Fostering Young Children's Representation, Planning and Reflection

This article compares three models of early childhood education. The High/Scope model is based on a constructionist view where the child is an active learner. The child learns thought personal interaction with the world and with others and also through introspection about those physical interactions. In education, the model uses a plan-do-review system where the teacher helps the child make a detailed plan for play, carry out the plan, and the review the plan afterwards, sometimes the next day.

The Tools of the Mind model is based on Vygotsky and focuses on the development of self-regulation and deliberate behaviours. Teachers and students are involved in extensive planning, including discussion of the roles the child will take in play and discussion of previous play.

The work in Reggio Emilia focuses on teachers' extensive observation and documentation of children's activities and a study of that documentation. Teachers encourage children's use of graphic representation as a means of communication that is simpler than language.

I think all three models have a lot in common; they all stress planning and review, but I feel that the main difference is in the level of involvement of the children in the instrospection into their own activities. Very young children might not benefit much from being expected to think and plan in great detail, and I also think free play is incredibly important. It seemed like none of the models allowed for play without hyperanalysis. While I think that structure is very important in a child's life, I also think children should be given the ability (and encouraged) to be creative in their play.