Concept Development and Quality of Feedback. These dimensions fall under the Instructional Support domain in the Pre-K CLASS measure. They have some similarities, of course—but they are truly distinctive in the ways they play out in the classroom.
Concept Development is defined by the CLASS Manual as the dimension that "Measures the teachers' use of instructional discussions and activities to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition and the teacher's focus on understanding rather than on rote instruction."
This dimension focuses on building children’s thinking skills. Teachers who demonstrate high levels of CD are not just teaching a “concept” (letters, numbers, seasons), but using specific strategies to encourage children to think more deeply about ideas in the world around them. CD is all about the ways a teacher facilitates learning throughout the day.
Quality of Feedback, on the other hand, "Assesses the degree to which the teacher provides feedback that expands learning and understanding and encourages continued participation."
QF happens when a teacher responds to what a child says or does in a way that pushes the child to keep thinking or trying. Teachers who show high levels of QF are really specific in their feedback, assist children without simply giving away right answers, and expand on children’s words and actions. Was the child able to accomplish something deeper as a result of a teacher’s response? If so, there was probably some QF involved!
So, keeping those definitions in mind, can you sort the following classroom interactions into the correct CLASS dimension?
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Teachstone recently hosted the What Is “Quality” Teaching Anyway? webinar with Laura Iannazzo, Professional Services Manager at Teachstone, and Gena Puckett, Education and Training Specialist from the University of Mississippi School of Education. Together, they talked about the significance of quality interactions between early childhood educators and infants or toddlers in their care.
IIn our recent webinar, Making the Move to CLASS® 2nd Edition, we shared how programs and individuals can begin to experience and use the enhanced Pre-K–3rd CLASS tool. Certified CLASS observers play a critical role in helping every child reach their full potential.
Without reliable and valid data on the quality of educator-child interactions, programs and educators would not have the actionable insights they need to make continuous quality improvements in the areas that matter the most for children.
I moved to the United States years ago when I was a teenager. I felt confused, scared, and out of place in my new school. As soon as I learned English, I decided to stop speaking my native language to hide who I was. I thought that by hiding my identity people would not notice I was different, and accept me.
Today starts the kick-off to another Week of the Young Child! While I, and I know others at Teachstone, feel strongly that young children, their educators, and their families deserve to be celebrated every day, we’re excited to have an opportunity to intentionally highlight the impact you have on young children, celebrate the rapidly developing brains of young children, and recognize that each day, even beyond this week, offers ample opportunities for meaningful interactions.