Our previous "Real World Examples" post explored Instructional Learning Formats. Moving on through the CLASS® Tool, let’s explore the great outdoors and the art of gardening to kick off our final domain, Instructional Support! This domain focuses on how educators empower children to solve problems, think critically, and reason effectively. It also emphasizes the importance of feedback in enhancing skills and knowledge, as well as fostering the development of more advanced language abilities.
We begin our journey in this domain with the Concept Development dimension. This dimension focuses on educators' strategies for fostering higher-order thinking skills and deeper understanding in children. Unlike rote learning, Concept Development encourages children to explore the how and why behind their learning. Through the CLASS lens, educators who consistently score high in Concept Development provide children with opportunities to be curious about the world around them. They encourage students to figure out how things work and discover connections as they learn new concepts.
It’s important to understand that children often require intentional guidance from educators and caregivers to develop higher-order thinking skills. This guidance helps them engage in critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills necessary for deeper understanding and learning.
To illustrate what Concept Development looks and sounds like among adults, let’s consider two adult sisters gardening together in a community park.
Analysis and Reasoning
The story begins when two sisters decide to take a walk to their community park. As they approach the park, they start talking.
“Wow, look at all the dead plants and bushes. I wonder what happened? They were all alive last year.”
“Look over there on the sunny side of the park. The plants all look great and have the same structure and leaves as these dead bushes. According to the internet, they might be a type of rose bush. See the picture”?
“I wonder why they are growing so well over there but dead here? What can we do to get flowering bushes to grow here as well?
“I think this bush needs more sun than it got under this tall tree. I bet we can find a bush that flowers and grows in partly shady conditions.”
Creativity (Creating)
“Well, what kind of bushes do you think would be pretty and do well under this tree? I think that boxwood, azalea, and gardenia plants might work.”
“Let me look those up on my phone. Okay, it looks like an azalea would be a good fit for this space. It has the flowers we want and it can grow in a partly shady spot. I think we should replace this dead bush with an azalea. You’re the gardener. What equipment would we need?”
“Hum. We’ll probably need a shovel, soil, fertilizer, water bucket, and work gloves. I have all that at my house. We would just need to buy the azalea plant. I say we do it!”
Fast forward a few days: “Now that we have our azalea and all of the equipment, let’s make our community park more beautiful!”
Integration
As the sisters begin digging and pulling out the dead rose bush, one says, “I read an article about how community parks in the city increase a sense of community and help reduce stress. I am excited to be adding more greenery and flowers to our park! I’m sure it will help our neighbor to have such a beautiful place to come together and relax.”
“I agree. It feels good to give back to our community. Do you remember that year in elementary school when we planted those trees along the fence? This project reminds me of what we learned back then. They told us the roots should be covered but not too deep and that we must give the tree lots of water to help it settle into the ground. The directions for planting this azalea say the same thing.”
Connections to Everyday Lives (Connections to the Real World)
“I wonder how we might be able to do this at home even though we don’t have a yard. I bet we could plant an azalea in a planter to go on the balcony.”
“Now that you say that, I think that’s what grandma planted in pots on her balcony. I remember the butterflies loved the flowers. I think it would be really nice to have a flowering bush on our balconies! Now that I know how to plant an azalea, I will try doing that this weekend.”
Through the process of planning and planting, the sisters engaged in higher-order thinking as they reflected on what they observed in the park and how they wanted to respond. Instead of being told what to plant and how to do it, they identified both the problem (dead bushes) and the solution (shade-tolerant bushes) themselves, making valuable connections along the way with their previous knowledge and experiences. This journey began with their curiosity about their surroundings during a walk in the park.
As you work with children, nurture their curiosity and encourage questions and conversation. Use curiosity to inspire exploration, discovery, and meaningful connections between what they are learning and what they already know and have experienced. Remember, if you show curiosity about something, your children will be curious too!
