’s take Sophia’s perspective for a minute. What do you think would have been the best thing, in her opinion, that could have happened on the playground? How could we help her experience that?”
  • “I noticed Sophia getting frustrated on the playground today. What was happening? How could we help her do the same things her peers are doing if she chooses?”
  • “How can we make sure Sophia has the same opportunities to be challenged and to make choices as every other child?”

You Do

What staff might do to support thinking skills:

  • Brainstorm with staff and managers about ways the playground could be adapted to meet a wider range of skills and strengths.
  • Model problem-solving and support with Sophia.

As you move through the program and interact with staff members, watch staff members’ interactions with children. As you observe, watch to see if the teachers and children enjoy being with one another, if they demonstrate respect for one another, if teachers are responsive to the needs of the students and provide extra support when necessary. Equally important is to recognize when children and youth are not being supported emotionally. If teachers are angry or disrespectful or have to use threats to maintain control, the teacher is negatively affecting children and youth development, and it needs to be addressed immediately.

Explore

Sometimes we all struggle with knowing how to respond to others. Read the scenarios in the What Do I Say Now? activity as you think about how you would respond. How would you start a conversation with the staff member? Think about how they might influence cognitive development for children or youth. After you have completed the scenarios, compare your responses to the suggested answers.

Apply

Conduct your very own scavenger hunt by looking for interactions that support learning in your program. Use the Interactions that Support Learning: Scavenger Hunt activity to help you look at your program in a creative way. An extension of this activity could include creating a bulletin board with pictures and descriptions of staff members using these strategies.

Use the Questions that Support Thinking Skills guide as a resource with staff members. Consider using it to start a discussion during a training meeting, providing it as a follow-up to an activity about high-quality questions, posting it in classrooms, or using it to provide feedback and examples during individual observations and meetings with staff.

 

Demonstrate

True or False? Learning even a few phrases in a child’s home language can support cognitive development.
You observe a staff member and notice that he does not interact with children during play. What suggestions can you make?
Which of the following is an appropriate way for a staff member to respond to a child’s questions about a child who uses a walker?
References & Resources

Aguilar, E. (2020). Coaching for equity. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Cultivate Learning (n.d.). Expanded learning opportunities: Two-minute tips expanding cognition. https://cultivatelearning.uw.edu/expanded-learning-opportunities/

Gillespie, L. & Greenberg, J. (2017). Rocking and rolling: Empowering infants’ and toddlers’ learning through scaffolding. Young Children, 72(2).

Derman-Sparks, L. & Olsen Edwards, J. (2019). Understanding anti-bias education: Bringing the four core goals to every facet of your curriculum. Young Children, 74(5).

Epstein, A. (2014). The intentional teacher: choosing the best strategies for young children’s learning (rev. ed.). National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Gestwicki, C. (2016). Developmentally appropriate practice: Curriculum and development in early education (6th ed.). Cengage Learning, Inc.

Head Start National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning. (2015). Fostering children’s thinking skills

Justice, L.M. (2004). Creating language-rich preschool classroom environments. Teaching Exceptional Children, 37 (2), 36-44.

Mooney, C. (2013). Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky (2nd ed.). Redleaf Press.