Deepest Thinking

I love talking with preschoolers. They make me think. They make me see things in different ways. They make me laugh. They encourage me to look at the world and enjoy it.

A Tale of Two Puzzle Workers

I was watching a couple of children working wooden puzzles the other day. Sometimes just watching kids work is great way to think about and understand more about children and development.

These two kids were working puzzles. Well, one was working a puzzle and the other was watching. (Her preferred method of learning is watching.) But occasionally the watcher would help with pieces and the worker was fine with that.

But as I watched, I noticed that there were two different techniques at play. One child would hold a piece and try it in several different places or in several different ways in a space. She would keep working until she found the right place or abandoned that piece for a new one. The other child would just look at the puzzle and look at the pieces lying around the table. Suddenly she would swoop in, grab and piece, and insert it in the right place.

Two different ways to solve puzzles - exploring and experimenting by physically trying different things; looking, observing, taking in the overall look and then seeing the "right answer" to the problem.

Both of these are valid puzzle solving strategies...and problem solving strategies. It was interesting to see these two children working on the same puzzle in completely different ways...and not even really communicating to one another as they worked.

Watching these children work reminded me of a few things that I need to keep in mind as I encounter a new group of children in my church kindergarten class.

• In most things there are many different ways to approach an issue or a problem. I need to be open to different ways to do things. Open to the children's different approaches and open to other teachers' or adults' approaches. I have my favorite ways to do things. But that doesn't mean it's the "right" way.
• All children are different and the classroom should allow for those differences and encourage those differences in learning.
• I need to watch more and discover what's happening in the classroom. Often things happen that I completely miss. So this year I want to watch more and listen more and step back more.

Some Ideas from Around the Blogosphere

I love reading new things. I love being reminded of old things. I read some favorite blogs regularly and I find other things by happenstance (and Twitter).

Here are few things that piqued my interest in the past couple of weeks.

Want to Raise Successful Boys? Science Says Do This (But Their Schools Probably Won't) - Inc.com
Amanda from Not Just Cute shared this link. Boys need to move but are not allowed to do so in school. "Boys are treated like defective girls." Definitely worth a read.

Powerful Words to Say Instead of "Good Job" - Teach Preschool
Deborah shares her conversation with Rae Pica and Randy Hitz (on BAM Radio Network) and delves a little more into the topic. She makes me think about how I respond (and maybe how I should respond) to the children in my classroom.

Why Did He Leave the Room? - EdWords
Speaking of BAM Radio Network, Jon Harper is a featured writer on the blog there. He shared these ideas and lessons gains from writing with his kindergartner.

DIY Building Blocks You Can Make Anywhere - Hands On As We Grow
I'm always look for new or other ways in incorporate building activities. Especially with the group I have this year. This fun and quick idea triggered all kinds of possibilities for me. I'm thinking I can add these simple "blocks" to our center with our wooden blocks...and just see what happens.

Letting the Teachable Moment Pass - Teacher Tom
Tom is good at helping me challenge assumptions I have. In this post, he affirmed what I sometimes do. Let kids talk about things and come to their own conclusions without stopping to teach. It's important for kids to ponder and wonder and conclude without adults "robbing" them of this thinking by supplying knowledge. Thanks, Tom.

What has challenged you or caused you to think recently?

Becoming Effective Human Beings

from Free to Learn

Through play kids practice and master life skills and other skills. Through play kids learn to work together with others and to work independently. Through play kids develop knowledge of the world. Through play kids learn to think, question, test, and conclude. 

I'm reading and reflecting on Free to Learn this fall.

Don't Miss the Present

As we are rushing ahead, we may forget that the present is important, too. Don't miss the wonder and joy of being a 5-year-old.

Rushing Things

The other day I stopped into a local store to get some resources for an activity I'm planning. I saw a few craft items and kits for making Christmas ornaments or crafts. "Okay," I thought. "I guess you need to get started early on that kind of stuff."

Then I stumbled into an aisle that was row and row of Christmas ornaments. "It's July," I wrote later on Facebook."I don't need to see or think about this yet."

But, of course, I pondered on seeing all this Christmas stuff in July. It's seems that we're always rushing to the next thing. Maybe it's a product of our society or the need to be "productive" and "ready." But it seems that we are looking forward, pushing and preparing for what's next. And we miss out on what's now. I know we need to prepare and that things don't just happen without planning. But we can get so focused on what's coming that we miss the joys of warm (okay, hot) days and the smell of mown grass and the taste of cool iced tea. We don't need to rush on to Christmas in July.

And I thought about teaching young kids. Rushing things seems to be what we're all about in education. Kids need to read NOW. Kids need to master things NOW. We want them to be prepared for college and for life so we need to get things done when they're 5. We could discuss the wisdom of pushing young kids to read; I've read several things that say most kids aren't ready to master reading until at least age 7. We could discuss the more developmental needs that preschoolers have; Rae Pica has a great book on that. We could review the need for exploration and play and development of "soft skills"; many (including this blog) hit on those points regularly. All of those issues are very important and valid reasons for not rushing ahead.

But sometimes lost in all those important discussions is this: When we rush ahead, we miss the now. We miss the joy of being 4 or 5 years old. We miss silly jokes and sticky hands. We miss the deep questions that come when a young mind is beginning to pull strands of understanding into a more coherent whole. We miss the awe and wonder of looking at a trail of ants or the fun of punching holes in a piece of paper with a hole punch.

We miss experiencing life through the eyes of a young child. As an adult I've lost the ability to see things as new. A hole punch is just a tool. A stapler connects paper. Writing things down is a way for me to remember what my leaking brain may forget.

But when I experience a hole punch or a stapler or writing with a kindergartner, I see the miracles that these things really are. I experience joy.

And that's what we lose when we rush things. The joy of now.

Loved As He (or She) Is

Do we appreciate each child for who he or she is right now? Do we plan for them as they are and not as they will be (or as we wish they would be)? Know your kids. Embrace who they are now.

They Do What We Do

Recently I saw a video that's making the rounds online. It's called "Children See, Children Do." In that video, children are doing exactly what the adults in their lives are doing - smoking, yelling at other drivers, gesturing, insulting others, etc. It was an unsettling thing to watch. (Search for it on YouTube if you'd like to see it.) But the video reminded me of something that I often say to other teachers. Children are watching and imitating adults.

That video came back to mind when I saw this photo from the classroom. Two small dolls sitting at a table with plates in front of them. Girls playing in our home center did this on their own. They are emulating the examples they've seen.

I remember on boy coming into my classroom (years ago) and walking straight over to the home center. He opened up the cabinet under the sink and lay down with his head in the cabinet. He pounded on the bottom of the sink and muttered to himself. Yes, plumbing problems at his house in the past week.

I've heard my words coming out of preschoolers' mouths. Words that I've said over and over...and now those words are being said to someone else. (Fortunately those words have been okay to repeat.) But every time it happens, I stop and think about what I've said recently. Would it be what I would want to be remembered for?

When I taught second grade, we were a noisy bunch. Everything seemed loud. Not yelling so much as just loud. One day, while explaining something, I actually listened to myself. I spoke loudly. I was projecting, to make sure everyone could hear. If things were a little noisy and unsettled, I spoke a little louder to make sure I could be heard. When I was excited (or trying to project enthusiasm), I would talk with a loud, punctuated voice. I was setting the noise level in the room - and it was on high. After that, I would try to keep my voice softer. If I felt my level rising, I would stop and take a breath and begin again. (Oh, not always. Probably not even most of the time. But intentionally whenever I could think about it.)

I must be the model of what I want to happen in the classroom. If I want kids to speak kindly to one another, I should speak kindly to every child and adult (!) in the room. If I want kids to listen when I tell a story, I should model what listening is when they are telling stories. If I want less interruptions, I should not interrupt them. If I want them to respect me, I must be respectful.

Yes, I know they are the children and I'm the adult. Yes, I understand that I know more about how things could work than they do. That's why I should be the example. If I want them to do as I say, I should do it, too.

And that also means apologizing to them when I don't.

Competence

"I know what to do!" she said as she stood at the art table. 

"Tell me," I said. She began to put on a paint smock.

"Put the shoes in there and then on here," she said, pointing first to the paint and then the paper. (More about shoe painting here.)

"You know what to do," I said. "You don't need me to remind you."

This was a departure from past weeks. Often my kids will walk to a table and immediately ask, "What do we do here?" I think they've come to expect my answer. "What do you think you do? Look at the table and tell me what you think."

Weeks and weeks of this response. Weeks and weeks of trying and experimenting. Now my kids seem comfortable and confidence in jumping into whatever is on a table or the floor.

Sometimes they ask if they can try something. Sometimes they still need a little push of an idea. But now they are competent in trying and doing. They are competent and comfortable and confident.

At another table, children were folding accordion books or just drawing on the paper.

"I know what to do," said one girl. She drew vertical lines, dividing her paper into several sections.

"Now," she said, "I have a space for every letter."

She wrote a sentence, one letter in each space, moving to the next line when needed. She showed me the sentence and I read it. She thought for a minute and then began to write again. A second sentence. Both original with no prompting from me. But both sentences related to our overall study.

She was competent in what she has learned in her school classroom and bringing that into a new setting in our church classroom. She is confident in using her own ideas and trying something different than my own idea (accordion book).

I smiled, both outward and inward, as I read the sentences. Her smile beamed back at me.

All the blocks had been used and more children wanted to build. I brought more blocks from our resource room. After the initial dash to gather what they wanted, the group continued to build. A boy walked over to the bin and began picking up the colored cylinders. He placed another and another into his arms, finding nooks to hold each one.

"Can you carry all those cylinders?" I asked. "Do you need help?"

He didn't answer. He was too busy concentrating on his work. Before I could even take a step toward him to assist, he snugged the last cylinder against his body and quickly walked to his structure. He dumped them on the floor and began to quickly assimilate them into his building.

He knew what to do. He felt competent and confident because he had done it before, with fewer and smaller blocks. He didn't need any support. He could do it.

I love to watch my kindergartners grow throughout the year. I love to see them do more and more. I love to see their competence develop in all kinds of areas.

I love to have an environment that nurtures children's growing abilities. And I continue to be surprised by all they do and all they think.

Three Wrong Theories of Learning

I am reading and reflecting on the book The Power of Play by David Elkind.


Chapter 5 - Misunderstandings About How Young Children Learn



This chapter gave me some good background and understanding on how children learn and why we adults sometimes do things that don't fit with children. It reinforced some of my beliefs and understanding and helped me think about a few things in a new way. An overarching idea in this chapter is this quote:

"It is almost impossible for adults to put themselves in the place of preschoolers and see the world as it appears to them."

We adults think about what we know and what we want children to know. We make assumptions about how children think and understand the world. But more often than not, our assumptions are wrong. This wrong thinking can lead to ineffective (and maybe harmful) teaching practices.

David Elkind examines three misunderstandings about how children learn and what the adult roles should be in learning.

1. The "Watch Me" Theory of Learning and Instruction
In this theory of learning, adults take the lead and direct what the child does. Young children know what their learning priorities are and will engage in activities to fulfill their needs. However, often an adult will interrupt what the child is doing and impose a different activity. This superimposes the adult's agenda over the child's self-chosen activity. For example, a child sitting and tapping a block on the floor may be interrupted by an adult encourage him to build with the blocks. Or to get the ball and roll it. Or something else. The adult, in effect, tells the child to stop what he has chosen to do and shift to watch and engage with the adult's activity.

Instead of encouraging a child to "watch me" or engage in what I am doing, I should watch the child, the learner. I should figure out what the child is doing and let him do it. Maybe I can engage with him as he does it or supply a narrative of what I see is happening (adding vocabulary to the activity) or just let him be.

Often adults engage in this action because what the child is doing seems random or meaningless. "Even if those activities appear meaningless to us, they can have great purpose and significance for the child." He had a pattern and organization, a purpose for what he is doing. When he is satisfied with the results, he will be ready to move on to something else. We should respect and vale a child's self-initiated activity.

2. The "Little Sponge" Theory of Learning and Instruction
The idea behind this theory is that young children learn in the same way and as quickly as adults do. Advocates of this theory contend that the early years are a time of rapid brain growth so we should throw as much as we can during this peak learning time. However, the arrangement and interconnections of neurons are limited in young children. Older children, with more interconnections, are more ready for formal instruction and more in depth learning.

Young children do not absorb information or skills fed to them. They take more processing time than adults. They understand complexity and abstraction at much lower levels. They need time to observe and practice. They need to be able to take in the world. Everything is fresh and new to them, engaging them in discovery. As adults, the world is familiar to us and not of much interest.

3. The "Look Harder" Theory of Learning and Instruction
When we master skills, the process is unconscious and automatic; we tend to externalize meaning. That is, we think that meaning exists outside of us and our thoughts. When children do not understand what we are teaching, we may think they are not looking hard enough to understand. If they examined more, paid more attention to what is right in front of them, they would get it.

But the world is not independent of our thinking. The meaning exists inside us, built on our experiences and knowledge. "[Y]oung child[ren] literally see the world differently than we do." There is much they must learn about the world before they can begin to put things together. They must develop more complex thinking (as they grow older) to understand broader concepts.

"We are not born knowing what things are sweet and what sour, what things are blue and what green. We are not born knowing that one and the same thing can be two things at once. As adults we have trouble believing that we do not come into the world aware that some objects fall when you let them go, and that some things float while others sink. The external world seems so real that it is difficult to comprehend that young children don't see and know the same world as we do. Yet they do not."

 We need to allow children time to explore the world, in ways they choose. They need to discover the world at their own pace and in their own time. They need to construct and reconstruct the world through their play experiences.

This chapter makes me think about how I interact with children. It reminds me to say yes more and follow the lead of the children. It tells me to let them follow their own agendas as much as possible and be prepared to abandon mine. It says to listen to the child, watch the child. Join the child on his learning journey.

Inspiration from the Blogosphere - #AskingWhatIf Edition

I've been particularly "ranty" lately. See my recent posts on snow day homework and no live plants. Even when reflecting on my reading, I slid into a sort of rant on toys. I don't know; I sometimes wish I could just impose things on the preschool education universe (starting with good sense!).

Here are a few more links that make you wonder what education could/should/would be like if more educators acted in ways that were more in line with child development.

Reading Readiness Has to Do with the Body (Laura Grace Weldon)
She says: "In order for children to read, write and spell they must be developmentally ready. Some are ready at the age of four or five, some not for many years later.... Such readiness isn’t created by workbooks or computer programs. It’s the result of brain maturation as well as rich experiences found in bodily sensation and movement."

Maybe we need less literacy interventions and more recess time.


What Life Lessons Will Kids Learn from Lunchtime? (Rae Pica)
In relation to "no talking lunchtime," she asks: "Do we expect that, as adults, these silenced students will suddenly (magically?) know how to successfully communicate – with partners, peers, and employers? Is no previous experience required in order to master this skill?"

If they cannot talk during lunch, when should they talk?

The Importance of a Strong Foundation (Amanda Morgan on EdWords)
She writes: "Those unable to see the foundation of early learning for what it is are often eager to plop something down that’s more rewarding. Just as I may have been happy to skip right to the home I could see, they want to go directly to the seen skills like reading rather than pre-literacy skills and mathematical computations instead of early numeracy. From their perspective, those performance skills are what really 'count', after all."

All that play builds strong foundations for future learning. We cannot always see the immediate results of play but we will see the results of lack of play.


Letting Them Be Little (Not Just Cute)
She notes: "We have a tendency to look at childhood through adult lenses. But that egocentric view leaves kids short-changed. How can we be responsive to the needs of children if we refuse to see them as they are?"

Amanda is reading and reflecting on What If Everybody Understood Child Development? by Rae Pica. I did this last summer. But Amanda's posts are bringing up some new thoughts for me.

We must teach kids as they are. Not as we wish they would be. Not as we think they are. Not as curriculum or standards or even developmental charts say they should be. But as they are, right now, in this moment.


What is inspiring you to think about teaching preschoolers?

An Essential Trio

I am reading and reflecting on the book The Power of Play by David Elkind.


Chapter 1 - Play, Love, and Work: An Essential Trio

In this first chapter, David Elkind explores the idea that love, play, and work are three drives within each person that, as they interact, power each person. Here's how he defines each of these components--

• "Play is our need to adapt the world to ourselves and create new learning experiences."
• "Loving is our disposition to express our desires, feelings, and emotions."
• Work is our disposition to adapt to the demands of the physical and social worlds."

As I understand it, play is our creative nature, love is our emotional nature, and work is our physical/survival nature. (This is my distilling of the reading.)

David stresses the interplay and interaction of these three components. Play is as crucial a dynamic in development and living as work and love are. 

In this chapter, he shows the three components present throughout the life cycle. In early childhood, play is the dominant force. In elementary years, work becomes dominant; learning skills and applying them to the real world are key in early schooling. In adolescence (and the onset of puberty), love dominates. At the end of adolescence, the three establish an equilibrium. In adulthood, the three are more distinct but continue to interact in various combination.

This was a really new thought for me. I followed his explanations and can see how this love-play-work triad is one way to see development.

But I really keyed into some of the things he said about play, especially the dominance and importance of play in these early years. These are two key quotes from the book:

"Play, then, is the dominant and directing mode of learning during this age period, and children learn best through self-created learning experiences."

"Certainly young children can learn the names of numbers and letters and even sight-read a few words. But this is work and should make up only a small part of an overall hands-on, self-directed early childhood curriculum."

It seems in these days, our education leaders want to push young kids more and more into this work mode. Extrapolating from David Elkind's argument, if we push these early learners into "work," we are moving them from the better way for them to learn (play) and undermining their pleasure and enjoyment of learning (love).

I'm still processing this concept of the interaction of play, love, and work. It makes a lot of sense in many ways. I've seen play dominate what young kids are doing. I can see them making applications and developing concepts and connecting what they're doing to real world things (work). I've seen the enjoyment kids have from what they are doing and how they interact with others (love). This is a really interesting idea to me.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this concept plays out in the rest of the book.