Look for Evidence of Learning

When you drop your child off at school, you’re getting the dual benefit of nurturing child care support and an engaging early education experience rich in hands-on exploration. Our teachers are passionate about setting children up for success—now and in the future.

To create an environment conducive to whole child development and growth, we focus on Education Quality Indicators (EQIs) in every classroom in five distinct ways:

• Purposeful Routines
• Child/Adult Interactions
• Learning Environment
• Evidence of Learning
• Language Rich

This is the fourth installment of our blog series to highlight each one and explain why they are important, what to look for, and how you can help.

Evidence of Learning

Learning occurs when children are actively involved in activities that promote curiosity through exploration, wonder, and discovery. The easiest way to observe evidence of learning is through the actions of the children. Pay attention to what they:

Say | Do | Ask | Create

At this age, learning is happening all the time in both formal and informal ways. Our educators focus on supporting every layer of a child’s progress: academic, social, emotional, and physical.

We document this by creating portfolios for each child to reflect their developmental goals and to celebrate achievements and milestones. Evidence of learning can be seen around the room too.

• Look for wall displays of work samples, pictures, charts, storyboards, etc.
• View educational updates sent via SproutAbout or Montessori Compass.
• Watch videos and save photos shared by teachers in the classroom.
• Talk to your child about their work when you spot something new.
• Ask about school activities, projects, and art techniques they try.

The Benefits

As you engage in conversation with your child about their day, watch their sense of pride shine as they recount their daily activities. Perhaps they learned something unique, made a new friend, or tried an unfamiliar food. By talking about it, you’re supporting their interests, accomplishments, and sense of independence.

Their confidence will continue to grow too. Making sure they believe in themselves and their ability to conquer learning challenges and new skills will lead to even greater success.

Your school should also provide various opportunities to build and inspire a strong home-school connection. It’s a great way to invest in your child's continued growth and discover what and how they are learning.