The document provides information about learning and the role of parent helpers in early childhood education. It discusses how children learn best through active involvement, demonstrations, activity-based learning with opportunities for practice and praise. It outlines different learning styles and the importance of valuing differences in children. As a parent helper, the role is to assist teachers by working with small groups, providing a role model and ensuring children stay on task. Specific tips are provided on how to help learning through praise, modeling, asking for help, and encouraging children. Confidentiality and not making judgements are emphasized. The document also discusses the role of parents as a child's first teacher through speaking, listening, asking questions and being an active listener.

1. Learning
http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/publi
c/earlychildhood/learning/veyldframework.pdf
http://www.phps.vic.edu.au/
http://www.pz.harvard.edu/vt/visibleThinking_html_
files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03c_CoreRoutines.html
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/

2. Being a Helper
Purpose
•How children learn
•Recognize and value difference
•Explore the role of Parent
Helpers

3. To learn children need
•A reason to learn
•Active involvement
•Demonstrations and modelling
•Activity based learning
•Opportunities for repetition and
reinforcement
•Opportunities for practising
•Efforts to be praised

4. Learning Styles
Visual learners
Auditory Learners
Kinaesthetic Learners
•Learn by doing and moving

5. What does being a helper mean?
Assisting under the direction of the teacher by
working with small groups of children providing
a role model for learning.
Your support ensures that children remain on
task while teachers work with other groups.
Valuable partnerships are formed.

6. How to help learning
•Support and encourage children by
praising their efforts.
•Demonstrate and model
appropriately.
•Ask for help when you are not sure.
•Encourage children to stay on task.

7. Please be aware of making judgements at all times.
All children can learn.
Children have different learning styles.
Children learn at different rates and have different needs.
Retain confidentiality.
The privacy of both children and parents must be respected at
all times.
Do not mention the names of children and teachers with
whom you are working in front of your own children or other
parents. Children can easily be hurt by apparently harmless
remarks by their peers or other children.

8. As your children’s first teacher you have
already taught them by to speak and
listen by
•Expecting them to speak
•Providing models of how spoken
language works
•Demonstrating how to listen
•Supporting their attempts with praise

9. You can support children by
•Asking open ended questions
•Pausing and waiting for answers
•Giving prompts
•Rephrasing while supporting attempts
•Being an active listener
•Offering praise

10. Open ended questions require more
than one word to answer.
Five W’s and a H
Who, what, when, where and how?

11. Asking open ended questions.
How will you make.........?
What happened after .......... ?
List all of the .......
How did ......... ?
Tell be ........
Think of all the .........
How many ways can you .......... ?
Suppose that ..........
What would you say if ........?
Why is ........?
How did you feel when ..........?
What makes you say that?
How interesting .........

12. •Pause and wait for answers. Allow for
thinking time.
•Give prompts-give a hint to encourage a
response.
•Be an active listener-watch the speaker.
Don’t interrupt. Use facial expressions nod,
smile to encourage the speaker and
demonstrate that you are listening.
•Offer praise, use encouraging words. I like
the way that you ............