Timing Matters: Enhancing Learning through Timely Experiences and Activities

Childhood Development: The Role of Timing in Meaningful Learning 

If you have ever taken a course on early childhood cognitive development, you can appreciate the significance of real experiences in facilitating meaningful learning. Let's consider the link between childhood development and the timing of activities we have planned.

Teachable Moments

Timing is a crucial factor, as exemplified by a fictitious comparison of two teachers in Maryland. Let's consider the experiences of Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Baker, both kindergarten teachers, to highlight the significance of timing in educational activities.

Mrs. Watson's Activity

Mrs. Watson planned for her students to draw pictures of snowmen on the first day back from the winter break in January. However, due to the absence of snowfall for over 18 months, her students have no memorable experience with snow. Despite this, she tasked the children with drawing snowmen, relying solely on photos from a book she read about snowmen on the same day.

Mrs. Baker's Activity

On the other hand, Mrs. Baker, a kindergarten teacher in the same state of Maryland, brings a poinsettia plant into the classroom on the first day back from the winter break. Her students get to view the poinsettia plant, and she asks them to draw a picture based on their real experience of seeing poinsettias, considering their encounters with the plants during the previous month of December.

Contrasting Approaches in Seasonal Learning Activities

Mrs. Watson's goal was to have a seasonal display on a bulletin board for January, but without the actual snowfall experience, she could not create the authentic connection she desired. Meanwhile, Mrs. Baker focuses on allowing her students to make symbolic representations of a poinsettia plant based on their genuine encounters with the flower. She effectively incorporates their real experiences and timing to enhance their learning.

Our adult perspective often leans towards beginning activities at the start of an event. However, adopting Mrs. Baker's approach is exemplary. 

Optimizing Timing for Authentic Connections

Let's revisit Mrs. Watson's activity and explore an alternative approach that would have been more effective. Rather than having her students draw snowmen on the first day back from the winter break in January, Mrs. Watson could have waited until a snowfall occurred, even if it meant postponing the activity until March. By aligning the timing with an actual snowfall experience, the students would have a genuine connection to the subject matter, fostering more meaningful learning.

Applying Timely Experiences to Summer-Themed Learning Activities

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the most suitable time for summer-related activities is not in May or at the end of the school year. Rather, it is during the late summer or as a back-to-school activity. This duration is when most of your students have recently had a memorable experience, such as a visit to the beach. For kindergarten children, who may struggle to recall a beach vacation ten months earlier (at age four), it is essential to consider the timing that aligns with their experiences. A summer activity or beach theme unit in May or early June is not ideal. 

By evaluating the significance of timing and real experiences, educators can create more meaningful and effective learning opportunities for their students. To align our learning activities with our students' first-hand experiences, we can coin the phrases "Summer in September" and "Snowmen in March" as we rethink the timing of our educational initiatives. 

© 2023 Molly McMahon, Lessons by Molly