Following a Child's Lead: Emergent Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers - Essay Example

The child was able to do what he enjoyed without it being wrong; he learned when it was and when it wasn't okay to make things fall. Another example is a little girl in another class who frequently pinched the other children in the class. The teacher discovered the reasons that she was pinching. She was pinching as a greeting and because she enjoyed the way it felt to make a pinching motion with her fingers. The teacher showed the toddler less hurtful ways to greet her classmates and created toys that would allow the toddler and her classmates to pinch without hurting anyone.

            Life lessons can also be learned through actions initiated by young children.  In one classroom, a teacher turns one child trying to take off her socks into a guided lesson on how to pull off and put on socks.  In another classroom, a  child came in with difficulty separating from her parents.  The teacher noticed the child's interest in books and used books to help the little girl develop her interests and to become less dependent. Children can also learn about the world around them when guided by their teacher. On one playground, a toddler found a snail outside and the other children gathered around to look. The teacher turned this into a discussion on snails and integrated information about snails into the classroom. Later, a salamander was brought in and the children brought in roly polys.  The children even did an experiment to determine what the salamander ate. Another child, who was interested in holes, was led by his teacher to safely explore different holes in the playground. If infants and toddlers are in a classroom with an observant, open-minded teacher, there is so much that can be learned through misbehavior and chance events.