Happy Thoughts Learning Center

This week we...

2010-04-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Finished our kindergarten unit on money by going to the store to buy treats!

Made cookies, practicing measuring and sequencing skills and having fun in the process (more on that to come).

Continued working on basic math skills including counting, addition, and subtraction.

Explored the idea of wind and how it makes things move...

Wind Sounds

2010-04-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

As we came in from our outside play I invited the children to stop and observe what sounds they could hear. They noticed the birds, then noticed there was another sound but couldn't identify what it was, though they did mimic the sound (it was probably water in the nearby ditch as well as wind). When we joined together as a group I gave the children pinwheels and invited them to explore with them, they noted that they were able to make their own wind. They started talking about the different sounds, and I invited them to each record their own wind and name it.
These recordings were simply made on my cell phone, no high tech requirements there. We watched them using windows media player, and the kids were excited to notice the designs on the screen seemed to coordinate with their wind sounds. This brought us back to the animations online, which we watched again this time focusing on the sounds of the wind as well as the animations. L. noticed the storm wind sounded like scissors and another wind sounded like a snake.

Painting wind...

2010-03-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

Wind pictures

2010-03-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Monsters Slide Show

2010-03-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Slideshow design personalized with Smilebox

Provocation: Collaborative Play

2010-03-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Following are some video clips of cooperative/collaborative play between two children in my class, B (5) and L (4). This clip was taken on 11-15-09, about six weeks into the school year. These two particular children had not engaged in cooperative play together, as previously there had been a split between two boys (B & E) and two girls (K & N), with L primarily wandering.

Provocation: What are the inherent traits of cooperative/collaborative play? How do you encourage this type of play in your classroom? How do you deal with "subgrouping" between certain children?

Observations from Clip #1:

Negotiation- L says, "I need a big one" and B tells her "It will not fit there." They negotiate on how many blocks are needed before it is considered "finished". L was allowed to act as the lead, "This is the door....this can be a castle"

Observations from Clip #2:

I love the excitement in their voices & their body language, especially when L. mimics B rubbing his hands together. B builds on L's earlier comment, "It's a car castle". The two work together to find a solution when the car does not fit. B knows how to access resources, "We need people..." B shows excellent self regulation when the "car castle" falls down, "It's okay, we can still make it."

Observations from Clip #3

B becomes more directive, but there is still negotiation..."No, they can not go there. But they can go..." L. doesn't hesitate to make her ideas known, but does not object when B disregards them. L expresses a desire to share her work, "I want to show my mom this". B shows an understanding of a basic selecting game, "Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish..." and count to 10.

N. was an onlooker throughout this entire activity, how could she have been encouraged to join their play?

Discovery Gateway pictures...

2010-03-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last month we took a trip to the Discovery Gateway museum with the kids, I'm finally getting around to posting pictures! I'm playing around with SmileBox, so I hope this works...

Personalize your own digital slideshow

Wind....

2010-03-11T14:06:00.000-08:00

We have the opportunity to participate in a large-scale "mega project" on wind studies, in cooperation with a school in Hawaii and other schools around the world. I've begun introducing the concept of wind to the children, trying to get an understanding of how they think of the concept "wind". Here are a few video clips from today...

Art Class...

2010-03-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

Just a peek at what is going on in art class these days....

Our painting is still very much hands on! Even the older kids (in fact, especially the older kids!) enjoy really getting into the process. This is a huge difference from the beginning of the class when most of the older kids came into class with the idea that they had to create something in order for it to be considered "art". I see a lot more open exploration now, and I love it even though it's messy! I think it is important for children to have a chance to openly explore a medium before moving into represntational work, a lot of times they miss this step.

It's not all mess making though, when they come up with an idea they can really get down to work! These girls found various containers in our recycling bin they could trace to make circles. One, apparently drawing inspiration from the recent olympic games, entitled her work "Olympic Circles". They were very serious and engaged about this work, and obviously had a product in mind--but it was still very much child initiated and child directed.

Our favorite part of class, hands down (or usually, to be more accurate, elbows up) is open studio time, where each child has the chance to work on their own or with self selected partners with any of the mediums available in the classroom. Here we have children working with recyclables, clay, glue, and scissors. The work they come up with is amazing. Many ask me how I can keep kids busy for 1 1/2 hours--the better question is how can I give the kids enough opportunity to work on their ideas and still have time to clean up! I think they could go at this all day if I let them...

More to come!

Why Play?

2010-02-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

I've been scanning youtube lately and have come across a few videos I think explain why I focus on a play-based curriculum, attempting to create what is known in the early childhood community as a "developmentally appropriate practice"...these films explain some of the basic concepts

Developmentally Appropriate Early Childhood Environments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-h4IHIqkcc&feature=related

All They Do is Play...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75Kan48OftU&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktz_28vP_Jo&feature=channel

2010-02-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

Transcribe: Observations on Fixing the Road, 11-5-2009

On a walk to see the horses we observed a work crew working on road repairs. One of the men was using a torch to put fire on the road. One of the children in the class was enthralled by this process...here are his ideas! What does this conversation tell you about this child's thinking? How do the questions I asked add or detract from his thought processes? Where could I have gone from here? (as it turns out they were more interested in bikes than the road repairs when they got back to school so it didn't go anywhere...)

A visit to the horses...

2010-02-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

More to come....maybe, just trying to get some photos up so I have something to blog about!

Provocation....What is "Hands On Learning?"

2010-01-29T12:44:00.000-08:00

This was a sign displayed prominantly at the check out counter at a local grocery store. The "work samples" shown include ditto matching sheets and standardized spelling tests. It made me wonder exactly what educators consider "hands on" learning.

How about this activity? The learning objective was to count the pumpkin seeds as he glued them on the pumpkin...

What about writing our reading words for the week on the whiteboard? Does your opinion change if you know this activity was child initiated?

Do Montessori cylinder blocks and other dydactic learning materials count as "hands on" learning?

Are we getting closer to "hands on" now?

What about "full body on" learning? Does that count?

Questions to Consider:

What is it that makes learning hands on?

Does the definition of hands on change as children grow and develop?

What ages do better with hands on learning?

How does hands on learning work in your classroom?
What challenges do you face in presenting 'hands on' activities?

Chime in by leaving a comment or drop me an e-mail at hapythoughtslearningcenter@yahoo.com

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Utah Early Childhood Conference

2010-01-29T12:34:00.000-08:00

Random note....

Mountainland CCR&R 801-863-8220

Utah Child Care Conference registration is *not* available until next week. So don't register early, because I really REALLY want to get into the good classes this year. But if you do register early you can do so on the following site:

www.utahearlychildhoodconference.com

2010-01-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

Discovery Gateway

2010-01-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

Photos from our field trip...

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d5455314d5441314e7a4d3d0d0a&blogview=true

2010-01-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

Hands-on art experiences, as usual....this is a combination of shaving cream and about three different colors of paint in mass...

The older class has been studying Leonardo da Vinci's inventions, our classes combined to work together with a box of "just about everything"...B really got into this activity and has been working for several days on a "robot".

Tracks in the snow kept E. engaged outside as he followed them trying to find out where they led and figure out what type of animal made them!

This is a unique use for tape that I've never seen before....a limbo rope! This has actually been a great activity for cooperation, because it requires at least two children to hold the tape and several more to play the "game", which is tricky....because it's sticky!

The kids love making popsicles, we do this at least once a week! They don't seem to care about the fact that it is below freezing outside...though N. consistently points out that in cold weather we should have hot chocolate instead. So we make that as well on a regular basis!

Another check in...

2010-01-12T12:49:00.001-08:00

Don't know if any parents are reading this, but just to throw some pictures out there...

Miss Phelps had a birthday this week, and L. wanted to get into the action by decorating her car. I wasn't sure how Miss Phelps would feel about that, so I let her decorate my car instead. Have to say I was thankful when I was wandering around lost in the parking lot at 10:00 at night--can't miss a car covered in tape!

P. is working on learning how to ride a two-wheeler. Despite the snow, the kids still love riding bikes on the driveway. I, on the other hand, can not WAIT to go inside. They may be able to tolerate 12 degree weather....but I'm still not a fan!

The blog has apparently decided it can't handle any more photos for now...I'm going to try a new program a friend suggested, we'll see how it works!

Check In...

2010-01-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

Working together in small groups exploring wire as a medium...

We made personal mini-pizzas, each child got to make their own...

L. returned to an activity that has been a favorite, it was initially intented to be "musical shakers", but now has morphed into simply filling a plastic cup with various collage materials, and covering the top with plastic wrap held on by an elastic band. Not sure what, exactly, it is intended to be, but it doesn't particularly matter....it's the process that is important, not the product.

Weekly Check in...

2010-01-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

This is a general outline of our upcoming week...

Monday: C & P worked with wire in the art studio. We'll be introducing this medium throughout the week & then exploring the combination of wire and clay as we move into three dimensional representation.

P wrapped the wire around a marker to make it into a coil, then straightened it out. C observed her work & tried making a similar design.

C: I did it across the ocean, it's a bridge. And the water's underneath it.

C: I tied it, but I didn't do it in a knot.

P used wire to tie two chairs together (good movement into utilizing three dimensional objects with the wire!).

This week I will be working on basic addition skills with P, K, and B and general counting skills with L & D. P & K will begin work with the short "e" word families, beginning with the /en/ and /et/ families. B & L will continue working on sequencing the letters in their names.

Clay....

2009-12-26T19:11:00.001-08:00

This is one of those on-going, nonlinear posts that I will be adding to as I upload pictures & revist transcripts and video recordings (a few of which I may post if I can figure out how to get my laptop online). So drop by & visit on occasion to "see" what is being added! The "finished" results will also be documented in the classroom for parents (and visitors, should you happen to be in the area feel free to come by!).

I introduced clay on the floor a couple weeks back, in big blocks for the children to work on as a group. I expected the jumping on it--but must admit the sitting on the block was an idea I hadn't ever considered trying myself!

When the slabs of clay had been smashed flat (it didn't take long) one of the children took scissors & began to carve images & words into the clay. I found this interesting, as I have introduced clay as a medium to many, many children...and yet this is the first time I have seen children use it in a two dimensional context. I wonderedif/how this correlates to the interest in symbols & representation I have observed with the children in this class group...

There was a lot of cooperative exploration with the rolling pin, as I only had one of them. I added a second, and considered adding my larger rolling pins (I have enough that each child could have one), but decided to hold off & continue to let the children negotiate the use of the limited available resources.

When revisiting the environment and asking the children for feedback one of the children declared the "paint table" was too "junky"--and, indeed, upon standing back & looking at it I realized this key table, which reflects much of what parents see in our classroom as it is right next to the door, had become a "catch all" for odds and ends painting materials, most of which were not effectively utilized. So, after brief consideration, I decided to put the paint away for now (it's still available if the kids ask for it--and I did leave one easel set up for free use) and "transform" the table into our clay table. A simple garbage back covering, a bucket of rinse water, a few sponges, and we were ready to roll!

http://artatthecenter.blogspot.com/2009/11/clay-and-sticks-and-standing-objects.html

This post from Art at the Center made me think about provocations I could add to the clay table. So far I've given the children a few plastic knives and they've brought several items from the painting/stamping projects (mostly kitchen mixers, potato mashers, etc) to the table themselves, as well as the small rolling pin from the dramatic play center & the iron (who would have thought???). The popsicle sticks are an obvious "next step", I'm also wondering about rocks, perhaps the pinecones from our science center (B was "spraying" them yesterday to see what happens--wonder if he would extend that?)....I know there are a number of items my classes from previous years used, perhaps I should pull them out as well. Now, to decide how to present materials in a way that is provocative but non-directive...

And this article..

http://www.bartelart.com/arted/Clay&Toddlers.html

is a great explanation of why working with clay is important for young children--again, we begin to see that represenational/concerete operational thinking coming into play....

OK, I really have to stop thinking about preschool and actually fold the laundry.

Excellent article...

2009-12-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

For parents & educators just beginning to explore Reggio inspiration I've come across an article I think provides a nice overview...

http://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca/Publications/Researchintopractice_Vol_IV.htm

I particularly enjoy the five points they make about documentation:

"Five Features of Documentation
1. Documentation involves a specific question that guides the process, often with an epistemological focus (focus on questions of learning).
2. Documentation involves collectively analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating individual and group observations; it is strengthened by multiple perspectives.
3. Documentation makes use of multiple languages (different ways of representing and expressing thinking in various media and symbol systems).
4. Documentation makes learning visible; it is not private. Documentation becomes public when it is shared with learners-whether children, parents, or teachers.
5. Documentation is not only retrospective, it is also prospective. It shapes the design of future contexts for learning."

Good concepts to keep in mind as I work on portfolios & documentation panels next week!

P.S. Anyone want to tell me how this whole link thing works??? Still can't get it to work right...

Clarifying philosophy...

2009-12-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

Taking time during the holiday season to catch up on a few of my favorite blogs....not something I get the chance to do often. Here is one of them... sorry I can't get the link to work, you'll have to cut & paste!

http://yoyoreggio.blogspot.com

She had a post on clarifying philosophy that I found interesting....she asked the question

"Do you find yourself picking the 'best' from different systems? How do you reconcile systems or ideas that seem to be at odds? How would you describe your ideal educational philsophy?"

My beginnings of a response....

I am not a Reggio "purist" by any means, I would say it is the primary inspiration for my classroom but I also draw from Waldorf, Montessori, and general constructivist views, and every once and awhile throw a bit of (gasps of horror) academia in. My personally feeling on the matter is that there is not one "right way" for anything--each child's needs and interests are different, and part of centering the environment around the child is being open to considering options that may not fit our "ideal" view.
I have a child who absolutely loves to do math worksheets. I, who am ademantly against pen & paper work in the early years, am providing this child with worksheets. Is it a result of her time spent in a "traditional" class? Probably. But she is drawn to it, spends a few minutes on it, then moves on to something else. I don't think there is any permanant harm being done. I would, at one time, have argued that there isn't any permanant good being done--until I observed this same child conducting self-directed "lessons" in mathematics to the other children. Her confidence is amazing, her grasp of the concepts is apparent, and the other children are learning from her. Truly an exceptional example of children as the best teachers.
There are wonderful aspects of Montessori, but I too have been concerned about the lack of creative expression--particularly the emphasis on NO imaginative play (this comes directly from Montessori's viewpoints). I love the materials, and use them in the classroom to introduce concepts regularly--but it is also not uncommon to see the pink tower being used to build a barn & last year the brown stairs made an exceptional play yard for snails. Montessori, I'm sure, would be horrified--but the children weren't!

I will, I am certian, continue dwelling on this question as I eagerly delve into some of the books I've been waiting to get my hands on. Actually, this is a well-timed question since I intend to "formally" introduce some of the Montessori materials beginning in January. I've informally introduced some of them--the moveable alphabet, sandpaper letters, etc.--in reading lessons with K & P, and utilized many of the mathematical tools--spindle boxes, numbers & counters--primarily with L as we work on her developing interest in numerical concepts, but haven't utilized any form of a "structured" introductory approach.

I would never, never, tell a child they could not do something because the precursory "lesson" has not yet been introduced. However, I also see value in the natural flow between one lesson and another as they are presented in the Montessori classroom. So I may pull out my "checklist" of lessons and present them in the order they are listed.

However, I may also decide I'm already doing way too much anyway & don't need yet another checklist to distract me from what is truly going on in my classroom. Part of my learning process is accepting that I can not do everything I would like to do. I would love to have several ongoing projects, introduce every Montessori material, offer hand works such as knitting & draw in other Waldorf inspirations, pull from the state standards and make sure every child is hitting every standard, conference constantly with parents......but I only have so many hours in a week (20, to be exact, is my mandated maxium). So I do what I can, what gets done gets done, and I revisit our work at the end of the week & decide where my priorities lie. When it comes down to it I would rather L. spend two hours squishing paint between her toes than complete the spindle box work every morning...

Light...

2009-12-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

When we were doing our music time last week N. noticed the reflection on the ceiling from the sun shining through the windows & onto her cymbals. I wondered if this observation was something they may want to follow up on, so I decided to move the class into the "light room" (in the back room) to provide further opportunities to explore lights & reflections. I provided the light table, a strand of decorative lights, flashlights, translucent blocks and materials, a reflective mirror surface, and several other odds & ends items. We talked briefly about what light is & where it comes from--they were able to draw a correlation between power that comes from the plug & power that comes from batteries. Then I set them loose to explore.

The flashlights were one of the first things the children went too, each took one and shined it around the classroom. I lay down with a flashlight & shined it on the ceiling, just to see what would happen--B grabbed his flashlight and tried to cover my light. This soon evolved into a game of "catch", with the children chasing each reflection around on the ceiling, laughing gleefully when they "caught" another light. When they wanted the lights to "go home" they would switch them off.

L was initially nervous about coming into the darkned room (apparently a wory about ghosts is lingering from Halloween), but once she became involved in the game she quickly forgot her concerns.

After awhile they tired of the flashlight games & P pointed out the box of baby toys that was stored in the closet. As a general rule I dislike baby toys with lights & music (overstimulating for baby--even worse for mom/teacher!), but they actually tied in very well with our exploration. We spent some time playing "catch" with a ball that had lights on it, rolling it from one person to another.

One thing lead to another, and soon our exploration of lights was abandoned in favor of a game of limbo....we have to get our energy out somehow when it's too cold to go outside!!!

Overall, they were less interested in this exploration than I had expected them to be. I may re-visit it after the holidays to see if it goes anywhere....or maybe not. Who knows what the kids have in mind?

Check ins?

2009-12-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

It's getting harder to check in because the kids for some reason have started objecting to taking pictures--and I'm not sure how helpful the summaries are for parents (anybody out there?) If you could shoot me a comment or two & let me know if they are helpful I'll keep doing them--otherwise I'm going to try to focus on the philosophical bits here & report daily happenings on the parents board in the classroom. Feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Breakthrough science technology

2009-12-08T17:37:00.001-08:00

Folks, I just want you all to know you've been parenting your children totally & completely wrong. You see, you're missing one critical element to your parenting style. You hold the key to sucess for your children--simply by paying a large sum of money (not sure how much, they don't give any information without contact info) to have a complete gene profile that will tell you all of your child's strengths and weaknesses. Does it sound too good to be true? Like something from a science fiction novel? Nope---it's for real. At least that's what he says on the website.

http://www.mychildtalentprofile.com/

Genetic profiling at it's best, folks. sign up now and I'll give you a discount on the next psycho-developmental assessment I perform. Oh wait, I don't charge extra for the psych-developmental assesment, or the speech/language assessment, or the physical development assessment--or the running records, anecdotal note taking, generalized observations, dialogue and thinking/re-thinking that goes into developing an individual education experience based on your child's interests and enthusiasm.....wonder what gene enthusiasm is correlated with?

More color mixing pictures...

2009-12-04T17:59:00.000-08:00

Homework: Vision Questions...

2009-12-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

I've been bouncing these questions around for quite awhile...

Who is a child?
What is childhood?
How do children learn?
What is the role of school in the life of a young child? (This is a new one)...

I've got several posts in progress relating to this. I don't think there's an arbitrary line between the questions, they all come together to form one's view of the child. I like something that came to mind in the last class session (not a direct quote, but a general idea)...Reggio is not something you can do, it's something you become.

As far as the role of the school, this is how I view it....

The environment as the third teacher communicates to the child, "This is your space. You are welcome here". It calls to the children's soul, drawing them in as a place to explore. The role of the school is a place for..

Climbing, jumping, skipping, clapping, laughing--moving...
Digging, splashing, pouring, stirring, mixing--doing...
Questioning, exploring, investigating, engaging, growing and progressing---being...

Education is the lighting of a fire, not the filling of a bucket
-William Butler Yates

Homework: Daily Schedule

2009-12-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

One of our homework assignments for the online class I am taking is to write out, in detail, our classroom schedule. I found this a bit challenging, as ours is constantly changing and evolving! Here's a general overview of how our day goes....

8:30ish
The kids trickle in a few at a time & begin self-directed learning activities (also known in some circles as "free play", but that hardly describes the learning & exploring that goes on during this time!).

9:00ish
I attempt a morning meeting. So far this isn't going so well. The kids have just begun activities & don't want to stop. I've tried moving morning meeting up, but then the kids who show up later miss out. I've tried doing more structured activities as they come in (ie. puzzles at the table) & they're just not interested. I'm welcoming any suggestions to "fix" this problem! I love the idea of gathering to share fruit as they do in the Diana school (I think?), but I'm kind of guessing food in a room with white carpet isn't a great idea. Perhaps I should move our meeting place? Grapes or bananas may be okay. Still debating over the options.

9:30ish-10:30ish
Our self directed learning activities continue. If there are two teachers the children may move freely from our classroom to the outdoors, if it's just me they usually go out with the older kids about 10:00. I try to get everyone outside for at least 15 minutes, but this doesn't always happen--especially when it's 20 degrees outside! The kids have free access to the "studio", where I've typically set up 2-3 provocations (we have a painting table & two investigation/exploration tables) based on whatever projects or topics we are studying. They also have open access to the centers room--blocks, kitchen/dramatic play, books, various math manipulatives, writing and literacy materials, etc. For the most part I am "hands off" during this time, observing, taking notes, and occasionally bringing out materials to extend activities they seem interested in. Occasionally I'll try specifically to work math & literacy into the activities they are excited about. Often, right now especially, I'm gently guiding their conflict resolution skills and helping them learn to problem solve. I do try to do 1-2 "official" assessments each month (math/literacy, scientific knowledge, language devleopment, etc) so I also complete these during this time period--most of it can be done simply through observation.

10:30-11:00ish
I typically try to do more structured activities for about half an hour, specifially with small groups while the other children continue self directed activities. Many of the children join the primary class during this time to meet up with their "reading buddies". Right now on my "official" lesson plan I'm trying to do math on Tuesdays & literacy on Thursdays since I have a parent helper those days, but this is extremely flexible.

At about 11:00 we start clean up (I wrote a note today to remind me we really do need to stop what we're doing & clean up what absolutely must be picked up--we have been struggling with this lately, though parent helpers have made it workable). The kids help sweep, wipe tables, put toys away, etc. Then we gather for a closing group--again, I'm struggling to work this in and keep the kids engaged. I try to do songs & stories, I'm specifically focusing right now on getting at least one book in a day. The high point of our group time is 'tickle time' which I randomly stumbled across in an attempt to keep a certain child engaged while singing our closing song ("Sing Your Way Home"). Tickling one child just didn't cut it--so now everyone gets at least one turn (usually more). I've found this to be one of the more rewarding moments of the day, and miss it on the days when we don't quite find time for it.

C's been watching me type this up and insisted on adding his opinion on our schedule for the class he attended yesterday...

We cleaned up and played. I played, let's see here...I don't remember. Blocks and kitchen and that's all. We got the gelatin and colored it with paint. I want to color it with more paint. What makes green? Yellow and green and blue. Then we put it yellow and green and put that watery stuff in, then I mixed yellow and made green. Then we put flour and green and that's all, and water. We ate snacks, played. And I played with blocks, kitchen stuff, and that's all.

What I noticed about C's day yesterday (also known as "So what did he learn???)...

Social/Emotional Skills:
He came right into class, and had no difficulty joining in with B even though he has never met him before. He spent the vast majority of his time actively engaged in cooperative play with L, even though she is younger than he is. He used excellent conflict resolution skills when he wanted something she had--something we don't always see at home. He even stepped in to moderate between B & L when they had a disagreement.

Math & Science:
C. was able to identify the difference between the gelatin cups that had been in the fridge & those that we'd put in the freezer. He shared his theories about why they were different. He actively explored & experimented. He spent nearly an hour mixing, dumping, and pouring. He was able to count the number of cups, and quickly grasped the concept of 2 half cups=1 whole. He demonstrated competency in understanding the concept of conservation(the ability to recognize that there is the same amount of water in two different containers)--a key skill for geometry later on. He mixed colors and was able to tell me which primary colors produced green.

Language & Literacy:
C. worked on increasing his vocabulary, identifying "solids" and "liquids", as well as some understanding about what the word "mass" means. He demonstrates an understanding of various word endings...you add water to make something "watery".

Hmm...not at all bad for a child who "just" played for 3 hours!!!

Check in...

2009-12-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

I put out the paint pumps, cardboard, and various "tools" for the children to use to make prints--but who wants to use tools when you can use THESE??? Anyone want to place a bet on whose little toes these are? I bet you could get it in one guess....

Our spelling lesson for the week, P. selected the words "Joy to the world the Lord has come". Wonder what songs she's been listening to over the weekend? She copied the entire phrase down all by herself, and L. decided she wanted to work on "spelling" as well. She's really getting the hang of letter-like forms and is able to copy many of the letters--quite impressive for a just-under-4 year old!

The weather is cooperating with our "states of matter" exploration, our "pond" is now frozen completely solid so the kids can stand on it. They were excited to observe the rocks that have been frozen under the water--I wonder how that happened?

Loads of fun, with more to come!

Ms. Heather

Check In...

2009-11-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

Fun picture from earlier in November (OK, I admit it...I uploaded it by mistake and don't know how to delete it!)---BUT check out our art board, as the tinfoil collages should be replacing our autumn colors if I can finish them up tonight!

We've been focusing lately on two ongoing explorations....states of matter (primarily solids & liquids) with a bit of color theory thrown in. I put liquid watercolors at one of our exploration stations for the children to mix. The children used the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) and mixed them together using small droppers (great for developing fine motor skills).

They poured their new colors into glass canning jars and titled them.

L: "Black"

K: "A horse black"

B: "Apple Juice" (because it smells like apple juice!) and "Black"

P: "Black"

They obviously are coming to understand the basic concept that all the colors put together create black!

When we were done mixing we took the new colors into the light room & put them on the light table to see if all the "black" was the same. I expected them to be excited about this concept....they were more interested in jumping over the crib matress on the floor. Perhaps we'll return to that idea later. In the meantime....for those of you who had babyfood jars of random colored water coming home this is what that is all about---make sure the lids stay on. That stuff does not come out!

This week we'll be doing our writing in shaving cream--B is particularly motivated to write his name after becoming frustrated with trying to label his jar today! I'm going to introduce cornstarch & water to continue our exploration on the properties of matter, I'm wondering if L. will find as much interest in the cornstarch/water concoction as she does with tempera paint! If she doesn't, I've got plenty to do in our paint station, I've set up a large sheet of cardboard with various objects to use for making prints. We'll see how messy they can get with that!

K & N will continue working on cvc words, we'll introduce the /ad/ and /an/ word families next. We'll also be working on the following sight words: I, like, see

In math we're continuing with counting in context (not by route!). We are working with this concept primarily during snack time, but also at various times during learning centers. I am also hoping to work one on one with L & D to introduce the spindle boxes and numerals/counters from our Montessori materials.

We'll be spending as much time as we can outside as well...the good weather won't last long! Please send hats & mittens/gloves as children are complaining about the cold. Remember to check the basket for random socks, gloves, and various other odds and ends.

Room Pictures

2009-11-22T19:24:00.001-08:00

The bare minimum in our centers room at the beginning of the school year. With our recent discussion on aesthetics and color in the classroom I have to say I absolutely love the colors of the wall! It's a natural enough color that it isn't overwhelming, yet I feel it is more appealing than plain white or beige. And of course I love the natural lighting!

Transformed into the dramatic play center now. The play kitchen I selected specifically for its lighter colors, and the coordinating table I just happened to stumble across at DIs. We use my (gasps of horror!) primary colored red chairs at the table, which ties in nicely with the red burners on the stove. Last year I added a red rug (IKEA, of course) and we had a very nice, homey, and certainly not overwhelming color scheme. But the kids in my class last year made hot chocolate on the rug (literally) & it hasn't been the same since... in the picture below you can see our attempt at a KWL chart on the walls.
I finally got around to posting the resulting leaf collages from our light table experience. I get an A+ on our utilizing nature in the classroom assignment (I now have natural elements in every classroom). I put the leaf color sorting activity we'd done out, but the kids had less interest in sorting the leaves & more interest in crumbling them...and besides, they needed the table to eat on. So that didn't last long.

Our blocks center--I swear that nook was made for my shelf!
I try to always have at least one set of unit blocks out (either regular blocks or hollow blocks), along with a few manipulatives selections, props (cars/trucks/animals/people/etc), and a game or two. But it varies from day to day. I also try to use different building surfaces for the blocks area (see my previous posts for pictures).

The bright blue primary table & chairs in my art studio. As one parent said, "It looks like they were made for each other!". The table was the one piece of furniture original to the classroom (the bookshelves was there too--but it the teacher in the primary class wants them eventually) & the chairs were mine. They came from a surplus sale the BYU Child Development Lab School had when they replaced all their old chairs & tables with Community Playthings furnishings, if I had a huge grant I'd do the same. Or, maybe I would. Remember I sold all my lovely natural wooden tables and the beautiful, custom-built matching chairs since they wouldn't hold up to PAINT??? So far this table and chairs have survived just about everything, and I no longer cringe when they spill liquid watercolors. Function and cost wins out over aesthetics in this case. Of course, I haven't seen the Community Playthings furniture put to the test yet since the kids don't usually dump liquid watercolor all over the table in their theoretically "hands on" program (it is DAP, just not as much focus on creative exploration--but then I don't know of any other program aside from Bev's that shares my focus on creative exploration, which is easy to understand when I spend an hour cleaning up flour and there is still more to mop up the next day....but that's an entirely different topic altogether). When we finally get around to moving the bookshelves (sometime in the next century!) I want to use that corner for self-serve snack, I think...

Shots of the art center in our studio room, along with the "autumn colors" documentation board and my planning board (not an ideal location, but functional). This is before our new art shelf, hence the clutter on the make-shift desk shelves. I love the lighter color in this room, since it makes the children's work stand out more and I don't know how I survived without wooden floors before! It makes clean up so much easier (OK, to be totally and completely honest in some cases it makes clean up possible).

A bigger shot of our Autum Colors documentation board. I know...horror of all horrors...primary colored scalloped borders. Does it really detract from the children's work? Be honest folks, I'm open to feedback here--and ideas! I like this approach to displays vs. display panels because I can simply stick the pages in the children's portfolios when I switch out the board....but I suppose I should try some documentation panels as well. I did try to get all the "mandated" aspects of a panel in (children's photos, transcrips of conversations, and work samples--am I missing anything?). You have no idea how I stressed over the angled wording on some of those pages. Repeat after me---"It needs to be present, not perfect"...

This is our new art shelf, in it's mostly-organized state. The bins hold paint brushes & paint supplies, scissors & markers, work trays, glue, collage materials, and woodworking materials (I am working on labeling them). The kids really *really* wanted to paint this shelf, I was torn between letting them express their creativity & loving the natural wood. The love for the natural wood won out. I think this is one example of the dilemma created between desire for aesthetics vs. encouragement of creativity--was it worth maintaining the neutral colors in lieu of letting the children contribute to "finishing" the shelf? After all, in putting it together I did give them a sense of ownership. I guarentee if the shelf was painted it would include primary colors, along with bright hues of pink and orange, with the only earthy tones being the brown resulting from several children working on the same area with different colors. Maybe I'll buy the less expensive particle board shelf ($40) for them to paint & use in the light room next time I have extra funds sitting around waiting to be used.

This is one of our "exploration station" tables in the art studio, hosting the sand table in this picture. I love the frame (IKEA again...) but keep forgetting to buy 5x7 photo paper so I actually have pictures to put in it!

This shelf is loosely used as our math center, though it tends to be multi-functional. We did try to use the naturalistic materials for counting & sorting, but they didn't really take to this activity. I have, however, been surprised at the use the color boxes have had--not just for sorting and color identification, there have also been fantastic social engagements as children negotiate use of the objects inside. Perhaps because it's the only form of "commercialism" I allow in the classroom (many of the figurines are from popular, non-violent cartoons).

I've got more photos....but it's after 9 PM & I'm supposed to eliminate all blue light exposure...no computer, no TV, not even a cell phone--pure torture! The idea is it is actually supposed to make me sleep at night. Which, in theory, means I should have more energy during the day. Too bad I still won't be able to match the energy level of 6 children! I enjoy trying though!

Comments, feedback, and constructive critisism is welcome. I don't particularly mind non-constructive criticism either....I'll take whatever I can get at this point!

Itsy, bitsy spider....

2009-11-22T18:52:00.001-08:00

I love how observant L is! The other day I found her climbing outside the rocks...

I asked if she was being a mountain goat & she told me, "No teacher, it's a spider--see!!!"

I couldn't, until she pointed it out to me (it's that itsy bitsy black spot in the middle of a rock). I never would have noticed it.

Now, for an official poll question....is it the itsy bitsy spider, or the eensy weensy spider??? Think we may need to graph that question at preschool tomorrow!

Chalk Talk

2009-11-21T19:22:00.003-08:00

To continue encouraging writing skills I brought out a bucket of sidewalk chalk. Wow, did the kids get excited about that! B. was my primary focus on this activity, we continued to work on proper grip & writing "B". He's doing well with this, I think we're going to move on to his next letter!

K decided to create a "hop scotch" grid, and wrote all the numbers herself. She's been extremely interested in writing numbers lately, and can write most of the numbers from 1-20. I think she must be working on this in her kindergarten class, but her interest has motivated the others in the class group as well. I love when that happens!

P & L worked together--which is great because that isn't a typical grouping. They drew lines all the way from the driveway, up the sidewalk and around thehouse. L. was extremely focused on how to draw a great big line without picking up the chalk--this was an interesting challenge! After observing K for a minute P. attempted her own squares with numbers in them, showing a distinct preference for the number "7" for some reason.

The best part is after our class the rain washed the chalk away so we get to do it all over again!

Group time woes...

2009-11-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

Since I didn't get an opportunity to attend Bev Bos' conference this month (hopefully in the summer!) I used the funds to purchase resource books & videos instead. One of them being Bev's "Starting at Square One" video. I've watched it all the way through once now, and re-visited several clips multiple times, then decided to apply my newly rediscovered knowledge (beecause most of it I've heard several times before, on one occasion by Bev herself) to my major challenge at the moment--group time. I warn you, I've spent hours thinking through this & it's not a simple fix, therefore I'm closer to writing a chapter for a book than a blog post. Gee, that's an idea....

Here's what our group time sessions have looked like lately. Ms. Heather pulls out several music CDs. She throws together a few "structured academic activities" to offer and selects a few books she thinks the children might enjoy. Then the children pull up chairs (their choice--not mine) & sit down for group. They usually tell me which songs they want and we start in with one or two. By that time K & N have decided they no longer want to participate in group (an option I do allow) & have pulled their chairs to the back of the room. B & E have fallen off their chairs and are wrestling on the floor. L. is hiding under the table, presumably because I didn't hear her request or didn't respond in a manner she found acceptable. And little D. is sitting silently on my lap, probably wondering what the heck is going on. Ms. Heather herself is sitting there staring at the chaos trying to figure out what she did wrong in the heat of the moment, and getting nowhere.

Which leads to two possibilities the following day, both of which have happened. #1 when I announce it's group time the kids declare "I don't want to do group today" & since it a unanimous decision (myself included, I don't want to deal with the chaos!) we don't. Or #2 the kids declare they don't want to do group today and I become authorarian and declare that we are absolutely doing group, demand that everyone come, review "circle time manners", insist on participation, and become totally stressed out when the kids still don't respond. How are either of these scenarios productive? Obviously they are not. So it's time to revisit my thinking & determine what the root of the problem is.

To begin, I decided I need to determine what I want out of group time. Do I see group as a time to infuse the children with neccesary knowledge? To prove to everyone (parents, children, and myself) that I can control a group of six children without difficulty? To make the children sit still? If this is my focus I can keep going with the authoritarian approach, pull out the tape and make a line for them to sit their chairs on, assign seating so B & E aren't sitting together, insist that K & N leave their chairs where they are, drag L. out from under the table and force her into a chair, and shove D off my lap because that's not appropriate "group time" behavior. I did that last year. I hated it. The kids hated it. It worked, if those were my goals--but they are not.

I want group time to be a chance to build a sense of community. To involve the children in the learning process. To provide times for creative expression, sharing of ideas, a "joining of the minds" so to speak. A chance to dialouge with the kids, to play with the kids, to be silly and occasionally to be serious when the situation calls for it. I want the children to be actively engaged learners, not passive well-behaved little munchkins who can sit still and listen to me talk for 20 minutes. So why isn't this happening? Watching clips of Bev's group time gave me a few clues.

For starters, let's look at the songs I'm selecting. I've been using several CDs with songs that I know children tend to enjoy, and true to the typical pattern the kids do seem to like them. They request the songs they want, and I dig around trying to find the right CD and get it into the CD player. In the meantime, I've lost the kids. I've listend to these songs for 3 years straight. Most of them I know by heart. So it's time to implement Bev's #1 rule for music--no CDs. Let's see how that works (this may be tricky, since I've already trained the children to rely on the CD for direction, but I think we can figure it out). What are the automatic results of instituting this new rule? I am presuming I can pull a song off the top of my head & sing it without that momentary lapse where I am trying to get things "set up". Getting rid of the CDs also allows for further creativity. A CD has the same song, sung in the same way, every time--what fun is that? Take our pizza song for example. We roll out the dough, pour on the sauce, sprinkle on the cheese, slice the pepperoni, add some spices, then put it in the oven. The kids absolutely love this song and request it almost every day. But B doesn't like pepperoni on his pizza, he likes peppers instead. Sorry bud, you can pretend it in your head, but the song doesn't call for peppers. WHY ON EARTH NOT? Ditch the CD, substitute peppers for pepperoni, and B suddenly has ownership of the song. Come to think of it, why do we need to limit it to food? I wonder what would happen if we put race cars on our pizza? What if instead of putting it in the oven we put it in the FREEZER? Wow--all of a sudden a million possibilities have opened up that make the song engaging and interactive, rather than predictable and routine (BORING!!!).

But what about when I want to introduce a new song? Last week I wanted to introduce the song "Harvest Time". In this song the children pretend to harvest potatoes, corn, and pumpkins with hilarious results at the end of each song. To "get the kids ready" I had them color and cut out a picture of each item, so they had something to hold during the song (that makes it interactive, right?). Then I sat them down and told them to be quiet while I played the song. The only one singing along was me, since I'm the only one who knows the song. The others in the group were completely passive except for the parent helper, who showed them which picture to pick up. Guess what happened? B. didn't want a potato, he wanted a pear (are we starting to pick up on a pattern here and notice who my free thinker is?). D hadn't cut his pictures out "properly" and thus was completely lost as to which one to pick up. And L, not surprisingly, was hiding under the table because she'd only colored her potato and I was insiting she pick up her corn.

Let's think about this for a minute. What was the last song I learned? I'm going to have to say it was "The Climb". Guess how I learned it? I heard it on the radio once. The lyrics clicked with me. I hummed along to it. The next time I heard it I had the chourus figured out. A couple times after that I actually sought it out to listen too at which point I discovered it was a Miley Cyrus song--believe me, I would never intentionally have chosen to listen to a song by Miley Cyrus--think what I was missing out on because of my pre-concieved notions! That song "speaks" to me, because I've got plenty of mountains I want to move, and they're not going anywhere. I have ownership of that song because I can picture myself climbing those darn mountains. I can now probably sing the entire song without any help whatsoever, in fact I find myself doing so at random moments throughout the day. Did someone sit me down and say, "Heather, today I am going to teach you a new song. This song is about mountains, so I want you to draw a picture of mountains. Now, let's listen to the chourus of that song....can you sing it with me? Very good, we'll review this song tomorrow at our next group time." If they had I probably would have looked at them like they were crazy. So why am I doing this to my kids?

OK, one problem down, a million more to go. Can you see why I spend hours thinking about what to do in class the next day? It's certainly easier to be authoritarian.

Let's take L's situation, where she consistently hides under the table if she doesn't get "her way", oh goodness, what a terrible and demanding child she is!!! Of course this isn't true. I love how L. can engage with "the boys" even though she is younger than they are. I love how verbal she is, and how she comes up with her own ideas and stands up for them if someone challenges her thinking. I love how eager she is to explore, and how creative she can be! I want her to think of new ways to do thinks and figure out how to make them work. L needs an environment where she is supported emotionally so these traits can grow and develop, making her a more confident, self directed learner. The other day L. brought me a book to read during story time. The book had nothing to do with my 'plan' for the day, but since I'm child-centered I promised her we would get to it after we did x, y, and z. By the time we got to x L. was under the table. She never did come out, and we never did get to the book. The problem isn't L, if it was it would be a simple fix--stick her in the corner until she agrees to come back to group and behave appropriately. The problem is L's emotional needs aren't being met. L doesn't have ownership of x, y, and z--therefore she has no reason to participate in group. Why on earth didn't I drop EVERYTHING and declare, "Wow, that sounds like a great book. I wonder what happens in it? Let's find out!!!" I can absolutely guarentee L. would have listend to the entire book. Instead, I handed the book off to a parent volunteer a couple days later while I dug around for a missing CD, just as a 'filler' while I got ready for our "real" activities. Guess what? L. really REALLY wanted to count the ghosts at the beginning of the book. That's the part of the book that appealed to her. Guess what one of my major "academic" goals for L is? The ability to develop one-to-one correspondance and count to ten. Instead of grabbing ahold of this opportunity to reach that goal, L. ended up under the table. Nothing short of tragic. Thankfully, kids are forgiving, and tomorrow is another day. Next time L brings me a book I know what to do.

Onto B & E. E has been out sick for a couple weeks, so he's readjusting to the class group. B has missed him terribly, and is excited to have him back. The boys spend much of the group time wrestling. Guess what? A few weeks ago B completely ignored E. E was significantly introverted, and prefered to watch activities rather than participate. I spent hours trying to figure out how to get B & E to engage with each other. And now that they are it's ticking me off!!! The problem is obviously with B & E. Don't they know that they are only allowed to engage with each other when it's not group time? For heavens sake...they know I let them wrestle during our work time--why do they have to do it during group? Can't they JUST SIT STILL for 15 minutes??? Back to Bev's clip. CHILDREN ARE NOT MADE TO SIT STILL. B & E aren't hyperactive, ADHD children. They're not behavioral problems who need to be seperated so they don't distract each other. They are normal, healthy rough and tumble boys. The problem isn't B & E, the problem is my expectations for B & E. Both are perfectly capable of engaging in group time when they are interested in what is going on. So let's get them interested. First off, the chairs have to go. I know the kids are the ones choosing them, but this is one of those times I'm going to take that choice away. These boys need to be up and moving, and that's not happening. So get rid of the chairs, give them songs that are going to get them up and moving, or down and rolling around on the floor, or jumping and crawling and laughing and giggling and hugging each other, and maybe even wrestling. That's going to build a sense of community a LOT more than 6 silent, well behaved children....

My inclination is to go on, and on, and on....but I need to stop. I have so many new ideas, but if I implement them all at once I'm going to be overwhelmed. I've got here three new concepts for group time.

1) Get rid of CDs, introduce songs in a more natural way
2) Get rid of chairs--find songs and stories that are going to keep the kids up and moving
3) Give the kids ownership of group time, follow their lead

I'm going to try implementing those concepts next week. And I'm going to revisit them, and see how they work. Then I'm going to adjust them, and implement them, and revisit them again. THEN I'm going to figure out what to do with N, K, and D. And by then hopefully I'll have a couple new kids as well, who are going to completely change the dynamics of the class group so I get to revisit everything all over again!!!
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Did I mention when you use child centered teaching the process should never be boring??? Because things are constantly changing, it's a new adventure every day!!!

Curriculum guided by documentation...

2009-11-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

Thought I would throw out a sample of the document/assess/plan approach so parents & educators alike can get a "view" of the process. Please feel free to add your comments. I especially love to hear insight from parents! For those wondering, I pull terminology and approaches from every which way & can probably not state my sources, but if you want to know where a specific "take" on things comes from I'd be glad to try to figure it out myself!

There are two ways to look at documentation.

One way is the standards based approach. The question is a common one--"What is my child learning from this experience?" followed by several questions usually all centered around the same thought, "What do I do to move this child to the next level/standard?".

The second way is what I like to call the process approach (a varient of the typical know/what to know/what we learned approach associated with the project approach). The guiding question here is, "What is my child experiencing?" Followed by a vast array of questions---What is there in the environment that has contributed to the experience? What do other individuals have to offer that may expand this experience? What are the commonalities between what I've observed here and other observations I have made? What can I do to provide further opportunities for exploration?" And perhaps most important, " What is the guiding power behind this experience for the child?" Nothing is 'wrong' per say with the standards based approach--but the process approach feels much more authentic, at least to me, and gives me a deeper appreciation for the child as a competent learner.

So, let's take a peek at one documentation sample (for educators: this sample is available on the ReggioDocumentation yahoo group). Here is a brief video clip showing three children--N, L, and B in the garden. This was during our unit study of fall/pumpkins (different than projects, as I had selected the topic based on ease of access to materials rather than the child's interests).
The children had previously had the experience of cutting, carving, and removing the seeds from the pumpkin and reading a book where the farmers in the story "Keep the best, and sell the rest". With limited assistance they had sorted out the "best" pumpkin seeds to plant. Aside from that exposure I hadn't provided any further information on pumpkins, the growth process, or gardening in general so all the children's input is based primarily on prior knowledge.

Some of the following questions are what came to mind as I viewed this clip--why don't you give me your input on them?

-What led to N & L's sustained interest in this activity, while B was distracted (by the neighbor's dog paying him a visit).?

-What prior knowledge did N & L demonstrate about pumpkins and gardening?

-Whas there anything significant about the dialouge between N & L throughout this clip?

-What was available in the environment that supported the girls exploration? (Note: I did not do anything specific to prepare the environment in this case, everything they utilized was already in the yard).

Which led to thinking about the environment & what was available, a key factor in Reggio's view of the environment as the third teacher--"What physical materials can I make available within the environment to further the children's interest?"

And moved me into considering further questions in the "What's next" category?

"Is the interest the children have in the pumpkins themselves, or is the guiding power something else about the experience?"

"How do I feel about the relationships shown between the children in this clip? Do they demonstrate a sense of community, or a sense of individuality? Do the children show interest in pursing this activity as a group? Or is one child perhaps more engaged--meaning it would be better to offer opportunites only to a specific child?"

Then questions about my own engagement in the activity...

Was this activity primarly teacher directed or child directed, or was there a balance between the two? Did the questions I ask lead to further exploration or did they detract from the children's self directed exploration? Who values this experience more--the children as the learners or myself as the educator?

The correct answer, for the record, should be the children! If the children are engaged in the process and the teacher is properly guiding them utilizing the environment as the third teacher they will develop a complete working knowledge--whereas if I value the "content" of the activity more than the "process" I'm more likely to plan and direct activities that feed my need as an educator to make the children progress, which will lead to content knowledge. Again, there's nothing inherently wrong with content knowledge, it's useful to have a store of content knowledge to draw from. Most of what I learned in my general education classes was content knowledge, information someone decided it would be helpful for your run of the mil college graduate to know. But I don't use algebra (content knowledge) nearly as much as what I learned in my teaching internship (working knowledge) on a day to day basis.

I will come back and finish these thoughts later...and would love feedback please!!!

Check in...

2009-11-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

Today we had more fun with the tree blocks, this time building on a mirrored surface to give an extra dimension to the building experience. I found the mirror at IKEA (big surprise!), it's quite reflective but also plastic-based so safe for block play (I tested it by dropping several large blocks on it & it withstood the abuse!). Highly recommend it for other teachers looking for a mirrored building surface.

Our new art shelf also came from IKEA (again, big surprise!). The kids helped me to assemble it, and I have to say they were better at the process than I was. Poor Ms. Heather put a panel upside-down & had to unscrew it and start over again--agh! Even the younger children were able to help. I still need to finish up & get the materials set up, in all of my spare time!

B has shown consistent interest in rhyming & a solid understanding of the concept, and L. wanted to play a rhyming game today so I tried to work it into group time. We read the book Miss Mary Mack and identified several rhyming words. The older kids did well with this activity, the younger children were very excited about writing but not quite ready for the whole turn-taking concept. I'll reserve these activities for a smaller group with the older kids next time!

Weekly check in...

2009-11-09T20:42:00.001-08:00

These are some of the activities we started out our week with!

Last week B requested "water with ice" and was quite dismayed to learn we didn't have ice--until he discovered the pitcher of water in the fridge had frozen (gosh darn it, I swear I've turned it down several times now!). He decided that an ample supply of ice was just what he needed to make popsicles, and spent much of the day Thursday chopping away at the chunk of ice with a knife trying to break it up. When that failed he quickly gave me directions on exactly what ingredients he needed for his popsicles, the most important being strawberry juice. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find 100% strawberry juice? We settled on strawberry kiwi, and he directed the "cooking" process today. The cooperation was wonderful, the ability to stick with an activity and see it through to completion is excellent, and the direction giving was quite entertaining at times! I've been planning on introducing liquid watercolors, so we froze several colored "cubes" to explore tomorrow--we'll see what they come up with next! I'm hoping to read the book Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh to introduce the concept of primary & secondary colors.

Last week all of the children showed interest in writing, with the two older girls (K & N) requesting more formal "reading" lessons. Today I offered colored index cards & "grown up" markers and they quickly sat down at the table to 'work', with L joining them (still hooked on her "mountains"...will post more on that soon!).

I'm using a multifaceted approach to teaching reading, specifically because both K & N have a general undertanding of the letter/sound correlation and are able to identify and write many letters based on their sounds. I usually begin the year using the"whole word" approach as described in Doing Words by Katie Johnson & The Sun's Not Broken, A Cloud's Just in the Way: On Child Centered Teaching by Sydney Guerwitz--both books are available in the Parent Resource Library. These books encourage teaching children word that are of value to them, rather than words from a standardized list--one of K's requested words was "opera" (don't ask me why) while N was primarily interested in writing the names of her siblins.

Typically I would wait until mid-year to introduce phonics, but since K is in kindergarten (a willing 'victim' of academic push-down) she is already working on phonics in her other class & is eager for "reading lessons" in our school as well. N, of course, is interested in anything K is doing, so both are currently working on the "at" word family. They are able to sound out most of the words in this family & write them with ease, so I'm planning on introducing formal "phonics readers" later in the week. I use Scholastic Phonics Readers more for convienence than because I actually like their format, I have a more formalized program I use for teaching reading to older children but these 'easy' books do the job for short, quick lessons!

http://shop.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_16622_-1_10001_10002

I was afraid B would not want to participate in this activity since handwriting is not his favorite thing in the world, and was debating on how much I wanted to push him in this area. Much to my surprise when I simply gave him his space he soon came over & joined us. B is working on proper letter formation with his name, we are starting with BIG letters and will move to smaller later--so BIG pieces of paper on the floor were a favorite today. A bodily/kinesthetic approach is important, particularly for ALL BOY boys--using large strokes with whole body involvement is much more effective in teaching letter formation than starting with two lines with dots in between. Who invented that type of paper anyway??? Obviously not a four year old! I kind of figure it's like expecting us to write in itty bitty letters that are difficult to read & even harder to form. Forcing a child to stay "in the lines" while writing is much like insisting they stay "in the lines" while coloring, it leads to frustration & a sense of failure rather than a curiosity and eagerness to explore further. Frankly, at this point I'm more concerned about they enjoying the process than writing a perfectly formed "B"!

We'll continue with our exploration of pumpkins this week! I'm also setting up an "exploration station" with several items for making "shakers", I'm kind of hoping the interest in music will pick up again--it died out with E. sick last week but we are hoping he will be back tomorrow!

We're stirring our brew...

2009-11-03T16:28:00.000-08:00

This was the result of my 4 year old cousin's "experiment" today. I bought him a box of items at the dollar store so he stops using our good cooking supplies! The contents of this particular "brew" include a full bottle of sage, a bag of craft sand (we'll skip that next time, hard to clean up!), half a bottle of hair gel, three bottles of scented bubbles, and some Crystal Light powder. He used the entire content of his "concoction kit" within a 20 minute period.

At my conference with Bev Bos last year I learned an important concept--children need to use "too much". Children learn the concept of moderation as they do any other concept--through practice. Ironically, this "lesson" came just a few days after I tried to introduce the concept of "moderation" to my children. After the conference I presented the children with various collage materials & bottles of glue and let them go to it! Almost every single child used the entire bottle of glue. However, by the end of the year most of the children were easily able to determine exactly how much of a resource they needed for the product they had in mind. This is something they probably would not have developed had I constantly stood over them telling them, "OK--that's enough, stop you have too much!". Thus, my current favored phrase--"Too much? No such." Or, as Bev puts it...

"Could it ever be called wasteful if it nourizhes the creative spirit and soul of a child?"

For more on Bev's view of this topic check out her article entitled "Artist--A Day in the Life":

http://www.turnthepage.com/articles.php?pid=22

Leaves and light....

2009-10-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Today I introduced the light table, bringing it together with our fall explorations by providing a basket of pressed leaves the children helped me to collect last week, along with clipboards, paper, and markers for drawing. I split the children into two groups of three, to allow them all to have a chance without crowding around the table. The children were enthralled by the light and eager to explore--though there was typically more interest in the table than the leaves (which is exactly what I expected).

K (5) drew an actual representation of a leaf, the other children will work more on representational skills throughout the year. J (3) attempted a leaf rubbing, putting the leaf under his paper on the clipboard and coloring over it with a marker--it was unclear as to whether he had experimented with rubbings before but he seemed satisfied with the result. B (4) came up with the idea of actually drawing on the leaf. The other children tried this activity as well, but none of them stuck with it as long as he did. He continued even when he observed that it was difficult to control the marker on the slippery leaf (an adjustment with his grip helped).

In the second group N (4) asked if she could use some glue to stick the leaves to the paper. This led to the two other girls in the group (L, age 3 & B, age 2.5) also wanting to glue. The girls remained engaged in this activity for over 30 minutes, even the two youngestI wish I had a picture of L's mixed medium work--she used markers, crayons, and leave collages to create an intricate pieces she entitled "Ladybug"! B. (2.5) stacked one leaf on top of another, applying liberal amounts of glue to keep the stack together. "It's sticky!"

2009-05-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.collingwood.vic.edu.au

I found this school via a google search, and loved looking at their website, it's very much like I would like to see in this area (Utah County). They apparently have separate classes for Reggio Inspired classrooms & Waldorf classrooms:

I love this paragraph from their website about Waldorf Inspired/Steiner education:

"A simple, but profound principle underlies Steiner education. Just as humanity as a whole has passed through great cultural epochs, so also the child develops through stages that reflect human history. With that view in mind, nothing is taught for its own sake, but within the context of the development of human consciousness, thereby cultivating the child’s own humanity."

And about Reggio Inspired education:

The image of the child is central - the child who is curious, full of wonder, rich in resources, able to construct and co-construct his or her own learning. Teachers and students together discover the joy of learning.

There are aspects of both philosophies that I find deeply meaningful, what I would live to strive for is a program encompassing the "best of both worlds" (plus a few other "words" thrown in for good measure).

Now, for the first step....

I need a location for a project of this type. Ideally, 800-1200 square feet of indoor space, and ample outdoor space with natural landscaping options. But I can be creative. Oh yeah, forgot to mention I have *no* money with which to pay rent, so it must be available for free or (preferred) for exchange of services. Anyone have a basement not in use???

The Disposition to Document: Portraits of Practice

2009-04-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

Another great article from "Canadian Children" on documentation...will return to ramble about my thoughts on the article later...

http://www.cayc.ca/backissues/disposdoc.pdf

Larvae, Ladies, and Learning: The Project Approach

2009-04-24T20:29:00.001-07:00

For those of you seeking more information on the "project approach" as outlined by Lilian Katz, here is an article outlining one first grade class's project on butterflies:

http://www.cayc.ca/lll2003.pdf

Some quotes from the article....

"Educators who have studied and written about teaching Science to young children identify a number of features of effective science programs. These features include an emphasis on deeper understanding, opportunities for children to manipulate their environments, the use of children's current ideas and understandings as a starting point for teaching, an effort to answer children's genuine questions about the world, and a focus on developing important process skills such as observing, hypothesizing, planning, interpreting, and communicating. (Harlen, 1996; Johnson, 1996)"

I think back to the end of our school year last year, when we finished off raising caterpillars into butterflies and then releasing them at the end of the year as a representation of the children blooming from their own "cocoon" into the greater world of kindergarten and on. What a wonderful moment it was when the children gathered around observing the miracle of nature as the caterpillars who spun themselves into cocoons weeks earlier suddenly fight to emerge as butterflies. The learning throughout this process was amazing, from the representational drawings of the caterpillars, cocoons, and the butterflies to the reference books dug through for pictures, to the beautiful paintings that emerged as the children studied symmetry on butterfly's wings in the art studio. No one could have observed these children at work and declared them "just playing". If such in depth studies work for learning science, why should other areas of "academics" be taught in isolation?

Quote of the Day

2009-04-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.” Chinese Proverb

This quote brings to mind the many years I spent sitting in a grade-school classroom reading a book under my desk while the teacher prattled on about some topic or another I had no interest in and no emotional connection to. I don't remember any of those lectures, though I do remember getting in trouble for reading--go figure, especially when I was *gasp* reading ahead in a book we were reading as a class, which apparently is a horrible thing indeed (after all, then we might actually meet the learning goals ahead of time & what would the teacher do with us then???).

What I remember....

Preschool, playing Lincoln Logs with my friend named Lincoln, sipping yogurt through a straw, climbing too high on the jungle gym and screaming until the teacher got me down, and balancing on the cement around the playground (which was against the rules). What I don't remember, aside from the fact that I saw it on a recent home video clip, is the song about the thirteen original colonies of the United States.

Kindergarten, playing in the blocks center & the dramatic play center, climbing too high on the jungle gym and screaming (this seems to be an ongoing trend), hatching chickens from eggs--something I'm trying to figure out how I could manage with my current class group.

During the school age years I don't remember much of the "core" curriculum, but I do remember a pajama party in my second grade class (is it coincidence my kids have repeatedly asked for a second PJ party this year???), doing project-based learning in third grade (with teachers far ahead of their times) and "classroom stores" selling otter pops on the playground. Third grade is perhaps my most memorable year (and not only because I got contacts that year, extremely traumatizing--the class once got extended recess because I was in the room trying to get them in and I didn't get any recess at all). I remember the fourth grade play, which I hated because I was sick the day of auditions & made my parents take me to school with strep throat, but I could hardly talk so I still got a non-speaking part with an individual who hated me & almost didn't show the day of the play. Fifth grade was pure misery as by that point we'd done away with hands-on learning for the most part in favor of drill & kill approaches, I remember very little aside from hating math. Sixth grade I spent most of the time hiding in the library during recess, and occasionally when I cut class--for some reason my teacher, though he knew about this, didn't argue often. Probably because he inherently knew I was learning a heck of a lot more digging into books than I would sitting in the classroom. I'll never forget the amazing school librarian who took me under her wing, pushed me to expand my horizons into reading non-fiction, and gave me "jobs" that made me feel competent and useful during a time I felt very much like I didn't "fit in" socially.

My kids probably aren't going to remember the reading lessons, the math workshops, and the songs I teach them in an attempt to "educate" them on basic concepts such as colors or shapes--doesn't mean I won't do them, but I'm not going to depend on them! I hope they remember digging in the garden for worms, walking through the "forest" looking for wolves, making chocolate milk (on the carpet), and taking bubble baths in the sensory bin. I wonder what they'll be blogging about in twenty years?

Community Learning Center

2009-04-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Dear parents, teachers, and caregivers:

I am writing in hopes of finding a way to provide quality education to children in the Utah County area, one that views the child as a competent learner, parents as partners, and learning as an engaging hands-on experience. Over the last year and a half I have tried to implement such a program single handedly, and found it impossible to do so. It simply is too much for one person to do, and the cost of implementing a program is prohibitive for an individual such as myself who is a recent college graduate with no other source of income. I'm not looking to make a lot, but it's nice to be able to actually afford food every once and awhile!

My ultimate view is a community learning center where parents, children, teachers, and other community members can join together and cooperatively engage in learning and progressing. I picture a program where intergenerational support acts as a base for partnering in education, where the lines are blurred between teacher and student, where children and adults of all abilities are integrated in a supportive environment, and where individuals arrive each day refreshed and eager to learn and to teach. While I, personally, am drawn to programs which are completely child-directed and naturalistic, I don't want to narrow the focus of the program to one curriculum approach--rather I want to gather the best aspects of each approach and bring them together in an eclectic means which enables each child to learn in the way that best meets their individual learning style.

There are so many individuals in the area who recognize the weakness of our current educational system. We've seen an increase in charter schools, but the availability of these programs is extremely limited & private schools are cost prohibitive. I long for a program where it is possible for anyone who is willing to commit to education to join the community, regardless of social or economical status. I know there are individuals out there who share the drive to create a quality a educational program for their own children and those in the community, I'm desperately searching for the means to bring these individuals together.

If you would be interested in joining me on this journey, please contact me. I am seeking any individual with a drive to learn, and to teach. I am also seeking individuals who may be able to help with more "practical" matters such as locating and preparing a facility, organizing a board of directors, assisting with bookkeeping, and finding and utilizing available resources in the community.

Sincerely,
Heather Rindlisbacher
Nurturing a love of learning...

Phone (801) 636-5627
E-mail happythoughtslearningcenter@yahoo.com
Blog: http://happythoughtslc.blogspot.com/

The wonders of children's thinking

2009-04-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks of job interviews I've often used the line "My work with children is highly influenced by the work of early childhood educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy", but it usually leads to blanks stares or the response "Reggio what???". It is easy to print out Wikepedia articles about the approach, and if you'd like to reference the article it is actually fairly accurate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggio_Emilia_approach

However, for me "Reggio Inspiration" is a lot more than an "educational philosophy". It is an idea that has greatly challenged my thinking of who children are, not just how they learn. "Reggio" educators view the child as a competent learner, not "mini adults" (as I sometimes feel Montessori did) and not individuals who can be given complete control of their education (as Sudbury Valley does), but it kind of acts as a middle ground. In my view of the "Reggio approach" teacher acts as a co-learner, not a director, constantly engaging in a dance of sorts. You meet the children at their level, seek to understand their thought processes, challenge your way of thinking, plan and review (not quite High/Scope, though I do draw some of that in), challenge your thinking, challenge your thinking some more, meet with the children and challenge their thinking, link the children with resources and see where they go, then challenge your thinking some more.

In other words, you challenge your thinking a lot.

This is an aspect of education I see lacking in many philosophies. Too often I see teachers going into a "learning moment" with a well thought out (or not so well thought out) plan of how things are going to go. When the children don't respond there's something wrong with them. After all, the idea sounds great to the teacher, highly engaging, and presumably teaches some vital skill--so why wouldn't the kids be interested? The "problem" is kids have minds of their own. And far too often we, as adults, fail to respect this--viewing this fact as a challenge to overcome, not a marvelous and amazing opportunity for personal growth and rich emotional connections. Granted, this is often easier said than done.

The other day I was climbing the stairs at the university, basically oblivious to anything below eye level like most adults, and nearly tripped over a boy, six or seven years of age. I admit, like most adults I was initially annoyed--what on earth was a child doing sitting in the middle of a busy stairwell? I stood back & watched as the child stood staring in amazement at a "rainbow", a patch of color on a random stairwell that nobody but this little one had paid any attention. When I came back a couple hours later the boy was gone, and so was the rainbow, but the sense of wonder remained. I never did figure out how that rainbow made it into the stairway, for there was no obvious reflective agent I could identify. Maybe a child's mind is right on--rainbows may not simply be an effect of light, but a little piece of magic.

We all need a little more magic in our lives.

Now I can fly...

2008-09-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

A comment on the REGGIO-L list led me to think about providing opportunities for children who have struggled with many challenges in life reminded me of a video I watched recently & I thought others may appreciate it. It can be found at this site, under the title "Now I Can Fly". http://achildshopefoundation.org/multimedia_videos.html

KWL Charts

2008-09-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

A KWL chart is a great way to start out with a project--but what, exactly, is a KWL chart?

K= What you know already W = What you want to know L = What you learned A few examples from our snails & crabs project... K= What we observed & found out prior to intentionally researching. Snails are slimy. Both snails and crabs have shells. Snails eat plants in the garden & ruin them. W= How do crabs grow new skin (molt) What happens when a crab breaks its leg (from a very concerned child, who had just dropped a block on the crab and yes, broke his leg) Why do snails grow shells and crabs find them (after reading a book about this topic) Where do you find crabs? Can they swim? L = We haven't intentionally reviewed what we have learned yet, but so far we've discovered that snails die if you smash their shells in, that you can find "crab doctors" (reptiles & small animal experts) at the pet store--but they can not repair broken legs, some crabs live on the beach in California, and you can eat snails (but NOT our class snails) and some kinds of crabs (mixed responses on whether or not they are "yucky"). Some things are difficult to UNTEACH, unfortunately. After showing a video clip of two fiddler crabs fighting on the beach that was narrated by an annoying guy from the National Geographic films for children, I am still trying to convince Joshua that crabs do NOT talk. He watched the clip at least a dozen times before I finally took it back to the library (2 weeks overdue). We had a lesson on real & make believe this week, but I still don't think he gets it.

Burn out...

2008-09-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

It happens, apparently, even to the best of us. This is the first time I've run two sessions of preschool. I was expecting it to be twice as much work, somehow it seems like it's at least three times as much. Not sure how that happens. Frankly, right now I'm pretty much only doing the state standards (while I usually do incorporate standards-based activities in our center time & occasionally in small group, they have never been the basis of my curriculum up until now) & this last week I've fallen back on pulling out my pre-planned units just because I don't have the energy to keep our projects & investigations going. There is little to no authentic documentation going on, dialog with the children is lacking, and parent communication is limited to problem solving parent notes. This is NOT the direction I want to see my program going. Our project topics were leading into studying snails & crabs. In the last few days the kids have killed most of the snails, broken the leg of one of the crabs, and another is wandering around our classroom lost (hopefully still alive). I'm seriously reconsidering studying living animals, for fear of being charged with animal cruelty. Of course, the kids do still have plenty of self-directed time (more than usual, actually, since I don't have a lot of energy to do teacher directed stuff) & I am at least following their interests in some areas (bringing out materials they request, setting up the environment to allow for activities they are interested in, etc.) I actually do still believe they are getting a more developmentally appropriate environment on my bad days than they do on the good days for most teachers in the area. They are still getting quality care. But I want to get back into engaging with the kids, building a community, encouraging the use of the hundred languages, and nurturing that love of learning!!!

Checklists as Assessment vs. Accountability

2008-09-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

I have chosen to incorporate state standards into my program. I was initially quite concerned when they announced they were coming out with pre-kindergarten "guidelines", but viewing them I was very pleased with how developmentally appropriate they are. Using the state standards I developed a four month "cycle" in which I intentionally "teach" each standard--checking it off on my master list when it has been covered. After my first year I discovered we were hitting almost every standard via project work, those few we were not I can toss into learning centers in a variety of ways. There is *no* pressure on the children to "live up to" the standards, no "drill and kill", I do occasionally do a "structured" evaluation (at the beginning & end of the year, though it is not mandatory if they choose not to do it) but for the most part can integrate that as well (asking them to name shapes when playing with the blocks, etc). I have created a developmental checklist for each child, as some of you may recall I debated whether or not I was going to use it this year. After serious consideration, I decided to continue using it. For me, the checklists are not about identifying children's deficits, it is about charting progress and identifying strengths. While the checklists may, in part, guide my teaching for the class, when it comes to an individual child my only focus is teaching these "standards" in a way that is ENGAGING and FUN for the kids. My motto--if they are not having fun, they are not learning, period. This method, for me, provides easy accountability & documentation that the children ARE being prepared for kindergarten, with low stress for the children. It does take some time, but not more than a few hours a month. I spend about 15 minutes a class period observing the children & marking the standards I am focusing on, the rest of the time I am focused on the kids & not the standards. At the end of the month it takes me about 10 minutes per child to move the information from my class list to the individual child's checklist. Is it "Reggio Inspired"? Nope. But, for me, it is a way of demonstrating that the children are learning as much, if not more, than children in "typical" programs. Of course, the checklists are not my sole form of assessment, and are by far not the most important. The learning stories give a much more complete view of the learning process, while anecdotal notes & work samples give a "snap shot". The checklists are included in the portfolio, but not the basis of the portfolio.

Room Arrangement Suggestions...

2008-08-31T21:16:00.001-07:00

I'm a couple weeks into the school year & still trying to figure out the best way to set up our room. I was satisfied with the set up for the first week or so, but now am trying to think of more effective ways to manage things! This is long, as usual... Pictures of my intial set up are available here: http://picasaweb.google.com/preschoolteacher/20082009PreschoolSetUp My major questions.... Any suggestions on how to minimize the dumping? My morning class, made up of mostly new 3's, has, for the most part, done fine. However--my afternoon class with older children already familiar with the program, can thrash the room by dumping out EVERY bin in the course of 5 minutes. I want to put out my light table, but can't decide where it should go. I'm open to any ideas. It seems to work better on the floor than on a table, at least it did last year. Entry Way: I love our entry way! We made a coat rack that I think is just wonderful, and I found affordable tote bags at KMart for each of the children (as a bonus, they are organic). I'm trying to decide how best to use the bulletin board in the hall--right now it has pictures & the names of each of the children. I'm not sure whether I'll use it as a documentation panel, art display, or keep their pictures up awhile longer? The parent's board (pink rim) gets a bit cluttered with the items I am required by licensing to post (curriculum outlines, menu, exclusion policies, etc) but is functional. I want to get a calendar with the children's photos instead of the one I have up right now. Still working on that. I do have a door there in the hallway where I have posted our first documentation panel of the year. Still takes a lot of effort to get parents to stop and look at it. Writing Center: This area has actually worked out better than I anticipated. I ended up moving the brown shelf out to open up the classroom more, this helped a lot! The banker boxes have actually been quite sufficent as cubbies, if the children have larger items they simply keep them in their bags. I plan to start on the children's portfolios tomorrow. Blocks area: I only put half my unit blocks out to start with, and ended up taking nearly half of those out within the first week. I probably have about 50-60 blocks out now, and that seems to be plenty for 3-4 children (combined with the other available materials). After the first day I turned the blocks shelf sideways to keep the area seperate from dramatic play more than it was because the children were running wild between the two areas & blocks were getting tossed around without much intentional play. I also moved the tree house into the blocks area since it was getting a lot of use, but kept getting knocked over in the dramatic play area. I also moved our crabs from the science area to the top of the blocks shelf to make the science shelf easier to move for group time. That was, perhaps, one of the best unintentional moves I could make! This triggered the interest in making block cages for the crabs, which grew into garages and castles for the snails & caterpillars. One of my new little ones is also an avid tower builder. My goal for this week is to post pictures of the various structures they have created so they can revisit their work. Dramatic Play: I made a few adjustments to this area before the first day of school. When two of my returning children came for their play group (I hosted an hour-long group with 3-4 children from each class the week before school started) it was apparent their interest in playing "puppies" had carried over from the year before. So I added stuffed dogs & items from the pet store to the pillows in this area. Initially, they were very interested in this "dog bed", but now they seem to be more interested in hiding the dogs under the tables, so it may be time to re-consider the use of this area. They love the play kichen, this is easily one of the most used items in the classroom. However, they are still into dumping & the three baskets of food and dishes end up getting everywhere! I took about half the food out last night, we'll see if that makes a difference. The top of the table is also where I put our parent sign in sheets & notes, which isn't ideal, but I haven't come up with a better idea yet. Science Area: My goal with the science area this year was to position it in a way that it encouraged use of the materials throughout the other centers (particularly blocks and dramatic play). To achieve this, I think I need to add more natural materials for open ended use. We're going on a nature field trip next month & I'm hoping the children can collect materials for this area. Recently we had the chance to shuck corn & we found several corn caterpillars. The children have LOVED these caterpillars (to death, with some of them!) far more than the painted lady caterpillars we had last year (which grew to maturity in a sanitary cup). Literacy Center: I feel like our literacy area is working fine. After trying several arrangements I finally satisfied myself with a nook by the piano. Instead of having the materials against the back wall (where the kids had to pull them out to use them) I replaced these bins with a media shelf full of our lending library materials (my only complaint is the parent's lending library materials are not closer to the door and so far none of the parents have shown interest). I moved the bins to where the book rack is shown now, and added books to the pockets on top. I've tried to incorporate literacy throughout the classroom, of course, but I specifically wanted this to be a cozy area where one or two children could read together or play quietly. I moved the book standto the other side of the area near our open group space, so there is room for more than a couple of children to read. I would like to add a couple child-sized chairs to this area (I love the IKEA child-sized chairs, one of these days...) Art Center: As planned, initially I put out a very simple art area with materials for coloring, cutting, and pasting. The children have shown little to no interest in this area. They love painting, but for the most part are not yet ready for this as an independent activity. I do set up a paint table at least once a week, and any time they request it. I want to set up an easel--but like last year am not sure where to put it. With the drop cloth & all it just takes up so much space! Last week I did a semi-structured collage activity--the children glued tissue paper on tinfoil. They enjoyed this activity & one of the children asked to repeat it. I'm trying to offer one new art experience each week (guided by The Language of Art), but want to see them using this center as a way to communicate meaning more than just a place to color. Any suggestions?

Room Arrangement Suggestions...

2008-08-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

Obama & Education

2008-08-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

I've given up on listening to the political speeches, but I reviewed Obama's outline for ECE thoroughly, and at least he HAS a plan for early intervention. He does intend to "reform" NCLB so teachers are not required to teach to the test. I'd be interested in a link to the speech Sydney mentioned--anyone? From his website... "Obama will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them" Also, "He will work to create assessment models that provide educators and students with timely feedback about how it improves student learning, that measure readiness for college and success in an information-age workplace; and that indicate whether individual students are making progress toward reaching high standards. This will include funds for states to implement a boarder range of assessments that can evaluate higher-order skills, including students' abilities to use technology, conduct research, engage in scientific investigation, solve problems, present and defend their ideas. These assessments will provide immediate feedback so that teachers can begin improving student learning right away". Of course, he doesn't say exactly what forms these assessments will take, nor where the funding for these assessment models will come from. He does recognize the importance for intervention from zero to five, and it sounds as though he will support programs that work with parents in the home, which I am in favor of. He also is in favor of voluntary universal pre-kindergarten, it sounds as if he is willing to support existing programs and "invest more in those programs and ensure they are using high-quality, evidence-based models of instruction that have been proven to work" rather than pressuring states to create new programs. If his idea of "evidence-based" models is focused more on developmentally appropriate practice and research-supported approaches (such as RI, High/Scope, CC, etc), I'm supportive of that, but of course he doesn't say whose research he is supporting. He also supports providing further funding for child care for low income families--if that actually happens I would be incredibly impressed. I'm not holding my breath. McCain, on the other hand, concerns me more in the area of standardized testing & inappropriate educational standards. While he doesn't have anywhere near the well presented outline Obama has, his website states "John McCain Will Build On The Lessons Of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). There should be an emphasis on standards and accountability. However, our goal cannot be group averages. Instead, our focus should be to inspire every child to strive to reach his or her potential. While NCLB has been invaluable in providing a clear picture of which schools and students are struggling, it is only the beginning of education reform.". He has yet to convince me exactly how NCLB has been "invaluable". His focus seems to be primarily on ensuring children are meeting standards & giving parents freedom of choice, rather than improving the educational system as a whole. Personally, if I was voting based on education alone I would probably vote for Obama, just because he DOES have some form of an outline, though I'm sure it is far from perfect. As the entire thing stands, I'm not sure I'll even bother standing in line to vote this year.

The whys of early childhood education...

2008-08-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

We KNOW that young children learn best in > child-centered, experience-based, social classrooms > with teachers that facilitate and foster respect. > Why, why, WHY is this is the exception, not the > rule, in American preschool classrooms? Because, in the real world environment (outside of college child development labs with university funding) being child-centered & experience based is a lot more work & takes a lot more resources than teaching a "canned" curriculum, at least in the beginning--and until the TEACHERS recognize the value of following the child's lead and begin fighting for that, we will get nowhere with administrators--IMO. As my school year has just begun & as I have begun the licensing process for home/family child care I have, in the last two weeks, talked to at least twenty individuals about my approach--probably more. This confirmed the fact that there is absolutely no one in this county (and the one next to us) who uses anything that could be even slightly classified as "Reggio Inspired". The closest we've come to is ONE program that uses Creative Curriculum--so far all the rest that offer any form of educational program use weekly themes (with the exception of a few "Montessori" programs, only two of which were able to tell me who Montessori was). Those educators I have spoken with, and even some of the families I have talked to, have reacted to my explanations of the importance of following the children & the value of documentation with comments such as "I don't know how I could possibly do that, I don't have enough time as it is" or "It must be pure chaos to have a classroom where children are all exploring their own interests" (yeah, it is--when you are used to children who sit quietly at story time & rotate through centers every 15 minutes, under the threat of time outs or being sent to the office if they don't comply--and then they wonder why they have behavioral problems?????). As someone who is currently entering a possible position in where I may actually be able to reach other educators in the area and share bits and pieces of Reggio Emilia, I would welcome discussion on how to help these educators and caregivers, all of whom are struggling to do what they believe is best for children despite their lack of time & resources, find a way to implement some of the basic frameworks of Reggio Inspired programs (I know these are heavily debated--but I have found recent discussions in this arena helpful as I ponder this question).

Diversity where there is none...

2008-08-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've worked in the early childhood field for eight years, and have had only a handful of children who are of African, African American, or Haitian decent. Most of those children I have had are children who have been adopted by Caucasion families. In our neighborhood of 300+ plus people, we have one family of Haitian decent, several families of Hispanic decent, and a couple families of Asian decent. I'm quite excited that my program this year is actually more diverse than it was last--I actually have two children of Hispanic decent, one child who is 1/4 Korean, and another who is 1/2 Japanese. Compared to last year, when the vast majority of my children had blonde hair & blue eyes! In addition, I am one of the few programs in a highly religious community that is not religion based, so I have greater diversity there as well (about 50% of my students are not of the dominant religion). I've tried to incorporate interculturalism (yes, I'm making up words...) in my room wherever possible, including racial and ethnic backgrounds of those not included in the class. I've had Native American speakers cook fry bread, African American storytellers, etc. We celebrated Cinco De Mayo & the Chinese New Year. Our dolls, food, puzzles, books, dress up clothes, etc. represent materials from a variety of cultures. I feel like this is more of a superficial representation of ethics and cultures, but at least it is exposing the children to other possibilities. I like what Leeann said about considering every member of your classroom as a diverse individual. We do incorporate family traditions throughout the year & encourage parents to participate in becoming part of our classroom community. On a side note, how do you accommodate those who do not celebrate, such as members of the Jehovah Witness faith? Or, how do you cope with families who have significantly different beliefs? For example, I would happily include a family whose make up included two moms or two dads (not that it will ever happen in this community!!!), but I can guarantee I would loose many of my current clients, some of whom have placed their children in my program to get away from liberal public school systems.

The Power of K: North Carolina Position Statement on Kindergartens of the 21st Century

2008-08-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

North Carolina has issued a powerful declaration on the need for play in kindergarten classrooms. In speaking with many Utah kindergarten teachers as I prepare to teach private kindergarten next year I've heard many express regret that play, art, science, and music have been replaced with reading, reading, and more reading. Yes, reading is important...but is it the most important aspect of kindergarten educations? North Carolinians don't seem to think so...here is to hoping other states follow suite...

http://www.ncreadyschools.org/documents/1PowerofK.pdf

Charter Schools: Degree or No Degree?

2008-08-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Someone please share documentation that what I've found is an exception to the rule, and not the rule in and of itself?

Here, in a typical charter school with a dozen teachers, you are lucky if two or three of them hold degrees in education. They are typically teachers who have children in the school. For the most part, they hire other parents without degrees, or college students. I suppose some of the parents may have degrees in other areas, but ECE teachers are few and far between. In the preschools (connected to the school, but not state funded) I have yet to meet any teacher with anything beyond a couple years of college. I don't believe that a degree makes a good teacher, by any means. I have met many wonderful ECE professionals with little to no education beyond high school. In fact, in many ways, I believe I was a better teacher before I had my degree, when I was learning through trial & error and not overly concerned with this theorist or that, or whether or not I was meeting state standards. Getting the educational background was great, but I don't think that's what makes me the teacher I am. However I do think, for the most part, teachers should have some form of educational background covering topics relating to child development. Perhaps even something like the CDA for child care providers? Though, I'm not particularly a big fan of the CDA program in many ways, it is certainly better than nothing. I would be less concerned if I felt like the charter schools were offering appropriate training, but since nothing is required in that area very few do anything beyond an occasional inservice meeting. The other thing with charter schools in this area is that every one of the charter schools I have visited (the majority of them, though there may be a couple I have missed) use the Core Knowledge Curriculum, which (in my opinion) is highly academic, with little to no integration.

Dream Crushers...

2008-07-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

This post was shared on the REGGIO-L listserve, hopefully reading through it will inspire all who work with young children to take a moment to evaluate whether they are building dreams or crushing them...

" I just wanted to tell you about something Sarah said that I thought was interesting, given that you work with adults who will be working with children. When I picked her up the other day she thanked me (very dramatically) for rescuing her from the clutches of the" dream crushers". I asked her what she meant and she said "you know, when you have really great and fun ideas and then the teachers come along and crush your dreams before you even finish telling them about them. They are the dream crushers." I think I'll remind my teachers that they shouldn't be dream crushers. "

The Daisy Project: Another Provider's Experience

2008-07-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Another provider shared this experience on the REGGIO-L list, an excellent example of a "mini project"

http://teacherweb.com/WA/ItsANewDayPreschool/JudyStender/gallery3.stm

Investigations vs. Projects

2008-07-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

In our class we have several different "experiential learning opportunities" (I figure using big words makes me sound like we are academically motivated by these experiences...). I generally categorize these opportunities into projects (an ongoing topic studied by the class), explorations (provocations or "teachable moments" involving a specific media), and investigations, which are described as follows...

This is kind of what I do with my investigations, or "mini projects". As I notice individual interests I record them and provide related materials, to see if the children are really interested. Usually I will have one or two children who are interested in pursuing a topic, and rather than launch a class-wide project I assist them in beginning an "investigation". We do a basic KWL approach, I ask their parents to take them to the library to find books or to visit related community resources, the children often do activities during our work period relating to their investigations, and when they feel they have achieved their goals they present their work to the class. I often have a couple investigations running at once along with our class-wide project, they usually only last a couple weeks--some only a few days. Last year one child found a seashell & wanted to know what it was called, I provided several books & a basket of sea shells for the children to explore. She was joined by several other children, but directed the investigation herself, with very minimal prompting on my part. This led to one child tying in his interest of sea animals, and the two children collaborated together to do their research. Another child was obsessed with the color pink, so I provided her with a full bottle of red paint & white paint, and she and another girl worked for hours in the art area mixing different shades & trying different approaches (such as painting on pink tissue paper). Again, while I provided the materials relating to these interests, the actual investigation was almost completely directed by the child. With each investigation I did a general synopsis for the child's learning portfolio (often with the children's input, though I would like to focus on that more in the future)--I hadn't thought of making a class book, but will try that next year!

Connecting Kids with Nature

2008-06-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.nwf.org/kidsoutside/pdf/CKN_full_optimized.pdf Click on link above for "Connecting Kids with Nature" report from the National Wildlife Federation, new report on outdoor play research and policy solutions for getting kids outside.

Sensory Table Ideas

2008-06-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

There's been a recent discussion about the use of food in sensory tables. I do use food, I've used the same rice & beans for the last three years, so it's not like I am consistently wasting food. Considering how difficult it is to get rice these days I would not buy new rice to use. I actually inherited my rice from a head start program when their policy against food items in the sensory table went into place. We do jell-o and pudding finger painting as sensory activities as well--of course those are done on individual trays! I would reconsider my view if I was in a situation where I did have children who were not getting enough to eat, but so far that hasn't been the case (and it is unlikely to be the case--since those parents don't often pay for private preschool). I figure if I get really desperate I can count that as my food storage. ;-) Not sure how the colored rice would work, but the beans should be fine! I've also used cooked spaghetti, both cooked and uncooked popcorn (under supervision--since it is now considered a choking hazard), and corn meal. My favorite this year was the good, old fashioned sand. I actually took a trip to the sand dunes & filled a bucket full of real sand-dune sand (it's legal--I did check!!!), and the kids have loved it. I've suggested rotating other materials several times, and have been out voted. Our sand/water table is outside, inside I use a large tupperware box (the under-bed storage type). I also had beach sand that we used inside with our hermit crabs, that was a favorite. We finished off this year with colored ice cubes, to conclude our year-long investigation on color mixing. The kids enjoyed that--more so the melting the ice cubes than actually mixing the colors. Thinking back, I kind of wish we'd had the light table out for that project--could have been interesting! There's a great list at preschooleducation.com, I hope this link works! http://www.preschooleducation.com/ebook/sand.pdf Curious for those that have water tables--do you have any trouble with licensing? For our water area outside I have a large washtub filled with water--I dump it out after every use. But since I think it is deeper than 24" I am wondering if licensing will allow that next year. I have loved it so much better than the plastic tubs I was using, I hate to switch back! I'm also wondering about rain barrels--how have those worked for those who have them?

Update on our garden area

2008-05-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

On our (very tiny) playground space their was a large box full of rocks left over from a landscape project. Besides being an eyesore, the box was attracting wasps, so I finally got a friendly neighbor to volunteer and had him come haul the rocks out of the box and drag the box away. I was thinking of putting a butterfly garden in the bare space it left, so I stacked the rocks around the side & dumped some soil in the middle, meaning to get back to it later. Yesterday the kids all piled into the space (about 2 ft x 2 ft, barely fit eight kids!) and dug to their hearts content. Needless to say, while I may let them throw a few seeds in there just for the fun of it, we will not be having a butterfly garden. My "playground" is about 400 square feet, and I can't make any major changes to it. We do have a large grassy area the children can run around in, but I wish I could add some mulch for our stumps & boards (so far nobody's been hurt falling on the grass, but if my insurance agent knew about that he would not be happy!), a space for a garden, and a few trees.

Ramblings on Natural Environments

2008-04-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm wondering how those of you who are licensed get away with allowing "risky" explorations like skating, bike riding, and playing with loose lumber! On one occasion when I was attempting to get licensed I was chewed out for allowing a child to climb a tree. He was more than three feet high, with only grass underneath. Grass is not an appropriate surface for climbing structures, which now apparently includes trees. I don't want to know what she would have thought about letting a four-year-old haul around a two-by-four. I've been trying to replace the Little Tikes play materials with more natural explorations. I just added a couple of tree stumps in addition to a large lawn and several smallish trees, which the children DO climb. I would love to find some tires and boards! Maybe I need to try free cycle! I want to add a butterfly garden, but haven't yet managed to convince my parents to give me a plot of ground (I am working out of their basement & using their backyard). I have a very small area (about 300 square feet) in between two outer buildings which is "mine", the rest of the yard I can use as long as we don't kill the grass (so no permanent structures, but I think tires & boards would be okay!). I also wish we had space for riding bikes, but we only have one small section of cement and the only blacktop we have is a small private lane. I've drawn the line at allowing them to ride bikes there. The neighbors are good at watching out for kids, but the Fed-Ex guy isn't! After reading Leslie's post about campfires and jewels, I wish we had more dirt! We do have a sandbox & I fill plastic tubs with soil and water, but it's just not the same. As a child my backyard was a child's wonderland (it was actually described that way in a homestudy my parents had done). I had access to a huge box of sand and a hose. I spent hours flooding the sandbox, digging and burying things, and making a huge mess. Unfortunately, that sand box is now covered by cement. The make-shift garden plots and the old hand pump where I got water for stirring "chocolate milk" for my younger brother to drink have been covered with manicured grass and carefully thought out arrangements of environmentally appropriate shrubs and flowers. The lilac bushes were torn out to make room for a private driveway. Heaven forbid anyone find a dandelion, there goes my hours picking leaves and inventing various salads. Remembering how I used to show up at preschool with bottles full of pill bugs, I took the kids for a "bug hunt" the other day and all we managed to find were a few spiders. I'm having to import caterpillars and ladybugs for our upcoming project on insects. And the huge trees I used to climb (and yes, fall out of--once resulting in a trip to the hospital, though I never broke a bone) were cut down years ago. Not to mention going from a huge yard with rabbits and ducks and nearly an acre to roam with cousins and grandparents in the backyard, to five homes on the same space, with neighbors who are virtual strangers, all in the name of "progress". And our yard is still significantly larger than the new homes that are being put in, so close together that you can watch your neighbor's TV while sitting in your own living room. I'm only 25 years old. If this much has changed in my relatively short lifetime, how much more limited are my children's experiences with the natural world going to be???? I would love to buy a few acres in the middle of nowhere, but that's not going to happen on an early childhood educator's salary!

Preschool Standards

2008-04-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

Our state just released voluntary pre-kindergarten standards next year. I was a bit nervous before the fact, but looking over them felt that for the most part the standards are developmentally appropriate. Actually, I was quite pleased with the thought that having standards in place might actually improve the quality of care in the state. Unfortunately, so far I haven't seen that happening. I do voluntary adhere to the standards. Initially I started out offering set standards based activities in addition to our project work, learning centers, etc. but I soon found that was not needed. The vast majority of the standards can easily be incorporated with projects and play activities, with very little advanced planning and no mandatory activities whatsoever. A few of them did require more planning & carrying out "special" activities, but they were easy to do in a low-stress manner (for example, for learning about "night and day" we had a pajama party and casually discussed things we do during the day and things we do at night--the kids loved it). This year I did developmental checklists based on the standards for each child. Next year I'm doing away with the checklists completely, and replacing them with learning stories and project documentation. I think I've finally reached the point where the parents see their children learning and progressing & don't need the "proof" that checklists offer. I will probably do checklists for the class, but again focusing on integrating the standards into existing activities that the children are already involved in rather than teaching to the standards. I think the point of standards is to ensure that children receive a quality education, and I am not against them if they are developmentally appropriate & if they do not mandate a certain curriculum approach or program. If you're up to it, I would see if you can get a group of early childhood educators together to work with the department of education and help ensure that the standards are appropriate. Our standards were a result of a joint effort between the department of health and the department of education, with the input of many early childhood experts. There is a database of the standards for different states here: http://nieer.org/standards/

The standards for Utah are available here:

http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/preschool-kindergarten/PDF/PreKindergartenGuidelinesFINALDRAFT.pdf

The Light Box

2008-04-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

After 1 1/2 years of wishful thinking, I finally got my light box! At the last child care conference I went to I met someone who custom builds furniture & asked him to build one for me, he put it together for $175.00 He also made me some tables & I was going to use the light box on the table, but the tables are a bit higher than I anticipated and with the box on top it's a bit high for the children. So I was thinking of just setting it on the floor (or rather, on a table top I have on the floor in our blocks area) & having them kneel around it. We'll see how this works.

I am guessing the children will all want to crowd around it initially! I'm also wondering if it is better to put it out during our opening work time (which is about an hour to an hour and a half as the children come in) or if I should bring it out during our morning meeting and discuss it before putting it out for work time. I am waiting until after our spring break to introduce it, as I've just made several major changes to the room & don't want to make too many changes at once. It's going to be an interesting provocation!

Autism & ABA

2008-04-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

I was an ABA therapist for just over a year. It would have been just over a week, but I'd signed a contract and didn't feel I could break it. It was apparent to me within the first few sessions that ABA did not fit with my belief about how children learn best. I eventually trained in DIR/Floortime, and this "fit" a lot better for me. Yet there are VERY few parents in this area who use a relationship-based approach, and I haven't been able to find any private families to work with. I did have one child with PDD-NOS who was going to enroll in my program, but mom was very ABA-oriented & couldn't stand the "chaos" of a play-based program, even though the child was engaging & following the routines as much as could be expected for a first day. Yesterday was the whole "autism awareness day" thing, and one of the TV stations did a special on it. ABA was proclaimed as the ONLY effective treatment for autism. Other approaches were not even mentioned. Drives me nuts! Don't get me wrong, it may be right for some children and their families, but I wish they could focus on a holistic approach to education. Of course, we can't manage that with our typically developing kids, so why expect it for those children with special rights?