Provide space and time for children to use materials:
To take full advantage of the materials in the classroom, children need an organized environment. A few key elements of the classroom and routine are:

Firstly teachers should divide the class into distinct spaces organized around specific kinds of experiences, for example, house, art, block, toy, and sand and water areas. Each space should be stocked with abundant materials related to that type of play. Secondly, teachers can plan a consistent daily routine so children have opportunities for many different kinds of interactions with people and materials.

A well planned daily routine should consist of:

Plan-work-recall Time: A lengthy segment of the day allotted for children to work throughout the classroom with materials of their own choosing.

Small-group Time: The segment of the day in which children can work in groups of six to eight in one location with similar sets of materials.

Large-group Time: A segment of the day in which the whole group could come together for songs, movement activities, and other large group experiences.

Outside Time: Usually the segment of the day allotted for children to play outside with swings, wheeled toys, outdoor art materials, materials from nature, and so forth.

By choosing materials, planning the arrangement of space, and offering a consistent daily routine, teachers will able to set the stage for children’s active learning. Once the stage is set, teachers can continue to be active and involved—observing children and supporting their initiatives throughout the day.

Seek out children’s intentions:
Teachers should believe that understanding children’s intentions and encouraging children to follow through on them is essential to the learning process. By seeking out children’s intentions, teachers strengthen their sense of initiative and control. They are careful to acknowledge children’s choices and actions. This lets children know that what they are doing is valued. Teachers should often let themselves be guided by the child’s example, thereby demonstrating the importance they place on their intentions.

To ascertain the intentions behind children’s actions, teachers should watch what children do with materials without preconceptions, because children often use materials in unexpected ways.

In addition to seeking out children’s intentions through observation, teachers should also ask children about their intentions. This gives children the opportunity to put their intentions into words and reflect on them. Children’s reflections on their actions are a fundamental part of the learning process. Listening for and encouraging each child’s particular way of thinking strengthens the child’s emerging thinking and reasoning abilities. Teachers should listen to children as they work and play so they can understand from their spontaneous comments how they are thinking about what they are doing.

Another way that teachers can encourage children to reflect is to converse with them about what they are doing and thinking. As they converse with children, teachers should be able to focus on the child’s actions rather than introduce unrelated topics. Instead of lecturing children or asking a lot of questions, teachers should make frequent comments that repeat, amplify, and build on what the child says. In the course of these conversations, teachers can pause frequently to give children ample time to think and gather their thoughts into words.