Children and Choices

From: Anne Wharff
Email: anne.wharff@illinois.gov
Date: June 05, 2008

Comments

Classrooms can be, and have been, choice-oriented. When learning centers were a popular classroom design, children had a large portion of the morning to choose among the different learning opportunities that had been set up by the teacher. Learning centers included dramatic play, block play, experiences to strengthen small muscle development, etc. Any decision was OK. The length of the learning center time was long enough to allow children finish their tasks. I don't remember a definite way to measure children's outcomes. We didn't keep portfolios but we could have.

We do need to help teachers take what they've learned about teaching and learning and put it into practice in the classroom. We need to give them permission to give children choices, to give children time to process all of the exciting things going on around them. The next step is convince Boards of Directors and parents that children will succeed at school and in life when they learn this way...when we give them choice.