Silver - image of child informs practice

So image of children at University Children’s Centre is not only a document that we have on our walls, in our policies and in our personnel handbooks. The four true things that we have identified as being the most important are competent, capable, unique and emotional. So when we look at children through that lens we know that in the moment, when they maybe are demonstrating an emotion, when they’re struggling with being able to move on to the next task, because of all the things that they’re bringing with them in the morning, perhaps, we know that if they’re capable of doing something it doesn’t mean they always have to do it. It doesn’t mean that if a child is upset and, you know, not able to put their shoes on, it doesn’t mean that they have to do it every time.  

So we’re supporting children by being understanding to the unique needs that they might have in the moment, but also recognizing that they don’t always have to be capable. They don’t always have to be competent.  

However, on the flip side of that, educators need to let go of some of those things to know that, you know, when a child comes into the centre that they – they know that – what they want to do most often, a child has a plan, even if they don’t come in and say today I’m going to do this. They already have made that plan because children are more reflective than adults. You know, they have more capabilities in that regard, I think. It comes more naturally to them. And I really feel very strongly that within our program and within our day-to-day routine we give opportunities for children to show their competencies, as opposed to teachers to do things because it’s quicker, it’s easier, and allow children to feel competent and capable by setting the environment for them to do so. By, you know, maybe putting that more heavy work in the classroom even though some educators are nervous by having big hollow blocks in the toddler room because what if they fall if they stack them over four? You know it’s okay to stack them higher because children are going to recognize that they can do it, and educators know the children enough that they can come and support when they know that it might end in a way that is going to take away that capable feeling of a toddler.