Promoting Intentional Teaching

A highly effective recommended practice in early childhood education, intentional teaching enhances all young children's learning through planned instructional strategies, conversations, and activities that build on each child's needs and interests. Now there's an evidence-based professional development framework—the LEARN IT approach—that helps educators put intentional teaching into action in their classrooms.

Developed by the authors, LEARN IT strengthens teaching in five steps: Learning new knowledge and skills, Enacting knowledge and skills in the classroom, Assessing the effectiveness of instructional interactions, Reflecting on and revising practices based on the assessment, and Networking with colleagues and mentors. Through unique professional development activities that build skills through group meetings and individual mentoring sessions, teachers will master essential elements of intentional teaching and consistently apply their new knowledge in the classroom. Practical, flexible, and supportive, this proven plan for professional development will help schools make lasting gains in teacher effectiveness and boost learning outcomes for all young children.

Benefits of LEARN IT:

• Demystifies key elements of intentional teaching. Educators will discover how to facilitate play, include each child, engage in culturally responsive practice, assess diverse young children, and link assessment with curriculum and instruction.
• Engages teachers with effective activities. Facilitated professional development activities build teachers' skills through group meetings, one-to-one sessions between educators and mentors, and follow-up small-group meetings to discuss progress.
• Ensures lasting improvements. Going far beyond one-time teacher trainings, the authors' in-depth, ongoing LEARN IT approach ensures that educators retain new skills and strategies and apply them with fidelity in their everyday work.
• Evidence-based and field-tested. LEARN IT was developed and tested for effectiveness during a multiyear research project with Head Start teachers.
• Fits a variety of professional development needs. LEARN IT can be used with larger or smaller groups of teachers, and activities are flexible and adaptable to different learning needs.

PRACTICAL MATERIALS: The professional development activities come with clear and detailed instructions; reproducible self-assessments, discussion questions, and exercises; and check sheets to ensure that new skills are implemented with fidelity.