How Literacy Begins, Grows, and Blooms

Transcript

• 00:00Good afternoon everyone. Thank
• 00:02you so much for joining us.
• 00:04My name is Linda Maze and I'm from
• 00:07the Yale Child Study Center and
• 00:09it's just a pleasure to welcome
• 00:11you to this second web and are in
• 00:14our early Childhood series where
• 00:15we are focusing on the ways that
• 00:18literacy can build resilience.
• 00:20This web and R An R series is
• 00:22a part of the L Child Study
• 00:25Center Scholastic Collaborative,
• 00:27both focusing on child and family resilience.
• 00:30It's just a very special partnership
• 00:32where an academic Department in the
• 00:34Yale School of Medicine has come
• 00:36together with scholastic publishers to
• 00:38impact children and especially impact
• 00:41children and families during these
• 00:43incredibly stressful times of the pandemic,
• 00:45and we're focusing on the way literacy
• 00:48narrative skills can actually help.
• 00:50Build resilience skills across the lifespan.
• 00:54In our previous Web and R,
• 00:57which was November 19th just
• 00:59before Thanksgiving,
• 01:00we focused on how covid impacted the youngest
• 01:03learners and heard from Walter Gilliam,
• 01:06Heather Harrison,
• 01:06Tracy Smith.
• 01:07We had that recording available for you.
• 01:10It's on our website and will be
• 01:13glad to provide you the link.
• 01:16I'm recording this one is as well
• 01:18as well as the third one and on the
• 01:213rd where we're going to focus on
• 01:23equity and that will take place on
• 01:26January 7th in the New Year 2021.
• 01:29So today we're going to be hearing
• 01:31from 3 experts on how children's
• 01:33literacy develops.
• 01:34I know all three an I can tell you
• 01:37that you're in for a really very,
• 01:39very rich session.
• 01:40They're going to take their.
• 01:42Each are grounded in working
• 01:44with young children,
• 01:45and they'll take you through this
• 01:46remarkable process of how literacy,
• 01:48in the understanding of narrative
• 01:50in the use of narrative comes about.
• 01:53And they'll share their understandings
• 01:55of both child development
• 01:56and educational theory.
• 01:57But as I say,
• 01:59they're really very grounded in direct,
• 02:01hands-on work with children.
• 02:03So again, thank you so much for joining us.
• 02:06We are just excited to be able to
• 02:09get so many of you in the same
• 02:12virtual room and at this point I
• 02:15want to hand it off to my colleague
• 02:17Nancy Garrity from Scholastic,
• 02:18who will be moderating the session.
• 02:21Nancy is Scholastics education senior
• 02:22director of Child Development,
• 02:24and she's been a very very close
• 02:26partner in this child study center
• 02:28scholastic Collaborative and
• 02:29developing early childhood content.
• 02:31So Nancy may I hand it to you.
• 02:33May thank you so much, Linda.
• 02:35Thank you, I really appreciate it.
• 02:37I just want to start off by
• 02:39thanking you and and quoting you.
• 02:41You like to talk about this collaborative
• 02:43as a bridge that's freely crossed where
• 02:45we have really wonderful exchanges.
• 02:47An I get very excited every time we
• 02:49have one of those exchanges so I'm
• 02:52really happy to be with you all today
• 02:54and I'm grateful to you for all the
• 02:57work that you did with us on our mind.
• 03:00Builders around social and
• 03:01emotional and executive function and
• 03:03motivation skills that I think are.
• 03:04More important than ever now,
• 03:06so thank you for that.
• 03:08Thank you, thank you.
• 03:09So on behalf of US Plastics,
• 03:12Chairman **** Robinson,
• 03:13our president is classic education,
• 03:15Greg Worrell,
• 03:15Janelle Cherrington's Classic Senior
• 03:17Vice President and publisher,
• 03:18and Karen Baker,
• 03:19who's our Executive Director of the
• 03:21Yale and Scholastic Collaborative.
• 03:23I want to thank everyone for
• 03:25joining us today.
• 03:27I see that there are a lot of
• 03:29friendly faces out there.
• 03:31I don't see.
• 03:32Your face is saw that you're there.
• 03:35I recognize some of your names,
• 03:37so just really thrilled that you
• 03:39all were able to join us today.
• 03:41I know that now is a challenging
• 03:43time for everyone,
• 03:44especially you all who are working
• 03:46with our youngest students
• 03:48and their families right now.
• 03:50I know this is not an easy time
• 03:52and hopefully some of what you hear
• 03:54today will sort of help failure
• 03:56buckets and then give you some
• 03:58ideas and some just a little bit
• 04:01of a light for these times so
• 04:03I know I'm excited about it.
• 04:05My name is Linda said is Nancy Garrity.
• 04:08And I work at Scholastic with a
• 04:10great team of people developing
• 04:12materials to support early childhood
• 04:14teachers in schools and head starts
• 04:17in private centers so I know there
• 04:19are a lot of folks on today who are
• 04:21from very different backgrounds,
• 04:24which I think is wonderful.
• 04:25Some of you know two of my colleagues
• 04:28Kathy Yount,
• 04:29who's our early childhood director
• 04:31for the East and Ernesto Rodriguez,
• 04:33his early childhood director for the West.
• 04:35And I think they're on today too.
• 04:38So I'm saying.
• 04:39Hello to them so I want to introduce
• 04:41to you the three panelists we
• 04:43have with us today.
• 04:44And as I mentioned,
• 04:45this is an instance of where we have
• 04:48this bridge that's freely crossed,
• 04:50and I know that I,
• 04:51as a person at scholastic,
• 04:53look forward to every time we
• 04:54get to work with folks from yell
• 04:56and learn from them,
• 04:58and I'm excited that all of you are
• 05:00joining in this today to learn along with me.
• 05:03And you know that there's the Q&A area.
• 05:05If you have questions as we go along,
• 05:08we would encourage you to put
• 05:09them into the Q&A.
• 05:10We're going to hear from our three
• 05:12panelists and then we'll have a
• 05:14little bit of an opportunity for
• 05:16a roundtable discussion and will
• 05:18try to bring in as many of those
• 05:20questions from the Q&A as
• 05:22we can. We might not get to all of them,
• 05:25but will try to get to as many of
• 05:27them as we can, so I'd love to
• 05:30introduce you to Doctor Nancy Close.
• 05:32Stuck to Carl Horowitz and
• 05:33winning the clario Me Tell you a
• 05:35little bit about Doctor Close.
• 05:37Nancy is an educator and clinician.
• 05:39She's assistant professor,
• 05:39the Child study center.
• 05:41Yeah, she's also director of the Yale
• 05:43Program for early Child Education,
• 05:46an elector in psychology.
• 05:47She specializes in the assessment and
• 05:50treatment of children underage five.
• 05:52She teaches yell college
• 05:54students and fellows,
• 05:55and training at the Child Study
• 05:57Center and the topics of her
• 06:00courses include child development,
• 06:02child psychopathology,
• 06:03developmental assessment,
• 06:03and clinical evaluation,
• 06:05mental health consultation,
• 06:06and early childhood education.
• 06:08She conducts developmental
• 06:09assessment of young children.
• 06:11And does dynamically oriented
• 06:12psychotherapy with children.
• 06:13In addition,
• 06:14she provides mental health consultation
• 06:16to early childhood education programs
• 06:18in the community and after close,
• 06:20is a consultant to two
• 06:21parenting programs as well.
• 06:23Parents 1st and minding the baby.
• 06:25These programs have both the
• 06:27service and research component and
• 06:28focus on supporting parent child
• 06:30attachment in the development
• 06:31of the reflective function.
• 06:33So Doctor Close will speak to us
• 06:36from that perspective and give us a
• 06:38little bit of the sort of research behind.
• 06:41Everything that we all do in early childhood.
• 06:44Next we have Doctor Carla Horwitz.
• 06:47Carla is a member of the Yale
• 06:49Education Studies faculty,
• 06:51as well as a member of the faculties
• 06:53of the Yale Child Study Center
• 06:56in the Psychology Department.
• 06:58Carlos is the director of Yale
• 07:00University's Calvin Hill daycare
• 07:02Center for 40 years.
• 07:03She retired in 2016 and is
• 07:05currently director Emerita.
• 07:07The center and nationally accredited
• 07:09model educational preschool and
• 07:10kindergarten program provides high quality,
• 07:12developmentally informed.
• 07:13Affordable childcare and education
• 07:15for the children of Yale and
• 07:17Community family members.
• 07:18It is also the site of Early
• 07:21Childhood practicum placements
• 07:22for Yale and other colleges.
• 07:24Carla teaches three courses
• 07:26at Yale Child Development,
• 07:28Language Literacy and play,
• 07:29and the theory of practice of
• 07:31early childhood education,
• 07:33as well as the education
• 07:35studies senior Capstone Seminar.
• 07:37Karla sunny here in England
• 07:40studying open classroom.
• 07:41Integrated day infant schools
• 07:43and studying in Reggio Emilia,
• 07:46Italy and is involved in incorporating
• 07:49through her consultation an mentoring.
• 07:52Practice of progressive preschools
• 07:54that are found there and that some
• 07:56of what we'll hear about today.
• 07:58Carla is kind of going to take
• 08:01what Nancy introduces from the
• 08:03research perspective.
• 08:04Talk about it in the context of
• 08:07what they've managed to do at
• 08:09at the Calvin Hill Center,
• 08:11and then we'll move on to winning Mcclary.
• 08:14Oh,
• 08:15who's the head teacher of the
• 08:17kindergarten program at Calvin Hill?
• 08:19And Winnie has 40 three years of
• 08:22relevant experience teaching at Calvin Hill.
• 08:24Um,
• 08:24and she's going to share a little
• 08:26bit of what she learns alongside
• 08:28children even after 40 three years,
• 08:30she says she still excited about
• 08:31what children teach her and I
• 08:33think that'll come through today
• 08:34and I'm really
• 08:35looking forward to hearing
• 08:36from all three of you,
• 08:38and I think that the flow from one
• 08:40to the next is really exciting to me.
• 08:42Is as we go from sort of the larger
• 08:44thinking down to the very specific.
• 08:46So with that I will hand it
• 08:48over to you, Doctor Close.
• 08:50Thank you so much, Nancy,
• 08:52and it's so nice to be with all of
• 08:55you this afternoon and share some
• 08:58of our work and our thinking and my
• 09:02focus in to begin with is really on
• 09:05development in early childhood and how
• 09:08it impacts learning, so the next slide.
• 09:12So Eleanor Duckworth.
• 09:13I don't know if you've read
• 09:16her book or paper.
• 09:17She is a psychologist and teacher
• 09:20and teacher educator and she used
• 09:23this term the having of wonderful
• 09:25ideas of quite a long time ago.
• 09:28When in early childhood education I
• 09:31think we were trying to figure out what
• 09:34is the essence of teaching young children.
• 09:37And really,
• 09:38she coined it so beautifully
• 09:40the having of wonderful ideas
• 09:42is what I consider the essence.
• 09:45Of intellectual development and she
• 09:47talked about how wonderful ideas
• 09:49build on other wonderful ideas.
• 09:51And when I talk about wonderful ideas,
• 09:54I'm meaning the wonderful ideas that
• 09:57young children bring into the classroom,
• 10:00as well as the wonderful ideas
• 10:02that teachers have an it's the
• 10:04interaction between the teachers
• 10:06and the children that creates that
• 10:09can create an exciting curriculum,
• 10:11an an exciting curriculum around literacy.
• 10:14Next slide.
• 10:14So it's important that we think about
• 10:17how teachers can provide opportunities
• 10:20for children to have wonderful ideas.
• 10:24And I think number one.
• 10:26It's important to be able to appreciate
• 10:29that children have very interesting
• 10:31questions and very interesting ideas,
• 10:34and it can be really quite incredible
• 10:37to go on a journey with them and think
• 10:41together with them about some of the
• 10:45questions and ideas that they have.
• 10:48And that really requires a setting
• 10:50which really suggests that went.
• 10:52There are wonderful ideas and questions to
• 10:54explore with children and their children.
• 10:57Different children will have different ideas,
• 10:59and so from one year to the next,
• 11:02the ideas and the questions that come
• 11:04up in your classroom maybe very,
• 11:07very different.
• 11:08And so it always keeps teachers
• 11:10on their toes and ready,
• 11:12ready to dig in and learn something
• 11:14new together.
• 11:15And what happens is that children
• 11:18really get caught up.
• 11:19In the intellectual problems that are
• 11:22very real to them that come from the
• 11:25questions that they ask next slide.
• 11:27And so I want to talk about some
• 11:30of the theories and that inform the
• 11:33important components of the curriculum.
• 11:36And, you know,
• 11:37number one to me is the importance
• 11:40of play in development that there
• 11:43needs to be lots of opportunities
• 11:46for play in a preschool classroom
• 11:49because it really is that play allows
• 11:51for deeper and much more meaningful
• 11:54learning in all the content areas
• 11:57including including literacy.
• 11:59Next slide.
• 12:01So we know that play has many
• 12:05definitions and functions and
• 12:07takes on many different forms.
• 12:10We also know that through
• 12:12research and scholarly thinking,
• 12:15that play is really important for
• 12:18the development of intellect,
• 12:20personality and socialization.
• 12:22Next slide.
• 12:24We know that imaginative play really
• 12:27supports cognitive development.
• 12:29An research has indicated that when
• 12:32children can engage in imaginative play,
• 12:35you see the development of imagination,
• 12:39creativity, divergent thinking,
• 12:40ideational, fluency.
• 12:41Using playfulness is a motivator,
• 12:44so really, being playful with ideas or
• 12:48playful with questions or concepts,
• 12:51developing representational abilities which
• 12:53are extremely important for learning how to.
• 12:57Read and understand.
• 12:59Reading an understand math an
• 13:01other content areas an it also
• 13:04enhances language development,
• 13:06which again is extremely crucial
• 13:09for the development of literacy.
• 13:11Next line.
• 13:12Play also has a really important impact
• 13:15on social in an emotional development.
• 13:19Socially in play.
• 13:21Children learn how to share ideas,
• 13:24how to note, negotiate the sharing of ideas,
• 13:27how to solve conflict,
• 13:29how to join in groups and
• 13:32an get along emotionally.
• 13:34It really serves as an outlet an it's a
• 13:37way in which children can communicate
• 13:41different ideas or feelings or.
• 13:44Difficult ideas or feelings that
• 13:46maybe they don't necessarily
• 13:47have the words to express it.
• 13:49It's really a way for them to express
• 13:52some of the wishes that they have.
• 13:55The feelings that they have,
• 13:57that maybe they don't want to
• 13:59kind of talk directly about,
• 14:01and some of the conflicts they have
• 14:04around being three and four and growing up.
• 14:07It also provides them an opportunity
• 14:10to assimilate experiences that have
• 14:12been challenging or difficult for them.
• 14:14Next line.
• 14:15In terms of young children an learning,
• 14:19we know that cognitive and social
• 14:22and emotional development don't
• 14:24develop in parallel lines.
• 14:26They interact constantly, an impact each.
• 14:28Each area of development impacts
• 14:30the other area in terms of learning.
• 14:34We also know that among a group of
• 14:37children there are lots of similarities,
• 14:40but also a lot of differences
• 14:42in their developmental profiles
• 14:44which can create challenges for.
• 14:47For teachers,
• 14:48as their planning their curriculum,
• 14:50next line.
• 14:52So these are some developmental
• 14:55principles that I find really helpful
• 14:59to hold in mind while thinking about.
• 15:02High quality curriculum and high
• 15:05quality early childhood education.
• 15:07Number one is, you know,
• 15:10we always say it's relationships,
• 15:12relationships, relationships.
• 15:13It really has.
• 15:15Relationships really have a central
• 15:17role in a child's in a child's
• 15:21development and it's important
• 15:23to understand that an understand
• 15:26that as as teachers,
• 15:28we become important attachment figures
• 15:31for the children that were working with.
• 15:34And that it's important that we
• 15:37provide them with a safe and
• 15:39trusting environment in which they
• 15:42can make those connections in order
• 15:44to really thrive in the classroom.
• 15:47It's also important to appreciate
• 15:50that there are many individual
• 15:53differences between children in a group,
• 15:57and it's important to understand
• 16:00what those are and and use those
• 16:04differences to help children
• 16:06appreciate differences in children
• 16:09and help children appreciate their
• 16:13own developmental trajectory.
• 16:15Along with that,
• 16:16regression is a very normal and
• 16:19natural part of of development,
• 16:22and that can put a lot of stress
• 16:25in a classroom,
• 16:27and children tend to regress
• 16:29maybe some before they've made a
• 16:32big developmental leap,
• 16:33and maybe sometimes after they've
• 16:36made a developmental leap.
• 16:38Again,
• 16:38you see individual differences
• 16:40coming out in terms of the ways
• 16:43in which children regress.
• 16:45And the ways in which they they use it.
• 16:49Sometimes if they've made a big step forward,
• 16:51it feels good to go back an an not be
• 16:54sure that you're able to do something
• 16:57that feels really hard and really
• 17:00big and so adults need to be there to
• 17:03support children as they move forward.
• 17:05But also as they move backward,
• 17:07an knowing that they're not going to be
• 17:10stuck there and in a minute I'll be talking
• 17:13about why they really don't get stuck.
• 17:16Inner Aggressed state of being an.
• 17:18Then another theory that our principle
• 17:21that I find really important that is in
• 17:24order to move forward in development
• 17:27there is going to be conflict and there
• 17:30is going to be struggle an that that's
• 17:33really OK and it's from learning how to
• 17:36manage those struggles and manage the
• 17:38manage Ng those conflicts that children
• 17:41develop the capacity to delay gratification,
• 17:44to tolerate frustration,
• 17:45to try something that's really hard and.
• 17:48And not be fearful that they can't do it
• 17:51or they won't be able to do it next line.
• 17:55In terms of cognitive development,
• 17:56we know that there are individual
• 17:59differences in learning styles in
• 18:01terms of the experiences children have,
• 18:03the endowment that they kind of
• 18:05come into the classroom with,
• 18:07and the rate at which they are
• 18:11changing and developing next slide.
• 18:13In terms of cognitive development,
• 18:16we know that in early childhood there's
• 18:20the thinking is pre operational into
• 18:23school years early school years.
• 18:26They become more concrete thinkers
• 18:28until they are in early adolescence
• 18:30or late elementary school years.
• 18:33They begin to think abstractly.
• 18:35So what preschool children need a really
• 18:38opportunities to manipulate an Explorer
• 18:41of variety of concrete materials?
• 18:43We know that children move through
• 18:46stages at varying rates. Next line.
• 18:51So I want you to just think,
• 18:54take a moment to think
• 18:56about what principles or theories of child
• 18:58development do you use in your teaching.
• 19:01Just kind of make a mental
• 19:03note of it next slide.
• 19:06So Siri is really important.
• 19:08It really helps us think
• 19:10about what we're doing.
• 19:11Planning, thinking about the children
• 19:13who are in front of us and theory
• 19:17really needs to underpin the design
• 19:19and practice in education curriculum.
• 19:21We know that theory drives the practice
• 19:24and then the practice enlightens the
• 19:26theory and then raises research questions,
• 19:29which is an impact the theory.
• 19:32So next slide there many theorists and
• 19:35researchers and educators who guided.
• 19:37Education education in early childhood,
• 19:39so let me briefly go over some of them.
• 19:42I think the next slide they'll
• 19:45be familiar to you, Piaget,
• 19:47we know from from him that children actively
• 19:50construct knowledge about the world,
• 19:52so they are active learners.
• 19:54They need to have opportunities to
• 19:57manipulate and struggle with concepts
• 19:59as their cognitive state moves from
• 20:01being kind of in disequilibrium
• 20:03to being an equilibrium and back,
• 20:06and as they go back and forth they.
• 20:09They grow their concepts and they grow
• 20:12their cognitive abilities next line.
• 20:14Robert White, I think,
• 20:16is somebody who really underscore
• 20:18the importance of children's
• 20:19natural tendency to explore,
• 20:21manipulate and master their world.
• 20:24So there have to be opportunities
• 20:26for them to be curious and to be
• 20:29able to follow their interests.
• 20:32Next slide.
• 20:32Hunt talked about the importance
• 20:34of matching the curriculum to
• 20:36the child's cognitive level,
• 20:38providing enough challenge to allow struggle,
• 20:40but not too much frustration
• 20:42and providing opportunities for
• 20:44them to kind of be in balance.
• 20:46Some of some of the time so that they
• 20:50will take chances and risks next slide.
• 20:53Of the Godske certainly talks about
• 20:56the importance of the learning
• 20:58environment and the scaffolding the
• 21:00teachers used to stretch a child.
• 21:02Skills talks about the zone in
• 21:05which where the child can be just
• 21:08working on his or her own versus what
• 21:11can happen in terms of learning.
• 21:13When there's a teacher there
• 21:15providing the scaffolding next slide.
• 21:17And then there's Gardner's multiple
• 21:19intelligences.
• 21:20I think it's important to from this
• 21:22it's important to understand that.
• 21:25Children have different strengths
• 21:27and different areas for growth,
• 21:29and I think it's important to appreciate.
• 21:33Appreciate that and be willing to work
• 21:36with that diversity in a classroom.
• 21:39Next slide.
• 21:40In terms of social emotional
• 21:42development children again the
• 21:44importance of relationships.
• 21:45They bring their relationship history
• 21:47into the classroom and they respond
• 21:49with the expectations that they've
• 21:51developed in relationships with parents.
• 21:53And so sometimes it means
• 21:55working closely with appearance,
• 21:57and sometimes it means figuring out
• 21:59how to develop a relationship with
• 22:02a child who might be presenting
• 22:04some challenges to you. Next slide.
• 22:07Erik Erikson, you know,
• 22:09talked about children developing trust
• 22:11in themselves and others and coming
• 22:14into school with a sense of wanting
• 22:16to be independent and autonomous.
• 22:19And so between the ages of two
• 22:21and five children do struggle
• 22:23with trying out new skills,
• 22:26being curious, and taking initiative without
• 22:28feeling guilty because at the same time
• 22:31they're learning to control their impulses.
• 22:33Next slide. Expressing and
• 22:37regulating emotions is a constant.
• 22:42Challenge and experience for
• 22:44early childhood teachers.
• 22:46I think appreciating that behavior
• 22:48is communication, an that we want to
• 22:52work really hard to understand what,
• 22:55especially the diffi cult behavior
• 22:57that happens.
• 22:58What is that communicating?
• 23:00We see a myriad of feelings,
• 23:03joy, anger, sadness, fear, shame,
• 23:06curiosity really reveal the child's
• 23:08internal experience in state and
• 23:11so it's important to be curious.
• 23:14About that and be able to
• 23:17support them next slide.
• 23:19Um adults Need to be able to be soothing,
• 23:25engaging and regulating and make connections.
• 23:27Those connections between feelings and
• 23:29behavior is important to understand
• 23:31our own reaction to the emotional
• 23:34climate of the classroom and the
• 23:36importance of our own self regulation.
• 23:38It's put, you know,
• 23:39put your breathing mask on first
• 23:42before you help a child who might
• 23:45be dysregulated next slide.
• 23:47And then there's Reggio Amelia
• 23:49that children must have some
• 23:51control in their learning.
• 23:53Again, they learn through touching,
• 23:55moving, listening, seeing,
• 23:57and hearing and exploring materials.
• 23:59Next slide.
• 24:00They talk about the importance of
• 24:03relationships and with children.
• 24:05Adults in that community.
• 24:06The environment is seen as the third teacher
• 24:10and needs to communicate to the children.
• 24:13I've thought about you and
• 24:15planning this environment.
• 24:16I have some really exciting
• 24:19things planned and we're going
• 24:21to learn together next slide.
• 24:24Anne and children must have lots of
• 24:27opportunities to express themselves
• 24:28and then how important documentation
• 24:31is in the learning environment.
• 24:34An that fits so nicely into the literacy
• 24:38component of a early childhood curriculum.
• 24:41And next slide,
• 24:43I have some take home messages.
• 24:45We know that children bring a
• 24:47lot to all learning situations.
• 24:49We understand where they are
• 24:51in their development.
• 24:53We need to we understand that normal.
• 24:55There are normal developmental
• 24:57struggles and challenges.
• 24:58We know how important it is to
• 25:01build and nurture relationships.
• 25:03Next slide.
• 25:05It's important to trust yourself
• 25:07as a teacher and learner.
• 25:09Trust children's teachers and learners
• 25:12believe that learning can be fun,
• 25:14exciting, but also difficult.
• 25:17A foster trusting and respectful
• 25:19relationships in the classroom and no and
• 25:22articulate your reasons for teaching.
• 25:25Next slide.
• 25:27This is a quote from a student.
• 25:29I hope I have time to do this from
• 25:31a student of ours in the language
• 25:33and literacy and play class.
• 25:35He said at first I thought literacy learning.
• 25:38Is worksheets and fun?
• 25:39With phonics we we call that drill and kill,
• 25:42um,
• 25:42I learned that literacy learning
• 25:44actually happens best in play based
• 25:46curriculums where kids actually
• 25:48treat writing as this new and
• 25:50fun mode of communication.
• 25:51Expression in art.
• 25:52But the things I learned from the
• 25:55kids will stick with me next slide.
• 25:57They made me think about being a
• 25:59college senior in new and emotional ways.
• 26:02Play is how kids learn best because
• 26:04that's when they are open to new ideas,
• 26:07when they can think about the feelings.
• 26:10Life in creative ways when they can
• 26:12manifest their creative energies,
• 26:13the joy of seeing kids learn
• 26:15to read makes you next slide.
• 26:18Remember what you love about learning.
• 26:20And since the instructors only let
• 26:22seniors in most of us are pretty
• 26:24jaded from the entire yell experience.
• 26:26But seeing the joy on these kids
• 26:28faces when they read and write and
• 26:31triumph an remembering what it was
• 26:33like to be that little when the world
• 26:36was full of possibility. Next slide.
• 26:39When there were new and exciting
• 26:41things every day on the playground,
• 26:43bugs, bark, birds when you could
• 26:45just draw your feelings on a page.
• 26:48Those are the reminders I needed
• 26:49to be able to leave college with
• 26:52a better and healthier attitude
• 26:53towards learning and tord's life.
• 26:55Next line,
• 26:56like those little kids we college
• 26:58seniors are also so so young and the
• 27:01world is so full of possibility for us.
• 27:03Let the world be or play based curriculum
• 27:06refused to give up their creativity.
• 27:08Enjoy you had in kindergarten.
• 27:09You absolutely must take this class,
• 27:13so I'm going to turn it over
• 27:17to Carla and then Winnie Ann.
• 27:20You will begin to be able to see how
• 27:26teachers. Let the world be there.
• 27:29Play based curriculum. So thank you.
• 27:34Good afternoon everybody.
• 27:35Nancy and I are partners
• 27:38in crime in that class.
• 27:40That quote came from and every year we
• 27:44find that Yale students are so so young.
• 27:48But there are also so open that they
• 27:51learn enormous amount about young
• 27:53children about themselves in these classes.
• 27:57Anyway, you'll hear a little bit about
• 28:00what what the students usually see because.
• 28:04Those classes have observations in
• 28:06classrooms. One of them is winning,
• 28:09but not this year.
• 28:11So I'm very happy to be here and I I
• 28:15thank Scholastic for putting this on
• 28:18and for allowing us to share what it
• 28:21is that we do and what we love doing.
• 28:26I'm going to be adding to Nancy's
• 28:29overview of development by presenting
• 28:31some thoughts about the organic
• 28:33nature of teaching and learning.
• 28:35Some examples of curriculum related
• 28:37to today's focus on literacy and
• 28:40sharing some images of children
• 28:42in model educational settings.
• 28:44As examples of what we think all children,
• 28:47regardless of setting, deserve.
• 28:50Next slide. So what do children need?
• 28:54And I'd like to just sort of think
• 28:57about this as we're going through.
• 28:59For healthy physical, social,
• 29:02emotional and intellectual development next.
• 29:05Um and again children are in relationships,
• 29:09so we start with at home security and safety.
• 29:14And the meeting of their basic
• 29:17needs an intellectual stimulation
• 29:20and supportive play next.
• 29:22At school,
• 29:23children need curriculum that
• 29:25is developmentally appropriate,
• 29:27stimulating, nurturing,
• 29:28play based,
• 29:30child centered and culturally informed.
• 29:33Next And these are just a couple of
• 29:38illustrations of children playing,
• 29:40and I think you can probably
• 29:42extrapolate what is going on.
• 29:44Those children took a survey to find out
• 29:47what everybody thought about something
• 29:49and they're telling the results,
• 29:52and they're going to.
• 29:53I make a graph and report to the class.
• 29:57It's probably what kind of pizza do you like?
• 30:00Because as we make lunch,
• 30:01we need to know how many different
• 30:04kinds of pizza to make,
• 30:05and so it's a very grounded way
• 30:08of having children learn math.
• 30:09But it matters to them,
• 30:11and the answer matters to a lot next.
• 30:15Uh, this is I said something about.
• 30:19Play based and culturally informed well,
• 30:21these children in New Haven there are.
• 30:24There's a wonderful farmers market and
• 30:26so the children actually set one up,
• 30:28and that's what's going on here.
• 30:30It's from their own experience
• 30:32about what they do,
• 30:34and they got a lot of materials and
• 30:37they made the vegetables and fruits and
• 30:40they're just playing farmers market next.
• 30:43Um?
• 30:43And children at school children
• 30:46also need involved parents and an
• 30:49active school family partnership.
• 30:51You can see that little girl saying
• 30:54bye to her dad with the accompaniment
• 30:57of a teacher just for support.
• 31:00Next And then what personal and
• 31:04professional qualities do teachers need?
• 31:06Nancy talked a little bit about.
• 31:10Uh, what she views as what teachers need,
• 31:13and I think we we are really in
• 31:15agreement that teachers need deep
• 31:17respect for enjoyment of and trust in
• 31:20children curiosity and willingness to
• 31:22learn understanding of child development,
• 31:25knowledge of curriculum and materials,
• 31:27and respect for children and families.
• 31:30Next, and here's just some illustrations
• 31:33of children doing what we hope they
• 31:37will do in terms of being curious,
• 31:40exploring the environment next.
• 31:44And here is the literacy front and center
• 31:47with the children and the teachers enjoying
• 31:51a moment together with books and language.
• 31:54And really this is more than just reading.
• 31:58This is a an emotional experience.
• 32:01It actually involves the book,
• 32:03the child and the adult.
• 32:06It's a kind of a triangle next.
• 32:10Um, there are also our needs
• 32:13for support and understanding.
• 32:15This is a picture of Winnie actually
• 32:19during the beginning of her career,
• 32:22just comforting children,
• 32:24but there's a book front
• 32:27and center as well next.
• 32:30And the personal and professional
• 32:33qualities teachers need.
• 32:34Really an awareness of.
• 32:37Cultural and individual differences.
• 32:40Encouragement of family engagement regard
• 32:43for contributions of their colleagues.
• 32:47This is really a collaborative effort
• 32:52and support for community next.
• 32:56This is when I talked about it.
• 32:58The engagement of families.
• 33:00This is a mom making dumplings
• 33:03with the threes classroom and her
• 33:05daughter who's sitting to her right,
• 33:07but everybody is making dumplings
• 33:10and will everyone will have
• 33:13a chance to eat them next.
• 33:15This is another part of the cultural being
• 33:19culturally informed in the kindergarten.
• 33:21There were many languages spoken by
• 33:24the families and their children,
• 33:26and this was just a poster that
• 33:30we we actually hung up to honor
• 33:34and respect that next.
• 33:37I'm teachers need institutional supports
• 33:39to help children learn as well so
• 33:41that they have to have the ability to
• 33:44really create curriculum in their classroom,
• 33:46not to just be told all the time what to do.
• 33:51There need to be clear school
• 33:53goals and expectations,
• 33:54or the trusting,
• 33:55trusting and supportive supervision.
• 33:57All of us need someone perative to be
• 34:00a mentor to to check in with us about
• 34:03what we're doing and help us to move forward.
• 34:07Forward and meaningful,
• 34:09meaningful professional development
• 34:11because we are really never done learning.
• 34:15Next Um,
• 34:17and then the parents need things
• 34:20from the school as well,
• 34:22so they need to make we need to
• 34:25make sure that their partners
• 34:27with their children's teachers.
• 34:29The environment has Tuvaluan encourage
• 34:31parent involvement and there has
• 34:34to be an institutional emphasis
• 34:36on building community within the
• 34:38classroom throughout the school.
• 34:39An in the broader neighborhood.
• 34:42And this is just an example of
• 34:44how we communicate with parents
• 34:46and how we build community.
• 34:48This is activities for the day,
• 34:50and that's all the children in the classroom.
• 34:53It's it's really a sign in.
• 34:55It's a way of children signing
• 34:57themselves in the parents.
• 34:59You can see on the right have
• 35:01a book that they have to sign
• 35:04in the children do it with with
• 35:07the card with their names next.
• 35:10This is an example of not this year
• 35:15how parents come together an actually.
• 35:20Spend time in the school and
• 35:22are part of the community.
• 35:24You can see food also is
• 35:26quite important as we
• 35:27do that, but we believe in
• 35:29taking care of the children,
• 35:31taking care of their families and taking
• 35:34care of the teachers as well next.
• 35:37So I want to talk more about curriculum.
• 35:41Nancy did say some things that
• 35:44were really profound, I think,
• 35:47and when you will save some more.
• 35:50But what is it?
• 35:52Where does it come from?
• 35:54And what does it look like in action?
• 35:59Curriculum means different
• 36:00things to different people.
• 36:02Some of you are probably envisioning a
• 36:05thick teachers manual or mandates from
• 36:08the school system or state requirements,
• 36:10and probably you're thinking about academics.
• 36:13Before I showed these slides,
• 36:16I that I hope will explain more
• 36:19fully what curriculum means to me.
• 36:22I'd like you to consider this.
• 36:24The curriculum I'm describing is
• 36:27highly intellectual, but not academic.
• 36:29If that sounds a little confusing
• 36:32and I don't mean to be,
• 36:34let's try to bring it up later
• 36:36in our roundtable conversation,
• 36:38but perhaps the slides will
• 36:40best demonstrate what I mean.
• 36:42So again,
• 36:43curriculum is developmentally appropriate,
• 36:45stimulating, nurturing,
• 36:46play based, active,
• 36:48child centered and culturally informed,
• 36:50and I'm sure many of us have had
• 36:54the experience of what Confucius
• 36:57this has been attributed to.
• 37:00Confucius is saying here.
• 37:02I know certainly when I'm working with
• 37:05computers, if I see how to do something,
• 37:09I forget it immediately if.
• 37:12I hear it,
• 37:13I might remember,
• 37:14but I probably couldn't repeat
• 37:16the process and and do it.
• 37:19I actually have to do something
• 37:21to understand how it works,
• 37:23what the processes and to learn it,
• 37:26and so that's one of the ways
• 37:28that we think about the children,
• 37:31and we want them to be engaged
• 37:34and to be doing,
• 37:36because that really is how
• 37:38they understand next.
• 37:41Nancy talked about some of these theorists,
• 37:45and I've added a few more.
• 37:49So obviously curriculum has its roots
• 37:53in their work and their theories next.
• 37:58Do we in particular who stressed the
• 38:01importance of continuity of experience
• 38:04within a cooperative school community?
• 38:07He really, really was the person who
• 38:11articulated best learning by doing next.
• 38:15On an so curriculum really
• 38:19is everything that happens.
• 38:21In an educational environment.
• 38:24Um children and it's about children's
• 38:27inner life of feeling emotions,
• 38:30perceptions an the outer life of
• 38:33world events, people and things.
• 38:37Um, it's a series of interventions.
• 38:41Planned by a teacher in a community
• 38:44setting outside of the family next.
• 38:47Teachers plan these interventions
• 38:50and actually in in Reggio Amelia
• 38:55they call them provocations.
• 38:58A word that I really like.
• 39:01They plan them by providing
• 39:04choices and real materials,
• 39:06enabling children to consolidate
• 39:08understanding through messing
• 39:09about with real materials.
• 39:12The teachers interact with
• 39:14children to reinforce,
• 39:15validate,
• 39:16and extend their choices and discoveries,
• 39:19and giving children time to explore,
• 39:22ask questions,
• 39:23and wonder if it's not enough to have
• 39:27some children go into the block corner.
• 39:31Spend 20 minutes there and then
• 39:33tell them it's time to clean up.
• 39:36That's not enough time to really explore.
• 39:39Get to work,
• 39:40get to know what the other person
• 39:42might want to build as well.
• 39:45Negotiate and actually begin to
• 39:46get your construction underway.
• 39:48So if the teacher comes in in 20
• 39:51minutes and says clean up time,
• 39:53that is not an extended learning
• 39:56experience for children and we
• 39:58we really do need to give them
• 40:00the time to make sure.
• 40:02That they can consolidate their discoveries,
• 40:05and to really think about them next.
• 40:10Um? So here's a few pictures.
• 40:15This is actually the kindergarten
• 40:18classroom at Calvin Hill, and some
• 40:21children doing their own research next.
• 40:26And then the help of a teacher to find
• 40:30just the right book to do the research.
• 40:35They probably needed some support in
• 40:37finding just the right additional materials.
• 40:41Next you can see the role
• 40:44of the teacher there.
• 40:46Looking at the work that the child was
• 40:49doing and here's a child working on his own.
• 40:53He's got had a lot of time to make
• 40:56a marble track during the morning,
• 40:59and plenty of.
• 41:01Time and space actually to workout
• 41:05his theories in his creation next.
• 41:09Natural materials also very,
• 41:12very important next.
• 41:15Curriculum emerges from the shared
• 41:18experiences and interests of children
• 41:21and teachers. An IT develops overtime.
• 41:25We call this emergent curriculum.
• 41:29Um?
• 41:29And I I do want to hold up this this book,
• 41:36which is a very,
• 41:38very old book that is from 1970,
• 41:41actually called curriculum is what happens.
• 41:44That's exactly right.
• 41:45There's nothing new under the sun.
• 41:47I mean the ideas in that that
• 41:50book are the same ones,
• 41:51the same principles that we use.
• 41:54And another.
• 41:55Element of curriculum is that it
• 41:58should flow from a consciously
• 42:02divine defined belief system,
• 42:04not a set of regulations.
• 42:07Performance standards,
• 42:08testing materials,
• 42:09or a bag of tricks.
• 42:11And that the theory is embedded
• 42:14when Nancy asked you what kinds of
• 42:17theories you use in your teaching,
• 42:19this relates to that.
• 42:22Listening, careful observation,
• 42:23informed planning and communication
• 42:25are the tools we use to understand
• 42:29an extend children's learning and
• 42:31teaching is an intentional act.
• 42:33I love this. Line from your home.
• 42:37By Mary Oliver. She says pay attention.
• 42:41Be astonished. Tell about it.
• 42:43So that would be observing what
• 42:46children are doing.
• 42:48Really appreciating an an finding
• 42:50something new perhaps,
• 42:52and then documenting and sharing
• 42:55and telling about it next.
• 42:58There are some.
• 43:02Principles on the teachers hold
• 43:07when they're developing curriculum.
• 43:11The children are naturally curious,
• 43:13observant, and motivated.
• 43:15They're ready to learn.
• 43:17On young children thrive on
• 43:19continuity and meaningful connection
• 43:21between all parts of their world,
• 43:23especially home in school.
• 43:24So that that's the reason for the
• 43:27partnership with the parents and
• 43:28what they observe and discover is as
• 43:31important as what the teacher provides,
• 43:33so that very often curriculum is developed.
• 43:36An grows based on something that
• 43:38a child might have brought in that
• 43:40day on the way to school Alief,
• 43:43a stone,
• 43:43something that was really that
• 43:45really impressed the child and then.
• 43:47The teacher is paying attention
• 43:50and supporting some examination,
• 43:52some investigation and sharing
• 43:55in the curiosity.
• 43:56Nancy also talked about
• 43:58Regression 2 steps forward.
• 44:01Maybe in one step back children don't
• 44:04just keep going in One Direction
• 44:08and regression really is a normal
• 44:11part of what happens in classrooms
• 44:14and we have to be prepared.
• 44:17For that we an example that I have
• 44:20that a student actually brought
• 44:22to my attention at NAP time in
• 44:25the threes program,
• 44:26we had a very brilliant little girl who
• 44:29was very precocious and she could read.
• 44:31And she, uh, this student was
• 44:34attracted to her, but in fact what
• 44:36ended up happening was at nap time.
• 44:39She lay down on her cotton.
• 44:41She took out her pacifier and the
• 44:44student looked at me and said,
• 44:46what's that about and I said, well.
• 44:48Development doesn't proceed in every
• 44:50single domain at the same pace,
• 44:52so that was a good lesson for the student,
• 44:56but it is also something that we need
• 44:59to remember about children next.
• 45:02Um Nancy referred to this to that young
• 45:05children and their use of materials
• 45:08and understanding of experience.
• 45:10They moved from the constructive
• 45:12manipulated to this symbolic
• 45:14abstract and from random to planned.
• 45:17And so there's a series of.
• 45:20Actually.
• 45:21I images that I want to show you
• 45:26coming up now that go along with.
• 45:30Using different kinds of materials and the
• 45:33ways that the children are demonstrating.
• 45:38What they do on some of the activities
• 45:41are really connected to literacy.
• 45:44Probably all of them are,
• 45:47but perhaps not in such obvious ways.
• 45:50These activities engage children fully
• 45:53and help them manipulate, understand,
• 45:56remember an recreate their world.
• 45:58These symbolic processes require the
• 46:01same skills that underpin literacy.
• 46:03Children need experience with real
• 46:06materials and symbols to construct.
• 46:08And reconstruct meaning as they speak.
• 46:11Listen, draw, write,
• 46:13read and master the mechanics
• 46:16as well as the love of reading.
• 46:19So here are some examples.
• 46:23Next Next This is more of the random.
• 46:29I won't show you all the stages in between.
• 46:33This is a young 3 year old or.
• 46:37A 2 year old Ashley next.
• 46:40But from that random you can see
• 46:46children's real ability to get to
• 46:51symbolic an abstract work next.
• 46:55Not such as this next.
• 46:58Or that?
• 47:01Next I love this particular series because
• 47:05the teachers had planned an activity to
• 47:08take children to the green in New Haven.
• 47:11Centrally located downtown and
• 47:13because there was some construction
• 47:15going on down there and we thought
• 47:17the children would be interested.
• 47:19Probably in the vehicles.
• 47:21Maybe in something else.
• 47:22Well the children.
• 47:24Focused on something completely differently,
• 47:26so fix that picture in your mind.
• 47:30You will see literacy and reading and
• 47:34writing because the child a child
• 47:37made the label for what they did next.
• 47:41When they came back to school,
• 47:44they recreated the experience that they
• 47:47had symbolically an representational E.
• 47:49You'll see that what they really
• 47:52thought was most salient worthy
• 47:54pathways an it's not a a complete
• 47:57recreation replication if to recreation,
• 47:59not a replication of what they had seen.
• 48:03What was important to them and what
• 48:06they brought back now we could also
• 48:09call this social studies, but it really was.
• 48:13A part of their.
• 48:16Representational process next.
• 48:20In painting, we're going to move quickly.
• 48:23This is just the beginning.
• 48:26Exploration, obviously,
• 48:27reasonably random Ness.
• 48:29Some sort of random,
• 48:30not quite so much little bit,
• 48:33but if children have.
• 48:35A lot of experience with materials.
• 48:38They then can reproduce and represent
• 48:42their world in the following way next.
• 48:46Um, so children can gain the skill and the
• 48:52ability to really recreate their world next.
• 48:57Same thing happens in collage.
• 48:59This is just a kind of a
• 49:02random gluing project next.
• 49:05This is a little bit more elaborate and
• 49:08there are some words on there that a
• 49:11child really felt needed to be included.
• 49:13Next This is a representation
• 49:17of a science activity.
• 49:18This is some corn growing that 5
• 49:21year old actually used to recreate
• 49:24the experience nest.
• 49:26And we took, and we've taken other trips.
• 49:29There was a very cooperative Swan
• 49:31near the center who sat on the say on
• 49:35the nest next to the side of the road
• 49:38every single year for days and days
• 49:40and days until their eggs were hatched.
• 49:43And so the children went out many times.
• 49:46And this is a series you can see
• 49:48how individual and different
• 49:50all the children's work is,
• 49:52but they were representing an
• 49:54recreating their experience next.
• 49:56Next Next Yes.
• 50:02Next Same thing in object printing an
• 50:06there will go quickly through that they
• 50:11move from the random to the planned next.
• 50:17Just paint an objects next.
• 50:20This is representational.
• 50:22This was a person next.
• 50:26There's a series of.
• 50:30Cars next next.
• 50:34Obviously the children were working
• 50:37hard to create something that they
• 50:40had a picture in their mind of,
• 50:44so this is just bringing in the
• 50:47literacy piece where the children are
• 50:50working individually with Winnie.
• 50:53On their own books and their own words next.
• 51:00And obviously stories and sharing stories
• 51:04and sharing narratives as Linda said.
• 51:09Another important part of the
• 51:12children's experience and the
• 51:14teachers experience together next.
• 51:17So Nancy talked a lot about
• 51:21relationships and feelings.
• 51:23Ann,
• 51:24I think that's clear that we're
• 51:28really working on many things,
• 51:31not just academics next.
• 51:36And this probably says it
• 51:40all about how literacy grows.
• 51:45Develops, blooms, and next.
• 51:50But this is just to reiterate,
• 51:52teachers must be learners,
• 51:53researchers, thinkers,
• 51:54planners and collaborators.
• 51:56We must find depth meaning and joy
• 51:59in the teaching learning process
• 52:01and recognizing who we are and how
• 52:04we relate to the world around us.
• 52:06Makes a difference in our teaching and
• 52:08to the children and families who learn
• 52:11an live with us in our classrooms,
• 52:13in in our schools no next.
• 52:16Um, no. At no time.
• 52:19Has that been brought home to us
• 52:22more directly than in the time
• 52:24that we're living through now?
• 52:26How important we are to each other,
• 52:28even if its virtual and the ways
• 52:31that we have to relate to the
• 52:33world and to each other and how
• 52:36important and meaningful that is.
• 52:38So I'm going to stop there
• 52:41and turn this over to Winnie,
• 52:43who will be giving you more of
• 52:46the actual nitty gritty of what
• 52:49happens on a daily basis in in her
• 52:52classroom and in many classrooms.
• 53:00I just wanted to note a few things
• 53:02that I heard from you all and then
• 53:05move over quickly into some questions.
• 53:07I think Nancy close when you were
• 53:10talking about grounding practice in
• 53:11in the theories that you mentioned.
• 53:13I think two of the quotes
• 53:15you said tored the end I've.
• 53:17I've thought about you and
• 53:19planning this environment.
• 53:20I thought that is so wonderful
• 53:21and it pulls together everything.
• 53:23Everything that I might have learned
• 53:25from all of these theorists and
• 53:27all of these cognitive scientists
• 53:29bringing all that to bear.
• 53:30On this block center or you know,
• 53:33whatever it is I'm setting up.
• 53:35I love that.
• 53:36So thank you and then knowing in
• 53:37articulating your reasons for teaching,
• 53:40I think that's so important for all
• 53:42of us who work in early childhood.
• 53:44Whether we're with children everyday or
• 53:46sort of tangential to that and then to Carla.
• 53:49Furthering that grounded,
• 53:50you were talking about grounding
• 53:52a way of learning math.
• 53:54With the pizza example,
• 53:55which I think is something
• 53:57that everybody can relate to.
• 53:59And that's so important in making there.
• 54:01Making children's learning matter
• 54:02to them by grounding it the same
• 54:05way we ground our own practice.
• 54:07Grounding children's learning for them
• 54:08and then honoring and respecting and
• 54:10welcoming the Children's Home languages.
• 54:12I think we talk a lot about that,
• 54:15and it was really great to see
• 54:17that specific example of how you
• 54:19actually do that in your classroom.
• 54:21So thank you for that.
• 54:23The Mary Oliver quote the pay attention,
• 54:25be astonished, and tell about it.
• 54:27I'm going to try to use that
• 54:29frequently in my own practice.
• 54:31And then when you when you
• 54:33were doing your presentation,
• 54:34we don't have to make children learn.
• 54:36We just have to let them learn.
• 54:38I think that is something that
• 54:39we can never hear often enough,
• 54:41and I know sometimes you know when we're
• 54:43trying to work hard and do our best,
• 54:45we can lose, lose a grasp of that.
• 54:47So it's great to be reminded of that.
• 54:50And if they need a prop,
• 54:51they can make it.
• 54:52We got a lot of questions related to that,
• 54:55so I definitely want to dive
• 54:56into that and related to that,
• 54:58when you talked about the fact that children
• 55:00are creating narratives for themselves,
• 55:01that just brought me back to the.
• 55:03You know the mission of the mission.
• 55:06Statements of the Yellen Scholastic
• 55:08Collaborative involves the importance
• 55:09of story and that we're all finding
• 55:11our stories and we're creating our own
• 55:13stories so that it brought me back to that.
• 55:16I think that's a great
• 55:17takeaway for me from this.
• 55:19And then the fact that you took time
• 55:21to talk about the realities of the
• 55:23classroom right now was really helpful.
• 55:26So thank you.
• 55:27I think people enjoy hearing that.
• 55:28Expectations for learning to give to parents,
• 55:31I think is probably always important
• 55:33and especially now when parents
• 55:35are worried about the progress of
• 55:38their children are making or not
• 55:40making and then being a Co learner
• 55:42rather than a dispatcher.
• 55:44Disperser of information.
• 55:45Thank you. That was wonderful.
• 55:47So I want to dive into some of the
• 55:50questions that folks were asking
• 55:52in the chat and some of them.
• 55:55Were related to some things that that
• 55:57you all had said you talked about young
• 56:00children needing to thrive and continuity.
• 56:03You talked to several of you.
• 56:05All of you I think,
• 56:06talked about the idea of regression.
• 56:09That idea of two steps
• 56:10forward and one step back.
• 56:12I think everyone is keeping those things
• 56:15in mind during this time due to kovit.
• 56:18So a couple of the questions sort of related
• 56:21to covid were about the use of technology.
• 56:24One person asked,
• 56:25do Tekken virtual learning
• 56:27hinder childhood development?
• 56:28An I don't know who wants to take that first.
• 56:31If that's Nancy,
• 56:32if that's something you want to,
• 56:34maybe talk about first from your
• 56:36point of view, do those things.
• 56:38Do do technology and virtual learning
• 56:40hinder childhood development?
• 56:42I
• 56:43think it's not.
• 56:44You know, certainly wasn't a
• 56:46great situation for any child.
• 56:48You know, even a child who's older.
• 56:51I think it brought up for a lot of children.
• 56:56How much they miss their teachers,
• 56:58how much they miss their friends and can't
• 57:02be doing what they like to be doing.
• 57:05I think it depended on how well the
• 57:09teachers planned, what they were doing,
• 57:11that they made it developmentally.
• 57:13Appropriate not too long, not too confusing.
• 57:16And we also know that children do as well
• 57:19as the adults around them are doing.
• 57:22So if the parents can support
• 57:25what the teachers are doing,
• 57:27and I do think at Calvin Hill
• 57:29they you know this time around.
• 57:32Once they started they had they planned.
• 57:35What will we do if we go into lockdown
• 57:38again so they really made some thoughtful
• 57:41plans based on what they had learned?
• 57:44I mean.
• 57:44That was all new to.
• 57:46So based on what they learned in
• 57:49the spring and the summer to try to
• 57:53make you know if there needed to be
• 57:56a lock down to try to make it more
• 57:59interesting and helpful both to the
• 58:01parents that then would be helpful to
• 58:04the to the child that makes sense to
• 58:07me. Making if the parents
• 58:09are comfortable with it and
• 58:11treating them as a as a team,
• 58:14right individuals, right?
• 58:15Carla, do you have anything you
• 58:17want to add to that? Oh, I think we.
• 58:20I think we need to be a little bit
• 58:22forgiving at this point of everybody were
• 58:25all under an enormous amount of pressure.
• 58:28Parents and teachers.
• 58:29The teachers had too many teachers.
• 58:31Never used zoom.
• 58:32They had no idea what they were doing and
• 58:35there's been a tremendous amount of growth.
• 58:38Justin Peoples Technological
• 58:39understanding and skills under duress
• 58:41and maybe kicking and screaming,
• 58:42but you know, consider the alternative.
• 58:45I think if we didn't have technology.
• 58:47I don't know what we would be doing.
• 58:50There would be no contact there
• 58:52would really be no way of maintaining
• 58:55relationships and keeping learning going.
• 58:57I think the challenge is that we
• 58:59we really need to help teachers
• 59:01with what is appropriate.
• 59:03Rattan there, they're under the gun.
• 59:05Some of them are teaching children in
• 59:08classrooms and virtually at the same time.
• 59:10My daughter in law is doing that and
• 59:13she's tearing her hair out and she's
• 59:16actually pretty technologically savvy so.
• 59:18You know there are many,
• 59:20many challenges to this that we just
• 59:23haven't been able to anticipate,
• 59:26and we're learning all the time.
• 59:29I think the problem will be if children
• 59:32are on screens all day and there aren't
• 59:36other activities happening with you
• 59:39know with with outside and active play,
• 59:42right? That makes sense.
• 59:44I then one of the other questions
• 59:46I wanted to make sure we got two.
• 59:49Could be possibly related to the first.
• 59:51Have there been successful initiatives
• 59:53with regard to building a community
• 59:55within the school community and the
• 59:56reason why I'm thinking that might be
• 59:58related to the first in a way is that
• 01:00:01I think what you're talking about in
• 01:00:03terms of keeping children connected
• 01:00:04and keeping that learning going.
• 01:00:06It seems like building those connections
• 01:00:08is more important than ever,
• 01:00:10so whether you've been doing that,
• 01:00:12you've been in person since September, but.
• 01:00:14You were in person or or when you've
• 01:00:16had to think about being remote.
• 01:00:18What are some ways that you've been
• 01:00:20successful in building community during
• 01:00:22this time? I don't know when you do.
• 01:00:25You wanna take a crack at that?
• 01:00:27How you been sort of building
• 01:00:29that community with parents and
• 01:00:31families and keeping
• 01:00:32them engaged? Well,
• 01:00:32I think we we had our own sort of
• 01:00:35private Facebook and as Carlos said,
• 01:00:37I have very little tech skill and
• 01:00:39some of the other teachers too.
• 01:00:41And we were just totally
• 01:00:43thrown into the situation.
• 01:00:44But we knew that we had to do
• 01:00:46something so teachers were we would
• 01:00:48read stories and that was a way to
• 01:00:51connect and we would do an activity.
• 01:00:53And that would go out to all the
• 01:00:55families in the whole school.
• 01:00:57And then we started to do our own
• 01:00:59classrooms in addition to that we did
• 01:01:01our own zooms with our own classroom
• 01:01:03children and it was really difficult
• 01:01:05because some children didn't want to come.
• 01:01:08Or if they would come,
• 01:01:09they didn't want to talk
• 01:01:11and it was really hard.
• 01:01:12So we ended up just doing
• 01:01:14a casual conversation or we
• 01:01:16would say go outside today.
• 01:01:17See if you could find something
• 01:01:19in nature and bring it back.
• 01:01:21And that was sort of pose.
• 01:01:23The question and who would bring
• 01:01:24a rocker who found a flower?
• 01:01:26Or something like that and then
• 01:01:28that would spark the conversation
• 01:01:30and then we made many phone calls.
• 01:01:33Parents called us and we call them just
• 01:01:36to touch base. How are things going?
• 01:01:39So and so didn't show up.
• 01:01:41Today. Is everything alright?
• 01:01:42And we would do some private zooms
• 01:01:45with those kids who are really having
• 01:01:47a hard time being within a group so.
• 01:01:49As Carlos said,
• 01:01:51we learned from the six months
• 01:01:53that we had off and at that's
• 01:01:56where we prepare these bags and.
• 01:01:58Just in case of and then in fact we did.
• 01:02:01We did have to use them and now we
• 01:02:03take photographs every day and we
• 01:02:05write a little a little narrative.
• 01:02:08And then it's posted.
• 01:02:09We posted a email everyday so the
• 01:02:12parents get to see the joy that
• 01:02:14their children are really having in
• 01:02:16the room and it keeps us connected.
• 01:02:18That's great.
• 01:02:19We didn't want to lose that
• 01:02:21connection with the parents because
• 01:02:22they're feeling they can't come in.
• 01:02:24Yes,
• 01:02:24and they don't get to see an this way here.
• 01:02:28You know, they get to see.
• 01:02:30A tour of the room every day
• 01:02:32of what's happening.
• 01:02:33Thank
• 01:02:33you. That sounds like you're
• 01:02:34doing a great job. Thank you.
• 01:02:36We're almost out of time.
• 01:02:38I think we have time for one more question.
• 01:02:40I'm going to make this sort of the
• 01:02:43lightning round and I'm going to
• 01:02:45combine a couple different questions
• 01:02:46from the chat into this one.
• 01:02:48I think it was Carla.
• 01:02:49I remember his color when
• 01:02:51you talk to both of you,
• 01:02:53talked about the block corner and about
• 01:02:55not providing sort of too much pre made.
• 01:02:57Drops too many premium premade
• 01:02:59props for the block area to
• 01:03:01allow children to be creative.
• 01:03:02That got a lot of questions from the chat,
• 01:03:05so I'm wondering, you know,
• 01:03:06given that,
• 01:03:07given that idea that you want to
• 01:03:09empower children to make their own
• 01:03:11things and thinking about perhaps
• 01:03:13making connections with parents at
• 01:03:14home who can make things give me
• 01:03:16some ideas for props that you would
• 01:03:18put into the black room that would
• 01:03:21encourage children's creativity and
• 01:03:23help them to do some of their own
• 01:03:25creating and inventing in that in that area.
• 01:03:27What comes to mind?
• 01:03:28Have you seen examples of
• 01:03:30wonderful things children have
• 01:03:32made with materials you provided?
• 01:03:34Yeah,
• 01:03:34we have. Uh now it's a
• 01:03:36little bit different, right?
• 01:03:37Because we had to put a lot of things away.
• 01:03:41So what we're really relying on
• 01:03:42is more of the pencil and marker
• 01:03:45in cutting and then the children.
• 01:03:47If you use masking tape,
• 01:03:48masking tape comes off the
• 01:03:50blocks so children can today.
• 01:03:52They did that,
• 01:03:52in fact that a child made a Castle
• 01:03:55and she came over and said I need
• 01:03:57to make people and I said all right
• 01:04:00now the markers they each child has
• 01:04:03an individual box with markers,
• 01:04:04crayons, pencils.
• 01:04:05In their box and they take that into
• 01:04:08block area scissors tape and she
• 01:04:10fashioned many different people.
• 01:04:11And I'm not talking, you know,
• 01:04:14they were very representational.
• 01:04:15It's what she was really creating
• 01:04:17and she take them on and those became
• 01:04:20her people that she was really playing with.
• 01:04:23And I've seen kids.
• 01:04:24Do you know paper towel rolls that
• 01:04:27they put together to make things
• 01:04:29and then they turn into binoculars
• 01:04:31or spy glasses in the whole play
• 01:04:33changes into something very different.
• 01:04:35Before we would give them, you know,
• 01:04:38fabric and rocks and shells where they
• 01:04:41can do more decorating with the block.
• 01:04:44So that's another extension without
• 01:04:47having the animals and the cars
• 01:04:49alot of time the cars crash and
• 01:04:52that's what they really sort of
• 01:04:55want to do without forgetting about
• 01:04:57the roads or the tunnels or
• 01:05:00the bridge is so yeah,
• 01:05:02yeah it really is that the that
• 01:05:05it's the block building that
• 01:05:07drives the ideas for props.
• 01:05:09So children get excited about
• 01:05:11what they can add to their
• 01:05:14building once they've completed
• 01:05:16it. And if you say thank
• 01:05:19you for saying that Nancy,
• 01:05:21'cause they have to do the
• 01:05:23building first before they
• 01:05:25actually get out the Tameka prop.
• 01:05:27If you think about the concrete to the
• 01:05:30abstract for the very youngest children
• 01:05:32there are more props that we allow an
• 01:05:35we an we provisioned the classroom with
• 01:05:38because they can't imagine they actually
• 01:05:40aren't symbolically creating these things.
• 01:05:42But and then you know,
• 01:05:44we we do have props, some not many, but.
• 01:05:47Cars and airplanes and things because for
• 01:05:50younger children they can enhance the play.
• 01:05:52They can also take over and teachers
• 01:05:55really need to be mindful of that.
• 01:05:57But by the time the children get to
• 01:06:00kindergarten and they've had experience
• 01:06:02with glass, they they actually have can
• 01:06:04do a lot of symbolic representation.
• 01:06:07So I once had a conversation with
• 01:06:09a child who was he said, well,
• 01:06:12I, I've made this car but I need
• 01:06:15headlights places.
• 01:06:15Well how could you make them?
• 01:06:18He said, well,
• 01:06:19I guess I could get something
• 01:06:22round and an I could.
• 01:06:23I could trace it and then I could
• 01:06:26cut it out and color it yellow.
• 01:06:28An I I could get two of them and I
• 01:06:31could stick them on the front of the car.
• 01:06:35Well that isn't very.
• 01:06:36That's incredible problem solving
• 01:06:38and it was all in his head.
• 01:06:40So if you allow children to create
• 01:06:42what they need and you've given them
• 01:06:44the ability to do it and and the
• 01:06:47agency in the permission they can do.
• 01:06:50Yes, amazing planning.
• 01:06:50You don't have to give them the answers.
• 01:06:53That's great.
• 01:06:54Thank you so much that I think
• 01:06:56that's a perfect
• 01:06:57answer to all the block related
• 01:06:59questions we had in the chat.
• 01:07:01So thank you, and I know we've
• 01:07:03gone a few minutes overtime,
• 01:07:05but I think I think you'll
• 01:07:07agree it was worth it.
• 01:07:08I got so much out of this session with you,
• 01:07:12Nancy and Carla,
• 01:07:13and mini so appreciate your time.
• 01:07:15Really appreciate everyone joining us.
• 01:07:16I want to let you know that
• 01:07:18you will be receiving an.
• 01:07:20Email that will have a link to a
• 01:07:22recording of this web and R as well
• 01:07:24as a link to your certificate so you
• 01:07:27should be expecting those shortly
• 01:07:29and I just want to thank you all
• 01:07:31again from the bottom of my heart.
• 01:07:33I know everyone's really busy
• 01:07:34and stressed during this time,
• 01:07:36but I was really grateful that we were
• 01:07:38able to get together today and there's
• 01:07:40so many people were able to join us.
• 01:07:43Really appreciate it.
• 01:07:44Alright,
• 01:07:45enjoy the rest of your night everyone.
• 01:07:48And we'll see you next time.
• 01:07:51Thank you so much.