The Happy News Child Development Edition

Book Review

2010-02-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Young at Art by Susan Striker

"When babies are developmentally ready to stand and walk, they can pull themselves up on the nearest piece of furniture and go. But when babies are developmentally ready to begin the scribbling experiments that will lead the way to reading and writing later on, they need a sensitive adult to have a crayon and paper ready for them." This is the first sentence in Ms. Striker's book Young at Art : "Teaching Toddlers Self-Expression, Problem-Solving Skills and an Appreciation for Art". If you have heard of the "Anti-Coloring Book" that came out in the '80's then you are familiar with Susan Striker's work. I believe in her ideas/philosophy whole-heartedly but as with anything that requires a complete overhaul in our thinking and our expectations there is a lot of resistance and long years of habit to overcome.

When I taught preschool I followed the principles:

The same basic art materials were available every day:

Paper and crayons, markers, pencils

Easel Paper and Paint and brushes

Collage materials and glue

Clay

The first few months of school the kids are so shocked at being able to explore these materials unmolested every time them come to "school"that there is really not any need to add any auxiliary materials or suggestions.

Then you can start setting activities up to mix colors, make tints, explore shapes and textures etc.

We never made anything "cute" so that we would have a nice "display".

We hung the art prominently in the room.

We never wrote a child's name on their art without their permission and asking them where to write it.

We asked children to tell us about their art or what they were doing or feeling but we never asked "What is it?"

We never used coloring sheets or coloring books.

We had "real" art books and prints of "real" paintings hung in our room.

Here are Ms. Striker's 10 Cardinal Rules for Teaching Creative Art

1. Obliterate your own expectations of how an art project should be completed, and let the child’s imagination decide how the art materials will be used.
2. Never draw, paint or write on a child’s art work.
3. Never point out accidental similarities to realistic objects.
4. Never show a child “how” to draw or entertain a child by making realistic pictures.
5. Don’t ask “What is it?” or “What are you making?” “What” it is is not as important as “How” it is being made.
6. Never give a child coloring books, dot to dot, magic paint with water, molds, drawing machines, drawing computers or similar anti-art toys.
7. Never encourage children to participate in art contests or other forms of competition that pits child against child.
8. Encourage a child to come up with many different solutions to problems, rather than only one correct answer.
9. Don’t scold for drawing on unacceptable surfaces. Offer paper and say “Oh good, I see you feel like drawing.”
10. Do not rush a child to the next level of development.

Here's another quote from Ms. Striker: : "Many day care centers and nursery schools persisit in having one-to-four-year-olds make things like pumpkins for Halloween and Santas for Christmas, thereby squelching normal development, perpetuating our mundane stereotypical expressions and trivializing our feelings for meaningful holidays. they are also producing students who are insecure about the value of their own art. Often these children are destined for later reading and writing difficulties. In fact, children up to age of six are motivated to produce art be the size,shape,texture and possiblities of the materials. Adults are more likely to be motivated by subject matter, and therein may lie the great failure to communicate that separates children and adults, and ultimately serves to separate children from art. The sad fact is that although art eachers must take English, history, math and science courses to become certified, it is possible in many areas to become a certified eary childhood teacher without ever taking an art course. You may fid that your child is being taught art by a teacher who know absolutely nothing about it. If that happens, please speak up. After all, you would not tolerate a person who could not play a piano giving piano lessons to your child."

OH WOW!!! We early childhood professionals need to educate ourselves about providing early art experiences. Just like early language experiences, those first scribbles are the beginning of how the child will think and feel about learning and creating for their whole life. Our job is not to prepare them for school but to give them enough confidence and faith in their own abilities, thinking and problem-solving so that they will be able to withstand the relentless molding into conformity that takes place in 12 years of "schooling". We (early childhood professionals) can stand as a bulwark around the infants (0-4 yrs.) in our care, support their creative thinking and learning,and keep that creativity from being stifled or trampled for as long as possible.

Comments??

The Wisdom of Play

2010-01-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

A wonderful new resource from www.communityplaythings.com is available for free and you can request it from the web-site. It's called "The Wisdom of Play: Why children at play are their own best teachers". You need to get a copy and share it with everyone who cares for and about young children. The introduction and history are written by David Elkind,one of my all time favorite child development experts. Also check out www.justaskbaby.com , Dr. Elkind's weekly blog. Other articles in "The Wisdom of Play" include "Imagination" , "Nature" and "Opened and Creative Play". For those who attended the SWIAEYC Winter Blahs workshop on Saturday this will be a great way to extend and share your learning! Log on an request your copy right now!
Then go find a kid and go PLAY!

Food Serendipity

2010-01-04T07:08:00.001-08:00

I love it when this happens. After the last posting on feeding young children two great pieces
on the same subject appeared in my in-box. Here are links to them both.

http://insteadoftv.com/dinnervideo.html - the importance of eating dinner together. It's connected to a menu planning service called Dinner without Whine. I use one of these periodically to jazz up my menu planning and get new recipes and ideas for dinner when I get tired of the same old thing. The one I use is called "Saving Dinner". www.savingdinner.com

The other link if for an article by Docia Zavitkovsky, a Champion of Children, who passed away recently. https://secure.ccie.com/resources/view_article.php?article_id=5012196

You can see 102 articles by Docia at https://secure.ccie.com/catalog/search.php?max_rows=10&position=1&search=zavitkovsky You will be sure to find some inspiration to carry on with your important child care work among them. Enjoy!

Healthy Eating for Infants and Toddlers

2009-12-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

I think the way we present new foods to Infants & Toddlers is very important in the development of life long eating habits. Food should never be used as a reward for good behavior or as a way to soothe emotional or physical hurts. Withholding food as punishment also gives food on an emotional connotation that may lead to bad eating habits later in life. The older a child is before they know about the existence of fast foods and sweets the better chance they have of not being hooked on these high calorie but nutrient barren foods. Teaching kids that food is only needed for energy to grow and stay healthy would go a long way toward keeping food in the proper perspective in life. A young child's diet should be lots of fruits and vegetables. "Feed Me I'm Yours" by Vicky Lansky is a great book for parents and caregivers to learn about the proper feeding of young children. I highly recommend it. Some other observations:

1. Kids go through cycles where they eat very little and then eat everything in sight. Pay attention to these cycles and let the child's appetite rule the amount of food they eat. Don't force them to eat when they are not hungry and don't worry about it if they skip a meal or two. They'll eat when they're hungry.

2. Avoid fruit juice....it's highly processed, has concentrated sugar and usually the processor adds more and most of the nutrients and all of the fiber has been removed. Better to drink water.

3. Follow the child's lead for introducing meats. Most toddlers and many preschoolers don't want or need meat.

4. Offering young children a wide variety of fresh, healthy food is the best way to insure that they get the nutrition they need. Avoid everything that is highly processed.

If you want to improve your own health and your relationship with food, read "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Furhman.

A question to ponder: How can we decrease the emphasis on food for holidays, celebrations and other social occasions?

Instead of TV

2009-12-30T07:02:00.000-08:00

Maybe one of your New Year's Resolutions is to cut down on the amount of TV you and your kids watch. Here are some ideas from "Instead of TV" for using all those extra boxes we have around from the Holidays. Enjoy!

Diana says that her kids enjoyed playing with cardboard boxes.Have you ever seen a kid pitch a new toy aside to play with the box?I know I have!
She says: "We played in the living room in large cardboard boxesfor hours -- making them into "houses", covering them with blanketsetc. and taking toys in there to play."
My friend Esme, author of How To Get Your Child To Love Reading,recommends using a large cardboard box to make a special TimeMachine to encourage reading.
Esme's book is a treasure chest of info for parents who want to raiselifelong readers. I loved reading it!
You can get her book here:http://www.insteadoftv.com/lovereading.html
Or, get just the instructions to the Time Machine:http://www.insteadoftv.com/flight.html
Oh and I foun a nifty cardboard firehouse that you can buy fromAmazon.com for only $20! Check out: www.insteadoftv.com/playhouse.html

Infants & Toddlers

2009-12-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

I've been facilitating the currently running PITC series of classes and have been reminded how much I loved Stanely Greenspan's work and his book "First Feelings" when my kids were babies. I'm even more thankful now that I read it then because of the recent data showing how critical emotional development in infancy is to the long term success of the individual -- -more important than anything else kids learn in the first 3 years of life! From my first hand experience I'd have to say that it is true.

The book is available from Amazon for under $5 and although the copyright is 1985, infants are still arriving in Version 1.0 no add ons or technological advancements. (Perfection can't be improved!) Our world is not the same as in 1985 but how infant's perceive and interact has not changed one bit (thank goodness!). Establishing a strong emotional foundation will serve the children well in coping with the world as it is today and however it will be in the future.

http://www.amazon.com/First-Feelings-Milestones-Emotional-Development/dp/0140119884/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

You won't be sorry if you add this to your professional or parenting library.

Turn off the TV

2009-10-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some research on the effects of TV watching on the brain development of infants and toddlers. It reminded me about the national "Turn off the TV" . Here are the dates for 2010 --mark your calendars ---or choose any week you want...anytime is the good time to turn off the TV as far as your brain is concerned. When I talk about turning off the TV , I'm talking about the DVD player too. A flickering image is a flickering image as far as your brain is concerned. Here are some resources for helping you get away from the steady TV diet that you're feeding your brain.

Here are the dates for upcoming National TV/Screen Turnoff Weeks:
April 19-25, 2010September 19-25, 2010
Unplug TV Websites
American Academy of Pediatrics
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
Instead of TV
Center for Screen-Time Awareness
Don't Buy It - Get Media Smart (For Kids & Teens)
Kid Source
Kill Your Televsion
LimiTV
Playing for Keeps
PBS Parents: Children & Media
The TV Project
Trash Your TV
TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment)
TV Smarter
White Dot
TV Smarter Blog
Trash Your TV Blog
White Dot Forum
Alliance for Childhood
Parents Television Council
TVFreeLiving.com
TV StinksTags: Everything Else!, TV Turn-Off Week

Coming soon to Parks & Playgrounds near you!

2009-09-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

October 19-23: Take It Outside Week. To increase outdoor play while celebrating the environment, preschools and daycare centers are invited to join Head Start centers across the country in participating in the Inaugural Take It Outside! Week. Presented by Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS), the national initiative is sponsored by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR). Its purpose is to get children outside, connect with the natural world, and increase physical activity. HSBS will provide programs with everything they need to celebrate Take It Outside! Week including activity ideas, tips for facilitating play, and suggestions for enhancing the environment. From Books That Move You to 15 Simple Ways to Get Moving, the activities are designed to increase physical activity for young children and promote family involvement. Head Start Centers serve over 900,000 children and their families. For a wonderful array of free resources about Take It Outside! Week, visit Head Start Body Start.

ScreamFree Parenting: How to Keep Your Cool

2009-09-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

ScreamFree Parenting: How to Keep Your Cool

Summer is winding down

2009-08-17T11:53:00.001-07:00

Driving to work this morning I could tell that summer is on the downhill side; the cool morning air has just a little sharper edge to it, telling us that fall is just around the corner. I don't know about you but I really enjoyed the weather this summer... enough rain to keep things green and growing, just a few really hot, humid days and lots of days that it was just perfect!
It was a very busy summer to be sure. I spent 1 week in June in California and 1 week in July in Florida taking the Program for Infant and Toddler Care training. It was 2 weeks of very intense work in PITC content as well as adult education strategies. When I complete my papers on each content area then I will be a certified PITC trainer. I have 1 paper completed and 3 to go.
Check out the PITC link and the Zero to Three link to find out more about these 2 important resources in infant and toddler care.

KinderArt Resources

2009-08-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

This is a great site for all kinds of art projects and crafts.
http://www.kinderart.com/sitemap.shtml

Here is the link for August special days and craft projects
http://www.kinderart.com/seasons/aug.shtml

and for those who plan ahead and are really organzied here is the link for September crafts http://www.kinderart.com/seasons/sept.shtml

"Teaching in the Key of Life"

2009-05-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

I'm reading "Teaching in the Key of Life". Some colleagues were raving about this author (who has been around for quite awhile but had escaped my radar somehow). I'm raving now too. It's always a boost to find an educator who really understands education! (and agrees with your long help principles to boot!) Enjoy this except and then go check out her books at the library or the book store. The link by her name under "My Child Development Heroes" will take you to her books sold online by Red Leaf Press. "Take it away, Mimi!"

Excerpt from an essay titles “I’m Worried About Our Children” by Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld in her book “Teaching in the Key of Life”

When teachers and parents discuss ways of enriching the lives of young children- ways of helping them to learn to love learning- the best suggestions are the oldest, most natural, most obvious, most simple. They are so easy that we forget that we already know them:

Hang loose and relax.
Talk with your children. Share and compare observations, questions, experiences, wishes, wondering. Laugh together.
List to music of all kinds. Enjoy the music. Let it inspire movement, art, stories, quiet times.
Read to and with your children. Surround them with stories, poems, riddles, plays. Read to yourself. (What books to you love? If you want children to love reading, show them by your example.) Discover the delight of creating your own stories, your own writings. Children already know about this. Keep the flame burning.
Walk with the children. Walk with awareness. Stop! Look! Listen! Be a person on whom nothing is lost. Martin Buber believed that everything is waiting to be hallowed by you. What do you hallow? A walk around the street with an aware, responsive, sensitive, involved adult is more enjoyable and valuable to a child than a trip around the world with a rigid, closed-minded, authoritarian tour leader.
Encourage imaginative responses, original thinking, freedom of expression, new experiences. Don’t be a critic or a judge. Be a person who rejoices in your own works and the works of others.
Use the resources at your doorstep: libraries, museums, art galleries, parks, playgrounds, construction sites, gardens, zoos, bakeries, fruit stands, orchards, street signs, parking lots. The word boring should not belong in the vocabulary of any child.

Our kids don’t need expensive gimmicks, shiny educational tools, designer jigsaw puzzles, video games, and heavy-handed adult intervention in their daily education. Let’s not just rely on machines, no matter how great is their potential in the learning process.
Our children need an environment sweetened with tender loving care, encouragement, inspiration, role models, and time-time to play, pretend, explore, experiment, and wonder; time to develop at their own pace and in their own special rhythms. When children learn in such save, supportive settings under the gentle, constant guidance of loving adults, they prove over and over again that they are among the most creative members of this gifted and talented human family of ours.
Be ready for astonishment. Those of us who have spent most of our lives working with children know that, when we let them, they teach us about looking at everyday, ordinary miracles with fresh eyesight and insight. Children take us on a journey to our own beginning when the world was new and waiting to be discovered again.
We have a lot to learn.

Great Expectations

2009-04-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

"Cherish your children for what they are, not for what you'd like them to be." unknown

As I was paying for my gas at the Kum & Go the other day, the clerk noticed that I was wearing my name badge from work. She catches her co-worker's eye and says, "Look, this is an "Infant-Toddler Specialist". The co-worker raises her eyebrows and says "Boy, I need one, I have a three year old that is a demon." So I went into my spiel about how 3 is a hard age because it's the transition from being a baby to being a kid and it's hard for the child to know from moment to moment which one he wants to be. She nodded in agreement and the proceeded to tell me what an angel her 6 yr.old is ;has always been and will always be and what a little hellion her 3 yr. old is and how she can't do anything with him. I told her that we get what we expect from kids and that she would do well to begin accentuating his positive qualitites or he'll would be out roaming the streets raising cain when he's 18. She admitted that he was doing better since he has been attending Headstart. And hopefully I started her thinking about how she talks about that child.

You know she probably tells lots of people what a "demon" he is and some of the time it is probably within the child's hearing. She might even say it to him directly. It doesn't take too many times of hearing us say it for a child to believe that what we say about them is the absolute truth. So soon Mikey "the little demon" is behaving like the best "little demon" he can be; reinforcing (proving) that you are indeed correct in your assessment that he is a "little demon". That's why it is soon important to never discuss a child's faults or bad behavior where they can hear you. Every young child has some good qualities; things that they are good at, even early evidence of future talents can be noticed. Be sure to let them know that you notice when they are kind, loving, helpful, cheerful, courteous, honest, any behavior or quality that you want to see more of and I guarantee that you will begin to see more of those qualities and less of that "demon" child.

Digging Holes and other Spring Activites

2009-04-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

These ideas came to me in the "What Do You Do With the Mad that You Feel?" newsletter sent out by Family Communications Inc. You can use this link to sign up for the newsletter to be delivered to your inbox. http://www.fci.org/madfeelings/signup.asp . Also check out the article "What Else Can You Do?" It makes the point that kids aren't born with anger management skills. They need us to help them find alternatives to hitting and other aggressive anger responses.

Activity Ideas for Child Care
Digging a Hole From the Mad Feelings Activity Book Stage 3 Finding Release through Physical Outlets
Here’s a springtime outdoor activity that gives children a constructive, physical way to release their feelings.
Materials:
old spoons or plastic shovels
small metal shovels or garden tools
plastic containers or pails
Is there a place in the yard where the children could dig a hole? Or is there a park nearby with a sandbox? The children can use plastic shovels and metal spoons if the ground is loose, or they could use small metal hand tools and a small shovel to dig in earth that is hard. Many children may want to dig just for the fun of it, or the digging could have a purpose such as:
digging a garden in the spring or early summer;
pretending to dig for hidden treasure;
digging a home for a pretend animal.
If you’re comfortable with mud play (and if extra clothes are available), you could let them use water to mix with the earth to make mud pies or mud sculptures. You could point out that shoveling earth or digging in a sandbox or snow is one thing people could do when they feel angry…something that doesn’t hurt them or anyone else.
All Kinds of Exercise From the Mad Feelings Activity Book Stage 3 Finding Release through Physical Outlets
Just as some adults walk, jog, or swim to release their stress or anger through all kinds of exercise, this activity can help children find a physical way to release energy that can be caught up in angry feelings.
Materials
none
music (optional)
See if the children can tell you about ways they exercise. Can they pantomime how they:
ride a bike;
push a wagon;
run hard and fast;
climb;
throw or catch a ball?
Then you could do some exercises with the children:
stretch your hands and arms high in the air, stand on your toes and reach for the sky;
jump up and down on two feet;
hop on one foot;
Repeat each exercise three or four times. If you can go outdoors, you’ll have lots of fresh air and room to move. When you have to stay inside, try exercising to music. It can help to calm the children at the end of this activity if you give them slower movements to do as you’re finishing.
Sometimes physical exercise can make people feel better when they’re frustrated. See if the children can show you some exercises they could do at times like that.
©2009 Family Communications, Inc.

Unit Studies for Preschool

2009-03-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Unit Studies is a hot topic among "homeschoolers" and I just learned at a recent child care conference the the term in early childhood circles is "project curriculum". In the "old days" we called them "themes". The teacher introduces information and materials related to the subject and then child(ren) lead they way in how the topic will be explored. (The teacher selects the theme based on interests of the children that have been observed in the children's play or questions the children have asked. There are some great FREE online resources to help you get started with unit studies. I'm getting "spring fever" and I bet some kids are too... so wouldn't this be the perfect time for a unit study on Plants . I'm sure that you will be talking to the kids about the grass turning green and the tulips coming up and the trees starting to bud....now just expand those conversations into the whole specturm of your learning activities. (That's unit studies!)

Go deeper by documenting your unit studies with photos and drawings and stories by the kids (dictated) and make it into a class book....(Essentially a scrapbook made with a 3 ring binder and page protectors). The kids will love looking at and reading about things that they participated in. And what a great tool to share with parents and others who support your program!

I'd love to hear about your ideas for "unit studies".

A couple more links to help you with unit study resources:

http://www.squidoo.com/takehomebags#module5969132

http://www.easyfunschool.com/

My Considered Opinion

Thought I might start adding my "considered opinion" to the information that I share with you.

Many of you may know that I'm somewhat of an "educational renagade" and I'm sure some of my opinions will be controversial and hopefully make for stimulating conversations.

In my considered opinion early childhood education programs should be more like "home school" than like public school. However, if you meet a homeschooler who is trying to do "public school" at home (and there are many) know that they have missed the point!

Some Learning Resources that you can use.

2009-03-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

Nature Education: http://kindernature.storycounty.com This is really cool.

http://www.highscope.org/ A developmentally appropriate curriculum

http://www.rie.org/ infant & toddler resources
http://www.zerotothree.org/ more infant toddler resources

Life Long Learners

2009-03-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Are you one? I'm so glad I am! It makes life so much more interesting. In the past week I've had 3 learning opportunities that have sparked my interests in a number of different areas.

The first was at a group I facilitate for Center Directors. I always learn new things when I gather with people who are doing important work like improving programs for young children. Second, I attended a training on NAEYC accreditation. This is a topic I haven't really spent a lot of time on but the training gave me a good picture of the documentation needed to show that a child care program is on a path that pursues the highest quality standards! A huge undertaking but necessary if we want to walk our talk about valuing the growth and development of young children. And finally I attended the Kaleidoscope Conference in Omaha. I enjoyed the keynote speaker, award winning illustrator and author, Brian Pinkney. I love how his art conveys physical movement and evokes emotions too. Check out his books and art at http://www.brianpinkney.net/. My favorite book was "Max Found Two Sticks". Kids would love it too! My breakout session at the conference was about Using Observations to meet the needs of children in our programs. This is something that I did naturally in my head when I was in the classroom. In my observations of teachers and caregivers I find that they don't pay enough attention to what each individual child is saying and doing. Only through observation (just plain paying attention) can we begin to understand a child's unique personality, way of thinking and viewing the world. We need to listen, laugh,sing,play and live with children not just do custodial care. It's about relationships and conversations so that we can guide and encourage children to feel confident and competent to be themselves in the world. I believe this is the foundation needed to be able to live life happily and successfully.

My final session at Kaleidoscope was on the revised Developmentally Appropriate Practice from NAEYC. I am a "developmentalist" 110%. It's the only way that true learning takes place. And in my opinion until we make the whole educational system developmentally appropriate from "birth to career" we're going to be losing many of the best minds and ideas that we need to get the world back on track.

March 20th "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Day

2009-02-27T12:33:00.001-08:00

To celebrate Fred Rogers birthday....wear your favorite sweater or organize some other neighborly activities. Check out the toolkit at http://www.fci.org/neighbor/ or

http://www.fci.org/neighbor/toolkit.pdf

and here are a couple more surprises for you:

http://www.ratzenberger.com/

http://www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org/

Take some time to tinker in March too!

Great Resource- "Great Preschools"

2009-02-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

I've been getting a monthly e-newsletter from a group called : The Search Institute. I think I found it from a link from the Child Care Information Exchange's, "Daily Exchange" email. What first attracted me was some information called "The 40 Developmental Assets" . The Search Institute has identified these developmental building blocks that help children grow up healthy, caring and responsible. They have identified 40 assets for early childhood, middle childhood and adolesence. You can get these lists at http://www.search-institute.org/assets/forty.htm . Now there is a book called "Great Preschools". "Written by experts in early childhood education, this practical, easy-to-use guidebook provides preschool educators with information and a plan to promote healthy development in a body- and mind-nurturing environment. Explanations on what young children need from their families, teachers, and caregivers teach adults how to help preschoolers develop the social, mental, and emotional competencies they need to succeed and thrive." You can download some sample pages at

http://www.greatpreschools.org/images2/GPS_sample_pages.pdf

I think it is worth a look. Some of the latest research I've been reading says that the most successful people in the 21st century will be those that excel in the social & emotional areas.

Here are a couple of quotes that I really appreciated.

"Early childhood is a confusing time for children because
they are making huge leaps in all areas of development—
cognitive, physical, social, and emotional—but
not necessarily in equal degrees. Although it is important
to help a child progress through each of these developmental
areas, it is most vital to build the strong
social and emotional skills that directly affect healthy
cognitive and physical growth and are the foundation
for future success in school and in life."

" Undirected play is initiated among peers. Play
with peers is extremely effective and helps
children learn important lessons about self-regulation
and problem solving, and develop a
host of interpersonal skills. It typically takes
about 20 minutes for a preschooler to settle on
and engage in a particular activity. It is
when they are engaged that they learn
most effectively. As you plan your students’
day, be intentional about building
in adequate time for undirected play."

Of course we are always attracted to things we agree with and things that reinforce our long held beliefs. It feels good and powerful to know you are right! lol

I think teachers will find the resource pages and the home link activities very useful. You are probably already doing many things that promote the 40 assets in young children and this book will also allow you to feel good and powerful in the rightness of your cause! Play on!

Commit Yourself to Play Each and Every Day

2009-01-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

Busy schedules, longer work hours, sports practice, homework, dance lessons -- does this sound familiar? Growing up, do you remember a simpler time, when every night was family night? A tradition that you cherished, like spending time together with no goal in mind other than pure enjoyment of playing a game, sharing good times and just having fun.
Play of any kind should always feel like time well spent. It ought to be engaging, entertaining, personally rewarding and enormously fun. Through play, we are reminded to relax, and spend special time with loved ones and friends. Play fosters essential lifelong skills like sharing, learning to win and lose gracefully, understanding risk and rewards, and much more. It enhances our well-being and lifts our spirits, whether you are 3 or 103.We invite you to start a family tradition and rediscover the simple joy of play with the people in your life. Make a commitment to set aside a regular time each week to share a game, put together a puzzle, or just play. The traditions you start today will create a lifelong legacy of memories for your family.
5 Steps To Your New Tradition:1. Make a firm commitment. For one month have everyone agree to play games once a week. Keep this play time and stick to it! You will thank yourself as the fun becomes an anticipated part of everyone's week.2. Set the date and time. Mark your calendar for your weekly game time. Spread the word and get everyone involved. 3. Find something for everyone. Each week have one person choose a game (or puzzle) that allows everyone in the group to participate, regardless of age.4. Turn off the noise. Make a joint agreement to ignore the phone, turn off the TV, and put aside other distractions during your special time. 5. Traveling? No problem. On the road or on vacation? Choose a game and take it with you. Don't forget your camera to capture your fun memories!

Joyce says: February would be a good month to start this. Even though it is the shortest month of the year, it often feels like it will never end because we are anxious for spring to come. So make a plan to play more in February.
.

Sign up for great newsletters

2009-01-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

from Family Communications Inc. where the mission of Fred Rogers lives on helping children and the people who care for them. This month Neighborhood News has a free quote and Feb
calendar for your computer desktop.

http://www.fci.org/index.asp

http://www.fci.org/madfeelings

The Spirit of Adult Play

2009-01-15T06:21:00.001-08:00

After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box. Italian Proverb

In her Exchange article, "The Spirit of Adult Play" Bonnie Neugebauer observes that many must relearn the joys of playfulness. To do so, she suggests, they must be willing to spend freely, to squander, to waste (if you will), to be extravagant with their:
Time — Play must exist in a context of timelessness. The process is valued beyond the outcome of the play, so it must be possible to continue the experience across blocks of time, even across days and weeks. The play must find its own end, just as it found its own beginning....
Sense of Self — Play requires that one forget oneself. If self-conscious about their play, about how others will view either their play or the products of their play, children and adults are crippled. Their play is distorted by other consciousness.
Sense of Order — Play demands a certain amount of chaos. There must be room for using things and doing things in new ways. Play equipment and space must be flexible to meet the changing needs of the players. There must be storage for uncompleted play, and respect for unfinished spaces. Players require a degree of uncertainty and support for taking risks. Play is nurtured when there is no labeling of wrong and right.
Joy — Play without enjoyment is just plain hard work. Players need to laugh, and boast, and practice. There are many choices to be made, and each is a challenge. Play brings out the best in each of us.

"Learning is a Conversation"

2009-01-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

Bev Bos often says that "Life is not a test, it's a conversation." And that's what this article from the Daily Exchange Made me think about. Pay close attention to the RED words at the end of the article. Those meant the most to me..... I have noticed that if every moment of wonder in a child's life is made into a "teachable moment" by asking a "test question" (one you already know the answer to!) soon the child will stop sharing these moments with you and soon after that stop conversing with you altogether. Keeping the conversation going at 4, 5, and 6 is vital if you want them to still be conversing with you at ages 14, 15, and 16. It also helps if they know that you "wonder" about things too, don't have all the answers, and set an example of seeking out information about your questions.

"In her article in the January/February 2009 issue of Exchange, "Think Before you (Inter)act: What it Means to Be an Intentional Teacher," Anne Epstein provides guidance on how to support child-guided learning and when to engage in adult-guided learning. In the area of language and literacy, she provides these ideas on child-guided learning:"Children learn to listen, initiate, and respond in conversation with others. This verbal facility is a foundation of literacy development. To promote these essential skills:
Be careful not to dominate when talking with children. Lean toward more child than adult talk.
Model active listening. Wait for children to form and express their thoughts. Get down on their level, make eye contact, repeat or clarify what they say to show you have heard them.
Play games with verbal directions, such as Simon Says (but without winners and losers).
Expand children’s verbalizations. For example, if a toddler says, 'Me, banana', you might say, 'You are going to eat that banana.'
Support sociodramatic play by providing props for role playing and pretending.
Pretend to misunderstand ambiguous gestures to encourage children to add words. Use humor. For example, if a child points to his/her head for help with a hat, put a shoe there instead.
Use questions but not in excess. Ask questions that encourage children to think and expand their answers. Avoid questions that have a single brief or ‘correct’ answer.
Talk to other adults in the presence of children. Model good syntax and varied vocabulary."

Random Acts of Sharing

2008-12-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

Here are some things I've bumped into lately that you might find interesting.

During the last economic down turn, I was selling Discovery Toys, my kids were preschool age and there was a big surge in family games and holding a family games night. Well there is a new kid on the block and family game nights are being reinstituted all across the country. Check out SimplyFun. I bought Farkel and Grabbage for our family fun night. "Liebrary" and "Kahootz" are look fun too and I have them on my wish list for combating cabin fever this winter! Check out the puppets too! Another thought: be prepared for a baby boom or boomlet in the next 9-12 months. Usually another outcome of an economic downturn!! Good for us in child related businesses.

The following activities are excerpted from Jump into Math: Active Learning for Preschool Children by Rae Pica (Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House, 2008).

For babies:
Making Tummy Time Fun Time
What do you do with a baby who simply doesn’t enjoy being on the tummy?
First, it’s important to acclimate an infant to this position as early in life as possible. Right from the start, following a nap or diaper change, two to three times a day, you should place him on his tummy for a brief play period. You can gradually increase the length of these periods as the baby becomes used to them. Also, whenever possible, lie on your back and place the baby facedown on your chest. This not only helps him adapt to this position; it will also give him a reason to lift his head: to look at you!

But even if tummy time didn't begin the day she came home from the hospital, it’s not too late to start! Following are some suggestions for making tummy time a fun time.

Get “down and dirty” with baby. Lie side by side with the baby and have a “conversation!” Coo and sing and make funny sounds. There’s no one else’s voice he’d rather hear. When the baby is ready to start lifting his head, you can also lie head-to-head with him. He’ll eventually lift his head and push up on his arms because he wants to look at you. You can make it worth his effort by making his favorite funny faces!
Tempt her with a toy. Place a favorite toy or stuffed animal just out of baby’s reach and encourage her to get it! Mirrors and rattles work well, too.
Circle the wagons. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing toys in a circle around the baby. Reaching in different directions helps develop the muscles needed to roll over, scoot, and crawl.
Give him a lift. If all else fails and the baby still fusses while facedown, place a pillow or a “boppy” under his chest, with his arms in front of him. Or lay him across your lap, raising one of your legs to create a slight incline. This will make it easier for him to see what’s going on around him and should stop the fussing. Then, as he develops upper body strength, he’ll no longer need the lift.
Remember: The policy is “Back to Sleep. Tummy to Play!”

ForAll Ages:
Relax!
Being Balloons. Breath control plays an important role in relaxation. When we inhale slowly and then exhale twice as slowly, we decrease the supply of carbon dioxide in the blood, thus slowing down the activity of the nerves and brain. To promote deep breathing with children, ask them to pretend to be a balloon, slowly inflating (by inhaling through the nose) and deflating (by exhaling through the mouth). You'll likely need to demonstrate this yourself first.
Statues & Rag Dolls. The ability to intentionally control muscular tension is also critical to relaxation. Adults do this by alternately contracting and releasing their muscles. However, because young children won't understand the terms contract and release, you can play a game called Statues & Rag Dolls. Before you being, talk with the children about the differences between statues and rag dolls. Then alternately invite them to pretend to be a statue and then a rag doll. This, as you can imagine, requires them to alternately contract and release the muscles. (Always end with the rag doll!)
Melting. Melting is a wonderful -- and fun -- slow-motion activity. Talk about the melting of ice cream cones, snow sculptures, or ice cubes. Then ask the children to pretend to be one of these things and to show you just how slowly they can melt.
Finding Creatures in the Clouds. This can only be a relaxation exercise if it doesn't become an assignment! If you send little ones outside to find creatures in the clouds, simply make it a suggestion and, perhaps, provide a blanket for them to lie on. If you join them in the activity, resist the temptation to turn it into a contest to see who can find the most creatures. Instead, lie beside them and quietly describe what you're seeing. And if nobody discovers any creatures, it's okay to just lie there looking.

Just in time for Christmas Break:

Ideas for Counteracting Boredom
Initially, a child who hasn’t had enough practice in self-sufficiency is going to need help generating ideas of things to do. When that happens, you can offer her choices, but keep it to a minimum of two or three so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed by the decision making. Point out that she has a new book waiting to be read. Offer to get her set up for finger painting. Or ask if she would like to help with something you need to get done – making cookies or raking the leaves, for instance. If none of these choices appeal to her, stay your course. If you assure her that you have every confidence she can find something to do, she may be initially stumped, but because she’ll want to validate your belief in her, she’ll find something.
Boston Globe parenting columnist Barbara Meltz suggests that a parent sit down with a child to brainstorm a list of activities the child enjoys. If you write them on slips of paper and put them in a jar, the next time he’s bored he’ll have plenty of ideas to choose from. And having helped create the list, he’ll take pride in it and feel empowered.
Boredom in the family car is too often cured with DVD players – an item I’d happily ban if I had my way! They promote the idea that being electronically entertained is more important than families talking to one another, and more important than taking in the surroundings, no matter how beautiful they may be. The next time you’re on the road with your family or child, fill as much time as you can with conversation. When that runs its course, play a game of I Spy (for example, “I spy something that begins with the letter f,” for field or flowers). Whoever guesses what the other person has in mind gets to start the next round. Not only does this draw attention to what’s outside the vehicle’s windows, but it also reinforces letter awareness. To promote color recognition and appreciation, challenge passengers to see how many green, red, blue, or yellow things they can find. And when the conversation and games run out, don’t be afraid of a little quiet time. It’ll give your child a chance to think or simply rest.
An age-old favorite for counteracting boredom in the outdoors is to find creatures in the clouds. But don’t make it an assignment! If you send your little one outside to find creatures in the clouds, simply make it a suggestion and, perhaps, provide a blanket for her to lie on. If you join her in the activity, resist the temptation to turn it into a contest to see who can find the most creatures. Instead, lie beside her and quietly describe what you’re seeing. And if neither of you discovers any creatures, it’s okay to just lie there looking.

Child Care Professionals and Parents: You need to hear this!

2008-12-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

Have you signed up for BAM! yet? If not, why not? You can learn alot and listen to Child Development greats like this!

http://www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/WMBK.elkind.cfm

Sing a Song of Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T13:02:00.000-08:00

The countdown until we sit down to the turkey and all the fixin's has begun! And I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has graced my life this year with their love, support, good humor, helpfulness...know that I appreciate you as a blessing in my life. I also wanted to share this great article that I heard on NPR (my favorite source of news and information (inspiration too,sometimes). It's from their series, "This I Believe". I didn't know about this research but I have heard a couple of times that singing is important in our lives and I've always sung in church and around the house because I had some good examples: my mom and my Aunt Martha, both of them without really realizing what great gifts they were bestowing: read to me (on demand) and sang to me with gladness in their hearts. For the last few years that I have been working in child care centers, I have fussed about the fact that I don't see adults and kids singing together. Bev Bos (my hero in Child Development) said: don't sing to teach or for literacy but for the joy of it so that when that kid is old and in a nursing home and some other kids come and sing "You are my Sunshine" tears will roll down their wrinkled old cheeks. So here is the story and lets sing together with the ones we love this Thanksgiving....

Singing: The Key To A Long Life
by Brian Eno

I believe in singing. I believe in singing together.
A few years ago a friend and I realized that we both loved singing but didn't do much of it. So we started a weekly a capella group with just four members. After a year we started inviting other people to join. We didn't insist on musical experience — in fact some of our members had never sung before. Now the group has ballooned to around 15 or 20 people.
I believe that singing is the key to long life, a good figure, a stable temperament, increased intelligence, new friends, super self-confidence, heightened sexual attractiveness and a better sense of humor. A recent long-term study conducted in Scandinavia sought to discover which activities related to a healthy and happy later life. Three stood out: camping, dancing and singing.
Well, there are physiological benefits, obviously: You use your lungs in a way that you probably don't for the rest of your day, breathing deeply and openly. And there are psychological benefits, too: Singing aloud leaves you with a sense of levity and contentedness. And then there are what I would call "civilizational benefits." When you sing with a group of people, you learn how to subsume yourself into a group consciousness because a capella singing is all about the immersion of the self into the community. That's one of the great feelings — to stop being me for a little while and to become us. That way lies empathy, the great social virtue.
Well here's what we do in an evening: We get some drinks, some snacks, some sheets of lyrics and a strict starting time. We warm up a bit first.
The critical thing turns out to be the choice of songs. The songs that seem to work best are those based around the basic chords of blues and rock and country music. You want songs that are word-rich, but also vowel-rich because it's on the long vowels sounds of a song such as "Bring It On Home To Me" ("You know I'll alwaaaaays be your slaaaaave"), that's where your harmonies really express themselves. And when you get a lot of people singing harmony on a long note like that, it's beautiful.
But singing isn't only about harmonizing pitch like that. It has two other dimensions. The first one is rhythm. It's thrilling when you get the rhythm of something right and you all do a complicated rhythm together: "Oh, when them cotton balls get a-rotten, you can't pick very much cotton." So when 16 or 20 people get that dead right together at a fast tempo that's very impressive. But the other thing that you have to harmonize besides pitch and rhythm is tone. To be able to hit exactly the same vowel sound at a number of different pitches seems unsurprising in concept, but is beautiful when it happens.
So I believe in singing to such an extent that if I were asked to redesign the British educational system, I would start by insisting that group singing become a central part of the daily routine. I believe it builds character and, more than anything else, encourages a taste for co-operation with others. This seems to be about the most important thing a school could do for you.

A Running Start by Rae Pica

2008-11-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

Look for all the books I've mention on Amazon.com

but if possible buy them from The Bookworm!

In getting up to speed in the Child Development Field I've been keeping my eyes open for interesting material everywhere I go. Last evening I met with the great gals involved with the

local Jane Austen book club and The Jane Austen Society of North America. (Everyone involved with child development and education should take time to pursue their own interests!) The meeting was at our wonderful local independent bookstore: The Bookworm. So of course after my meeting I had to check out the bargin shelves and the child development section. I made a few good finds that I would like to share with you.

Graceful Parenting: Simple Advise for Raising a Gentle and Loving Child by Eve Dreyfus
Unplugged Play by Bobbi Conner - she has a radio program on NPR on Wedsnesday mornings at 9 a.m. (KIOS - 91.5 fm) called "The Parents Journal"
My favorite: "A Running Start" by Rae Pica Rae has been working with movement and learning for a long time. She advocates for lots of physical activity for young children because it's more developmentally appropriate than lots of academics. She has a website http://www.movingandlearning.com/ , a blog "The Pica Perspective", and a internet radio show: http://www.bodymindandchild.com/. This is really great you can listen to interviews with some of the all time greats in the field: David Elkind, Alfie Kohn, Lillian Katz, Jane Healy, and Dr. Stanely Greespan and loads more. The topics are wide ranging so you're sure to fine something of interest. We've got to keep child development people in the mix so that we can keep defending the right to childhood rather than killing it trying to give kids an education! I debated about using the word "kill" as it's rather strong and maybe too violent for the child care crowd but in my opinion so much done "for kids" (but really "to kids") in the name of education that kills their minds and their spirits and now that they've found 10 year olds with the arteries of a 45 year olds possibly their bodies too (see Rae's blog) I really don't think it's too harsh a word to use. What do you think?

Preschool Socialization in the News

2008-11-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

Camryn Hollins, 4, left, reacts to Daniel Xu, 4, during a "Twiggle the Turtle" conflict resolution lesson at Bennett Family Child Care Center in University Park, Pa., Friday, Nov. 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Fitting in very nicely with my last post about "Co-Acting" the Omaha-World Hearld published an article on Saturday, November 15, 2008 about a study at Penn State regarding "teaching" socialization skills to preschoolers. The conclusion was what we professionals already knew: teaching academics without teaching kids to interact approriately with peers and adults will not make the child a successful student or a life-long learner! "Both skills are intertwined, said Penn State University psychology professor Karen Bierman, who led the new study."If preschools focus just on the facts - let's just get the letter knowledge in, let's just get the number knowledge in - they're really missing the engine that's going to drive the desire and motivation for learning," she said."

To read the rest of the article click here

Co-Acting

2008-11-14T06:59:00.000-08:00

CO-ACTING: Functioning together in a situation.
Reference: Together We’re Better by Bev Bos

Preschool teachers/caregivers usually state that “sharing and cooperating” are “The Biggies” for socialization at ages 4-5. However, preschoolers can mimic these behaviors because they are real “people pleasers” at this age but they don’t really “get it” when we tell them to “share” or “cooperate”.
Realistically what we can expect from kids at this age is “co-acting” or functioning together in a situation.
Examples:
Building: you add a part and you add a part and you add a part and we’ll see what we get.
Games where you choose a partner.
Sitting on benches together (negotiating for space)
Games where you choose who goes next
Setting up situations where kids have to work together.
Group singing that puts kids in pairs & groups (Playmate, come out and play with me.)

Are you telling kids to share and cooperate or do you say "get a partner" ?

A link you need

2008-11-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.1112.net/lastpage.html

A Message from Bev Bos

2008-11-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Fellow Child Care Professionals,
I received this message from Bev Bos on Friday and wanted to share. In all the centers that I've been in and out of in the last 10 years or so.... I too have been concerned about the lack of singing and fingerplays and chants in programs..... it's not just about language development, which is very important but about the emotional connections too. I've highlighted in red the passages from Bev that I thought were most meaningful. Feel free to comment on what spoke to you.

---------- Forwarded message ----------From: "Bev" <bevbos@turnthepage.com>To: Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 16:30:54 -0800Subject: A message from bev bos
Dear friends, One of the issues we have been talking about for a few years now is how we tend to get things out of order when it comes to working with young children. Going back thirty years ago I used to caution adults about this very thing when I would say, “We put kids on two-wheelers when they should be on trikes and we put them in Trans-Ams when they should still be on bikes!” It was a line that would always get a lot of nods in agreement and a few laughs but in all this time I don’t think we progressed very far. One area where this is glaringly true is in language and literacy development. Michael and I have hammered away at how children are thrust into the literate world with exposure to letters and such at earlier and earlier ages. The assumption being that the second a child cracks open a book they then begin their journey towards becoming a literate and articulate human being. But as educators like Barry Sanders, author of “A is for Ox,” remind us -- orality has got to come first before literacy. I love the way he describes it -- “literacy fits over orality like a glove” and “orality thus serves as a necessary and powerful foundation for the construction we call literacy. Children need to hear language in order to learn language.” Those of you who work with young children would probably agree with me when I say how shocked I am at how many kids don’t know any of the nursery rhymes or fingerplays like the ones our parents or teachers taught us. Their language is often just a repetition of the things they’ve heard on TV or at the movies rather than coming from another live person. That’s the beauty of fingerplays and stories -- to use Margaret Read McDonald’s words who described it as “the gift of shared imagination.” What’s missing today is the intimacy in early language development that used to begin for the child at their mother’s breast or during bathing or diaper changes when what some folks describe as “mother-ese” would gently guide the child down the path toward becoming a literate person. Unfortunately, for far too many young children’s their first exposure to spoken language bursts out at them from a crib-side monitor or in the repetitive jingles of commercial TV. Our concern about this growing “out-of-order-ness” was the driving force behind the decision to publish the book “Chants, Fingerplays & Stories” a couple years ago. We wanted provide people with a resource for learning or re-learning something we felt very strongly about. At the very least we were determined to get them down on paper as a way to preserve them. And at best we thought that maybe we could somehow slow down their disappearance from young children’s lives. Never did we imagine that the reaction from teachers and parents would be as positive as it has been. But now there’s another problem. Many of you have suggested we make a recording of the chants and fingerplays -- especially since some of them have a definite tune or musicality to them. Thus began a pretty lively debate between Michael and myself. My immediate reaction was not to do it. Just like with our music CDs, my hope is that folks would listen to the CDs and learn the songs then sing them rather than letting the kids listen to a CD. I was relying my years of experience working with young children that reminded me that CDs don’t stop when a kid wants to say something or add something to the song -- they just keep blazing right along. Besides, I also know they would rather hear your voice (in person) than mine coming out of some electronic gadget. So, as with the music CDs, I feared it would be too easy to just “pop in” a chants and fingerplays CD and have the kids listen to it. Michael was just as adamant that we should do it. He said that part of the charm and fun of doing chants and fingerplays is in how they sound. And, if not being able to feel comfortable in singing them for not knowing the tune is keeping them out of the lives of children then we need do something about that -- now! I had to admit that sometimes I’ve heard myself say after hearing a new chant “Oh, I’ll never remember how that goes by the time Monday morning rolls around.” So now, after all this time, I’m officially here to say -- he was right. So for all you folks that have bought the “Chants, Fingerplays & Stories” book you can now purchase an audio CD that covers the material in the first half of the book -- all the chants and fingerplays. For the stories at the end of the book -- you are on your own. Read them aloud at first, if you must, but do try your best to learn them and tell them, too. Below you will see the links for the three new products that are now available to you. If you already have the book you can purchase just the CD. Or, you can purchase the Book and CD together. You can even purchase the Book by itself, too. Thanks to all those of you that pestered me about making a recorded version of the book. Here it is -- I hope you like it and I hope these wonderful little nuggets of orality make their way into the lives of children for generations to come. Love, Bev

PS - Just a word of thanks to those that attended our recent "Good Stuff for Kids" Conference here in Roseville CA. Despite the rain it was wonderful to have you here with us. We hope all of you had safe travels back to your loved ones and thanks again so much for coming -- we hope to see you again sometime soon.

2008-11-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

Talk about marketing your child care business..... check this out!!!!

http://childrensfarm.localplacement.net/

I remember when I did a big slide show to present at an orientation meetings and fundraising presentations. That was high tech then and it really impressed but having it available 24/7 to anyone, anywhere..... I couldn't have imagined it!

Does your child care program have a web presence? Do you think it should?

Status Report on Child Well-Being

2008-11-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

The good news is educational attainment is on the rise. More parents are reading to their children and setting limits on T.V. viewing. Hooray!!! You can read the whole 32 page report

http://www.fcd-us.org/usr_doc/EarlyChildhoodWell-BeingReport.pdf

One of the best resources for parents who want to read good books to their children is Jim Trelease and his "Read Aloud Handbook". http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/

Mr. Trelease retired from public speaking this year and his retirement letter is published on his website. He states the "the No Child Left Behind" act was the biggest disappointment of his career. His whole letter is an interesting read. http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/trelease-retirement-letter.html

What's your favorite children's book? I'll publish my list of fav's soon.

Jan Brett is Coming to Omaha's Bookworm

2008-11-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

Jan Brett is one of my very favorite authors of children's books. My favorite Jan Brett book is "Armadillo Rodeo" but "Hedgie's Surprise" and "The Wild Christmas Reindeer" follow close behind. Go to Jan's website and click on Hedgie's Book-a-matic and answer the questionaire then Hedgie with tell you what book would be best for you. Mine was "Beauty and the Beast."

On Novemember 11,th from 5-7 .m. Jan Brett will be at the Bookworm(8702 Pacific StreetOmaha, NE 68114 Telephone: 402-392-2877). Her new book is called, "Gingerbread Friends" and it is the 10th anniversary of her version of "The Night Before Christmas". Go to the Bookworm website to find out how to get your book signed by Jan Brett.

http://www.bookwormomaha.com/store/

Maybe I'll see you there on November 11th.!

REAL WORK FOR KIDS

2008-11-03T08:02:00.001-08:00

In today's Daily Exchange (http://www.childcareexchange.com/index.php) there was an article about Real Work for Kids with Challenging Behavior. It echoed my own thoughts and experience on this issue. When I was raising my daughters I felt it was important to include them in all the tasks of running our busy household from the time that they were able to make a contribution.
So they put toys away, helped fold towels, washed the window on the storm door at the level where they breathed on it and placed their hands when looking out, etc. I probably started giving them "jobs" sometime during the year they turned two. My guiding philosophy in this was "never do anything for a child that s/he can do for him/herself'". The one caution I had was not to make a child my servant. I never asked them to do things just to save me steps in a job that was "my task". If I did ask for help in something that was "my task", I made sure that I answered in the affirmative when they asked for help or I picked up some of the slack for them at "their tasks" if I had a little extra time. That way they knew that we were a team, working together for the good of the family and we could depend on each other for help.
Giving children real work at home and in the classroom is a real way to develop self-esteem and self-confidence. When children feel confident and competent, they are better at tackling problems on their own without frustration and/or anger. They have accomplishments to be proud of and they don't need our cheap praise and constant recognition to keep them motivated and positive.
I especially liked what the article said about not giving praise if you have given a job due to behavioral issues. "Challenging behavior children were not given treats or stickers. They weren't put on a point system. And most importantly they were not praised for their work. Before you fall completely out of your chair, let me explain. Children that are "in trouble" all the time don't feel worthy of praise, plus they don't deserve praise. Why should we praise children for doing what they are supposed to do to fit into society? Sometimes when you praise these children, they will set out to prove you wrong."
I see this in Centers alot, trying to praise a child into positive behavior. I'm sure that many of my child care co-workers have thought that I was very stingey with my praise but I'm also sure that I had fewer behavior problems and more cooperation in my groups than most other providers.
Read the Article by Linda Ranson Jacobs and let me know what you think.

http://mail.google.com/mail/?hl=en&tab=wm#all/11d61e2e04ff29dd