Wait, Watch, Wonder

Observe children’s actions sensitively and intervene if and when necessary to extend thinking without over-direction, giving children time and allowing them to investigate for themselves.  Ensure that the child will gain something positive from the interaction that they did not have before.  Understand that when children show intense concentration, at level 5 engagement (Leuven Involvement Scale), they are already involved in an interaction with the environment; any adult interaction could interrupt deep learning and connections being made in the brain.

The concept of ‘Wait, Watch and Wonder’ comes from the work of Julie Fisher, who said, “The word attentiveness suggests a practitioner who is alert to and interested in what is going on, but not necessarily intervening.”

(Interacting or Interfering?, Fisher, 2016, p. 165)

WAIT

This reminds practitioners to start by doing nothing; it is respectful of the activity and learning.  WAIT means that practitioners will not trample over the child’s ideas and interrupt with unhelpful questions.  WAIT also implies that the CHILD can include practitioners within their play by asking them to be customers in the shop or by handing them some playdough.  Finally, WAIT often means that a conversation is more likely to come to you, sparked by close attentiveness and leading to a natural, genuine response to the child’s thinking (see Sustained, Shared Thinking).

Having the patience and time to wait is essential if we wish to interact with a meaningful and productive child.  As Julie Fisher (2016, p. 77) stated, “Waiting and watching and wondering about children is a time-consuming business.  It requires practitioners who are willing and able to decentre, to put the child at the heart of what is said, done and achieved, rather than the practitioner and their goals, outcomes or targets…. There will always be ‘something else’ to do in a busy nursery or classroom, but the practitioner who is fascinated by children is the one who will want to stop, get down, listen and tune in to the child’s comments or questions and will find their thought processes too interesting to ignore.”

WATCH

This reminds practitioners that what a child is doing is not necessarily what they are THINKING about.  This observation period must include active listening, which requires the practitioner to be in a position where they can ‘watch’ and hear what children are talking about.  This will ensure the practitioner has knowledge about what a child is doing AND thinking.

When practitioners watch, they can notice the interplay between the children leading the play, who follows, and who needs support.  In addition, when the practitioner takes time to WATCH before interacting, they are more likely to understand the reason and purpose of a child’s activity and how focused they are; then, they will decide how, when, or if to intervene.

WONDER

This reminds practitioners to think about what the child is trying to achieve or what the child may need to stimulate them further.  Practitioners should be fascinated by the child’s interest and think, “I wonder what they are doing?” or perhaps “I wonder why they did that?”

Practitioners will then begin to understand the purpose and direction of the child’s activity and, crucially, why it might well be very different from what was anticipated.  WONDER gives time to think about when and whether an interaction will enhance the learning or whether the learning will flow well without intervention and is best left alone!  The best practitioners are continually thinking, watching, and self-questioning – asking themselves, for example, “Shall I get some more equipment to put alongside?”, “Shall I add to it?”, “Should I intervene or watch more?”

Having waited, watched and wondered for a sufficient length of time, practitioners should be careful in their choice of whether or not to intervene in the child’s play.  As Julie Fisher (2016, p. 3) reminds us, “In an ‘effective’ interaction the adult must make a contribution…if the practitioner intervenes or interacts without any discernible impact on learning or development, then that interaction is clearly unhelpful or unnecessary.”

It is also important to remember that once the practitioner has committed to the interaction, they should allow the child to lead the conversation and follow their interests and enquiries rather than imposing their own agenda or goals.

Practitioners must allow themselves to be wholly immersed in the discussion as it develops.  They should not be distracted by feeling that they need to be taking notes or “writing up” their observations; this is a sure way to de-rail any meaningful interaction.  Instead, if the practitioner feels the interaction is worthy of documentation, they should do so from memory after the episode has reached a natural conclusion to retain essential details.