Engaging Children in the Activities

What is the best way to keep very young children engaged during an activity?

  • Present the parts to an activity sequentially
  • Present in small units
  • Try to keep all children involved
  • Respond to positive efforts and behaviours
  • Individualise instruction on the activity
  • Use humour
  • Take occasional breaks to be more informal
  • Provide outlets for extra energy


     

How do you get the whole group’s attention when providing instructions or explanations?

  • Wait for silence before speaking
  • Use a lower tone
  • Give praise for their attention

    then…
     
  • Establish expectations
  • Relate to prior knowledge
  • Motivate. The fun element!


     

Tips for keeping children engaged during a story time session

  • Take the age of children into account when deciding on the length of the story – young children have very short concentration spans
     
  • Look at the cover illustration to engage children in what the story is likely to be about
     
  • Relate briefly to children’s prior knowledge on the theme
     
  • Bring energy and excitement to the story by varying intonation, using different voices for the characters, using facial expression and physical movements to add dramatic effect
     
  • Draw children's attention to the pictures in the story
     
  • Encourage the children to join in on any short rhymes in the story or repetition etc.
     
  • If there is a repeated action in the story, consider acting this action out and encouraging the children to join in
     
  • Include a short discussion at the end of the story.
    Ask the children what they liked about the story, which character they liked most and why. Ask questions such as ‘What would happen if…’ relating to events/characters in the story.


     

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