2. Attentiveness, Effort, and Persistence 2
• Pp. 41 – 46 describe Developmental Indicators and Strategies for
working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers for the following
goals:
• Goal APL-7: Children demonstrate initiative
• Goal APL-8: Children maintain attentiveness and focus
• Goal APL-9: Children persist at challenging activities
3. Variations in Initiative and Attention Span
• Children vary in their initiative by such factors as
• Temperament
• Personality
• Family differences
• Cultural differences
• Children are known for having short attention spans
• Attention span generally increases with age
• Children can switch their attention back and forth
• Children may not appear to be paying attention when they are in actuality
• While it is appropriate to practice and encourage longer focus and attention,
20-30 minute group times are not appropriate!
4. Strategies for Infants and Toddlers
• Provide a variety of interesting materials
• Provide different and safe interest areas so children can explore
uninterrupted
• Plan and prepare for smooth transitions with routines and warnings
• Provide challenging materials for various ability levels and encourage
children to try again or differently
• Add new items to indoor and outdoor environments
• Allow children to use materials as they wish, unless it does not help
their development (i.e. children with disabilities using materials for
self-stimulating behaviors)
5. Strategies for Preschoolers
• Provide plenty of time for children to play without interruption
• Allow for projects to extend over several days
• Provide communication support for children top express ideas or
extend an activity
• Adjust help as needed
• Use extended discourse and open-ended questions to help children
stay focused
• Encourage effort (process) rather than results (product)
• Encourage social interactions of team effort and problem-solving
