51吃瓜网

Early childhood is a pivotal time in a child鈥檚 lifelong learning path. As early childhood educators, we have the opportunity to create meaningful experiences that can positively impact learners鈥� development across content areas and developmental domains. The ways we intentionally communicate with learners can determine the effectiveness of their learning experiences: Do we use language intentionally? How do we communicate to children what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they will know when they have learned it? This is听communicating听with clarity.

Communicating with clarity is essential in all early childhood settings and across all developmental domains. It requires educators to use a variety of instructional modes and intentional,听language-based听interactions with children (Thunder et al. 2022). Such intentionality fits into the framework of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) by creating opportunities for educators to respond to each and every child鈥檚 individuality and contexts (51吃瓜网 2020). It also creates opportunities for educators to better communicate and partner with families in respectful and reciprocal relationships (Thunder et al. 2022).

We (the authors) are educators who are passionate about developing the expertise of teachers by translating research into practice. We each bring unique perspectives to early childhood from our current and previous roles as early childhood teachers, special educators, instructional coaches, methods professors, and directors of child development and preschool programs. We have written extensively about communicating with clarity and intentionally empowering children to drive their learning. In this article, we define clarity and the role it plays in learning, then we outline four essential strategies that early childhood educators can follow to communicate with clarity in their settings. We show these essentials in action across a variety of early learning activities. We conclude with questions educators can ask as they reflect on their current practices and take action to communicate with clarity in their听learning settings.

What Is Clarity听for Learning?

Clarity for learning is an essential component in early childhood education (Titsworth et al. 2015; Thunder et al. 2023). It refers to educators鈥� and learners鈥� awareness of the what, why, and how of learning (Corwin Visible Learning Plus, n.d.). For teaching to positively impact each child鈥檚 development and learning, educators, learners, and families must have a clear understanding of the intentions鈥攐r goals鈥攐f a learning experience and the criteria for attaining those goals. Communicating these intentions with clarity requires more than just providing directions at a learning center or at the beginning of an instructional activity. Rather, it asks educators to create a sense of purpose so that children see the relevance, meaningfulness, and authenticity of each experience and have agency in their learning (Thunder, Almarode, &听Hattie 2021).

Early childhood educators begin the work of communicating with clarity by considering three guiding questions from听children鈥檚 perspectives:

• 鈥淲hat am I learning today?鈥� (learning intention)
• 鈥淲hy am I learning听this?鈥� (relevance)
• 鈥淗ow will I know when I have learned it?鈥� (success criteria)

When children can answer these questions, their learning is purposeful and impactful (Thunder, Almarode, & Hattie 2021). These questions are not stale statements; rather, they are the heart of dialogue, questioning, collaboration, personalized learning, and the development of self-regulation (Almarode et al. 2021). They serve as a compass for young learners to engage in the individual lines of inquiry that spontaneously arise during all learning experiences,听including play.

Knowing the learning intention, relevance, and success criteria of an activity empowers young children to see the necessary ingredients of mastery and then be able to identify what they already know and can do and what they are ready to try next (Almarode et al. 2021). While the specific words used may differ from teacher to teacher and learner to learner, the meaning of these questions and their answers should be accessibly shared, received, and acted on听by all.

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Considering Children鈥檚 Individuality听and Contexts

Communicating with clarity begins during a teacher鈥檚 planning process. As early childhood educators outline learning goals and plan specific activities, they must consider each child鈥檚 individual strengths, needs, and social contexts along with the general expectations and progressions of learning based on an understanding of child development (51吃瓜网 2020). When fashioning specific learning intentions, their relevance, and what it will look and sound like to demonstrate mastery of the learning (success criteria), educators must consider many factors. These include developmental variability; children鈥檚 prior opportunities, access, and familiar contexts; and cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity (Thunder et al. 2022), which resonate with the three core considerations within the DAP framework (51吃瓜网 2020).

Focusing on the what, why, and how of learning supports both learners and educators to notice and value children鈥檚 funds of knowledge (Ve虂lez-Iba虂n虄ez & Greenberg 1992) and to intentionally move each and every child鈥檚 learning and development forward. By pairing intentional language with exploration, inquiry, modeling, and an array of other teaching strategies, educators encourage children to make connections, actively engage, self-monitor, and grow within their learning environments. Communicating with clarity scaffolds young children鈥檚 access to and ownership of their learning journeys (Thunder et al. 2022; Frey, Fisher, &听Almarode 2023).

Communicating with Clarity: Essentials听and Examples

Educators can implement four essential strategies to ensure each and every child has the opportunity and access to understand and express听their learning:

• Use visuals听alongside academic vocabulary to help learners articulate what they are learning and connect multiple representations with听academic vocabulary.
• Demonstrate high-order thinking skills and processes听by modeling (thinking aloud) the connections between what children are learning听and why.
• Explicitly teach metacognitive skills听through questioning so that learners are guided to think about their听own learning.
• Provide scaffolds听(models, visual checklists, exemplars) to support learners as they begin to monitor their learning progress and to know what it looks and sounds like to meet the听success criteria.

These essential strategies strive to make the what, why, and how of learning visible by modeling and scaffolding learners with multiple means of engaging, representing, and expressing their learning (CAST 2018). Through language, actions, objects, visuals, and interactions, the essentials also aim to leverage each child鈥檚 rich funds of knowledge and to communicate that they are capable of deep thinking and learning. These language-based, multimodal, and integrated attributes of communicating with clarity are essential to create equity in diverse, inclusive settings (51吃瓜网 2019).

Following, we present three learning activities that illustrate educators communicating with clarity. These come from the classrooms of Kateri and Alisha (the first and fifth authors, respectively). Kateri and Alisha teach in the same Title 1 public elementary school that serves about 300 students from prekindergarten (4-year-olds) through fourth grade. Kateri teaches an inclusive prekindergarten class of 18 children who meet specific criteria outlined by the school division and state to mean they are 鈥渁t risk鈥� of not entering kindergarten ready and are unserved by the federal Head Start program. Alisha teaches an inclusive kindergarten class of 24 children in a state where kindergarten is compulsory and in a community where nearly 40 languages are spoken. Each example opens with ways a child might answer the guiding questions related to learning intentions, relevance, and success criteria. Each essential strategy is noted in bold. (See 鈥淐ommunicating with Clarity in Action鈥� at the end of this article for听more information.)

Whole-Group Lesson on听Number Composition

Alisha鈥檚 kindergartners are in the middle of an addition and subtraction unit. Yesterday, they explored number combinations to 5 using multiple representations, and they created an anchor chart of their work. Today, they will extend their work to number combinations up听to 10.

At the beginning of the lesson, Alisha introduces the children to what they will be learning, why they are learning it, and how they will know when they have learned it. Yet rather than reading these objectives aloud or using the phrases听learning intention,听relevance, and听success criteria, Alisha asks the children to analyze the anchor chart (pictured to the right) to make sense of the experience to come and what they can expect to learn.听(Use visuals;听provide scaffolds.)

鈥淟ooking at our work about the number 5,鈥� she says, 鈥渨here do you see evidence that we can identify the parts that make a number?鈥澨�(Teach metacognitive skills.)听The children share the ways 5 is broken into two parts on each model on the anchor chart. Their discussion deepens as Jayden wonders, 鈥淐an a number be more than two parts?鈥� Children respond with examples (鈥�5 is made of 2 and 1 and 2.鈥�) and nonexamples (鈥�1 can only break into 1 and 0.鈥�). The children know they can pose and answer mathematically听rigorous questions.

Looking at the anchor chart, Alisha says, 鈥淚 remember from this example that听compose听means put together, and听decompose听means break apart. In the table, we show many ways to decompose 5 into two parts, like 1 and 4. On the ten-frame, we show decomposing 5 into 3 and 2 and also composing by putting the dots together to make one row of 5. Now we鈥檙e wondering if 5 can be decomposed into more than two parts. What鈥檚 another way you could describe our work using the terms听compose听and听诲别肠辞尘辫辞蝉别?鈥�听(Demonstrate听high-order听thinking skills.)听Learners share their thinking and practice using this听academic vocabulary.

Finally, Alisha asks, 鈥淲ere we able to represent parts of 5 in different ways? What evidence do you see?鈥� The children turn and talk with a partner to explain their thinking听(teach metacognitive skills),听pointing to the anchor chart frequently and sharing ideas about other manipulatives that could represent听part-whole听relationships, such as Cuisenaire rods, animal counters, and dice.

Independent Sorting Across听Content Areas

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Kateri鈥檚 prekindergarten class has been sorting to explore the planned learning intention. Together, they have created a list of attributes (see听photo below).

Now, learners are spread across the room, working independently on a variety of cross-curricular tasks that involve sorting. Children are sorting number sets, rhyming objects, and collections of buttons, shapes, and vehicles. Each of their activity tubs has a laminated image of the success criteria.听(Use visuals; provide scaffolds.)听(See the photo below for听an example.)

Kateri moves from learner to learner to confer and actively connect their independent practice to the learning intention and success criteria. She stops next to Reine and asks, 鈥淲hat are you learning?鈥澨�(Teach听metacognitive skills.)

Reine replies, 鈥淚鈥檓 sorting.鈥�

鈥淲hat are you sorting?鈥澨齂ateri asks.

鈥淭hese little toys.鈥� Reine points to a filled tub with objects poking out. On the outside, there is a laminated image (shown below) similar to Reine鈥檚 work.听(Use visuals;听provide scaffolds.)

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Kateri points to the image and says, 鈥淚 see your work is set up like this picture. You鈥檙e putting the toys onto the chart. How do you decide where to sort the toys?鈥澨�(Teach听metacognitive skills.)

Reine explains, 鈥淲hen they start the same, they go together.鈥� She digs into the tub and pulls out a small plastic web. 鈥淲eb,鈥� she says, then looks at her chart. 鈥淲eb, jug. Web, kite. Web, light. Web, window! It goes here!鈥� Reine puts the web under the image of a window, leans back, and announces, 鈥淚鈥檓 done!鈥�

Kateri digs deeper. 鈥淵ou listened for the word with the same initial sound as window.听Web,听window. What sound do they both start with?鈥澨�(Demonstrate
high-order听thinking skills.)

鈥�/w/鈥澨齊eine replies.

鈥淚 see you鈥檝e sorted everything in the tub. Let鈥檚 use the image to check if you鈥檝e learned to sort by initial sound,鈥� Kateri says. She then references the success criteria photo. 鈥淒oes your work look like this picture?鈥澨�(Use images;听provide scaffolds.)

Reine looks at the image and her听chart. 鈥淵es.鈥�

鈥淵ou just explained and showed how you decided where to sort the toys by their first sound. You can sort by initial sound. Next, can you read your sort?鈥澨齂ateri asks.

Reine reads the headers and names the objects underneath. 鈥淛ug, jet, jellyfish, koala.鈥� She pauses and picks up听the koala.

Kateri asks, 鈥淲hat are you thinking?鈥澨�(Teach听metacognitive skills.)

Reine looks at the koala and says, 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 sound the same. Koala. /k/. That should go with kite.鈥� She moves the koala and returns to reading the sort. When she finishes, she looks up with a听big smile.

鈥淵ou did it!鈥� Kateri says. 鈥淵ou sorted by initial sound, and you read the sort. You even found a mistake and figured out where to move it. You learned to sort by initial sound!鈥澨�(Demonstrate high-order听thinking skills.)

Guided Play

At the beginning of indoor play centers, Alisha and her class sit together. She shares a problem one group ran into yesterday: Khalil and Nestor were retelling the story of听Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, by Gerald McDermott. The two had blue blocks, but they wanted something that moved and looked like听a river.

鈥淲ho has had a similar problem?鈥� Alisha asks. 鈥淵ou want to play something, but you don鈥檛 have what you need?鈥澨�(Demonstrate high-order thinking.)听Many children raise their hands. Weaving the success criteria into the day鈥檚 learning intention, Alisha continues, 鈥淭oday, we鈥檙e going to learn how to use our words and actions to help pretend something is a tool or a material that we don鈥檛 have. You might already know what鈥檚 missing and say this when you share your plan. Or you might discover something is missing as you work, and then you鈥檒l need to talk with your friends to adjust your plan and听make decisions.鈥�

To practice solving this kind of problem, Alisha introduces a game called This Isn鈥檛 a Stick. Children take turns holding a wooden stick听(use visuals)听and saying, 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a stick; it鈥檚 a ______.鈥� They use gestures to act out different objects, with the stick becoming an oar, a snake, a steering wheel,听and more.

Next, Alisha uses the routine of Plan-Do-Review to scaffold this new learning.听(Provide scaffolds.)听As children plan what they will use for pretend tools and materials, Khalil and Nestor decide to return to their play from yesterday. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to tell听Anansi the Spider听again,鈥� they say. 鈥淲e鈥檒l look for something that moves like听a river.鈥�

Children go to centers and enact their plans. Alisha interacts with each group of learners, using questions to help them connect to the what, why, and how of learning. When she joins Khalil and Nestor, she asks, 鈥淲hat are you听working on?鈥�

Khalil explains that he is using blocks to build the various locations in听Anansi the Spider. Nestor sifts through the materials tub and says, 鈥淚鈥檓 looking for a听pretend river.鈥�

鈥淵ou鈥檝e made your plan,鈥� Alisha says, 鈥渁nd now you鈥檙e using your plan to make decisions about the materials you need. You need a pretend river. What would make that?鈥澨�(Demonstrate听high-order thinking.)

Nestor replies, 鈥淚t has to move like a river. It can鈥檛 be hard like听a block.鈥�

Alisha deepens her questioning.听(Demonstrate high-order thinking.)听鈥淚 wonder what it looks like to move like a river. Can you make your arm move like a river?鈥� Nestor makes wave motions with his arms. Alisha imitates this and thinks aloud, 鈥淥ur arms are moving like a river. Our arms are . . . hmm . . . what motion听is this?鈥�

鈥淭hey鈥檙e waves,鈥� Khalil says. 鈥淭hey wiggle,鈥澨齆estor adds.

鈥淲hat material could wiggle and flow like waves in a river?鈥澨鼳lisha asks.

Nestor pulls out a plastic necklace and dangles it. 鈥淭his wiggles,鈥澨齢e says.

Khalil grabs another necklace and wiggles it along the ground. The two start making a pile of necklaces for听the river.

鈥淥ur goal today is to pretend something is a tool or material that we don鈥檛 have, like in our game This Isn鈥檛 a Stick,鈥� Alisha says. 鈥淲hat words and actions do you need to help you pretend those aren鈥檛 necklaces; they鈥檙e a river?鈥澨�(Teach听metacognitive skills.)

Khalil replies, 鈥淲ell, I鈥檓 Anansi, but Nestor can make the river waves.鈥� Nestor wiggles the necklaces while Khalil makes the spider fall into them. Nestor lets go of the necklaces suddenly and shouts, 鈥淪plash! I made the necklaces pop into听the air!鈥�

鈥淵ou wiggled the necklaces and shouted 鈥楽plash!鈥� when you popped them into the air,鈥� Alisha says. 鈥淚t looks like you solved your problem by using your words and actions to pretend the necklaces are a river!鈥澨�(Demonstrate high-order thinking.)听Alisha exits their playful learning to join another group听of children.

Clarity听and Families

Communicating with clarity extends to families as well as learners. Our partnerships with families can help maximize children鈥檚 learning and development by building a two-way bridge between home and school (51吃瓜网 2019; Thunder et al. 2022)鈥攚e share听and听we listen.

Just like with our learners, we use the four essential strategies for communicating the what, why, and how of learning with families. To see this in action, we return to Kateri鈥檚听prekindergarten class.

Kateri鈥檚 class has engaged in an inquiry walk around the school yard. Using the familiar cognitive routine Notice, Wonder, and Create (Fetter 2011), the children have shared their noticings, wonderings, and collections of nature objects for their creations. Kateri wants to share with families the what, why, and how of learning so that they can extend this learning at home and Kateri can learn from them. She creates and shares with families a video, where she walks around her yard asking three questions and thinking aloud about her answers听(use visuals):

Families send Kateri videos and photos. One mother and daughter share a video of the daughter walking around their backyard touching plants while the mother names them in Arabic, their home language. Another family sends photos of siblings gathered around a rock collection that becomes a rock wall, a rock bridge, and then the prekindergartner鈥檚 name. A grandmother and two brothers send a photo of fruits and vegetables they noticed and wondered about while making a salad. Another family sends a photo of their听seed collection.

Kateri learns so much from this exchange with families. She leverages their funds of knowledge, provides them with opportunities to connect to what their children are learning, and makes connections to children鈥檚 home languages and experiences. Communicating with clarity with families activates their roles as partners and co-evaluators who help children drive learning (Thunder et听al. 2021).

Clarity from听the Beginning

As illustrated in these early childhood classrooms, communicating with clarity helps children engage in and make meaning of their learning. By using intentional, language-based interactions across instructional modes and content areas, early childhood educators effectively communicate clarity in learning in ways that are meaningful, responsive,听and accessible.

When educators make the what, why, and how of learning clear, children begin to take ownership over their learning journeys (Zimmerman 2001). To get started, we recommend educators identify what they are already doing to communicate with clarity and what an actionable next step would be, based on these听reflection questions:

• How do I integrate and sequence听learning experiences?
• How do I identify what the new learning is, why it is important, and how I will know my children have听mastered it?
• How do I communicate this to learners through language, objects, actions, images,听and interactions?
• How do I empower children to use the what, why, and how of learning to drive听their learning?
• How do I communicate the what, why, and how of learning to families so that we can partner to help every听child grow?

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Photographs: header听漏听Getty Images; 1鈥�5听courtesy of the authors
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