As an early childhood educator there are many factors I take into account when I am developing my program for the children I work with. These factors include the child/rens personality, abilities, interests, needs, social, emotional and physical well-being. Intentional

Teaching includes the above factors of each individual child and actively promotes children’s learning. From my experience, Intentional Teaching benefits not only the child that this specific activity is planned for but other children that may see this activity as an opportunity to scaffold and create new experiences and activities. Every moment is a teachable moment and it is happening all day. It doesn’t have to be a planned experience. Its not what it looks like its what’s happening behind it. It is purposeful, thoughtful and deliberate.

By using strategies like:

• Discussions with children, educators and parents
• Listening
• Using open ended questions
• Scaffolding
• Researching
• Planning the environment
• Taking advantage of unexpected opportunities
• Extending
• Mind maps