Adaptive Teaching | EYFS

EYFS definition

Adaptive teaching means adjusting teaching in response to children’s understanding, strengths and needs. In EYFS practice, it involves considering how interactions, explanations, resources and experiences can help each child participate and learn, while keeping meaningful curriculum intentions in view.

What can be adapted?

Adults might change the language they use, demonstrate an action, allow more processing time, offer another way to respond or revisit an idea. Adaptations can be planned beforehand or made during play, care routines and teaching. They can benefit children with or without identified SEND.

What might it look like in practice?

While sharing a story, a practitioner notices that some children are finding the sequence difficult to follow. They use objects and gestures, pause to revisit an event and invite children to show their understanding through actions as well as words.

How does it relate to scaffolding?

Scaffolding is temporary support with a particular learning challenge. It is one possible part of adaptive teaching, which also includes decisions about timing, resources, grouping and the environment.

Observation and conversation with children, families and colleagues help adults review whether an adaptation is useful. Different children may need different routes into shared learning.

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