Powerful Interactions

In early childhood settings, children and teachers interact all day long. The benefits to everyone—teachers and children—are enormous when even some of those everyday interactions become intentional and purposeful Powerful Interactions!


In step one of a Powerful Interaction, Be Present, you pause to tune in to how you are feeling and consider how you might need to adjust to create a “just-right” fit with a child.
In step two, Connect, you let that child know that you see her; are interested in what she is doing, saying, and thinking; and want to spend time with her. Deepening your relationship this way helps the child feel safe, confident, and open to learning. Staying connected and observant helps you make good decisions in step three.
In step three, Extend Learning, you make use of your strong connection with the child to stretch her knowledge, skills, thinking, or language and vocabulary just a bit.

Now revised and updated, this reflective guide contains everything you need to understand what Powerful Interactions are, how to make them happen, and why they are so important in increasing children’s learning and your effectiveness as a teacher. Whether you work in a child care center or family child care setting, Early Head Start or Head Start program, or a public pre-K or primary classroom, you make a difference in the lives of children and families—and Powerful Interactions can make that difference even bigger.