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How Honour­ing a Child’s Small Fascination Opens the Door to Deep Learning

Some of the most meaningful moments in early childhood don’t happen in the planned activities, the themed weeks, or the beautifully prepped provocations.
They happen in the quiet corners — in the tiny sparks of curiosity that children discover all by themselves.

This week, it was a hole punch.

Not a fancy resource.
Not something new.
Just a simple tool sitting on the table… and one child who couldn’t resist the satisfying click, the steady resistance, the tiny circle falling free.

And instead of rushing them on, correcting the grip, or suggesting something “more purposeful,” slow pedagogy invites us to pause.

To notice.
To trust.
To let the child lead.

✨ What Slow Pedagogy Really Means

Slow pedagogy isn’t about doing less.
It’s about doing what matters — deeply, attentively, intentionally.

It asks us to:

• Honour a child’s pace

• Make room for repetition

• Value the process over the product

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"If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings, and grow.” Alfie Kohn

In the Reggio inspired approach there is lots of work to be done on developing our own image of the child and discovering what it is about each individual that makes them capable learners. Our own experiences as children, parents and educators shape what this can be and it's important to recognise the strengths and capabilities our individual children have. 

I believe that young children are capable of high levels of engagement in their learning. But how can they show this if i'm always the one deciding what we should do around the agenda I have as an adult? Doing this sets them up to fail.

Therefore my understanding of the child must be backed up by the practice and environment I create. This can be done by really listening to the child and exploring the curiosities they have and discover what drives them to know more. 

This can be done by identify...