YOUNG CHILDREN DEVELOP INITIATIVE AND GROW EMOTIONALLY WHEN THEY PARTICIPATE IN MEANINGFUL AND CHALLENGING ACTIVITIES. PLAY AND EXPOSURE TO NOVEL ACTIVITIES ALSO HELPS CHILDREN DEVELOP INITIATIVE. CHILDREN ALSO CULTIVATE INITIATIVE AND PERSISTENCE WHEN THEY ARE GIVEN CHOICES AND TASKS WHICH ARE MEANINGFUL TO THEM.

The initiative to explore and persevere during play develops when children are curious about things. Curiosity, and initiative to carry out creative exploration, is fuelled when children encounter new things that behave in unexpected ways. Studies with infants and preschoolers demonstrate that their curiosity is fuelled by uncertainty and conflicting evidence.

Researchers found that when infants see something surprising, such as a ball passing through a solid wall, they focus more on that object and learn more about it by testing relevant hypotheses about the object’s surprising behaviour, such as by banging the ball to test if it was solid.

Hence, caregivers who allow children to explore novel objects or be exposed to familiar environments with some changes help develop their initiative to explore and their problem-solving abilities.

For example, caregivers may consider introducing new materials and let children explore them on their own. Switching toys and offering new ones every few weeks, taking children outdoors or on outings to explore new places or encounter new experiences will offer novelty that helps sustain curiosity and build their initiative to learn. Read more at Promoting Creativity: AL-CRE-C02.

Parents can support children's initiative and other approaches to learning by allowing time for children to play alone, with an adult or with other children. Play that engages children - that they will focus on and stay with even when problems arise - helps children develop their initiative and ways to respond to learning situations. Many studies have shown correlations between play in early childhood and emotional, behavioural, and self-regulatory skills. These skills help develop initiative and other habits, which help children learn.

Correlations between preschool peer play interactions, approaches to learning (learning habits) and later school success are notable.

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4. Coolahan, K., Fantuzzo J., Mendez, J., & McDermott, P. (2000). School peer interactions and readiness to learn: Relationships between classroom peer play and learning behaviours and conduct. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(3), 458–465.

Curiosity about the world, initiative and problem solving, and focused attention and persistence are just a few approaches to learning that children develop through play.

During play, caregivers should follow children's leads in activities and conversations.

Ask open-ended questions and keep the rich conversations going. Acknowledge, learn about, and build on children interests. For creativity and initiative to flourish, it is necessary for learners to be happy and actively involved in the process of their own learning.

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6. Prentice, R. (2000). Creativity: a reaffirmation of its place in early childhood education, Curriculum Journal, 11(2), 145–158.

When children control the investigation of knowledge, they have the opportunity and authority to be innovative.

An important aspect of play is children's agency and control over the experience. Agency refers to children's initiative, decision-making and self-choice in play.

Children are constructors of their knowledge. They do not need direct, explicit teaching all the time. They learn about the world and become self-determined learners when given opportunities to explore and emphasise initiative and independent discovery. When learning is based on children's natural interest and their motivation to learn is supported, they develop initiative and become self-motivated, lifelong learners.

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9. Piaget, J. (1962b). Play, dreams, and imitation in childhood. New York, NY: Norton.

Observe and wait before offering assistance so that children can solve their own problems and decide for themselves whether to ask for help. Caregivers can observe when children are playing and 'scaffold' the learning by encouraging their curiosity, commenting on their play, and asking questions to foster perseverance, attention and initiative at problem-solving.

Infants and young children gather information about the world by using observation and their senses to try new ways to use materials. This helps develop a child's initiative to learn about the world.

From birth to two years, children are in the preoperational stage of development. At this stage, it is best to provide them with multi-sensory experiences which engage all their senses. Providing open-ended materials that can engage the child's senses like play dough, water, and sand, will allow the child to explore, engage with the activity, and be creative with what they produce using the materials.

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9. Piaget, J. (1962b). Play, dreams, and imitation in childhood. New York, NY: Norton.

Researchers suggest that sharing books with very young children may be used as a means to establish physical closeness and support meaningful social bonds and attachments.

Talking about events in the book evokes curiosity and exposes the child to new ideas, sounds and words. Caregivers who read to their children or talk about what they see in books are building curiosity, initiative to learn, and secure bonds with their children. Children with secure bonds with their caregivers tend to have more initiative and healthy approaches to learning. Studies on older children have also found that stories are a good way for children to learn mathematical concepts. They help young children connect mathematics in the classroom and life-like situations.

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14. Keat, J., & Wilburne, J. (2009). The Impact of Storybooks on Kindergarten Children's Mathematical Achievement and Approaches to Learning. US-China Education Review, 6(7), 61–67.

Read more at LD-LIT-C03 on Emergent Literacy and building bonds through sharing books.

Understanding children's need for autonomy means providing them with choices so that they can marshal their initiative to decide what to engage with.

Even very young children can cultivate initiative and persistence when they are given choices in tasks that are meaningful to them.

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16. Jones, N. P. (2005). BIG JOBS: Planning for competence. Young Children, 60(2), 86–93.

Young children may be offered simple choices, for example, which toy to play with and what book he/she wants to read, while toddlers should be offered choices with reasonable and acceptable alternatives. This builds their natural inclination to exercise their initiative in ways that allow caregivers to manage them and avoid power struggles.

Placing toys and materials in places where children can reach them allows them to have a choice of what to play with and access the toys on their own.

For older toddlers, providing receptacles, such as baskets or toy boxes, and allowing them to put back whatever toys they can after playing helps build initiative and other cognitive abilities, such as sorting skills.

Children will also benefit and be able to imitate when adults model initiative in exploring new items and putting things back. Adults can play with the child when trying new activities like play dough, and ask questions that help them wonder. For example, you can ask, "I wonder which one will go faster. Why do you think the red one will reach first?" These habits promote children's curiosity and initiative.

Involving children as partners in carrying out routines and jobs by creating daily routines that give them greater reasonable choices can also strengthen their initiative.

Practising self-help skills in their daily routines helps children develop self-esteem and a sense of themselves. Children with more independence in self-care show greater initiative and confidence in their play and learning. Developing a competency of any kind inculcates a feeling of self-efficacy, making the child eager to seek out new challenges.

Initiative can be developed durilng daily meal routines as they present helpful problem-solving decisions and contain habits which children can practise to build independence. Allowing children to feed themselves, help set tables, prepare meals, serve meals, and clean up can foster their growing need for independence and autonomy.

Expect messiness during mealtimes as children develop their motor skills and learn to feed themselves.

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20. Branscomb, K. R., & Goble, C. B. (2008). Infants and toddlers in group care: Feeding practices that foster emotional health. Young Children, 63(6), 28–33.

Providing young infants with finger foods, or providing toddlers with unbreakable utensils, makes it easy for them to feed themselves and in the process, promote initiative.

Reading children's cues of when they are full, and removing foods that they will not eat, reduces the need for power struggles over food. Respecting toddlers' need for autonomy, caregivers can provide small choices, such as allowing children to choose what foods they want to eat from what is on the table. Giving the toddler responsibilities at mealtimes, such as bringing utensils to the sink after eating or pushing in their chair, will help develop initiative to carry out those activities at home and in other settings.

Collaborating with others on tasks builds initiative. Opportunities to mix with older toddlers enables the child to follow a model. Interacting with younger toddlers allows children to make decisions and exercise initiative.

Peers challenge each other as they persist on a joint enterprise and learn to work together on a project. Allowing children to collaborate with other children on a joint project offers them a motivating task while working with others, and the additional emotional benefit of feeling useful and needed. When children feel capable, they are more likely to join in other activities.

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16. Jones, N. P. (2005). BIG JOBS: Planning for competence. Young Children, 60(2), 86–93.

21. Helm, J. H., & Katz, L. (2001). Young investigators: The project approach in the early years. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.