The Marshmallow Test

Just a little something lighthearted to end 2009 and ring in the new year.  I'm looking forward to another year of teaching, reflecting, sharing, and writing.



Thank You and Happy New Year to everyone who comes here and reads; and to everyone who has an investment in the changing world of Early Childhood Education.

And, who will the "2010 guy" be on the visual calendar on the right?  I've been thinking about that.  Hmm....

How to Teach Math

This article, Studying Young Minds, and How to Teach Them, has me thinking about a few things: teaching styles, learning styles, and "research".

This research cited in the article is showing that children are capable of mathematical problem solving at ages younger than people apparently expected.  What really made me stop in my tracks was this:

"In a typical preschool class, children do very little math. They may practice counting, and occasionally look at books about numbers, but that is about it."

Even in a creative, progressive classroom, math can be embedded and included.  Math is, of course, more than counting and looking at books about numbers. Math is about spatial relations, geometry, measurement, one-to-one correspondence, patterns, and more.  Math is naturally embedded in many typical classroom activities (indoors and outdoors), and it is the job of a high quality teacher to support children as they learn about math by using the maguage to describe their actions and providing opportunities for children to explore the mathematical world.

Does this mean children should do their artwork with number stamps, or color in photocopies pictures of teddy bears with numbers on their bellies, or sing along with songs about numbers on the stereo?  My opinion is no.  My instinct, with young children and math, is to provide children with natural materials to count; to provide them with opportunies to use mathematics meaningfully as well as through play; and to create a learning environment that presents math work at every turn: block building, painting, clay work, sewing, board games, and dramatic play.

I understand the value of children learning to label numerals, "count on" to combine two sets of materials, and being able to count objects accurately.  In a world where skills keep getting pushed down, I'm not surprised that formal math curriculum is being presented (and praised!) in preschools.  People really like data.  But schools do not need to be spending their much needed money on boxed curriculum.  The materials you need to teach math are all around you - anything, really - and (as I mentioned before) a quality teacher is supporting children's learning by talking, observing, and thinking about the next steps.

Of course, read the article for yourself.

Changes for the New Year

During school breaks, I am always making grand plans for the return.  A larger construction area, some new classroom jobs, a week of letting the children create a sorting system for our beloved recycled materials...my lists are always massive.  We have a really long break this year - we don't return to school until January 11th - so I just might be organized enough to prepare  a few of these things.

Classroom rearrangements are on my mind this year.  There isn't anything wrong with our setup, but some simple changes wouldn't hurt.  I am thinking about a storytelling table (inspired by Turtlewings), and I am also thinking about this photo I saw over here.  A meeting place in the center of the room, rather than in the corner, that our day centers around.  It is the idea of the Italian piazza, where the community meets to eat, talk, and watch.


I could go on for a very long time about this, and walk you through my rambling thoughts, but I should probably leave it at this.  Do you have any thoughts for the new year in your classroom, school, or home?

Happy Holidays!

A monster

"A monster in with sharp teeth in the rain.  It's so so stormy!"  - Yu

Reflecting

As I write this, the first snowflakes of the season are coming down on Brussels, and I am preparing to leave for Italy in 24 hours.  Many of the children have already left on holiday, leaving my assistant teacher and I with eight students today and tomorrow; everything seems to be going just right.

Last night, my husband and I went to a Christmas party at the house of one of my students from last year.  I see him often - he's up in the Kindergarten - but he is always proud to show me his things at home.  He was showing me his books and dinosaur toys, and then he saw his portfolio from Preschool.  His older sister joined us with her preschool portfolio, and we spent the next 20 minutes looking at their artwork, with them asking me to read the quotes the teachers had written.

There was a moment when the girl uncovered a collage that was made of a piece of corrugated cardboard, with different soft and rough items glued onto the top.  When she saw it, she said, "Oh!!  A texture collage!"  Her happiness in finding that was genuine.

So for all of those parents who are wondering "what to do" about portfolios or 20 paintings a week, or reams of paper that have the same dinosaur drawn on every single sheet, here is a lesson in the importance of those things.  Just as we make work available in the classroom for children to reflect on, make their work available at home, too.  All it takes is a box.  And every once in a while, the child will be looking for something to do, and they'll empty out that box, look at everything, and put it back.  Or maybe an old painting can be repurposed as a collage or part of a new sculpture.  Who knows?  But children's work doesn't just come home for you - it comes home for them, too.

Kindergarten: Play or Preparation?

This poll over at edutopia has me thinking this morning. What are public schools emphasising? Haven't we already pushed first grade standards down into Kindergarten? When will public PreK classes start having "literacy block" and "math block" instead of play?

What do you think?

Le Wolf

It was a pleasant surprise to stumble upon Le Wolf on Saturday afternoon while walking around Brussels. On the surface, it looks like a children's book store with a bit more attitude; and upon entering, it was that and more. A selection of children's books; spaces for children, including a "storytelling jukebox"; and a café, where plenty of children and parents were enjoying tea and cookies with friends.

It seems like a wonderful space for children and their families - for after school, on the weekends, or for a class group.

J'ai fait une promenade samedi, et j'ai trouvé "Le Wolf", près du Grand Place. Ce n'est pas exactement une librarie des enfants; elle était plus que ça. Il y a des livres pour les enfants, des espaces pour enfants, avec "un jukebox à histoires", et un petit café pour les enfants et leurs parents et amis. C'est un endroit idéal!

Contemplating

Bon week-end à tous!

the tactile workshops

I am grateful for like-minded people. I was given this little book by our incredible school librarian, and I devoured it in one short tram ride. It is packed with photos of children interacting with planned sensory experiences, with very little text. What is said, though, truly makes you stop.

Je suis reconnaissant pour les gens aux vues similaires. Notre bibliothécaire extraordinaire m'a donné ce livre, et je l'ai lu dans le tram en vingt minutes. Il y a beaucoup de photos des enfants font des projets sensorielle, et un petit peu de texte. Mais, ces mots vous font penser.

VoiceThread

VoiceThread is a tool that I am a big fan of. We have used it to retell two stories so far this year, but I have a little list of ideas for how we will use it in the second half of the year. Children's stories, documentation, video...

Here is the first VoiceThread that I created with the children - a retelling of "The Enormous Turnip" by Alexei Tolstoy. My classroom is a combination of native English speakers and English beginners, so it is interesting for me to listen to my reading of the story, and then the imitation of my tone and pitch when all of the children are retelling it. I used the children's self-portraits as their images rather than their pictures (it is a public site).



Is this a tool you could use in your classroom? How do you feel about using technology like this in the classroom?

Recycled Construction

There was no glue or tape today - just boxes of materials. Everyone participated. And I'm beginning to see the incredible value of temporary constructions.

Il n'y avait pas de la colle ni du scotch aujourd'hui - juste des boîtes de choses. Tout le monde a participé. Et maintenant, je comprend la valeur des compositions temporaires.

paper, tape, black pen

I watched this happen from start to finish - I was initially drawn to it because she was arranging and preparing her materials. It wasn't until the very end that she announced what it was: "An alien!" Her actions had so much intent - as if this was the vision she had in her head when she took the first piece of paper out of the basket.

J'ai regardé ce processus de début à la fin. La manière qu'elle a organisé les matériaux était très interessante. À la fin, elle a annoncé: "Une extra terrestre!" Peut-être elle avait une vision quand elle a commencé son travail avec la premiere feuille de papier.

Turtlewings Common

I'm looking forward to another Turtlewings Common Evening tonight. If you are in Brussels, I would love to see you there.

Tonight, the topic is "Encountering Reggio". I'll be sharing about my experiences in Reggio Emilia this past October, and bringing a big pile of resources for people to look at and talk about. I'm looking forward to a discussion with like-minded people!

Writing

How can children communicate messages in writing?

What can writing look like at the age of four?

How do children understand the world of symbols and meaning, especially when they are exposed to multiple languages?