SOLSC #13: What about readiness?

I am participating in the
March 2018 Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC).
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day for thirty-one days.

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

I had another one of those strange collaborative conversations today, where I could feel the "pushing" of children. The meeting included a cross-section of teachers and administrators, to discuss an issue:

Our school has a significant increase in students requiring occupational therapy for writing in first grade.

The question was asked -

What can we do in kindergarten, pre-K4, and pre-K3 that would decrease the referrals?

Readiness. 

Ugh.

This is such a minefield of a word for me, as a preschool teacher.

I was told that there is a very big gap between what is expected in first grade and our developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood.

I was told that after kindergarten, 60% of a student's day is spent writing.

Wow.

I wonder -

how do we know that first grade expectations are reasonable?

why is it that the early childhood curricula should change? should be modified to meet this need?

how do we know this is the right thing to do?

Please don't get me wrong - there are a lot of developmentally appropriate ways to encourage pre-literacy...ways to build fine motor muscles, ways to encourage letter recognition, ways to nurture both reading and writing. There are great ways to do all of this in the midst of a play-based, exploratory curriculum. I am game to think this through, to consider ways to enhance our curriculum.

I simply wonder,

how is it that the increased need for occupational therapy reflects on the early childhood years?

shouldn't we be questioning what is being expected of our elementary students?

I saw this declaration on a sign advertising a local private preschool, 

"Where childhood is cherished, children flourish."

Many days, public school seems far removed from this dreamy description.

What do you see in the cup?

I am participating in the
Tuesday Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day.

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

Observational drawing by Jada

It's spring and we have a cup of caterpillars in our preschool classroom! Just this past weekend, they formed chrysalises and the preschoolers are in awe. I've tried to slow down the thinking, having the preschoolers make observational drawings of what they see. (I will share a few of these here, in this blogpost.) I knew this was the perfect lesson for the "See Think Wonder" thinking routine, which I had learned from Project Zero training last summer. As they drew, I asked What do you see? I tried to keep the children focused on simply what was visible in the jar:

I see four chrysalises. I call 'em caterpillars. And the jar. And spider webs.

I see cobwebs, 'cause they make cobwebs, and cocoons.

I see cocoons.

I see this one and it has a black part.

I see cocoons playing.

Observational drawing by Misha

There is dirt on the bottom.

I see the bodies on the circle.

The caterpillars made cocoons and they are hanging up.

I see caterpillars walking and eating food. 

Caterpillars make cocoons.

Four cocoons.

Caterpillars have pointy things.

Cocoons hang from the sky. They are shaking.

I see a spiderweb.

Cocoons. They are shaking. Caterpillars make it.

I see cocoons.

Try as I liked to have them simply focus on what they saw - what they actually observed - the preschoolers couldn't help thinking and imagining. They shared thoughts aloud that were clearly not visible. I tried to return them to observation mode with a quick, What did you see that makes you think so? However, their musings multiplied and I let them answer - What do you think?

I think there was an egg.

I think caterpillars walk around and they sleep.

The cocoon is for the caterpillar

That might be food. They eat leaves.

Observational drawing by Audrey

Something's in it - maybe a butterfly.

They come from eggs, they turn into caterpillars, and then they turn into butterflies.

And push out into a butterfly!

It looks like fish; it is the same color. It looks like a Daddy Long Legs with its leg stuck in the web.

The caterpillars will turn into butterflies and then will fly.

I never even had to ask, What do you wonder? The preschoolers were mesmerized by the disappearance of crawling caterpillars and the arrival of four chrysalises hanging from the top of the jar. Their questions poured forth - 

Observational drawing by Henry

What are the webs for?

Are the caterpillars shaking the cocoons inside?

What let's it hang?

What is the gakky [sic] thing on the bottom?

Did the cocoon on the bottom die?

What do caterpillars eat? I wonder if they eat dirt?

Is it a spider web.

Are there new baby eggs in the jar?

What are the black fuzzy things on the bottom? Is it part of a caterpillar?

Why shouldn't we touch it?

Is the cocoon on the bottom eating the food?

Would the caterpillars be scared?

Observational drawing by Gabrielle

The most frequent wonder revolved around the movement of the chrysalises - these definitely appeared to be shaking, wiggling, moving. I loved this exchange between four students -

What is making them shake?

- Because they are shaking a lot of days.

- Caterpillars are playing in their house.

- Because they are trying to spread out their wings.

It is amazing how much language and thinking comes forth when preschoolers can watch this metamorphosis right up close!

Tuesday SOL: Why do we miss the essentialness of play?

I am participating in the
Tuesday Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day.

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

Today, I feel a little bit like I am on a rant...talking about the same old, same old. Many years ago, when serving on a ‘Minister Search Committee’ for my church, I heard it said that every preacher has basically five good sermons – essential messages to which they keep coming back. I wonder the same thing about this early childhood blog – what are the top five things I keep saying over and over, even if packaging it or introducing it in different ways? What’s at my core? I have to believe that I write about more than five things, but I keep coming back to certain beliefs:

1. Let children play - let them choose their own fun, make their own learning.
2. Be present while they play - notice, converse, extend.
3. Make the preschool classroom a laboratory, filled with tinkering, exploring, creating, wondering, discovering.
4. Help novice teachers see the richness and importance of all of the above.
5. Advocate for all of the above.

Yes, here I am today with more of the same. I worry so about our young children. What is happening to their childhood? I worry about how much we are preoccupied when we are around them, I worry about the strict routines to which we hold them, I worry about the academics we are spoon-feeding them rather than letting them choose their own adventures. I think about how much the world has changed for the average three year old over the past quarter century - getting dressed and out the door first thing each morning, being confined with many peers of the exact same age for eight to ten hours a day, following teacher's instructions, coming home and eating and going to bed, to repeat the same thing the next day. 

I worry about how my perspective is perceived by many as 'cute', 'quaint', 'old-fashioned.'

Just this past week, we had family conferences and I found myself 'preaching'...one dear family with an academically-able child asked if she should skip pre-k 4 and advance directly to kindergarten next year. I teach three year olds. No, no, no, no, no! Please, why? Why are we rushing childhood? Why do we think we should push children? The learning that happens when they play with their peers is priceless: problem-solving, persevering, becoming socially competent.

Thankfully, my perspective isn't seen as 'out of touch' by all - one family shared how their child loves coming to preschool each day. This Mom suggested that the classroom was like a laboratory, and added "I feel that my child needs to do, needs to make, needs to feel satisfied." She thanked me for providing a classroom that allowed her child daily adventure, a place where she can make something new happen each day. These are words I live by!

sol17-30 Won't you sleep?

I am participating in the
Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC).
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day of March 2017. 

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity
for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

I have one little preschooler who, no matter the day, cannot settle herself, stay quiet, or fall asleep at naptime unless she has a teacher's help. Truly, this is an amazing year because there is only one such student in the midst of a class of twenty-two preschoolers. There are several who are slow to nap and a handful who don't nap at all - but each of these is very quiet and respectful, able to self-soothe. Now, late March, this little girl and we teachers have our routine down - we first help everyone else in the room find their cot, lovey, special blanket, etc., and then one of us finds our way to her cot and sit down next to her, rubbing and patting her back. It actually has become a very sweet ritual. As I watched her fall asleep today, I thought I should try to capture some of this in a poem. Here goes!

I'll watch her fall to sleep.

She smiles and stares, all wide-eyed,

She calls out to her friends.

She's doing aerobics on her cot

Her body twists and bends.

I'll watch her fall to sleep.

I tell her it is time to rest,

She can't be dancing on the bed.

She frowns with slight protest

But agrees to what I said.

I'll watch her fall to sleep.

She fidgets with her lovey,

she tries not to make a sound.

Then she calls "Ms. Ingram!"

giving a pat to the ground. 

I'll watch her fall to sleep.

I move my chair next to her cot

She asks, "Will you stay with me?"

I reassure her, "I am here,

Now you must lay quietly."

I'll watch her fall to sleep.

She is so sweet and I wonder why

This napping becomes so hard.

We all learn at our own pace,

One day she will need no guard. 

I'll watch her fall to sleep.

I pat her back a little bit,

And I pat her back some more.

She wiggles her feet, nestles in,

Her blanket falls to the floor.

I'll watch her fall to sleep.

I pat her back in gentle rhythm.

Adjust her blanket just fine

The thumb goes in her mouth

I know that's a sleepy sign.

I'll watch her fall to sleep.

She looks up at me with one last glance,

Then softly closes her eyes.

There's a rhythm to her breathing

For which there is no disguise.

-->

I watched her fall to sleep.

sol17-2 Where can it be?

I am participating in the
Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC).
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day of March 2017.

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity for
teacher-writers to share and reflect.

Searching.

I've gone around and around my house, looking for my dressy black jacket with the small floral designs on the cuffs. It would be the perfect thing to throw on this evening, for our Learning Showcase, to switch from school day casual to a more refined, professional, "Your children have worked hard so I'm styling for you" look. Where is the darn jacket? I have a small house, I have very few and small closets, where can it be? First glance at the closet reveals nothing. Slow down. I flip through the clothes hangers from the left side, then I flip from the right, I repeat, I search the floor, I search my husband's closet, I search the front hall closet with the winter coats - no reason for it to be there, but, there's no reason for it not to be in my closet, so now anyplace is possible. Did I take it on a trip and leave it somewhere? Did I take it to the cleaners and forget about it? How long ago did I last wear it? (How long ago did I last 'where' it?) Why isn't it here? What's my back up plan? No, I think I wore my red jacket to the last Learning Showcase. Actually, I'm not sure. The black dressy sweater would be nice. Here I go again, back to the closet. Searching from the left, searching from the right. What the heck? Where is my black dressy sweater? Sit. Sip your morning tea. Write a slice of life. Clear your mind of the morning fog. All will be well.

As I stew in my early morning confusion, I remember a preschooler's adorable and witty folktale...after week's of reading, dramatizing, and re-telling folktales together, every child has shared their own. (These will be on display tonight as well!) One preschooler recalled a family 'censure' of her older brother and wove this into her tale -

Adam. My Mom get angry with him because Adam says "What the heck!" A sorceress comes to Adam. She laughs at Adam. She cuts his hair off. Adam goes back home. My Mom and my Dad and Kevin and I say, "That's crazy!" And my Mom says, "What the heck!"
                    The End

New year, renewed expectations

This is a Tuesday
Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day. 

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity
for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

I received a very special book this past Christmas: The Book of Joy, wherein the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu share their insights on how to find joy in the midst of adversity. The book is powerfully uplifting, filled with nuggets of wisdom. Here's one from Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

To choose hope is to step firmly forward into the howling wind, baring one's chest to the elements, knowing that, in time, the storm will pass.

This simple blog of mine, focusing primarily on preschoolers, has given me much joy over the past few years. And yet, somehow, over the past few months, I have had a writer's block, an inability to figure out what to say or do with it next.

But I have joyful news! Here, in the new year, after much reflection - in large part, instigated by this sweet Christmas gift -  I am feeling very hopeful about my early childhood blog again. I realize my writing matters to me. I like it, I love it. I want to 'keep on keeping on' about this one small piece of the world, to shine light on our youngest students, and share this joy.

Right now, it is what really matters to me. 

To kick off this new year of feeling inspired in my writing, let me share some sweet photos of our new year in the classroom. The preschoolers have returned from winter break delighted to be together, ravenous for new experiences, and full of joy! Just like me!

We continue to build detailed structures in the block center.

We have added balls and ramps to the block center, and the children are working like engineers to discover all sorts of unique ways to make the balls roll. They are creating tunnels, sharp inclines, flat roads, jumps, and much more.

There is always something different going on in the Art area! Our first day back, we used simple scratchboards to draw and write about our winter break. An on-going project is to create paper puppets, in order to share a story. We are fully immersed in folktales, reading a wonderful variety of books, and we are beginning to create our own stories.

Over in the dramatic play, we have created a new business: Hair by the Big Cats. It is both a beauty parlor and a barbershop. Each day brings more questions, curiosity, and pure fun!

Of course, we are writing in so many different ways. Here is our haircut schedule, prepared by a preschool receptionist. We think of ourselves as writers!

We also write our own original books in the writing center. One of the biggest joys is to share these books aloud at the end of the day, with all our classmates. 

So, there you have it! I am recommitted to writing this early childhood blog in 2017 - and to slice on Tuesdays with Two Writing Teachers! I hope you will wander by to read. 

Tuesday SOL Faces I have found

This is a Tuesday Slice of Life for Two Writing Teachers. 

Check out their website for many more reflections on teaching.


______________________________

In the writing center,
the art corner,
in crayon,
pencil,
paint.

No one tells them to draw or paint people. 

Yet,
they appear

and disappear

spontaneously.

Round faces,
triangle parts,
square possibilities.  

Spidery lines.
Arms and legs? 

Or is that hair? 

Big wide eyes, and

every now and again,

eyebrows and pupils, too.

Crooked lips, 

tilted smile,

frazzled look.

Ears?

Unsure.

Nose?

Not consistently.

Hair?

Sometimes.

No one tells them to draw or paint people. 

Yet,
they appear and 

disappear
spontaneously.

SOLSC 2015 #15: How can I convince you?

Each day during March, I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC). All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day for thirty-one days. My slices will be primarily about teaching preschoolers. Check out the Two Writing Teachers  website for lots more reflections on teaching. Thanks especially to Stacey, Tara, Anna, Beth, Dana, and Betsy for hosting this writing challenge. 

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I have spent a good bit of time this weekend drafting report cards for second trimester. For each preschooler, I prepare a narrative focusing on their social-emotional, cognitive, and academic progress.

It's amazing what jumps out at me, today - in time for a blog post! 

As I write, for example,

• about her love for building ramps, how this is where she heads whenever she has free choice of activities, and that she has a precise plan for what she will construct...or 
• about his willingness and readiness to try every new activity, however, he quickly runs off when something is more difficult or challenging then he imagined...

I realize (again!) that children's play provides tremendous insight into how they learn. 

How he himself learns. 

How she herself learns.

I fully believe adults can help foster stronger academic skills through play. Playing off the two examples above, I would look for ways to help them extend their focus, or ways to help them consider another idea than the one they had originally.

However, writing report cards, it leaps off the page how children are helping themselves develop stronger academic skills through their play.  I see them -

fixing, 

trying, 

persisting,

re-purposing,

imagining,

gaining more patience,

being more flexible,

and more.

Juxtapose this insight with a brief conversation I had recently with an acquaintance, a young father, upon meeting his three year old child, who will turn four late next fall. 

I inquired, 

"Oh, so will he start preschool/pre-k 3 in the fall?" 

"Oh, no, I hope not. He's already in a daycare program. They play too much. I want him with older kids. He's really smart. I'm going to see if I can get him in with 4 and 5 year olds. I want him to learn to read and to write his name."

To which I quickly (and somewhat aggressively, I realize now) responded, 

"May I give you my two minute preaching on this subject? This is the age I work with every day...three year olds...you want him in a good quality play-based program. Let him learn about himself, what excites him, what is fun, how to speak up, ask questions. You want him playing right now, working with other children, learning how to be a great friend. Seriously, don't rush him."

The look my acquaintance gave me as he scooted away assured me he thought I was nuts.

Can a nut plant seeds?

SOLSC #23 Thinking about academics

I am posting every day during March as part of the annual "Slice of Life" Challenge for Two Writing Teachers.  Check out their website for lots more reflections on teaching.

*******

To know me is to know that I believe in play, exploration, and social-emotional learning in preschool, opportunities for children to learn and enjoy being together.

Something I often wonder -
Do families realize how much true academic work is happening alongside all this play?
Do they believe that social-emotional learning is emphasized at the expense of academics?

I dare to say that

to emphasize play, exploration, and social-emotional learning 

leads to richer, deeper, stronger early literacy and mathematics learning.

Play is the very best way to teach preschoolers anything and everything!


A moment last week -

a boy, playing with playdough and counting bears, building a large boat for the bears. He calls to me, "Ms. Ingram, look! I have 14 bears on this boat!"

Me - "Fourteen? Wow, that is a lot of bears! How do you know there are 14?"

And he proceeds to count the bears trapped in his playdough boat, one-by-one.

I nudge him further, pointing to index card numerals that I have laid out on the table as a part of this activity,
"Is the numeral 14 here? Which numeral matches how many bears are on your boat?"

He studies these and chooses "10."

I nudge him to count the small dots underneath this numeral -
"Do those dots add up to the same number of bears on your boat? Is it the same total?"

Methodically, slowly, one-by-one, he counts the dots on the 10 card and says,
 "No, that's not right. It is more."
He puts the card down and grabs the "14" - "See, this one, this one is right." Then he counts the dots on the 14 card to be sure.

Me - "Wow. That is a lot of bears! And you are right, that is the numeral 14. You have matched the numeral to your quantity."

"Now I am going to have more bears on my boat!," he declares and begins to throw in additional bears and get back to his play, bears in the boat.

All of this takes a matter of moments.

I have intentionally woven math opportunities into the play. At the beginning of the school year, according to my baseline data, this young child wasn't recognizing any numerals. He was not able to identify quantities for three objects, let alone fourteen.

Math in the preschool classroom is intentional and organic - woven into all we do -
- how many kids are at that table? 
- how many children are absent?
- how many dress ups do we have? who is playing family with you and how many is that?
- what blocks will you use to make that bigger? what can you tell me about your design's shape?
- "let's make a number line for our classroom!"
- what will you do next? what did you do before?
- how can you make a bigger firetruck? how much bigger does it need to be?
- is this the same or different? how is it different? 
- do you see any patterns
- who is first? who is second? 
- how many people are in your picture?
- is she taller or shorter than you?
- will this container hold more sand than your container? or less?
- how many napkins will we need for everyone?

When we allow children the flexibility to choose their own learning,
to play and explore with what interests and excites them, and
have faith in our ability to weave math and literacy into this fun,
I have no doubt that
the academic learning is profuse and genuine.

**************

(A daily share by preschoolers in their own words)

A Story Collage by Shaan

     This is a story for my Mom. The sun is on top and everyone is warm. Ezra Jack Keats is there and Julian was there and he is jumping on something, a special jump rope. There was a mommy of somebody. The bats fly away and they try to get all the vegetables. When the kids get too sweaty, they go back inside. And they have chocolate milk and Ezra Jack Keats and Julian go to school. Mommy goes to work, she never goes back to school. The End.