February 3, 2012
There is no warning for parents when their preschooler decides to try out a few new words, often for shock value. And shock definitely is the parent’s reaction. Parents are often caught off guard and want to know
immediately, “Where did you learn to say that?” As if knowing the source would put an end to the practice. The truth is our children are always listening. That includes listening to what is going on in the market, pharmacy, anywhere they happen to be. Conversations and interactions that aren’t even on your radar could be of great interest to your child as they sit at the check-out or in the restaurant booth waiting for lunch to be brought. Add television, movies, videos, and music today’s pop music, and your child is exposed to great deal of language with many contexts. Not unlike Army code breakers, children are able to decipher and repeat endlessly the one word in a day’s worth of listening that will curl your hair or curdle your
milk. They will proudly announce to the world the one word that you have avoided saying all your life or at least since you brought this bundle of joy home from the hospital. These announcements are often in front of others also. This only adds to the embarrassment. As teachers, families tell us about these scenarios frequently. Families are often hoping to get to the bottom or where the child “learned” this word. Would it relieve a parent of responsibility if they could say, “She learned that at school”? Teachers do not have curricular plans that include this kind of language development. But if we did, maybe we could we call it “Bad Word of the Week.”
Believe it or not there are researchers who study cursing, even in preschoolers. One of the foremost in the field is Timothy Jay, a psychologist who studies psycholinguistics and obscenities at the Massachusetts
College of Liberal Arts. Since the 70’s, Dr. Jay and his colleagues have been collecting a data base of words that he says, “Kids mimic words early on and pick up quickly on which words are “bad” even if they don’t know the definitions of those words.” He adds, “Preschoolers are pretty well versed in the lexicon, and by 11 or 12, we are looking at adult swearing patterns. Kids say swear words as soon as they talk.”
Take comfort in the research. You are not alone in this period of development. A recent episode of the TV series “Modern Family” the toddler on the show swears while walking the aisle in a wedding. The adults’
reactions on the screen show us why this is so appealing to toddlers. Reaction is everything.
January 25, 2012 I am always reading articles about the importance of play. Everybody who is anybody in the field of Early Childhood is doing whatever they can to drive this concept forward. There is nothing new about it. But our
voices are being over powered by others using words like “readiness” which has given many parents an irrational fear that their child will be ‘left behind’ at the age of three or four if they are not “drilled with skills” that have no relevance to their lives.
Two months in a row I have received emails about articles on Play in Pediatrics, the monthly journal put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Who knows more about children’s needs than pediatrician, right? January’s issue includes a clinical report that, in summary, states that “play is essential to the social, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being of children beginning in early childhood.” The report goes on to say that “it is a natural tool for children to develop resiliency as they learn to cooperate, overcome challenges and negotiate withothers.“ “Play also allows children to be creative. “ The article addresses the important opportunity play provides for parents to be fully engaged with their children and be able to see the world from the perspective of their child. I wanted you to hear this great news, right from pediatricians.
The second article, from The Washington Post’s blog on parenting has pre-empted the soon to be published
February issue of Pediatrics (again, the pediatricians!) by putting on-line the interesting results of research
conducted in Cincinnati. The research was actually prompted by previous research there that showed close to three-fourths of preschool-aged American children spent only 2 to 3 percent of their day playing vigorously. The study is titled “Societal Values and Policies May Curtail Preschool Children’s Physical
Activity in Child Care Centers.”
The research identified “three consistent obstacles to exercise.” Teachers told researchers that it was parents who put pressure on them to limit vigorous activities as they fear injury. Parents also pressure teachers to focus on academics. The third consistent barrier is the lack of funds to purchase safe, up-to licensing-code outdoor equipment for their schools. (The researchers found an ironic twist as teachers revealed that they found that these “safer” playgrounds were oftentimes least interesting to children.)
The lead author of the study, Kristen Copeland of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, states that “We were surprised to hear that parents – both low-income and upper-income – were focusing on
traditional “academics” (letters, numbers, colors) instead of outdoor play, even for children as young as 3 years old. She goes on to say, “At this age many children don’t know how to skip, and are still learning how to share, and how to negotiate peer relationships. Yet teachers tell us that many parents wanted to know what their child ‘learned’ that day, but were not interested in whether they had gone outside, or had mastered fundamental gross motor skills.” My guess when I read this is that if it wasn’t “learned” sitting at a desk or table, it isn’t “learning.”
When asked how she would reply to a parent who felt play was not as important as academics, Copeland answered,” Children learn through play– through puzzles, games and questions and answers. The also learn on the playground – they learn about nature, weather and the seasons, motion, concepts of distance and speed, and cause and effect. They learn how to negotiate and talk with their peers.” “Schools don’t teach children how to throw and catch a ball and how to skip. But children who have these fundamental skills are more confident and interact better with their peers later on in school." How do we hange parents minds?
January 18, 2012
In the winter months, as we are indoors more, we notice the innate craving many children have for boisterous, physical activity. Adults may call it rough-and-tumble, horseplay, play fighting, or roughhousing. We call this “Big Body Play.” We understand that this is a play style that gives children the opportunities they need for optimum development across all domains: physical, cognitive, social and emotional.
As we watch the fleeing, tagging, tumbling and wrestling we know that there are abundant physical benefits; building agility skills and muscle tone. But Big Body Play is not just about physical benefits. When engaged in this play children are using increasingly sophisticated communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal, and social skills. Though it may seem to the contrary, it is one of the best ways for children (especially boys) to develop empathy and self-regulation. Creativity and thinking skills are enhanced as children become aware of and solve problems as they play. For example, recently in a running game here, as some children ran too far away to be caught, they regrouped to identify this as a problem and set new boundaries for the players. Big Body Play provides children with the varied opportunities they need to thrive physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally.
Society in general has devalued rowdy, vigorous play and intense focus on academics has cut funds for physical education in many schools. In our early childhood setting, we recognize the validity and appropriateness Big Body Play as a developmental necessity.
We want to be clear that we are not talking about fighting. We are talking about physical contact like rolling around with arms hugging or maybe grabbing on to a friend to go down the slide together, laughing. We often underestimate how well young children can read the social cues of peers. They are well aware when they are engaged in play. While teacher and parents struggle with differentiating between play and fighting, young children will easily make the distinction. They are clear in saying, “We’re playing, not fighting.” This is because children will often imitate fighting in this type of play.
Parents and some educators worry that this play will encourage aggression. Research on this play is abundant and refutes this concern. A.P. Humpherys and P.K. Smith have studied play in many animal species as well as young and school-aged children. Their research concludes that if play fighting were aggressive in nature, it would occur more often between play partners who dislike or lack a preference for each other. They found that most rough and tumble play partners like each other. Another researcher, D. Fry, found that less than one percent of aggressiveness in play resulted in injury to a participant, concluding that rough-and-tumble play is not generally aggressive not do the participants intend to harm each other. Many teachers feel that allowing this type of play actually reduces fighting in their classes.
Co-op teachers are thinking hard about this type of play and its value. We are writing a policy describing how we support Big Body Play, our approach to supervising, and look at the school’s environmental features that support this nature of play.
November 22, 2011
School is over for this week as we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family. It has been lovely to see so many visiting grandparents this week. “My Noni and Papa are coming!” has been a
common announcement in our classrooms. These times of celebration are so special in the minds of young children who are just beginning to learn about customs and traditions. Most of our children don’t remember last year’s holidays, especially the Twos and many of the Threes.
Celebrations of any kind are important and significant for children. Celebrations offer us rich opportunities for social connectedness. The also enhance the emotional and creative aspects of the early childhood. At
the Co-op we understand that children have a great deal of excitement in their lives at the time of the major holidays in the United States. Teachers (and parents) have to decide what are the values connected to the holiday or celebration they are planning. At Thanksgiving, wholesome values abound. The
children talk about the cooking and sharing of food. The Fours have talked about the earth and where our food comes from. They are shared the bounty as they all brought in fruits for the salad for their special snack combining both Fours groups. As they gathered today for their celebration, one group played
host and the other played guest. The conversations were polite, one child complimenting to another how delicious the grapes were that he had brought. It was delightfully obvious that this was a special occasion. Another of the important values about celebrations present here was enjoyment. With young children it is important for them to see that enjoyment is not the same thing as excitement. With good planning and timing
celebrations are most pleasurable.
November 16, 2011
This week some Co-op three and four-year-olds participated in a study being conducted by the Mind and Development Lab at Yale University. The study is the work of a delightful Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology. Developmental Child Psychologist, Dr. Thalia Goldstein is studying young children’s understanding of pretend, imagination and role play. Children who had their parent’s permission to participate seemed eager to talk to Thalia who was delighted with how quickly our children moved through her short exercises or activities. Thalia’s work seemed to me so closely tied to our value of what children do every day here at the Co-op. The necessity to play is so innate in children; it is one of the most important pieces to their healthy development. As adults we can make sense of our everyday world through our past experiences. We know what to expect in most of our daily life – or have learned
coping mechanisms to help us adjust accordingly. Children are starting from
scratch. In order to make sense of what they are seeing and hearing, they will
re-live it in their play. The children’s play scenarios often retell their own
experiences only in ways in which they are in control. The children line up the
chairs to take a trip on a train or plane. They do the packing, they pick their
seat, (often they want to drive) and get off when they are ready. Superhero
play is important to overcoming fears of villains and bad guys. We frequently
see scenarios in the house of mommy’s leaving their babies with babysitters
while they leave to do errands. We know what that is about! This type of play
is necessary and therapeutic as children learn about life and their place in
the world. Isn’t it interesting that some educators think that play can be
skipped in favor of flashcards and worksheets – and others engage in studying
all the nuances and every subtly of the child’s play? Understanding what children are doing when they play is far deeper challenge than we know.
November 8, 2011 Today we have our fall Parent Teacher Conferences. I will look in the classrooms and feel jealous that I am not “at the table.” When I was a classroom teacher, I looked forward to conferences. It was my opportunity for good conversations with the families in my class. Most people think that conferences are about the teachers talking about the students. Actually, conferences are an excellent time for teachers to listen. Parents can give teachers so much information about their child, including what goals they have for their child. Teachers can then be sure to address these goals in their
communication with parents. Conferences help teachers to align their approach
to communication with parent expectations. How often and by what means teachers
and parents communicate is so important in developing a trusting relationship
with families. It has always been a standard for Co-op teachers to work toward
successful relationships with families. I hope all your conferences were full
of stories about your children, from the parent’s side and the teacher’s.
October 28, 2011
As we continue to talk to families about the value and power of play, our Parent Education Committee recently invited Michelle Albright, PhD to speak to parents about Play-Based Learning. Michelle is a former parent at the Co-op so she is familiar with our approach and she shares our passion when talking about children and their need to play. In her talk, Michelle spoke about how schools are reducing the time allowed for play, even recess, in order to accommodate more academics in the child’s day. Some parents promote academic achievement, as Michelle says “since day one of pregnancy!” In her research on children’s reading skills acquisition, Michelle told the group that it is becoming clear that there is a dip in third grade skills as children transition from sight words to reading for comprehension. Michelle explained that this transition requires imagination. Most early reading “drills” center on getting the child to memorize. As Michelle talked abut what children learn through play, it became apparent that even the reading trajectory from rote to comprehension can only be helped by play. She explained that through play children learn to “explore their interests, express their emotions, enhance their skills and expand their knowledge of the world.” She continued that play “helps children to imagine and invent stories and solutions.”
In defining play, Michelle was careful to point out that it is child-initiated and child-directed. For example dance class and T-Ball are adult-directed and therefore not “play” as it is defined by educators. Michelle’s message was strong: parents must protect the time needed for their children to play. One parent expressed her belief in play and chose the Co-op for this reason. She then went on to say that she was recently told by her son’s kindergarten teacher (a first year teacher) that he was behind the other children in his reading skills. (This is within the first two months of kindergarten!) This went back to Michelle’s initial remarks about the disappearance of play in schools. Michelle spoke to this parent and to the group about being an advocate for their children. She said there could be teachers through your child’s school years who may not validate him or her in their efforts at
school. She said parents must do this in such cases, letting your child know that you appreciate their hard work. When you think about it, there is a real possibility that this child will not experience the “dip in third grade” in reading skills as imagination and creativity have been encouraged and valued in the early years. October 14, 2011
There are some common concerns that parents bring to me. The most common is other children’s behavior. When parents join a group, they begin to assess other children’s behaviors and compare this to their own children. Knowledge of how young children think, act and develop will help parents understand their own children as well as other people’s children. Young children, even four year olds, are considered to be pre-verbal. They do not connect words instantly with actions or feelings. Young children have little, but developing impulse control. They act in the moment with no realization or consideration of consequences. They have no knowledge of cause and effect. For example, swinging a bat feels good regardless of who is close-by. Because of these developmental capacities, it is important that we do not assign adult judgments to children’s actions. I hear parents use the words “aggressive” and “manipulative” when talking about pre-school children. These words imply that there has been forethought, which young children do not give to their actions. Children are, for the most part, in a permanent “survival” mode. Their actions, whether with family or friends, is first and foremost about having their needs met. This causes them to resort sometimes to aggression, shyness or even hysterics. One of the most important considerations to children’s behavior is temperament. This may determine how impulses are acted upon; hitting, grabbing, biting or crying. These behaviors are not uncommon for young children. Again, it is about how children take care of meeting their needs. As we observe other children, it is important to remember that it is the behavior that is undesirable, not the child. As adults, we demonstrate empathy and compassion, comforting a child that is injured to make him feel better. We ask the child who has had the transgression for ideas of how to make the injured child feel better. We don’t force an apology. This can become a hollow reaction to all mistakes. We want to show children that helping and comforting are deeper forms of apologizing. They are also pro-active and not embarrassing or shameful. September 2011 Our school is celebrating its 57th school year - The Co-op was founded by eight area families who were looking for a quality early education experience for their children. They found the quality they sought in a progressive model that viewed children's learning as a process - more of a journey than destination. The Co-op has had few director's over the years and most, me included, have been Bank Street Graduates. (Banks Street is a graduate school of education in the upper West Side of Manhattan.) Through this leadership, the Co-op has consistently adapted an approach to teaching that, simply put, makes learning meaningful for children. This approach recognizes that children learn best when they are engaged with materials, ideas and people. We encourage children to be curious, to love learning, to engage in the world around them and to tolerate differences. This encouragement fosters in the child the desire to be a life-long learner, to accept human differences and to lead a life of consequence. Our approach begins with sound developmental principles. Our teachers aim for clear educations objectives and we encourage children to engage fully in the process of exploration in order to create their understanding of the world. We encourage the child's development in the broadest sense. We offer diverse opportunities for physical, cognitive, social and emotional growth. We respect children as learners, experimenters, discoverers and artists. We know that children do not all learn in the same manner or at the same pace. We also understand that children learn in interaction with each other and with their environment. All of this said, I would like to address of the most frequently asked questions here at the Co-op - "Why don't we do letter of the week?" The short answer is - research has proven that this practice is ineffective, archaic, and NAEYC, our accredited agency, has printed many articles and policy statements against the practice. (Google What ever Happened to Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Literacy, N is for NonsensicaL, No More Letter of the Week) . Talking about a single letter for one week gives it little context. In another week you are onto another letter, again with no context. The longer answer lies in what we do to teach letter recognition. We look at words that have meaning in the child's life; their names, family names, friends' names. With the children, we look at words printed in our environment. We look at words that are repeated in the stories we read, what they sound like, what the letters are that make that sound. As the school year passes, you will notice labels appearing in the classroom as children begin to name materials and items in the room. Teachers do this with the children so that the words have meaning. Some of the children may write the labels themselves. Our classrooms have alphabet cards - not out of reach, but rather, we have cards that can be held, carried, and copied if a child wishes. We have alphabet books on our bookshelves to engage children in rhymes or with words with beginning sounds that may be new and memorable. Most importantly, we write the children's words; their comments, their stories. It is so powerful for the child to see his own words in written form. They want to know what letters make what words as we write. Children's interest in letter is individual but by the Fours, it is contagious. All of our teachers can tell you endless stories about how they make letter recognition meaningful in their classrooms. We do not engage in the practice of Letter of the Week because making letter sounds and recognizing them are continuous and meaningful activities at our school.
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