All Things CLASS

Hello, 

I am seeking ideas on how concept development. I teach a preschool class for children with IEPs. I have primarily non-verbal children. I have a hard time with concept development when being observed with the CLASS observation tool. What are some ideas on strengthening and having better concept development especially during free play or small groups. 

Thank you for your question! For nonverbal children, Concept Development in CLASS focuses on how teachers encourage understanding, reasoning, and connections, rather than just verbal responses. Strategies include:

• Using gestures, sign language, or picture symbols to support classification, comparison, and problem-solving.

• Describing and labeling children's actions to promote analysis and reasoning.

• Providing hands-on opportunities for experimentation, creativity, and integrating new ideas with prior knowledge.

• Connecting activities to real-life experiences meaningful to the children.

Here's a few examples of what it could look like:

During free play/small groups:
If children are building with blocks, you can encourage Concept Development by:

• Classification/Comparison: Holding up two blocks and showing "big block, small block" or grouping blocks by color/shape using gestures or picture cards. Prompt children to make choices ("Which one goes here?") with pointing, gestures, or object cues.

• Cause-and-effect: Demonstrating that stacking blocks too high might fall and labeling the result.

• Integration/Connections: Linking the activity to a past experience, like "Remember how we built towers yesterday?" using pictures or signs.
  
  

These strategies let children engage in higher-order thinking without requiring verbal responses.

For additional guidance on supporting children with disabilities, I highly recommend the resources listed on this page:  Children with Disabilities.

Hello, 

I am seeking ideas on how concept development. I teach a preschool class for children with IEPs. I have primarily non-verbal children. I have a hard time with concept development when being observed with the CLASS observation tool. What are some ideas on strengthening and having better concept development especially during free play or small groups. 

Thank you for your question! For nonverbal children, Concept Development in CLASS focuses on how teachers encourage understanding, reasoning, and connections, rather than just verbal responses. Strategies include:

• Using gestures, sign language, or picture symbols to support classification, comparison, and problem-solving.

• Describing and labeling children's actions to promote analysis and reasoning.

• Providing hands-on opportunities for experimentation, creativity, and integrating new ideas with prior knowledge.

• Connecting activities to real-life experiences meaningful to the children.

Here's a few examples of what it could look like:

During free play/small groups:
If children are building with blocks, you can encourage Concept Development by:

• Classification/Comparison: Holding up two blocks and showing "big block, small block" or grouping blocks by color/shape using gestures or picture cards. Prompt children to make choices ("Which one goes here?") with pointing, gestures, or object cues.

• Cause-and-effect: Demonstrating that stacking blocks too high might fall and labeling the result.

• Integration/Connections: Linking the activity to a past experience, like "Remember how we built towers yesterday?" using pictures or signs.
  
  

These strategies let children engage in higher-order thinking without requiring verbal responses.

For additional guidance on supporting children with disabilities, I highly recommend the resources listed on this page:  Children with Disabilities.

Hello, 

I am seeking ideas on how concept development. I teach a preschool class for children with IEPs. I have primarily non-verbal children. I have a hard time with concept development when being observed with the CLASS observation tool. What are some ideas on strengthening and having better concept development especially during free play or small groups.