When someone looks into my classroom I want them to see a community of learners working safely and creatively with classroom materials. Responsive Classroom’s Guided Discovery has been my go to, along with Interactive Modeling, to teach and model all expectations while using classroom materials at the beginning of the school year. It is my hope that students will thrive in an environment that allows them to express their creativity, imagination, and love for learning while using all classroom materials appropriately and respectfully.
What is Guided Discovery?
Responsive Classroom defines Guided Discovery as this:
Guided Discovery has a deep impact on children’s learning. Children get interested in classroom materials and learn how to use them creatively in their academic work. They have opportunities to stretch their thinking and work independently. Every aspect of Guided Discovery encourages children to offer ideas, act on them, and share the results of their work with others, which stimulates everyone’s thinking about future uses of the material.
Goals:
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To excite children about classroom materials
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To help children explore materials with confidence and imagination and build a repertoire of constructive ways to use the materials in their academic learning
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To enable children to make independent and purposeful choices
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To establish and teach norms and routines for the use, care, and storage of materials
Guided Discovery In Action:
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Introduction and Naming
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Generating and Modeling Students’ Ideas
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Exploration and Experimentation
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Sharing Exploratory Work
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Cleanup and Care of Materials
(Guided Discovery in Action, www.responsiveclassroom.org)
Here’s a brief introduction:
Which classroom materials do I use Guided Discovery for?
EVERYTHING and anything you want students to use appropriately to encourage creativity, imagination, and proper use.
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Pencils
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Crayons
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Markers
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Glue
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Scissors
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Paper
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Books
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Manipulatives
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Learning center materials
Need help getting started with Guided Discovery in your classroom? Check out my Classroom Materials Modeling Script. You can find it at the Shop.
For more resources, check out these tagged articles from Responsive Classroom and check out this article, Books for Guided Discovery- Crayons.
Check out my bundle of Back To School Modeling Scripts here.
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Christine Weis is a passionate educator, classroom management coach, wife, and mom of two busy boys. She enjoys teaching, writing, and creating resources for teachers.
VERY interesting. I know every kid learns so differently. Love the idea of this
Thanks Amanda! Thank you for your comment!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I love the idea of guided discovery. It will help them to be more creative and take initiative on decision making. I’m all for it!
Thanks Esse! I agree…it definitely helps with creativity! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
So creative! I think it’s so important to introduce new material in ways that will help the children engage with each other. Would love to be in your classroom as an observer!
Thanks so much Courtney! I agree..introducing materials in this way fosters creativity as well as student engagement with each other. Good point! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I am studying to be a teacher and this is so helpful to me. I always need new ideas and activities for my study.
That’s great Kristal! I’m glad that this could help you in your studies! Best of luck as you venture into teaching! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
These are lovely ideas to engage kids. My son’s two. I can use some in sometime
Yes…you could definitely use any of these ideas at home with your son to encourage creativity and imagination while using materials properly. Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
This sounds so interesting. I hope I can use your tips for my young siblings to help them in their learning. Thanks for sharing.
Great idea to use with your siblings! I hope it encourages imagination and confidence while using any materials at home. Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Thank you for sharing this! I’m so glad I came across this at just the right time! Back to School! These strategies will help me as I introduce the supplies in our Word Work Center.
I find it most helpful realizing that I should let them “explore” the materials first, then when it comes time to utilize them during a structured activity, they will be more apt to focus on their learning rather than play!
This is a very good point!
Agreed! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
You are very welcome! So true that exploration first leads to productive use of the materials during structured activities. It definitely eliminates play and encourages creative and proper use of materials while working. Thanks for reading and for your thoughtful comment as always!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Lovely ideas and I like the fact that this builds on children’s confidence and imagination and building up their independence when making choices.
Exactly…building confidence and their imaginations is what learning is all about. Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Such a creative idea to engage kids. Lovely post as usual!
Thank you! Engaging children in creative ways really helps them to learn. Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
This is a good way to encourage children to learn hands-on and to know more about the “Real World”. Students will be more interested in the course material if they are using it directly.
Exactly…great point! We always assume that students know how to use materials in creative ways but not necessarily! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I think kids will really like to learn using the classroom materials. It’s more fun for the kids to learn and discover new things with other kids also.
Yes…I agree! Teaching students how to use classroom materials in creative ways is always so much fun! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers