Early Childhood Notes...

Active learning

2011-08-12T10:02:00.003+10:00

Active inquiry, not passive absorption, is what engages students. It should pervade the curriculum (Johnson et al., 1989, p. 68).

Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just by sitting in class listening to teachers, memorizing prepackaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves (Chickering & Gamson, 1987, p. 3).

References:
Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice. AAHE Bulletin, 39(1), 3-7.
Johnson, J., Spalding, J., Paden, R., & Ziffren, A. (1989). Those who can: Undergraduate programs to prepare arts and sciences majors for teaching. Washington DC: Association of American Colleges.

Finding the alphabet

2011-05-18T18:55:00.007+10:00

Two books for teaching about the alphabet: Discovering Nature's Alphabet by Boyl and Castella and Archabet by Balthazar Korab. Both books focus on finding letters of the alphabet in a variety of places within our environment.

A child...

2011-05-17T21:55:00.002+10:00

I am a ship
That voyages the sea
I am the wind
That blows through the trees
I am the sun
That shines brightly for all
I am the strength
Proudly standing tall
I am a lost kitten
To be taken in
I am lonely
And in need of a friend
I am the rain
That nourishes the grass
I am a clown
So that you can laugh
I am a garden
For tiny seeds to grow
I am a kite
Who knows where I'll go?
I am a tear
In a puddle of sadness
I am a sparkle
In a smile of gladness
I am a candle
With an eternal flame
I am a stranger
With everyone's name
I am the hope
Of the world for tomorrow
I am the light
And the dark and the sorrow
I am all of these things
And it all lies within you
For I am a child
Teach me what to do.

-Brooke Elliott
(in Teaching as Inquiry: Rethinking Curriculum in Early Childhood Education, p. 77-78)

Individuality

2011-05-12T12:53:00.002+10:00

William Ayers challenges us to see children for who they are in all their fullness. He asks, “When we look out over our classrooms what do we see? Do we see children with hopes and dreams, passions and interests? What are their concerns, their fears, their cares? Who is this person before me? What are her interests and areas of wonder? What effort and potential does she bring? In what ways does our teaching create a range of possibilities for children to make themselves known to us and become more whole and fully alive in the classroom?" (Fu, Stremmel & Hill, 2002, p. 47).

Reference:
Fu, V. R., Stremmel, A. J., & Hill, L. T. (2002). Teaching and learning: Collaborative exploration of the Reggio Emilia approach. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Cultural diversity and sense of self

2011-04-06T07:19:00.002+10:00

Children who have to negotiate their sense of self within two cultural groups are particularly vulnerable to low self esteem because they assume they cannot be successful in either society (MacNaughton, 2003, p. 179).

Reference:
MacNaughton, G. (2003). Shaping early childhood: Learners, curriculum and contexts. England: Open University Press.

Our children...

2011-03-10T13:20:00.003+11:00

We want more for our children than healthy bodies. We want our children to have lives filled with friendship and love and high deeds. We want them to be eager to learn and willing to confront challenges. We want them to grow up with confidence in the future, a love of adventure, a sense of justice, and courage enough to act on that sense of justice. We want them to be resilient in the face of setbacks and failures that growing up always brings (p.6).

Seligman, MEP, Reivich, K., Jaycox, L., & Gillham, J. (1995). The optimistic child. Sydney: Random House.

Autonomy

2011-02-14T21:27:00.002+11:00

[The student] is to learn not thoughts but thinking; he is to be guided, not carried, if he is to be able to walk alone in the future.

Kant, 1765, cited in Buchner, 1904, p263-4

Seriously Dr. Phil?

2011-02-10T10:54:00.002+11:00

This made me angry! Children should be accepted for who they are and given the opportunity to play with a variety of toys regardless of their gender!

Acceptance

2011-01-18T08:04:00.002+11:00

"It is up to us to create a world in which our children are not judged by their litany of challenges but by the depth of their humanity."

Click here to read the full article

Cheating

2011-01-10T22:27:00.007+11:00

Note: Names have been changed.

Today during activity time Sarah and Halley were playing puzzles – it was the one piece puzzles with knobs, and the girls would empty all the pieces out onto the floor and then race to see who would finish the puzzle first. I watched for several minutes and noticed that Sarah was winning every time, however she was the one to say “ready, set, go” every time, which was only said when she was ready with her pieces.

I did my rounds to check on the other students and when I came back to Sarah and Halley they were just about to start another race. Sarah was saying, “ready, set, go” but Halley had 2 pieces in her puzzle already. Halley was about to take the pieces out but realised Sarah had not noticed, so she left them in. This time Halley won – Sarah was shocked, and a bit upset; Halley was very happy.

I felt guilty for knowingly letting Halley cheat, but at the same time it also felt good to see that smile on her face. I didn’t know if I should have said something. I wasn’t going to mention it in front of the other girls, but perhaps I should have pulled her aside and talked about it with her? I wondered is it always bad for children to cheat? I know that it important that they play fair, and letting children cheat is not helping to build positive social and game-playing skills/habits (Arthur et al., 2007). However, what about the self-esteem of the child who never wins? This is something that I have been thinking about a bit since then, and still haven’t really come to any solid conclusions.

I realise that it is important for children to have a sense of fairness and understand that there are rules in playing (Damon, 2010), but perhaps Halley did not think it was fair for Sarah to winning every time. She is not usually one to break the rules and if I had talked with her about it I would have gotten a better understanding of why she did it this time. Every student comes to school with a set of predetermined rules and ideas about play and fairness, but it is up to us as teachers to set the standard for this and guide children in their interactions (Damon, 2010). I had to stop and think about what my role was in this situation. I wasn't sure if it was better to actively make sure the children were playing fairly, or just let them figure things out on their own (Porter, 2008). This is something that I will continually encounter when I am a teacher, and this experience has highlighted the need for me to think about my roles – not only the commonly-used, every day roles, but also the ones that I may not have to use on a daily basis.

I thought about Halley and the reasons why she might have cheated. Although she often plays with Sarah (and Sarah's group of friends) I wondered where she was on the totem pole. Did she feel that through winning she was sustaining her place in Sarah's group of friends? Did she feel that she needed to achieve in order to be accepted (Porter, 2008)? I know it is essential to teach children to persist with their actions, however Halley had been persisting in the game, so this was most likely about something else.

Porter (2008) states that it is more important to teach children to strive for excellence rather than perfection. This seems like a difficult concept to teach children – even us as adults like to see that we are winning. I guess this goes along with the concept of praise, and intrinsic motivation – something that I have been working on trying to do during this practicum. In my mind Halley was excelling – she tried hard every single time to get all the pieces in the puzzle, she was working as fast as she could and did not give up. In my mind she was winning, even though she didn’t come first. But how do you explain something like that to a 6 year old? I guess this is something that I will have to research and continue to reflect on.

Perhaps I did not even have to pull Halley aside and talk about this with her, but I could have brought up examples and discussed with the whole class. However, I wasn’t even sure what my views were on what happened. Gonzalez-Mena (2001) states that before discussing sensitive or controversial issues with children it is important to know where you, as a teacher, stand on these issues. While I don’t think that children should be allowed to cheat, I found myself sympathising with Halley on this occasion. This has shown me that I need to think about these things and work out what my views are and how I will respond to these kinds of situations. While there is no way that I will be able to think about every possible scenario that could come up, I should be keeping in mind the types of things that could occur and ask myself how I would respond. I should be reading up on issues that often occur with children and think about any particular bias or reactions that I might have. No matter how much I learn and experience, there will always be things that are different from the textbook and situations that I won’t know how to respond to. There is such a huge diversity of children that I will encounter and I need to ensure that I am willing and ready to appreciate and adapt to this diversity.

References:
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2007). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). Victoria: Thomson.
Damon, W. (2010). The bridge to character. Educational Leadership, 65(5), 36-39.
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2001). Foundations: Early childhood education in a diverse society (2nd ed.). California: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Porter, L. (2008). Young children’s behaviour: Practical approaches for caregivers and teachers (3rd ed.). Marrickville, NSW: Elsevier.

Useful resources

2011-01-10T22:13:00.003+11:00

Here are some links to a few websites that have useful resources for teaching...listed in no particular order:

Kelly's Kindergarten
Sparkle Box
K-3 Teacher Resources
Thematic PowerPoint Presentations
Teach This
Primary School Resources
Lesson Planet

Storytelling

2011-01-10T20:45:00.003+11:00

Storytelling has the ability to create the right learning environment for early childhood learners. A well-told story, like all good teaching approaches, is grounded in the encouragement of the principles of active participation, critical reflection, flexibility, and cultural diversity. Stories convey powerful images and messages and have therefore tremendous potential for stimulating learning. They are a rich source of curriculum content, and a learning program that integrates various learning areas and different learning styles may be built around a single, well-chosen story. The story forms the starting point of the learning program or project. A learning program which is constructed around a story promotes active learning. The story catches the children’s attention and serves as point of departure for exposing the learners to knowledge from various learning areas, and thus instills in them a curiosity about the world around them (van Staden & Watson 2007, p. 8).

Reference:
van Staden, C. S. & Watson, R. (2007). When old is new: Exploring the potential of using Indigenous stories to construct learning in early childhood settings. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research in Education – International Conference 2007 Fremantle. Retrieved October 2010 from: http://www.aare.edu.au/07pap/van07438.pdf

Educating for diversity

2011-01-10T20:35:00.004+11:00

Children construct multiple identities. Children need to be given opportunities to question, analyse, test and critique different versions of ‘reality’ in ways that are contextually relevant to their daily lives, in order for them to deal with the complexities and contradictions characteristic of a postmodern and diverse world (Robinson & Jones Diaz, 2007).

When children are confronted by something that is unfamiliar or different, it is natural that they will respond with a multitude of feelings and emotions. In view of this, we want to expose children from an early age to difference in all its forms and in all areas of life. We want to convey the message that difference is merely a continuum along which all people are placed (Zimbler & Biffin, 2005, p. 2).

One day you may have the chance to touch a child's life, and the experience they have with you may become a significant turning point that impacts on their life and their future (Stamopoulos, 2006, p. 37).

It is my opinion that multicultural education is a worthwhile undertaking. Not only does it prepare children for the challenges of the globalised world but it also teaches tolerance and respect for others, which is the foundation of a peaceful and harmonious society. Children come to an educational setting with a set of cognitive abilities, a certain stage of moral understanding, a particular structure of social relations, and a specific cultural profile. Knowledge of all these factors can help to optimally facilitate children's understanding of diversity and encourage them to develop a positive attitude towards it (Vuckovick, 2008, p. 15).

In some countries, inclusive education is thought of as an approach to serving children with disabilities within general education settings. Internationally, however, it is increasingly seen more broadly as a reform that supports and welcomes diversity amongst all learners. The aim of inclusive education is to eliminate social exclusion that is a consequence of attitudes and responses to diversity in race, social class, ethnicity, religion, gender and ability (Ainscow & Sandill, 2010, pp. 401-402).

In a diverse, changing and uncertain world, learning to live together should be as foundational in the primary curriculum as literacy and numeracy (Toner, 2009, p. 1).

Young children have the right to understand that there are others in the world who are different from themselves and that all people deserve the same rights, inclusion and respect (Hawkins, 2009, p. 6).

One needs to remember that every individual student is not an automatic product of culture, but one who actively interprets it in his or her own way. There are as many variations within a group as there are commonalities, and each individual manifests the characteristics of his or her cultural background differently. This is especially true of children who were not born in their ancestral country, and may have fragmented knowledge of their heritage or even of their heritage language. They certainly cannot be seen solely in light of the traits of their ancestral culture, and may in fact have very complex identities. All the more reason for teachers to encourage and enable students to express what they know, build on it, and relate it to what they do not know (Sharan, 2010, p. 201).

By broadening definitions of culture and devising children’s activities that nurture awareness, literacy and the sense of multiple cultures as societal richness in intellectual creativity, teachers will not only teach every citizen of the world effectively, they will create a more dynamic and informed global society (Mushi, 2004).

Diversity refers to the myriad of experiences and attributes that contribute to each person’s uniqueness regardless of cultural or ethnic heritage or community, such as social class, gender, occupational status, income, sexual orientation, ability, disability, religion and education. Indeed, people of the same ethnic or cultural group ultimately differ with regard to their individual temperaments, their family, their beliefs, their adherence to cultural practices, their economic level, their sexual orientation, their education level – the list goes on. How in the world can we navigate such complex systems effectively (Durand, 2008, p. 837).

Young children are continuously internalizing messages about people who are different than they are—even when parents value diversity. It is thus important that children receive ongoing messages from several sources that convey a commitment to social justice and equity. Presenting an occasional book about an ethnic or cultural group does not teach children to view diversity as the norm rather than the exception. Reading only a few books here and there on people of color (often historical folktales) sends strong messages about what is normal and what is not. As educators, we have an opportunity to extend the currently limited definitions of humanity so that a wide range of lifestyles and perspectives are seen as acceptable. This requires careful examination of our instruction, curricula, and resources to determine which ideologies and worldviews are central and which are invisible (Boutte, 2008, p. 166).

References:
Ainscow, M. & Sandill, A. (2010). Developing inclusive education systems: The role of organisational cultures and leadership. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(4), 401-416.
Boutte, G. S. (2008). Beyond the illustion of diversity: How early childhood teachers can promote social justice. The Social Studies, 99(4), 165-173.
Durand, T. M. (2010). Celebrating diversity in early care and education settings: Moving beyond the margins. Early Child Development and Care, 180(7), 835-848.
Hawkins, K. (2009). Teaching for social justice: A pedagogy for twenty-first century early childhood education. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research in Education – Annual Conference 2009 Canberra. Retrieved October 2010 from: http://www.aare.edu.au/09pap/haw091467.pdf
Mushi, S. (2004). Multicultural competencies in teaching: A typology of classroom activities. Intercultural Education, 15(2), 179-194.
Robinson, K.H & Jones Diaz, C. (2007). Diversity and difference in early childhood education: Issues for theory and practice. Berkshire:Open University Press McGraw – Hill Education.
Sharan, Y. (2010). Cooperative learning: A diversified pedagogy for diverse classrooms. Intercultural Education, 21(3), 195-203.
Stamopoulos, E. (2006). Empowering preservice teachers to embrace diversity. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 31,(4), 30-39.
Toner, G. (2009). Beyond harmony: Rethinking intercultural learning for Australian primary students. Paper presented at the ASCA National Biennial Conference 2009 Canberra. Retrieved October 2010 from: http://www.acsa.edu.au/pages/images/Beyond%20Harmony%20%20G%20Toner%20ACSA%2009%20final.pdf
Vuckovick, A. (2008). Making the multicultural learning environment flourish: The importance of the child-teacher relationship in educating young children about diversity. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 33(1), 9-16.
Zimbler, J., & Biffin, J. (2005). When multiculturalism is simply not enough: How to encourage children to celebrate difference and learn tolerance. Learning Links News, 3, 1-3.

Quotes on inclusion

2010-12-26T21:06:00.002+11:00

Teachers have the potential to make a substantial difference. To be the kind of teacher who has a positive impact on their students requires the ability to make learning relevant to each student, to form supportive and affirmative relationships, and to genuinely care for students. Teachers who care for all their students and who recognise their potential capacity to change practices that serve to marginalise students with disabilities or additional needs must become advocates for models of social justice and equity (Spedding, 2008 p. 391).

Inclusion is about consciously putting into action values based on equity, entitlement, community, participation and respect for diversity. Increasing inclusion is always linked to reducing exclusion. While commonly inclusion is identified with a concern with disabled students or those categorized as having special educational needs, for us it is about reducing barriers to learning and participation for all learners (Booth, 2003).

Booth, T., Nes, K., & Stromstad, M. (2003). Developing inclusive teacher education. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Spedding, S. (2008). The role of teachers in successful inclusion. In Foreman, P. (ed.) Inclusion in Action (2nd ed). (pp. 390-426). South Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning Australia.

How Big is Big?

2010-12-26T18:47:00.003+11:00

This book looks at scientific facts relating to measurement, size and space that can be used to supplement discussion and learning in a school setting. It uses rhyming text and has colourful illustrations. Recommended for Grades 1-3.

Click here for a preview.

Changing Education Paradigms

2010-10-22T13:02:00.005+11:00

What Teachers Make

2010-09-29T08:08:00.002+10:00

By Taylor Mali

He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.
Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence.
No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.

I make them understand that if you got this (brains) then you follow this (heart)
and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

www.taylormali.com

Creative curriculum

2010-09-10T20:14:00.003+10:00

The more prescriptive a curriculum, the greater the need to be explicit about creativity and not leave it to chance (NACCCE, 1999, p. 83)

Unconditional love

2010-08-24T19:33:00.002+10:00

The difference between a child growing up to be a functional or non-functional adult is that somewhere, sometime, he or she was accepted and received unconditional love from a significant person in their life.

http://www.auntiesanduncles.com.au/

Transitions

2010-08-20T12:35:00.003+10:00

Hammer hammer hammer
Shake shake shake
Now it's time to sit up straight!

Everybody clapping, clapping, clapping
Everybody clapping just like me.
(Change action and repeat as desired)

1-2-3 eyes on me
4-5-6 fingers on lips.

This is the way we...
i.e. wash our hands, sit up straight, fold our hands, go to sleep

A hundred years...

2010-08-20T10:50:00.003+10:00

A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.

--Forest E. Witcraft

Respectful education

2010-05-26T21:10:00.001+10:00

Respectful educators will include all children: Not just children who are easy to work with, obliging, endearing, clean, pretty, articulate, capable, but every child – respecting them for who they are, respecting their language, their culture, their history, their family, their abilities, their needs, their name, their ways and their very essence (p. 54).

Nutbrown, C. (1996). Respectful educators: Capable learners – Children’s rights in the early years. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.

Unstructured play

2010-04-06T10:22:00.002+10:00

Undirected, unstructured, unlimited play has its own secret language. When children are given the freedom to play in this way, they usually have no goals in mind and the playing is an end in itself. By creating a world that they can understand and master, children make sense of the world they live in (p. 13)

Rossmanith, A. (1997).When will the children play? New York: Random House.

The Things We Steal From Children

2009-12-28T20:42:00.004+11:00

By Dr. John Edwards

One evening, on returning from lecturing to my students, my wife asked me: “And what did you steal from your students today?” The question rocked me, and as I examined my practice under her skillful questioning, I realized how much of the processes I kept for myself.

So we sat down and together we wrote the following:

If I am always the one to think of where to go next
If where we go is always the decision of the curriculum or my curiosity and not theirs
If motivation is mine
If I always decide on the topic to be studied, the title of the story, the problem to be worked on
If I am always the one who has reviewed their work and decided what they need
How will they ever know how to begin?

If I am the one who is always monitoring progress
If I set the pace of all working discussions
If I always look ahead, foresee problems and endeavor to eliminate them
If I swoop in and save them from cognitive conflict
If I never allow them to feel and use the energy from confusion and frustration
If things are always broken into short working periods
If myself and others are allowed to break into their concentration
If bells and I are always in control of the pace and flow of work
How will they learn to continue their own work?

If all the marking and editing is done by me
If the selection of which work is to be published or evaluated is made by me
If what is valued and valuable is always decided by external sources or by me
If there is no forum to discuss what delights them in their task, what is working, what is not working, what they plan to do about it
If they have not learned a language to discuss their work in ways that are intrinsically growth enhancing
If they do not have a language of self-assessment
If ways of communicating their work are always controlled by me
If our assessments are mainly summative rather than formative
If they do not plan their way forward to further action
How will they find ownership, direction and delight in what they do?

If I speak of individuals but present learning as if they are all the same
If I am never seen to reflect and reflection time is never provided
If we never speak together about reflection and thinking and never develop a vocabulary for such discussion
If we do not take opportunities to think about our thinking
If I constantly give them exercises that do not intellectually challenge them
If I set up learning environments that interfere with them learning from their own actions
If I give them recipes to follow
If I only expect the one right conclusion
If I signify that there are always right and wrong answers
If I never openly respect their thoughts
If I never let them persevere with something really difficult which they cannot master
If I make all work serious work and discourage playfulness
If there is no time to explore
If I lock them into adult time constraints too early
How will they get to know themselves as a thinker?

If they never get to help anyone else
If we force them to always work and play with children of the same age
If I do not teach them the skills of working co-operatively
If collaboration can be seen as cheating
If all classroom activities are based in competitiveness
If everything is seen to be for grades
How will they learn to work with others?

For if they have never experienced being challenged in a safe environment
have had all of their creative thoughts explained away
are unaware what catches their interest and how then to have confidence in that interest
have never followed something they are passionate about to a satisfying conclusion
have not clarified the way they sabotage their own learning
are afraid to seek help and do not know who or how to ask
have not experienced overcoming their own inertia
are paralyzed by the need to know everything before writing or acting
have never got bogged down
have never failed
have always played it safe
How will they ever know who they are?

Last day

2009-12-28T20:39:00.003+11:00

It was 4:20 PM and the last day of my university prac; I was eager to go home and relax! Pen and paper were already put away, folder checked and all materials in the car. I kept looking at the clock, the last hour seemed to go by so slow. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of the children run past – it was Kate, a gifted child, her mum had come to pick her up.

A couple minutes later her mum was standing next to me. “Are you Ruth?” she asked. “Yes” I replied. The words she said next will be etched in my mind forever: “I just wanted to let you know that Kate talks about you all the time – positive things of course. She’s been so bored at preschool lately and the last 2 weeks she’s been coming home full of excitement, sharing the wonderful things she’s done with you. I just wanted to say thank you, and let you know that you’ve made a difference.”

I had a hard time holding back the tears. Yes, the past two weeks have been hard – late nights, way too much paperwork, planning experiences for the children, observing and evaluating. Neglecting my own children, dirty bathrooms and piles of laundry. But it was worth it – knowing that I made a difference in one child’s life, that I made things interesting for her and brought excitement to her daily routine!

And that was just two weeks, imagine the difference I can make day after day, year after year! Somehow that puts everything into perspective.

Open-minded?

2009-12-28T20:25:00.003+11:00

I generally regard myself to be an open-minded person, but I have come to the realisation that I still hold certain gender stereotypical beliefs, whether consciously on not (Gonzalez-Mena, 2001). I have noticed that N. (5 year-old boy) spends hours in home corner, puts on dresses from the dress-up rack and seems to prefer playing with the girls. While I don’t think that there is anything ‘wrong’ with this, it is not something I am used to seeing, nor something I expect from boys in my stereotypical way of thinking.

Today N. was sitting on the floor folding papers in half, and I asked him what he was doing, he said, “I’m making books about Halloween.” I asked him if he went trick or treating and he said he did. He said, “I dressed up as a girl and wore makeup. Mum says that it’s fine, but my brother and sister don’t think so. They laughed at me and said that boys don’t wear dresses.” I didn’t really know how to reply and was quiet for a moment, when N. said, “Boys can wear dresses right?”

For a moment I was at a loss for words as I thought about the implications my answer might have. What would his parents expect me to say in such a situation? Of course boys can wear dresses and dress up girls, I thought. But would everyone agree with me? What if I told N. it was okay, he told the other children what I said, and this got back to their parents. Would they also think it was okay? I realised then how hard it is to be different when there are so many unspoken rules about the way children should behave, what they should wear, what toys they play with etc. How can we encourage diversity and individuality in children, when we come to work expecting them to be a certain way?

Even if we don’t say it, children perceive the nonverbal messages we send out, and this influences the way they behave (Gonzalez-Mena, 2001). If we see children as capable and confident learners (DEEWR, 2009), then we have to be willing to accept them for who they are, and encourage them in their learning. N. seemed to be looking to me for some approval or encouragement, perhaps his self-confidence was low. It’s easy for me to encourage behaviours that I know are “good” or skills that I want to see repeated. Why did I have to think twice about encouraging N. on this occasion, when he really needed it?

I ended up replying something along the lines of “On Halloween you can dress up as whatever you like.” Was this a good answer? – I don’t know. It certainly was a ‘safe’ answer. But this experience made me reflect on my role as a teacher and what I promote through my unspoken actions. Do I model equity as I interact with the children? The first step for me is to become aware of any hidden attitudes I may have (Gonzalez-Mena, 2001), and once I am aware of these things I can work towards changing them.

References:
DEEWR (2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Retrieved
August 2009 from http://www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChildhood/Policy_Agenda/Quality/Pages
/EarlyYearsLearningFramework.aspx
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2001). Foundations: Early childhood education in a diverse society (2nd ed.). California: Mayfield
Publishing Company.

Math poem

2009-09-05T21:55:00.003+10:00

The Ant Explorer

Once a little sugar ant made up his mind to roam-
To fare away far away, far away from home.
He had eaten all his breakfast, and he had his ma's consent
To see what he should chance to see and here's the way he went
Up and down a fern frond, round and round a stone,
Down a gloomy gully where he loathed to be alone,
Up a mighty mountain range, seven inches high,
Through the fearful forest grass that nearly hid the sky,
Out along a bracken bridge, bending in the moss,
Till he reached a dreadful desert that was feet and feet across.
'Twas a dry, deserted desert, and a trackless land to tread,
He wished that he was home again and tucked-up tight in bed.
His little legs were wobbly, his strength was nearly spent,
And so he turned around again and here's the way he went-
Back away from desert lands feet and feet across,
Back along the bracken bridge bending in the moss,
Through the fearful forest grass shutting out the sky,
Up a mighty mountain range seven inches high,
Down a gloomy gully, where he loathed to be alone,
Up and down a fern frond and round and round a stone.
A dreary ant, a weary ant, resolved no more to roam,
He staggered up the garden path and popped back home.

C Micheal James Dennis

Thoughts on planning

2009-08-29T21:25:00.005+10:00

Taken from Making Links by Stonehouse, A. and Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2004)

The best programs for children happen when practitioners get their ideas not only from their own expertise and experience but also from children's interests expressed and observed, parents' ideas, and events and issues in the community (p. 11).

If learning occurs when there is a good match between what is already known and something new, then the challenge is to make a match for every child. The solution is to provide variety and choices and let the child choose his or her own perfect match (p. 11).

We are interested in the degree to which children are learning how to learn and what strategies they use. We are less interested to know if they have reached specified milestones of development as shown on charts. What we want to know is what they can do that may be different from those milestones. How is a child unique? We want to understand the relationship of the child to the environment and others in it (p. 166).

The best plans happen in collaboration with others (p. 168).

What are the characteristics of a good planning format:

It encourages practitioners to think about and plan not just for activities but rather all dimensions of the children’s experience: the environment, interactions and relationships, the organisation of time, the structure of the program, the indoor and outdoor environments, the daily living routines, provisions for play, as well as special experiences.
It also includes planning for collaborative relationships with families.
It supports planning both for individual children and groups, and encourages strong links between what is provided and what is known about each child.
It supports practitioners to think about their aims and goals, and serves as a reminder to ask themselves “why am I doing this?” or “Why am I doing this in this way?”
It invites ongoing comment, suggestions, critique and alterations to future plans.
It includes blank spaces to allow for unexpected events and alterations.
It is looked at critically on a regular basis and altered as a result of critique. (170)

Who is fit to teach?

2009-08-02T22:18:00.008+10:00

Excerpts from an editorial by Mary R. Jalongo

On a Monday, shortly before 10 p.m., my telephone rang. It was an undergraduate student from Texas named Alta who was completing a class assignment in which each student was required to investigate one contemporary and one historical early childhood educator. Alta’s questions were thought-provoking and carefully prepared. One question was, “What attracted you to teaching young children?” In response, I mentioned children’s imagination, spontaneity, candor, surprising uses of language, and seeing things from a newcomer’s perspective.

It is a common misconception that the sole qualification of early childhood educators is that they “love little children,” but, important as that is, it is not nearly enough. Those who do exemplary work with the very young have to be caring, yes, but also sufficiently strong willed to resist constant pressure to fall into habit, routine, and mediocrity. It takes courage to withstand man pressures to conform and follow the book. It also takes a lifetime of trying to become a better teacher. The authority of a master teacher emanates not from status and salary but from reflections on experience that lead to wisdom about young children. That wisdom never becomes arrogance because we know that there will always be a student and a situation that send us scrambling for information, advice, and an appropriate response. The learning does not stop.

Alta’s questions set me to thinking about the larger issue of who should enter the early childhood field. What about content mastery? Most initiatives to improve teaching focus on subject matter competence simply because it is easier to measure. Presumably, if a teacher can provide evidence of program completion and pass a competency examination in early childhood, she or he possesses what is minimally necessary to teach young children. But there is a huge gap between knowing about and knowing how. Consider two prospective early childhood educators. The first candidate possesses all of the positive personal traits mentioned previously, yet has little knowledge of child development or pedagogy. The second candidate is a person with high test scores on a national teaching examination in the area of early childhood education; however, he or she does not demonstrate evidence of such things as a commitment to equity or a genuine care and concern for all students. Personally, I would choose the first candidate every time.

Twenty-four years in teacher education have convinced me that the content is quite teachable while those human characteristics are exceedingly difficult to inculcate when they are not present at some moderate levels from the start.

This, then, is the great myth of who can become an outstanding teacher of young children. It is not a mere matter of liking little children or of scoring well on a test. Nor is it, as many new teachers apparently believe,purely a matter of on-the-job training in “real” educational settings. If logging hours in schools were sufficient to produce good teachers, then every teacher with extensive experience would be outstanding, and clearly,this is not the case.

When we think about early childhood educators who are highly regarded by colleagues and fondly remembered by grateful students and their families, it becomes clear that it is not enough to meet the minimum content standards set by various states or nations, nor is it sufficient to find applicants who seek and enjoy the company of small children. The prime directive for any teacher is to model, facilitate, and further learning in every student without doing harm to any student. Whether we work with children or adults, accomplishing this worthy goal begins with ourselves. We must be model learners, capable not only of sustaining a passion for learning throughout a lifetime, but also capable of igniting and productively channeling that enthusiasm for learning in our students. We must be skilled enough to reach and teach every student. And perhaps, most important of all, we must have integrity and compassion in addition to skill so that families would entrust us with the care and education of their children.

Jalongo, M. R. (2002). Editorial: On behalf of children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(3), 141.

Computer literacy

2009-07-06T20:06:00.003+10:00

There are numerous issues to do with equity and new technologies. There are gender issues in how boys and girls and their teachers interact around computers. There are equity issues in terms of access to computers and equity of information. In policy development about literacy and technology, Lankshear (1998, pp. 55-56) writes:

If learners are to acquire effective technological literacies and learn how to use new technologies proficiently, they need access to purposeful contexts and applications. Teachers need to have a sense of what these are, how to get them into the classroom and, where necessary, how to get the classroom to them.

Just having the hardware and software available does not make new technology useful and accessible, as it is the way technology is used in meaningful purposeful contexts that is important.

Hill, S. (2007). Multiliteracies: Towards the future. In L. Makin, C. Jones Diaz, & C. McLachlan (Eds.), Literacies in childhood: Changing views, challenging practice (2nd ed) pp. 65-66 Sydney: MacLennan & Petty.

Negotiating the curriculum

2009-07-02T13:07:00.005+10:00

Surman et al (2005) uses the term "negotiating the curriculum" (p. 178) when talking about teaching children in school. In my mind a curriculum has never been something very negotiable-there are things children need to learn and there are specific ways of teaching them. Apparently it doesn't have to be like that at all.

It makes so much more sense to have children, teachers and families the co-constructors of a curriculum as opposed to the teachers deciding everything. Children have so many different ways of learning and thinking, why not let them be involved in showing us which way they prefer to learn or what topic they are interested in at the time.

When did learning become so regimented? As adults we learn best when it is something we are interested in, what makes us think children are any different? Children are trying to communicate with us; to tell us what they are capable of and what they want to learn about. We are so busy trying to plan their academic learning and grow them up that we completely miss the point.

As a parent I am guilty of this; as a teacher I hope to have a second chance.

Respect for the child as an individual is a key to building an effective curriculum. I am beginning to see children in a different way. I am beginning to understand the importance of working together with them, collaborating and sharing knowledge. I wonder why I never realized these things before?

Surely teachers in schools and childcare centres know these things though. Why then is it that so many schools and centres are still so academically oriented? Of course there are requirements, but there are so many different ways of teaching something, it doesn't have to be so regimented. Most centres have the same pictures hung up around the room and tick off each child's name as they complete it. What prevents using a child-directed curriuculm and greater creativity? Is it a lack of financial backing or is it just easier to do things how it's always been done?

I can't criticize because I haven't been in that position, but the way I think about teaching and planning has certainly changed.

Reference Used:
Surman et al. (2005). Program planning: Negotiating the curriculum in Fleer, et al (2006) Early childhood learning communities

Drawing with children

2009-07-02T12:53:00.003+10:00

The following is taken from a book called Rapunzel's Supermarket, by Ursula Kolbe, who has written extensively about the arts and young children. I found her thoughts on drawing with young children fascinating, which is why I'm posting this. However, that being said, everyone has different opinions on things and some may not agree with this. It is not a "proven theory" on how children learn, just something I happen to agree with.

Should I draw for my child?

While I love drawing - and many children know that I do - I don't draw for them. When children ask you to draw a particular object, it's usually because they lack confidence in their own ability to draw it. Although it's tempting to draw on request, I caution against it. Why?

Young children don't approach drawing the way adults do. They use a different 'system'. When children ask me to draw a dog, say, I have no idea what sort of image they want. If I draw a dog in an adult fashion, they can't use this information to make their own drawings (although they may find watching me entertaining). If I draw in a simple cartoon-like manner, I'd be giving them a formula. This is likely to set them up for failure because it's difficult to remember a formula invented by another. And a formula does not help children teach themselves to draw.

As already mentioned, 'I don't know how to draw it' often means 'I don't know how to start'. Talking things through with children can be a great help. Older children benefit from opportunities to draw objects in front of them. For instance, when Jake had difficulties drawing a bicycle from memory, we set up a bicycle in front of him.

While talking things through with children takes time, it is well worth it. Your reward? Seeing their immense pride and joy when they realize they have taught themselves another drawing strategy, mastered another step in exploring and representing their world.

Colouring-in books: should we buy them?

Here's my view. Most colouring-in books are a bit like junk food - harmless in moderation but definitely not recommended for a regular diet. Why? Because they don't assist children in 'learning to see' or draw. They may keep hands busy, but they rarely provide food for the imagination.

That said, it's true that many children like colouring-in books, and for short periods seem to find the task of colouring-in a calming experience.

It is sad, however, when programs provide children with pre-drawn colouring-in activities in the belief that these are 'educational'. Some claim that learning to colour within outlines helps children develop fine-muscle control, and so assists them in gaining 'pre-writing' skills. That may be so, but why give children pre-drawn outlines to fill in?

When children are pleased with their own drawings, they usually take great care in colouring them. Pride in their drawings comes from the confidence of knowing that they can draw. And confidence comes from having had many opportunities to draw. If colouring-in activities are offered too frequently, children miss opportunities to learn to draw. Less confident children may even lose faith in their drawing abilities.

Excerpts taken from:
Kolbe, U. (2001). Rapunzel's supermarket. Sydney: Peppinot Press. Other Matters. pp. 117-119

Fine motor skills

2009-07-02T10:50:00.004+10:00

Development of Fine Motor Skills:

0-4 months:
Grasp reflex - hand closes when something is placed in hand
Whole hand grasps objects when placed in hand
Eye-hand coordination - swats at objects, may miss

4-8 months:
Whole-hand grasp, fingers against thumb
Uses thumb and finger to pick up; passes objects from hand to hand; grasps and deliberately releases.
Uses objects to pick up, drop, shake, clap, bang

8-12 months:
Uses thumb and forefinger and/or two fingers to pick up; fingers used to poke and pinch
Carries objects in hand, claps and bangs
Imitates actions, uses writing tools to create marks, strokes textured objects
Takes clothes off, undoes large buttons, snaps, zippers

12-18 months:
Thumb used with all fingers
Points to objects, pictures
May start to show hand preference
Carries objects around room, throws objects, rolls and catches rolled objects
Reaches accurately
Scribbles
Starts to dress self

Toddler:
Throw at target
Twists, turns objects
Pick up items to put into something else - spoons, shovels, scoops

Preschool:
Increased finger movement
Learn to coordinate movements
Starts to cut with scissors
Dresses self
More control of wrist action
Change from palmar grasp to tripod grasp
Decrease in whole-arm movement to draw, write, paint

School-aged:
Increased dexterity - peak improvement between four and eight
Advanced skills - play musical instrument, draw, paint, cut, learn to print, write
Greater integration of fine and large motor skills

Taken from Creating Effective Learning Environments (Crowther, 2003, p. 222)

Block play

2009-07-01T22:30:00.005+10:00

Excerpts from Creating Effective Learning Environments (Crowther, 2003, pp 114-138)

Blocks are a wonderful medium to develop social skills, language skills and pre-measurement skills. Blocks are a wonderful medium to experiment with in order to create patterns, pretend settings, and structures using various types of blocks. Blocks are a wonderful medium to provide opportunities to practice building, see the results of one's actions and observe cause and effect relationships.

Levels of block play:
Stage 1 - Carrying and stacking: Before children start to build with blocks they tend to carry blocks around with them. This stage usually occurs before the children are two years old. Children learn about the texture and weight of the blocks, how many they can carry at once and how best to carry them.
Stage 2 - Rows and towers: Children at this stage will start to either stack blocks vertically or build rows horiontally. Stacking blocks vertically is often accompanied by the pleasure of knocking these blocks down, only to build them up again. The child learns spatial terms such as next to, beside, on and on top of. The child learns to position blocks more precisely.
Stage 3 - Walls and bridges: Children start to create structures that could be duplications of structures that they have seen, and may represent roadways or tracks. Accessories may be used, such ass vehicles, or various materials.
Stage 4 - Enclosures and patterns: Enclosures have definite shapes and are often used as part of dramatic (pretend) play. Children may build enclosures for a specific purpose and become skilled in creating stable structures.
Stage 5 - Representations and reproductions: At this stage, children use all of their skills from previous levels to create structures that represent real structures. Children name the structures they have created.

Value of block play:
Children learn to problem solve
Develop an awareness of spatial terminology and perception of space - under, over, on, beside
Develop concepts of size - large, small, long, short, tall
Match and sort according to size, shape, colour, weight, and type
Use language associated with block play
Socialize and learn to cooperate with peers

Role of the teacher:
Always step in when the play becomes harmful either to the child or other children, destructive of the materials or equipment, when the children ask for help, exhibit signs of stress, arguments errupt or children interfere with each other's creativity.
Use open-ended questions to discuss the play.
Provide dialogue to encourage spatial awareness and increased awareness of size. Use new vocabulary and model appropriate language.
Provide materials that allow for matching and sorting. Provide a variety of materials to extend learning.
Provide opportunities for socialization and for children to play cooperatively with others.

Types of blocks and their use:
Foam blocks - can be purchased in sets containing a variety of shape, size and colour. They are excellent for infant/toddler as they are easy to grasp. Easy to stack, surfaces are less sticky. Useful for patterning skills.
Cardboard blocks - easy to handle, light, relatively safe to build in height.
Cubes - excellent to develop skill in patterning, comparison, creating sets of equal, more etc., counting, charting.
Hollow blocks - useful for building stable structures. Use blocks as props, sturdy enough for children to sit/stand on. They encourage cooperation as blocks may need more than one person to build.
Unit blocks - Skills in pre-measurement, ordering, comparison, counting, balancing, sequencing, patterning, matching, sorting.
Boxes - liquor boxes are particularly good as the dividers for the bottles make them much stronger. Skills in carrying, transporting. Excellent for creating relatively safe, high structures.
Brick city blocks - detailed for building windows, doors etc.
Paper rolls - skill in using cylindrical shapes to build with.
Large carpet rolls - excellent accessory to use as tunnels, to drive or roll materials down or through

Addtionally, items such as structure sticks, branches, coloured blocks, building boards, and a lot of other material can be added to block play to enhance creativity.

Critical periods of prenatal development

2009-06-28T11:48:00.004+10:00

There are several periods of prenatal development that are critical or sensitive periods of development. Below is a figure which shows some critical periods for specific body parts, with the dark section being the higher period of sensitivity.

(Taken from: Siegler, DeLoache and Eisenberg: How Children Develop, Second Edition Copyright © 2006 by Worth Publishers)

Highest Risk For Major Structural Abnormalities:
Brain Damage 3 to 6 wk
Heart defects 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 wk
Arm deformities 4 1/2 to 7 wk
Leg deformities 3 1/2 to 7 wk
Eyes/blindness 3 1/2 to 7 1/2 wk
Ears/deafness 3 to 8 1/2 wk
Teeth problems 6 to 8 wk
Cleft palate 5 1/2 to 8 wk

Environmental Hazards to Fetus or Newborn:
(Not a comprehensive list)
Drugs: alcohol, birth control pills, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methadone, tobacco
Environmental Pollutants: lead, mercury, PCB's
Maternal Disease: AIDS, chicken pox, chlamydia, cytomegalovirus, gonorrhea, herpes, influenza, mumps, rubella, syphilis, toxoplasmosis

Literacy-rich Classrooms

2009-06-24T18:18:00.005+10:00

To support the literacy learning of all students, excellent teachers create classroom environments in which literacy is not only taught, but also practiced in ways that convey to children that reading and writing are activities that are valued both for learning and recreation and pleasure.

How teachers arrange furniture and materials in classrooms influences the way children use and share what they read and write. The ways in which a teacher arranges her classroom speak volumes to children about the teachers’ beliefs regarding reading and writing and her expectations of how her students will use reading and writing in the course of their daily activities. Having desks arranged so that students can easily share and interact is important. Positioning the desks in clusters promotes conversation, collaboration and interaction among the students – all characteristics of student behaviours in classrooms in which children excel in reading and writing.

Excellent teachers use wall space for meaningful displays of information that help children learn. The room arrangements should not be simply decorative. Rather, by their very nature, the arrangements should invite children to read, think, write and talk. Excellent teachers display books in spaces throughout their classrooms. Excellent teachers know that although early literacy classrooms need to be places where print is abundant, accessible and meaningful, they also need to provide students with predictable routines that increase their exposure to print and promote sustained practice in literacy.

-Paratore, J. R., & McCormack, R. L. (2005). Teaching literacy in second grade. New York: The Guilford Press.

***

Drawing from research, we argue that literacy-rich classrooms have seven characteristics:
1. An abundance of children’s literature and other high-quality literacy materials
2. Physical arrangement that encourage a wide range of reading and writing
3. Daily literacy routines, including read alouds, independent reading and writing, and sharing
4. A culturally sensitive curriculum, which integrates the language arts and content study
5. Continuous assessment, which guides instruction
6. A variety of instructional practices; and
7. A variety of grouping patterns.

Children who have access to quality literature will be highly motivated readers and discerning writers. A good book inspires wonder, curiosity, deep thinking, emotional involvement, and aesthetic pleasure as well as provides models of memorable language. Experts recommend that the number of books in a high-quality classroom collection should be 8-10 times the number of children.

All literacy rich classrooms include a library, a writing center, and a computer center. Teachers arrange these spaces so that materials are organized and easily accessible. Research shows that introducing computers into the classroom allows children to develop literacy concepts through play. Computers increase social interaction among children as they share ideas and compose jointly and children learn that constructing meaning involves manipulation of not just alphabet letters, but also a variety of other symbols.

Teachers in literacy rich classrooms read aloud or tell stories daily and set aside time for children to read and write independently. Children have frequent opportunities to share their writing and engage in activities that extend their responses to literature. Sharing experiences about reading and writing is also a critical component of supporting literacy development. Children who talk together about a book, write responses to literature and share writing with classmates construct interpretations of literature, use higher levels of thinking, and write better quality compositions.

-McGee, L. M., & Richgels, D. J. (2000). Literacy’s beginnings: Supporting young readers and Writers (3rd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Literacy at school

2009-06-24T16:41:00.007+10:00

No research has ever proved that there is one best way for children to learn to read and write. When schooled in large groups, children need to receive a 'balanced' literacy program, drawing on a range of learning opportunities that emphasize different aspects of spoken, written and visual language. Obviously, working out this balance for each class of children each day and each week is a task that requires teachers to draw on a strong professional knowledge base.
-Literacies in Childhood (2007) by Makin, Diaz and McLachlan, p. 44

***

All children bring resources in their schoolbags (like languages, experiences, skills) that they have acquired at home and in their communities, but only some children get to oopen their bags and take out waht they bring in ways that count at school. Other children do not need to open their bags at all because what they bring is not considered useful or relevant in the school context. Still other children are constructed as having problematic backgrounds, which teachers may prefer they left at the gate.
-Literacies in Early Childhood (2002) by Makin and Jones Diaz, p. 20

***

Children learn to read not only letters, but also the ways in which they are to be students in school: they learn situated ways of doing literacy. There is nothing natural about these practices. These are institutionalise versions of language and literacy, which could be done differently, but become part of particular early childhood pedagogical routines.
-Literacies in Early Childhood (2002) by Makin and Jones Diaz, p. 24

From Scribbles to Stories

2009-06-13T15:51:00.002+10:00

Click here for an example of a child's writing development from 18 months to third grade.

Literacy engagement

2009-05-23T21:35:00.007+10:00

In the past decade or so, literacy theory and research has caught up with teachers' long-standing view that children must be motivated to learn to read and write well. Much of this work has been concerned with what is called "literacy engagement". Engaged readers and writers read and write in a motivated way -- that is, they employ whatever literacy skills and strategies they have with effort, persistence, and expectation of success.

One of the most important aspects of motivation in literacy-learning is self-efficacy. Research suggests that students who have doubts about their ability to learn something are less likely to try to learn it in the first place, and more likely - when they do try - to give up when they encounter difficulty. Students who have confidence in their own ability to learn something put forth more effort to learn it and tend to persist even in the face of challenges.

As important as self-confidence to learn is, we may have no desire to learn some of the things we have confidence we can learn. Children who dislike reading and writing may avoid them or give only half-hearted attention to learning them even though they have self-confidence to learn them. These are students who have not yet experienced reading and writing as pleasurable activities. Like learning to play a musical instrument well, learning literacy require both good lessons and much intense practice. At first, we expect to have to insist that students pay attention to our lessons, but after a while, reading a writing must become activities that children choose to do because they like doing them. Only then will they stay focused enough and engage in enough practice to become truly literate.

--Taken from: Reading & Writing in Elementary Classrooms by Cunningham P. M., Moore, S. A., Cunningham J. W. & Moore, D. W. (2000)

A "typical" classroom

2009-05-17T22:59:00.004+10:00

What now makes a classroom “typical” is not the degree of similarity among children but the degrees of difference. Typical classrooms are those that represent children from many different language groups and cultures, children with a range of learning abilities and disabilities, children differently motivated and of varying interests. The skillful teacher is one who knows and recognizes the benchmarks that he or she should hold standard for every child, but also knows how to find strength in the children’s diversity – how to build a common community while celebrating and nurturing the children’s differences. The excellent classroom is one in which children can find themselves in the books and the conversations that are shared by all, but can also find help in the special practices and techniques teachers use to accommodate their differences.

--Teaching Literacy in Second Grade (2005) by J.R. Paratore & R.L. McCormack, p. 10

Neptune's Nursery

2009-04-26T17:24:00.004+10:00

Neptune's Nursery is an award winning book by Allan Sheather and silk artist Kim M. Toft. It is a beautifully illustrated picture book featuring marine animals, which uses rhyming text to introduce the sea creatures and their young. At the end the narrator of the book is disclosed (sea horse) as is the unconventional way it is born. Additional facts are included about all the animals mentioned in the book, as well as a full page of information on seahorses, and a glossary.

Topics: Marine life, birth/babies, nature, animals

Suggested age group: 5-6 years

Other books by Kim Toft include: Reef Superstar, Turtle's Song and The World That We Want

Thoughts on Music

2009-03-01T12:28:00.006+11:00

Taken from: Listen to their Voices: Research and Practice in Early Childhood Music (pp. 57-86) by Bartel, L. and Cameron, L. 2007

The more musical sound babies and young children hear, the greater the possibility for them to develop capacity for music. The broader the range of sound, the broader the development.
Too often in school-based music learning children are not allowed to explore, and manipulate sounds and music, not invited to compose their soundscapes, not provided with “instruments” of sound making, not allowed to make noise which evolves into music.
Little children are quite content "just" making their music informally with other children, "just" playing their song at group time, "just" being in the rhythm band as they march around the room...for little children formal performance is not a necessary component of the music program - at least not a public performance that makes everyone stressed and mean-acting.
If a child can explore sound, instruments, compositions, questions, musical ideas, without adjudication, if a child can try and even make mistakes that are considered learning opportunities, then he will motivated to keep trying and learning and getting better (p. 70).
Musical intelligence is the having of wonderful musical ideas that foster questions, interest, willingness to explore, things they want to sing or dance to, songs they want to compose, melodies that are exploding in their minds, sounds they want to make. Willingness to learn is something that children are born with and as long as that willingness is not thwarted by experience or overload, nasty experiences or mistrust, kids will develop musically.
Children need time to manipulate and play with sound, instruments of all sorts, their own voices and their bodies as musical instrument.
Let little ones try on musical personas. Let them believe that they are musicians. Let them consider their compositions, performances and explorations of sound real. Believe with them that they can and they will.
It is our job as educators to immerse children in lots of musical possibilities and to invite children to bring their music to school or daycare. The choice of a wide range of possibilities and opportunties will enrich the musical life of the child.

Literacy Activities

2009-02-25T13:25:00.005+11:00

Here is a short list of activities geared to preschool aged children, which promote writing and reading. Taken from Makin and Whitehead's (2004) book "How to Develop Children's Early Literacy":

Some ideas for activities that turn children into writers and readers:

Collecting and playing with 'everday print' - packaging, brochures, newsprint etc.
Going on print-discovery walks - looking at signs, advertisements, numbers, shopping malls and community centres, etc.
Shopping for ingredients, cooking and eating - using recipes, menus, food packets, shopping lists, bills and receipts.
Making puppets and performing plays and concerts - with scripts, tickets, publicity posters and programmes.
Making, writing and posting - greeting cards (seasonal, birthday, get well), letters (invitations to visitors, thank-you to visitors, keeping in touch with absent children, parents etc.).
Making lists - things to do, favourite foods/toys/videos/activities/games/software.
Making post boxes - for the children's birthday cards, for greetings, for all the festivals the children and their communities celebrate.
Making badges (buttons) to wear - with names, pictures, messages.
Making posters - about favourite books, visits, pets, sports, games etc.
Writing their own names - 'signing in' daily on a sheet of paper, or in a big book, or on a chalkboard.
Filling in forms - from post offices, shops, clinics, magaines, government offices.
Making simple books - folded, stapled or sewn sheets of paper; fill with children's drawings, photos, cut-out pictures, little stories, personal news, rhymes, songs, poems. Write for the children - top their dictation - as well as encouraging them to 'have a go'.
Communicating - set up a notice board for press cuttings, photos, messages, accounts of what the children are doing, future plans for the curriculum, local news and community events (involve the children's families).

Fun Poetry

2009-02-13T19:52:00.005+11:00

The "Far Out" series of books by June Factor are great for reading poetry with school-aged children--they are hilarious, catchy, crazy and entertaining for hours.

The titles are:

Far Out, Brussel Sprout!
All Right, Vegemite!
Unreal, Banana Peel!
Real Keen, Baked Bean!
Roll Over, Pavlova!

Here are some excerpts:

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
Daddy drives a rotten car.
Press the button, pull the choke,
Off we go in a cloud of smoke.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
Daddy drives a rotten car.
(Far Out, Brussel Sprout p. 36)

D-liver D-letter
D-sooner D-better
D-slower D-letter
D-sadder D-getter.
(All Right, Vegemite, p. 102)

A man said to me, "Can you sing?"
I said, "Sing?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Who?"
He said, "You."
I said, "Me?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "When?"
He said, "Now."
I said, "Now?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "No."
He said, "Oh."
(Real Kean, Baked Bean p. 25)

Toys With Magnets

2009-02-01T18:53:00.004+11:00

While playing with a box of Magnetix certainly has many educational benefits to a child, it can also pose a serious health risk. Recently reports have surfaced showing what happens when a child swallows more than one magnet. Here is an excerpt from an article in US Today (Haupt, 2007):

The number of cases isn't huge, but officials with the Consumer Product Safety Commission say the problem of children ingesting tiny, powerful magnets that slip out of toys remains a serious problem that gets insufficient attention. One child has died and nearly 100 others worldwide have suffered intestinal injuries after swallowing the magnets, which measure 1/2 inch to 1/8 inch in diameter. One swallowed magnet probably will pass through a child's body without causing harm. Multiple magnets can latch onto each other through the intestinal walls, blocking and ultimately eroding the intestines.

A similar article from Child Health Alert (Mar 2008, Vol. 26) explains: "A single magnet would not have caused a problem, and even if the boy had swallowed two at the same time, they would likely have connected to each other and traveled through the bowel without problem. However, the child had swallowed two magnets a day apart. so the first one was well along in the bowel when the second one, in a different part of the bowel, became attracted to the first one, right through the bowel walls."

Here are some common questions/answers on the topic (Kornblum & Weise, USA Today; 08/15/2007):

Q: Why are these magnets dangerous?

A: If more than one powerful magnet gets past the stomach of a child, they're likely to attract each other across bowel walls, says Cincinnati pediatric radiologist Alan Oestreich. Holes can develop in the bowel, and the magnets could damage the membrane covering the bowel and cause infection; they could cause the bowels to twist and pull into each other. Most likely the child will require surgery.

Q: Could the child die?

A: A toddler in Washington state died because the parents didn't realize what was happening, Oestreich says. By the time the child got to the emergency room, the infection was so severe it was too late.

Q: Why would kids swallow magnets?

A: Sometimes they swallow them because they look like candy, Oestreich says. Some older kids swallow them on dares. One child, he says, put magnets on his tongue to simulate piercing and swallowed them.

Q: How do you know if your child has swallowed a magnet?

A: It isn't easy to tell until an X-ray is taken. The symptoms are banal, like a stomach ache or flu-like symptoms, Oestreich says. Many older children (age 5 to about 12) won't tell anyone that they've swallowed a magnet because they're embarrassed.

Q: So what should parents do?

A: The options are to remove the toys altogether or increase your supervision, which is difficult to do, Oestreich says. If your child complains of a bellyache or vomits, or complains of a strange ache, go directly to a doctor.

Random Articles

2008-12-16T08:36:00.007+11:00

Here are some links to a few short articles, keeping in mind that one article does not usually cover all aspects of the topic.

Unusual use of toys in infancy a clue to later autism
Baby talk: The roots of the early vocabulary in infants' learning from speech
Nipping violence in the bud in children
Evaluating children in preschools and early childhood programs

The joy of learning

2008-09-01T11:12:00.005+10:00

The child dies if we take away from him the joy of questioning, examining, and exploring. He dies if he does not sense that the adult is close enough to see how much strength, how much energy, how much intelligence, invention, capacity and creativity he possesses. The child wants to be seen, observed and applauded - Malaguzzi.

Rinaldi, C. (2006). In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, researching and learning. New York: Routledge.

The Hundred Languages of Children

2008-09-01T10:51:00.010+10:00

By Loris Malaguzzi - taken from "The Hundred Languages of Children"

The child
is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred
ways of listening
of marveling of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.
The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)
but they steal ninety-nine.
The school and the culture
separate the head from the body.
They tell the child:
to think without hands
to do without head
to listen and not to speak
to understand without joy
to love and to marvel
only at Easter and Christmas.
They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine.
They tell the child:
that work and play
reality and fantasy
science and imagination
sky and earth
reason and dream
are things
that do not belong together.

And thus they tell the child
that the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there.

How do we view children?

2008-08-17T13:07:00.006+10:00

Children are capable, competent, curious and creative. They are natural researchers as they question what they see, hypothesize solutions, predict outcomes, experiment, and reflect on their discoveries. Children are not passive, empty vessels waiting to be filled; rather, they are self-motivated learners actively seeking to understand the complex world in which they live. They are intrinsically motivated to learn and can be trusted as partners in curriculum development. Learning is therefore an ongoing, flexible, open-ended process wherein children construct their own understanding. Teaching is not telling; teaching is guiding discovery.
-Lynn Staley

Pestalozzi and Rousseau on learning

2008-08-05T14:15:00.006+10:00

It is good to make a child read, and write, and learn, and repeat -- but it is still better to make a child think. --Pestalozzi (date unknown)

To feed his curiosity never hurry to satisfy it. Put the questions within his reach and leave them to him to resolve. Let him know something not because you told it to him, but because he has understood it himself. Let him not learn science, but discover it! --Rousseau (taken from Emile)

Dramatic Play Materials

2008-08-02T17:35:00.032+10:00

Dramatic play, or what many people refer to as pretend play, is a HUGE part of childhood. Not only is dramatic play fun for children, but it is also an important part of child development.

Dramatic play opens up doors of wonder, enchantment, courage and fun for young children. Yet it is far from simply an imaginative experience. While creative development is enhanced through pretend play, so are social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Literally every aspect of development is enhanced when children engage in dramatic play. --Hereford and Schall, Learning through Play: Dramatic Play

Below is a table listing various materials/ideas for dramatic play (taken from Creating Effective Learning Environments). It is by no means a comprehensive list, but just something to get started with...there are so many every day items that can be saved & added to a dramatic play area. Tailor your dramatic play area to whatever topic you are focusing on for that week...and it will allow the children to put into action what they are learning about and most likely be more interested in learning about it.

Type of Area	Possible Materials
Kitchen	Stove, fridge, kitchen cabinets, sink, table, chairs, highchair Cutlery - knives, spoon, forks, serving spoons, serving forks, cutlery drawer organizers Dishes - small plates, middle-sized plates, small bowls, small mugs, small juice glasses, demi-cups and saucers Cooking - small frying pan, spatula, small whisk, small pots and pans, cutting board, small wooden spoons Baking - small muffin trays, baking pans, baking forms Storage - Small canister set, small pitchers, small sugar bowl, small serving platters and bowls Measuring - measuring cups and spoons Washing dishes - dish pan/sink, dish soap, dishcloth, dish towel, towel rack Cleaning - child sized dustpan, dust brush, broom, mop Decorative - table cloth, placemats, vases, flowers, plants Other - oven mitts, pot holders, serving trays, aprons, ice cube trays, table protectors, garbage can Mixture materials - flour, salt, sugar, water, spaghetti, macaroni, drink crystals
Baby bath	Low chest of drawers - doll clothes, diapers, bedding Low table as change and bath table - baby bath, shampoo, powder, comb, brush, face cloth, towels, towel rack, bath toys, mirror, dirty clothes hamper, garbage can Cleanup - mop, broom, dustpan, dust brush
Sleeping area	Cribs, cradles, beds Fitted mattress, sheets, pillows, pillowcases, and blankets per bed Story books; sleep-time music; CD player
Puppets	Finger puppets, stick puppets, puppets on a string, hand puppets Puppet theatre Props for puppets - kerchiefs, small brooms, wands, colorful material
Props	Sheets, blankets, pillows, curtains Multi-cultural Blocks from block area, planks, foam blocks Boxes of various sizes to turn into cars, other vehicles, caves, houses Wagons, shopping carts, steering wheels, riding toys, umbrellas Small rugs and carpets Seasonal additions or cultural decorations - lights, skating rink; Real plants and flowers, artificial flowers, watering can Hoses, nozzles, small ladders Music
Dress-up Clothes	Culturally related clothes All clothing should be child-sized to prevent accidents Obtainable at second-hand clothing stores Pajamas, dressing gowns, bath robes, night gowns Capes, colorful scarves Suits, ties, shirts (long-sleeved, short-sleeved, vests, sweaters) Dresses, skirts, tops, blouses, sweaters, jackets Hats: dress hats, sports hats, construction hats Gloves: work gloves, driving gloves, fancy gloves Costumes: fairy, prince, ballerina, doctor, police officer Shoes: boots, sandals, running shoes Shatterproof, child-height mirror
Kits	Magic kit Doctors kit

Powerful Play

2008-06-16T22:10:00.004+10:00

Who ever realized that children's play could produce fresh water? Every day in rural African communities thousands of people are now able to have access to clean water through the play-pump water system.

It's a brilliant idea--as children spin on the merry-go-round, water is pumped up from the ground & stored in a large tank which is accessed through a tap. See the video clip below:

A multicultural 'barbie'

2008-06-12T23:00:00.005+10:00

Middle-eastern children now have an alternative to playing with Barbie dolls: Fulla!

Fulla is a barbie-like doll with dark features & middle eastern clothing who promotes good values & strong family ties. She has an optional head scarf & veil, and does not show a lot of skin. She doesn't have a boyfriend either.

I think this is great...it's important for all children to have toys that they can relate to also to realize the diversity of cultures & be exposed to it.

What is Science?

2008-06-11T12:59:00.003+10:00

If children are to develop a sense of science, if we are to have science in the classrooms, we need to bring life into the classroom and class out into the world. We must work hard to develop a daily routine that allows children to experience life in gulps and sips as well as measured doses.

And life is what? Sunlight and breezes and frost on the window pane. Shadows slowly descending on a corner of the room. Water, seizing the light or revealing mysterious caverns in its shadowy reflection. A parakeet chattering away while martins dine at the feeder outside the window. Sifting and mixing and kneading and baking. Pouring and dripping and spilling and measuring. Feeding and nurturing and breeding and burying guinea pigs, mice and rabbits.

Greenman, J. (1998). Places for childhoods. Making quality happen in the real world, pp. 71-72. Redmond: Child Care Information Exchange.

Songs & rhymes

2008-06-04T20:22:00.006+10:00

I am lacking in my knowledge of children's songs & rhymes! Today I realized that I only know a few of the basic action songs that are commonly sung in daycares, preschools & kindergartens, & far less rhymes & finger plays. Being that I grew up in Asia I only heard the most common of these songs while growing up--ones like Humpty Dumpty, Open Shut Them, & Incy Wincy Spider--which were the same ones I sung to my children. I never encountered a large variety of songs & poems in my years of English teaching either.

This could be a problem!! As an early childhood educator I will definitely be expected to know a huge variety of songs, poems, stories & fingerplays. So I'm thinking of recording ABC's Playschool shows for a while so I can get the hang of some of these songs--complete with actions. I'm also hoping to rent some DVD's or CD's from the library.

In the meantime, I'll just have to get my 4 year old daughter (who goes to preschool) to teach me!

Loving Literacy

2008-05-21T13:08:00.007+10:00

There are so many every day things that help develop your child's literacy skills, click here for a list. Here is another great article on early literacy.

Here are Mem Fox's 10 read-aloud commandments:

Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud.
Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read.
Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.
Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners.
Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.
Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games.
Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short.
Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game.
Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.
Please read aloud every day, mums and dads, because you just love being with your child, not because it’s the right thing to do.

And to end with, a thought provoking quote by Hugh Mackay:

Is it possible that literacy standards are falling because young Australians are growing up in a culture in which they can be entertained and informed, and in which they can communicate effectively, without having to master any but the most rudimentary literacy skills.

The Book Garden

2008-05-16T08:26:00.007+10:00

The Book Garden is a great place to shop for educational books & materials, with a wide range of books available. There are plenty of books on arts & crafts, ideas to keep kids busy, outdoor activities etc. They also have a special feature where you can buy a surprise bag for $20 that is packed full with books worth $150!!

Check it out if you're looking for anything child-related!