New Use for an Old Favorite Story

This week's project, damaged book turned literary art work. 

Last week I mentioned that I have been reading We're Going on a Bear Hunt with my new class of two and three year olds. The kids love this book right now and each time I read it with them I look for new ways to create fun learning experiences for the classroom inspired by the story and its illustrations. I just love how a good story can weave its way throughout your life and so likewise I always try to have one classic story as the backbone of my preschool curriculum, the place from which so many projects, games, conversations and learning opportunities of all kinds emerge. Right now, this is the story on which I am building. This story is so well loved that it's pages were literally starting to fall apart from so much wear. This weekend I retired it and replaced it with the board book version we had in our school's collection. Despite it's sad condition, I couldn't bear to part with our beloved book so I decided, instead, to celebrate it by reconstructing the pages of the story into a piece of art to display in the library corner of our classroom.

found at this lovely blog

I can't take credit for this art project because like many ideas for my classrooms over the years, it was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest. Now that I am just about full time now in my new room at the school in Maine where I have been employed since we arrived in Portland back in September, I have been going back through many of the DIY Pins I have collected this year looking for inspiration. I stumbled upon this neat Cat in the Hat story art piece and immediately thought of the bear hunt book I knew was on its last days in the classroom. I don't have a canvas yet and I am not replicating it exactly, but what you see above is my progress as of last night. Hopefully by the end of the week I can report back with the final product and let you know what my kiddos think of it once I display it above the books in the story corner of our classroom. My hope is that not only will the story board draw attention to this part of the classroom, but it will also serve as a visual reminder of the children's favorite story. They love "reading" the story to me, using the illustrations to trigger their memory of the words which many have memorized almost entirely. This activity not only helps the kiddos to develop some important literary skills, like story telling, sequential ordering of events, vocabulary building, and word recall, it also serves as a way to connect with the story on a deeper level, to see the illustrations as the works of art that they are, and it helps document for the parents what we've been up to and what we are currently interested in as a class. Not to mention, it likely gives the parents a visual for a story they've likely heard all about.

Blocks found in this Etsy shop

In addition to all the literacy benefits of creating story art like this one, I believe that re-purposing something that could have easily ended up in the recycle bin provides the kids with a valuable lesson on DIY and creativity. If you've read any of my previous posts, you've probably gathered that I have quite an interest in creating handmade materials for the children in my lives. I'm hoping I have enough pictures left over from my story board project that I can attempt to put together a story block set like the one pictured on the left I stumbled across while browsing on Etsy one day. I'd love to get as much use out of our bear hunt book as possible and offer the kids as many ways as I can to dig deeper into one of their favorite stories. My interest in DIY is not simply a way to fulfill my need to create, but I love to use it as a way to inspire children and show them what they too can be capable of, which is why whenever possible I like to work on my projects either with the help of the children, or while in the classroom with them so that my projects serve as a provocation for them. In the past this has led to kids in my preschool class back in Seattle making their own books by stapling paper together and filling in the pages and learning to master the art of crown making for their dramatic play, and even creating origami critters that became the key characters in their small world play. When it comes to developing self-sufficiency and DIY skills, there is no better way to teach than by example and so I do my best to fill my classroom spaces with as many handmade items as I can, assuming the quality of my work is up to par with the rest of the materials in the classroom, which isn't always the case. But then again, moving on from failure and trying again is just as valuable a lesson and one which I am happy to pass on. Not all my projects meet the aesthetic qualifications for my classrooms but that will never stop me from continuing to work. 

Blocks, Building, and Beyond!

The right accessories can add so much depth to block play.

There are nearly six weeks between my last day working with K in Hawaii and my first day working with my new group of sweet little munchkins at the Battenkill Summer Camp starting July 8th. That is a long time for me to go without hanging out with little ones, but it has given me a wonderful (and rare) opportunity to catch up on all those projects I've been meaning to do but never have enough time to work on. I get to hang out in the children's section at the Northshire Bookstore, one of my favorite places in Manchester, VT to check out some new children's books and look over a few classics to provide inspiration for a few aforementioned projects, which I'm sure I'll tell you about later this summer. While I was there, I found this awesome block play set which I couldn't not share because it inspired me to get on Pinterest and pull together an entire board dedicated to block play which I have titled, Blocks, Building, and Beyond.

Plain wood blocks of varying shapes and sizes inspire creative, innovative play

There are so many different kinds of blocks and building toys and accessories to accompany them and they are so important to play and the development of creativity, innovation, and provoking children's interest in concepts of mechanics, engineering, physics, and design, among other things. If you don't have a block & building station in your classroom and/or playroom, then check out my pinboard immediately for inspiration to create one today. There are so many benefits to playing with blocks, and though they are often marketed to boys, girls get just as into them and get just as much out of them. When it comes to blocks and accessories, I say the simpler the better. The simpler the blocks the less restricted kids will feel when deciding how to use them. Too much detail and too specific of design means fewer ways they can be used and the more parts are needed to reach the same level of creativity and really, who has the space and money to fill an entire room with different blocks and accessories?

Set up a track with the kiddos and watch story after beautiful story unfold.

Building isn't limited to just blocks either, when I was a kid I loved playing with Lincoln Logs and Brio Trains as well. When I was in college I used to nanny for a family down the road and their son, little Ray, who was a toddler at the time, had a near-obsessive love of Thomas the Tank Engine, like so many other little ones have and probably still do. Ray and I used to play trains for hours together and when we weren't playing with his train table and set, we were watching train movies and reading Thomas books. He knew the stories so well that he would set up the scene on his table just as it happened in the stories and then point, shouting at me to "read it!" I did not know the stories as well as he and so often when I would try to "read" the story to him he would correct me and tell me what really happened. This was my first experience narrating a child's play and from little Ray I learned just how powerful this practice can be. Together we brought his favorite stories to life and after a while, it didn't matter as much how well I knew the story because I could simply watch him move the trains and narrate the scene as he unfolded the action. I would put a train table, or something like it in every classroom and home if I could. If only I had a picture of that sweet boy playing at his trains to share.

Posters and photos in the block station are a must.

Block play has more benefits than simply provoking interest in an array of scientific concepts, though I'd be perfectly happy if that was the only one. Little Ray build his vocabulary from playing with trains, he worked his memory and learned the literary concepts of storytelling, and he brought something from his imagination to life in a way that left his filled with joy and satisfaction. Block play builds motor skills, dexterity, balance, and concentration and it teaches kids to think outside the box and pay attention and care to their surroundings else they might knock over their creations. Building together with friends creates invaluable opportunities to practice social skills, problem-solving, out-side-of-the-box thinking, cooperation and teamwork, and so much more. I really cannot say enough about this kind of play, which is why I finally created a pinboard on which to showcase all the exciting block and building related materials I come across in my research, including complementary books, accessories, building materials, organizational tips, and so much more. I have seen so many projects and extended learning evolve from block and building play over the years, there is no limit to the benefits that come from these kinds of open-ended, child-directed activities. If you have any stories to share about blocks and building with kids, please share you experiences in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you!

Behind the Scenes: Developing a Reggio Preschool

The week before last, while K was away with her friends, I got to start designing in earnest the curriculum for the farm preschool cooperative. Heather, K’s mom, came up with 3 core areas of focus for the curriculum outlining what she wanted the kids in her program to learn and emailed it to me. I had previously been working on a document spelling out the features of the Reggio Approach and how to set up a program that embodied this philosophy. While this is bound to be a helpful in training teachers and parents, I needed to understand what Heather wanted out of this program before I could really get down into the details of curriculum design. Her outline gave me exactly what I needed and the past two weeks have left me exploding with inspiration and excitement. So this week I’ve decided to let you in on what’s been keeping me busy here on the farm when I am not with K. Aside from all the crafting that is. 

Painting alphabet stones, capital letters on one side and lower-case on the other, K loves picking a stone and listing off words that start with the sound her chosen letter makes. Knowing I made them invites her to think about what she could make too.

Curriculum design is my favorite part of working in education. I love it. Researching and developing interesting and engaging learning materials, contemplating the various facets of child development and figuring out how to best support student growth is what puts me in my element, as Ken Robinson would say. I could (and often do) spend hours and hours on Pinterest and Google stocking up on ideas for designing quality classrooms that promote powerful and enjoyable learning experiences for both students and teachers. I love reading articles and books on the subject and talking about it with anyone who will listen. This week, while Heather and K have family in town, I get the chance to pull my knowledge and experience together and build a program from the ground up. Now that the foundation work is done, fleshing out the philosophy, mission statement, and approach, and identifying the core focus areas upon which the curriculum will build, I get dive into the nuts and bolts of how to actually support each child’s development in the areas Heather identified.

Now, when I say that I am designing a curriculum, I mean not that I am mapping out every learning experience, experiment, and lesson that these kids will take part in throughout their many days at school. Rather, I mean that I am researching and pulling together resources to design a well-rounded classroom environment that offers students opportunities to develop their skills in the areas that interest them most. In a Reggio-Inspired program, the classrooms themselves are a crucial teaching tool, filled with engaging materials and tools to explore them with so that no matter where each student's curiosity takes him/her a valuable learning experience is bound to take place. So what I am doing is taking the concepts within each of the three core focus areas Heather outlined and finding as many materials and resources as possible that will help support learning and growth in these ares. Then once the classroom is complete, students will have the chance to explore their environment and engage with the materials and activities that speak them as they are inspired to do so. While this is happening, the Reggio teacher observes and collaborates with students and continues to develop new ways to compliment each student's learning by bringing in new resources and activities to build on their existing knowledge and skills. 

Notice all the different learning stations, the purposeful design and careful organization, and the supportive and welcoming atmosphere of this space that just begs to be explored at Bear Park preschool in New Zealand

Each program is unique because the core areas of focus depend on the values of the community and each classroom is designed with it's particular inhabitants in mind. Here I will share the backbone of the curriculum I am designing here on the farm with Heather. She chose three areas of focus that she thought were most important and together we identified the core concepts within these three. The core focus areas are not the lessons the kids will learn, but more like the context or frame in which learning opportunities are presented. Always, however, it is the children who create their own educational experiences, we teachers and administrators simply cultivate a community and classroom through which to support each students' individual learning style and educational pursuits. For the farm preschool cooperative, this is how the curriculum is beginning to take shape:

The first core curriculum focus is on Social & Personal Responsibility. This covers interpersonal skills, mindfulness, self-awareness, empathy and altruism, civic engagement, community service, self-care and caring for others, and other social and emotional skills. Many schools pay very little attention to development in these areas, either valuing it less than the more “academic” skills or assuming that it is the parents’ job to instill values in their children. First of all, there are tons of academic fields devoted to studying these topics and tons of studies demonstrating the importance of developing social and emotional skills from the very beginning of childhood. Second, kids spend almost as much time (sometimes more) with teachers and peers than they do with their parents, especially with so many single parents working extra just to get the bills paid. It is more important than ever for schools to teach these things. To help organize ideas on how to address this core focus of the curriculum and teach the concepts listed above, I have created a new board on Pinterest called, CoreCurriculum: Social & Personal Responsibility. Check it out for inspiration and resources on incorporating social and emotional development in the classroom.

To satisfy her desire to make the world a better place, Miss Rumphius planted flowers all over her neighborhood, this story leads to beautiful and inspiring conversations of how each one of us can help make the world a better place.

 The second core focus is on Agriculture & Sustainability. Being situated on a farm in an agricultural community, it made sense to use agriculture as a means of gathering knowledge about the world and how it works. As far as sustainability goes, Heather and I both recognize that the children of the next generations are not going to be able to rely on the fossil fuels that supported our generation. By helping these kids see our growing world through a lens of sustainability, we aim to prepare them for the future they are likely to inherit. To protect our earth and it’s resources, it is never too early for kids to begin seeking out more creative and sustainable sources of energy and development, not to mention the many intangible rewards of leading a more sustainable lifestyle. Topics making up the bulk of this core focus include the food cycle, the healing power and nutritional benefits of food, ecology, biomimicry, building and design, recycling, self-sufficiency skills, problem-solving, natural and environmental sciences, cooking, harnessing the earth’s natural resources, living in harmony with rather than in opposition to the plant and animal species, and many more. Resources and inspiration for integrating these concepts into the curriculum can be found on my new Pinterest board called Core Curriculum: Agriculture& Sustainability. It is our hope that looking at the world from this perspective will help these kids be prepared to successfully tackle the challenges that lie in wait.

I showed her the new eggplant and now every day K wants to go out to the garden and check its growth. I shared my interest with her, knowing her love of food, her interest is piqued. Now we have countless opportunities to learn about how plants grow, why we cultivate our garden, all the while deepening her respect for the earth that feeds us, and the cycle of life.

The third and final core focus for the farm preschool cooperative is Creativity & the Arts. Problem-solving, innovation, and critical thinking are all highly related to creativity and unfortunately in most public schools, the arts are the first programs to be cut. Art, be it painting, sculpting, dance, interior design, architecture, cake decorating, flower arranging, scrap booking, landscaping, poetry and song writing, acting, and everything else, is a way for people to creatively express their ideas, experiences, and emotions. Art is an engaging and enjoyable way for students to explore every academic inquiry and topic out there. How better to learn the human skeletal structure than to accurately draw or sculpt it, or understand the concepts of geometry by drawing and designing a tree-house and then actually building it? The arts invite students to engage in the creative process, teaching them new ways of thinking and to see the world from multiple perspectives. Art allows students to develop a number of skills and is often the saving grace for many students who struggle to learn via lecture and instruction and would otherwise flounder in traditional programs. For ideas on how to facilitate creativity and the arts in the classroom, check out my new Pinterest board, Core Curriculum: Creativity & the Arts.

Blocks of all shapes and sizes are an excellent way for kids to develop creativity and put their imaginations to work. Not only are the planning and design beneficial and stretch their artistic muscles, but the play that resulting from their creations allows children to try on different roles and work through problems as they speak and act for the characters in their games.

You probably noticed that there are a lot of traditional academic subjects missing from this curriculum. They are there, just not in the way most of us are used to. Rather than separating subjects like history, literacy, math, and others, our curriculum addresses these subjects through the lens of the three core focus areas. For example, exploration of the food we eat lends itself perfectly to talking about the social and cultural aspects of culinary traditions. As students learn to prepare different foods together, they will find out where different kinds of foods grow, how other cultures cook, why they eat the food they do, what the terrain is like, why communities settled where they did, etc. The subjects not listed directly in the core areas are addressed within the context of projects that are born from the core concepts. This is how learning happens in emergent and project-based classrooms, through interdisciplinary projects collaboratively designed between students and teachers that emerge organically from the interests and questions of the students themselves.

This is how learning happens outside of school, and in Reggio-Inspired programs, this is also how it happens within schools. This is why I love the Reggio Approach; learning is synonymous with play, excitement, and adventure, not tests, lectures and boredom. Students follow their innate intellectual curiosities while teachers ask them about their ideas, theories, and hypotheses. Teachers listen to their students and support their interests and pull other students in who have complimentary interests and skills to collaborate as a group to deepen and broaden everyone’s understanding of the concepts being explored. All topics become mysteries that need solving and each child gets the chance to investigate those they are most drawn to alongside peers who are all doing the same. Teachers, in these self-directed classrooms, weave their way between individuals and groups observing, listening, posing new questions and offering different perspectives, joining in their efforts, and continually seek out new ideas to share with their kids. Not only this, but teachers are allowed to be students themselves, not the sole proprietors of information. Alongside their students these teachers pursue the topics that most interest them, modeling how to learn and sharing their enthusiasm with curious students. Together, in a community of equals joined by their desire to learn, knowledge is constructed and celebrated.