The approach of this curriculum is to treat learning as a process. Leaders are encouraged to allow children to be creative. Making the materials available will enable children to do the creative work at their own level of understanding and to experience the joy of discovery. Conversation

Use conversation to clarify misconceptions and incomplete ideas. Conversations can start with:

"Tell me about your picture." Comment on the colors; allow children to describe their art work.

Talk about how the child is feeling and what he or she is expressing.

Guidelines for Conversation

• Use a quiet speaking voice. Children are more likely to respond favorably to normal sound levels than to shouts. A pleasant voice has a calming, soothing effect.

• Use model language: complete sentences, short sentences, simple sentences.

• Use repetition and expansion. Repeat what children say and make corrections or expansions in a matter-of-fact way.

• Recognize and accept feelings, then redirect the child to a positive attitude or action: "I can tell you're bored. Here are two choices of things you can do."

• Accept ideas, praise and encourage: "I like the way you used the yellow color in your picture." "I can tell you have a lot of ideas." "Good thinking!"

• Use "how," "what," "why" and "when" questions. Avoid the use of questions that can be answered with a "yes" or "no."

• Allow time for individual conversation with children.

• Develop a vocabulary for feelings. Expand happy with: joyful, warm, friendly, elated, glad, pleased, encouraged, excited, peaceful. Expand sad with: scared, left out, unhappy, puzzled, discouraged, jumpy, anxious, tense, furious, annoyed.

Avoid Symbolism

Be careful that the real message is not hidden in symbolic ideas. Use words that mean what they say.

Explain Meanings of Words to Children

Ask questions to find out the level of their understanding. To gain acceptance children often imitate words used by adults, but their real understanding is based on continual and consistent explanation at their level of understanding.

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