Our previous "Real World Examples" post focused on Productivity. To wrap up the Classroom Organization domain, let's explore the dimension of Instructional Learning Formats. This dimension highlights how educators recognize and develop children's interests to encourage active and focused participation during learning activities.
Through the CLASS® lens, educators who consistently receive a high score in Instructional Learning Formats know how to spark genuine engagement across various activities. They bring lessons to life by showing enthusiasm and providing materials that allow children to explore content through multiple senses, like sight, sound, and touch. The educator also clearly explains what the children will be learning and doing, helping them stay focused and guiding their conversations toward the learning goals.
It's important to note that Instructional Learning Formats measure the level of children’s engagement and focus during learning opportunities, not the quality of learning itself, which is captured in the Instructional Support domain.
The Real-World Example: Baking Cookies
Last weekend, my daughters and I had the best time baking and decorating cookies.
We experienced several real-world examples of Instructional Learning Formats throughout this fun activity. Let me tell you about them!
Variation in Approach (Variety of Modalities and Materials)
As we pulled out all the ingredients and cooking utensils, I showed my daughters everything we would use in the kitchen to make the cookies. I said, “We’ve got our cookie sheets, spatulas, spoons, cookie recipe, and ingredients, three tubes of colored frosting, and an assortment of sprinkles.” I handed them a couple of different cookie cutters they could use to mold the cookies into different shapes. The girls decided to take turns reading each ingredient, measuring it, and stirring it into the bowl.
Clarity of Learning Objectives
Next, I asked, "So, who are we making these cookies for?" The girls agreed they wanted to surprise their neighbor for his upcoming birthday. This gave them a clear goal for decorating and added purpose beyond just making a tasty treat. I reminded them that we needed to follow the recipe closely and mix everything well so the cookies would taste great.
Effective Facilitation
All three of us were eager to begin, and I enjoyed guiding them in making the cookie dough. As they randomly placed the dough balls on the cookie sheets, I asked, “Is there a way we can organize the dough balls out so we can bake 12 cookies on each sheet?” The girls moved the balls around and decided 4 rows of 3 would work best. After the cookies came out of the oven and had time to cool a bit, the decorating began! Of course, I couldn’t help but decorate a few myself! I said, “I’m going to use chocolate frosting on my cookie and use the blue sprinkles. How are you going to decorate your cookie?” The girls began to plan the many ways they wanted to decorate the cookies. They agreed that they wanted every cookie to look different.
Child Interest (Student Interest)
Both girls stayed very engaged in this activity, at least until it was time to clean up. Throughout the baking activity, there were no comments of “I’m bored” or “I don’t have anything to do.” They both actively participated in all parts of the activity—they listened and stayed focused on what they were doing while actively making the dough and decorating the cookies. Our conversations focused on our actions while baking and our plans while decorating. After sampling a few cookies, they happily walked the freshly baked surprise to our neighbor’s house.
Using Instructional Learning Format strategies, I kept my girls actively engaged and focused throughout the activity. I encouraged them to read the recipe and measure ingredients as independently as possible, helping out when needed. When it came time to decorate, I joined in, sharing my own decoration ideas and asking them about theirs. Seeing each other decorate really sparked our creativity, and we each came up with many new designs. Having a purpose—baking a fun surprise for our neighbor—helped keep the girls focused and excited about the project. If anyone were to ask them what they were doing and why, I’m sure they would have happily replied, “We’re baking real cookies! We’re gonna decorate them for Mikie’s birthday!”
What are some of your favorite real-world examples of Instructional Learning Formats? Do you ever think about Instructional Learning Formats when navigating situations in the adult world? What have you learned from your experiences that can be applied to how you support children in the learning setting?
