The article under consideration entitled “Rocking and rolling: Empowering infants’ and toddlers’ learning through scaffolding” is written by Linda Groves Gillespie and Jan D. Greenberg and published in 2017 in Young Children Journal. It dwells upon the central strategies of infant teaching that enable teachers to achieve the established teaching goals and children’s development. These aspects are close observation, following the children’s lead, creating the necessary environment, joining the play, encouraging, and using physical contact. Gillespie and Greenberg (2017) define scaffolding as assisting the child in developing new skills at the right time in the right place and in the right manner. This method is seen as one of the helpful techniques to be used as it is as effective in teaching infants as it is appropriate in teaching older students.
I believe the strategies described in the article are helpful in teaching infants. I also believe that attentive observation is the primary background that helps the teacher choose the most appropriate teaching techniques. It is also important to focus on the child’s needs and interests. Instead of making the child play a particular game, the teacher should join in the activity the student is currently involved in and encourage them to try some new actions or games. Of course, the teacher should make sure that they create the proper environment for the child. It is also critical to use effective encouragement as the child is motivated to develop new skills when they see the positive reaction of the teacher. The article is helpful for teachers as it provides insights into the use of effective teaching practices that can be applied when working with infants.
Reference
Groves Gillespie, L., & Greenberg, J. D. (2017). Rocking and rolling: Empowering infants’ and toddlers’ learning through scaffolding. Young Children Journal, 72(2), 1-7. Web.