What are Teachable Moments in Early Years Education
The term “teachable moments” is often used in early years education, but do we fully understand what it means? While it might sound straightforward, understanding the true concept can help us maximise these opportunities to support a child’s development.
In this blog, we’ll explore teachable moments, how to create environments that encourage them, and how to spot and respond to these valuable learning opportunities.
What do we mean when we say teachable moments?
A teachable moment is an event or experience that allows children to expand their understanding or develop a new skill. It’s a point in their development when they’re ready to learn a concept or take on a challenge. As early years educators, we should recognise these moments and use them to support and extend children’s learning in a natural, relaxed, and fun way.
Teachable moments align closely with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) overarching principles, particularly:
- Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
- Children learn and develop well in enabling environments where adults respond to their individual interests and needs. Teaching and support help children build their learning over time, especially when there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents or carers.
Teachable moments are spontaneous, often sparked by a child’s interests or curiosity. In-the-moment planning is a fantastic way to make the most of these opportunities. By following children’s interests during play or activities, you create an environment where teachable moments naturally occur.
When children are fully engaged in play or an activity, they are more likely to ask questions or make observations, creating perfect learning opportunities. These moments can be exciting for both the educator and the child, as enthusiasm becomes contagious and enriches the learning experience.
How to spot a teachable moment
Spotting teachable moments as an early years educator comes down to closely observing and listening to children. By paying attention to their behaviours, interests, and interactions, you can identify moments when they’re ready to learn or explore something new. Here are some key ways to spot teachable moments:
- Follow their lead: pay attention to what children are naturally drawn to—whether it’s a particular toy, activity, or even something as simple as the texture or smell.
- Observe: take notice of their behaviour and engagement. Are they spending extra time exploring or experimenting with something?
- Ask open-ended questions: encourage conversation by asking questions like, “What are you noticing?” or “How do you think that works?” This helps enhance their engagement and allows them to express their thoughts.
- Encourage discussion: if they stay engaged in the activity or conversation, prompt them to share more about what they’re doing or thinking. This will reinforce their learning in a fun, interactive way.
Educators naturally recognise teachable moments. By remaining attentive and responsive, you can make the most of these opportunities to nurture children’s curiosity and development.
Creating enabling environments to engage children
Enabling environment is probably another term you’ve heard often, but what does it truly mean for the children in your care? When practitioners use in-the-moment planning, the nursery environment often looks very different from the traditional setup, or what was once seen as the norm.
Reflecting on my early days working in nurseries, I remember carefully arranging activities each morning—laminated resources, toys, and everything placed just to create a picture-perfect setting. While this approach was intended to help children reach their developmental “next steps,” it was heavily adult-led. It didn’t allow children the freedom to direct their own play, missing out on opportunities for natural creativity and learning.
An enabling environment moves away from this structured approach by welcoming open-ended resources and loose parts. These materials, which don’t have a fixed purpose, encourage children to use their imaginations freely. When children are given the autonomy to choose resources that support their play ideas, they naturally become more focused and engaged. This type of child-initiated play is where rich learning opportunities and teachable moments occur.
The setup of the environment plays a crucial role in promoting these moments. Resources should be age-appropriate, safe, and accessible, enabling children to explore and use them independently. When children can follow their curiosity in an environment that supports their choices, they’re more likely to feel confident, happy, and fully immersed in their play.
As educators, our role in these environments is to observe and respond, stepping in when needed to support or enhance the learning experience. Observation not only helps us notice teachable moments but also ensures the children are safe and content as they explore, allowing them to play, learn and develop naturally.
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Content Marketing Executive at Connect Childcare
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