Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 05:40PM Just happened upon another wonderful blog link to Early Play. The first thing on there was a quote that summed up what I was saying in my last post entitled Uninterrupted Exploration.
“Every time we teach a child something, we keep him from inventing it himself. On the other hand, that which we allow him to discover for himself will remain with him visible for the rest of his life. -Piaget
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 11:55PM Weeks ago, I began writing a post on our adult interactions with the children in our lives and in our program. If you scroll down through the blog, you'll not find it! As I wrote, I found that the topic included vastly too many categories to be contained in a single blog post. So, I dropped it...until further and more specifically focused inspiration would arise. In time, you will find a series of posts focused on the greater concept of the way we communicate with preschoolers.
Well, today I happened (by blog-hopping) upon a blog post today that is related to one aspect of our untraditional approach at communication with children.
Often our adult agenda of how to properly interpret a child's experience can get in the way of a genuine learning opportunity for that child. We hold in our heads ideas of what can/should be gained from a child's experience with the world and subsequently interject those ideas inappropriately. In doing so, we interrupt the natural learning process, all in the name of a "teachable moment."
I've got an example for you:
I have desired to introduce hot glue guns for a long time, but have been leary because of the fact that our program is school for not only preschoolers, but toddlers and even infants as well. I did not want to pull the hot glue guns out just for the older children, and make them off-limits to the little ones. I also (obviously) can not trust the little ones to understand the concept of a "tool", as to them EVERYTHING is an experimental piece to the THOROUGHLY explored (NOT SAFE!).
Well, a couple of weeks ago, I went out on a limb and bought several hot glue guns (painfully low-temp ones) for the school. I gave in to my desire to support the children's creativity in providing them an outlet for it that would provide superior functionality over "school glue". So glad I did. They have enjoyed experiencing and creating with the glue guns.
I pulled the hot glue guns out first when only a couple of four-year-old children were finished with nap time. We did use the hot glue guns later with all who desired attempting them (with the help of a wonderful, very patient parent volunteer)...but I'd like to focus in on the experience of those first two children with the hot glue guns.
Before they started gluing, I explained to the children that these glue guns are not toys. They are tools, and must be used consciously. I pointed out that the tip was hot and could burn them. Then I let them get started. They began selecting a random assortment of bits and pieces (beads, pipe cleaners, craft sticks, buttons, etc.) to apply to their base (cardboard).
Their method of application went something like this:
-squeeze trigger to apply small dot of glue
-hunt for the perfect piece to place on the glue dot
-attempt to adhere the piece
-find that the piece would not stick
Now, in that moment I had the thought (created in my mind by the "spell" my mind battles frequently) that this was a "teachable moment". I could explain to the two children exactly what was going on and how to ensure that the pieces would indeed stick. Then they would "learn." Right? Well, I didn't fall for it. Here was the conversation that ensued instead.
S-It's not sticking!
Me-Oh. Why not?
O-(after an additional attempt to stick a piece on a glue dot)- it's hard!
Me- Oh?
S & O tried again.
S- It's still not sticking. It's too hard!
Me- How did it get hard?
S- (after poking a bead at the hardened glue repeatedly- cautiously touching the glue dot for as brief a moment as possible- then again a little longer- and again without caution using full finger pad)- It got too cold.
Me- Oh. So what can we do?
O- We have to put it on fast.
Now, they both got a piece at the ready for being glued, placed a fresh dot of glue, and quickly stuck their piece in place.
Do you see folks? I did not "teach" them. They have the tools they need within their minds to figure out how the world works. We only need supply them with the opportunity to experience. Some little questions when they were looking for guidance was all that these two needed. They simply had to be encouraged to have confidence in questioning within themselves for the answers.
At our last monthly parent meeting, we talked about something that our staff heard at our educational conference last July. The presenters used the example of erosion. Erosion is something that many adults would feel compelled to teach a child who is playing with sand and water as they are mucking around and eroding their sand walls with their bucket or hose of water. That's not what preschoolers need. They don't need to be told, "That's called erosion. Erosion happens when...blah, blah, blah." They just need to develop experiences. Experiences that, when the time comes, will provide real understanding of the concepts they are learning. Some day when they are sitting in a classroom studying erosion, a lightbulb will go on, and they'll think, "oh yeah...erosion...I know what that is. It's just like I used to do in the sand at my preschool."
So, do you remember that blog-post I initially mentioned having read today. Here it is. It was beautifully written by what appears to be an excellent new blog-writer. Please enjoy reading and let her know we appreciate what she wrote!
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 04:47PM I have had the privilege of hearing Daniel J Hodgins speak on several occasions, and have so appreciated his deliberate push toward practices that are indeed beneficial for our children. Many of the practices of which Dan speaks are found far too seldom in our early childhood settings.
During at least two of my conference experiences, Dan's presentation was entitled Looking Through the Eyes of Boys and Girls. It was extremely insightful to say the least. In an effort to continue my own thought processing on the topic, I picked up a copy of Dan's book BOYS: Changing the Classroom, Not the Child at my most recent conference experience. Now again, this is a book I highly recommend parents (and teachers) to read!
Dan wrote the following in his book, which inspired me this afternoon:
If boys (and girls) lose the right to run- the right to spontaneous, unstructured movement- then we increase the risk that they will develop a lack of confidence in their bodies along with obesity, heart disease, joint replacements, and a long list of other horrors.
Reading this inspired me to do a bit of hunting on the topic. I found a few articles, including one intended to educate parents on which cartoon characters are healthiest. Throughout all the articles, running is considered to be a positive thing for young children (for obvious reasons to most of us). I found one article of specific interest to me, and definitely worth passing on to you all.
Rae Pica has written a piece entitled Why Motor Skills Matter , which I found on a website called Moving and Learning. As you read below, I think you'll find that Rae communicates the same sentiment as does Dan Hodgins:
And, considering the health hazards for the unfit (obesity, heart disease, and many others), this is one area where movement matters even more than language. A competent mover will gladly keep moving. A child who feels physically awkward and uncoordinated is going to avoid movement at all costs (just as a person who feels inept at public speaking will avoid a podium at all costs).
Such a child isn’t likely to take part in an after-school game of tag, or to play jump rope or climb the monkey bars during recess. And it’s doubtful that her parents would consider taking her to the playground, on a hike, or roller skating on the weekend. There’s no mystery as to why the research shows children lacking in movement fundamentals are more sedentary than peers of the same age who are skilled movers. And since poor movement habits tend to track from childhood to adulthood, a physically inactive child is unlikely to grow up as a lifelong mover.
In this realm, the most important thing you can do is to give children the time, space, and opportunity to move.
Rae also discusses how we often expect children to develop gross motor skills naturally or "magically" as they mature. He explains that this natural development can be true in regards to manh of our childrens' basic gross motor skills, but that "maturation takes care of only part of the process – the part that allows a child to execute most movement skills at an immature level."
Immature level???
I agree with Rae, as I have seen this exact thing in my own time with preschoolers. The children come into school with a wide variety of gross motor skill development. It can become quickly evident to preschool teachers which children have been allowed or (even better) encouraged to run, jump, balance, climb, swing, hang, etc. I believe that all of these gross motor skills need to be developed and specifically through (as Dan said) "spontaneous, unstructured movement."
THEREFORE, in our school you will find a list of rules for children which includes but is definitely not limited to
Please parents...offer your child the amazing benefit of doing these things at home as well...at their own initiation...by themselves! If you stop them, slow them, or even "help" them, you could be depriving them of the opportunity to gain experiences and skills that are quite necessary.
Now obviously boundaries must exist. I'm not asking that you look away while your children run willey nilley and climb your bookshelves. I'm asking that you first of all create a space where these things can naturally and safely occur...hallways for running...stumps and structures for climbing...landings for jumping. I'm also asking that you pause a moment before stopping such behavior. Just step back and ask yourself where the boundary REALLY needs to be and how you can accomodate the movements needing to be experienced.
Do you really need "walking feet"? Not usually!
So, like I said, we run here...and our children are the better for it!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 11:28AM I am passionate about allowing children to learn through play experiences and avoiding forced academics and rote memorization of letters, sounds, phonics, etc. For many parents whose children have hit the "pre-k" age, doubt can begin to set in. Friends' children begin reciting/performing those "skills" they've learned in their academic programs, and we begin to wonder if we should be doing more.
Last year, I was told of a wonderful book, which I have since then read twice and so appreciated. Reading Magic, by Mem Fox, addresses how exactly it is that children learn to read without forced academics. The book serves as an encouragement for parents who are taking this "road less traveled" in regards to their children's education/literacy. It is a piece that I think every parent ought to read as early in their child's life as possible.
Teacher Tom has blogged a bit about literacy in the past. One of his posts that I particularly enjoyed can be found here. I have passed that link as well as an encouragement to read Reading Magic on to our school parents. This past Monday, we focused our monthly parent meeting on early literacy. At the meeting, one of our local children's librarians shared a variety of fun ideas with us, I shared a bit about Reading Magic, and we held a brief of discussion on literacy as well.
In that discussion, one of our parents (who is also a teacher) remembered a quote she had hanging on her wall. I am so grateful she brought this quote in to us, and I would like to pass it on to you all.
A child's mind isn't a blank slate; it's more of a jungle. Each time a parent helps a toddler read, the child is walked through this jungle from one side to the other. Trip after trip, a seemingly impossible passage becomes a well-worn path. Children sent to kindergarten skipping merrily along this path to literacy fare far better than those sent to school with machetes.
Keith Mastrion, "Reading Man" and 1998 National Teacher of the Year
This same parent also brought me a copy of Mem Fox's Ten Read Aloud Commandments. I LOVE them!
Moral of the story...explore the links, read Reading Magic, and pass the concept on to others! We need not feel pressured by society to force literacy on our children. They'll begin reading in good time!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 05:04PM I just read a great post on a blog called I'm a teacher, Get Me OUTSIDE here! The post, U is for Up Up and Up, reminded me of a favorite book of the children at our school, entitled Up Up Down, by Robert Munsch. Reading the post led me to read a different post by Squiggle Mum and then one by Kindling.
Do you remember climbing trees?