Intentional Teaching

Intentional teaching is the “planful, thoughtful, and purposeful acts teachers implement to ensure that young children acquire the knowledge and skills (content) they need to succeed in school and in life. Intentional teachers use their knowledge, judgment, and expertise to act with specific outcomes or goals in mind for children’s development and learning, and they integrate and promote meaningful learning in all domains” (Epstein, 2014, p. 242). Although intentionality had previously appeared as a term in early childhood pedagogy (for example, in the writings of David Berliner and Robert Pianta), the concept gained prominence with the 2007 release of The Intentional Teacher by Ann S. Epstein, published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (and revised in 2014). The book reflected ...