climbing

I know that there has been quite a bit of talk in regards to a little person's need to climb.  Many of my peers in the child development world recognize the benefits of allowing a child to climb.  What better way to explore one's body and capabilities than to climb?  What an incredible experience in problem solving, being courageous, and testing the limits.  

While at the park last week another caregiver admonished me for allowing the three year old to climb up and down and around on the playground equipment while I stood and observed.  What if he fell, she exclaimed.  Don't I worry about him getting hurt or lost?  She offered up several other reasons about why I was not a good caretaker.  I then began to explain to her that the little person knew where I was and how he could find me if he needed me, that he trusted me to come if he needed help.  I explained that I trusted him to explore in this very developmentally appropriate play structure.  I also told her (much to her shock) that yes, he may fall, but don't we all fall at some point in life and that's how we learn to get back up?  Exasperated she left before I could go on about the benefits I saw him gaining from climbing, but I spoke my piece and went back to observing my little person.

These photos are pieces of what I observed and I believe that they serve as a strong documentation in support of the power of climbing.  When I go back and look at these photos I see a little person who is curiously exploring not only the space around him, but his own body's movements.  I see him figure out how to move across different types of structures and I see him overcoming his own reservations about moving on certain pieces.

Climb On!

top 10: materials for the science area

Here is a list of my top 10 favorite items that I like to make sure are always in a science area.


1.  live plants
2.  a fish or other animal
3.  magnifying glasses
4.  trays of petals, seeds, grass, bark, or other nature items
5.  pencils/sharpies and notebooks
6.  items for measuring such as paperclips/popsicle sticks/coins
7.  a scale
8.  empty containers for the little people to use in collecting and sorting
9.  tweezers
10. materials and picture instructions to make play dough

What items do you like to include in science areas?

top 10: materials for the writing area

Here is a list of my top ten favorite materials to include in the writing area.


1.  charcoal
2.  oil pastels
3.  clipboards
4.  dry erase boards and markers
5.  greeting cards and envelopes
6.  stapler
7.  tape
8.  a variety of lined and unlined paper
9.  pens
10. calendars

What materials do you like to include in the writing area?

top 10: materials to build a fort

Here is a list of my top ten favorite items to use for fort building with the little people.


1.  large cardboard boxes
2.  unneeded two by fours
3.  branches
4.  foam boards
5.  egg cartons
6.  sheets
7.  pvc pipes
9.  paper bags
10. wire that is easy to bend

What items do you like to use for fort building?

top 10: tools to use with clay

Here is a list of my top ten favorite (non cookie cutter) tools to explore clay.


1.  wire
2.  potato masher
3.  butter knife
4.  wooden rolling pin
5.  beads
6.  bottle caps
7.  cars with interesting tire treads
8.  sticks
9.  forks
10. sand paper squares

What interesting tools or object do you like to introduce with clay?

top 10: alphabet books

Here is a list of my top 10 favorite alphabet books to share with little people.


1.  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
2.  Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming
3.  Museum ABC by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
4.  A is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet by Stephen Johnson
5.  Gone Wild by McLimans
6.  A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play by Ida Pearle
7.  Discovering Nature's Alphabet by Krystina Castella
8.  Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book by Jeanette Winter
9.  The Human Alphabet by Pilobolus and John Kane
10. ABC in Chicago by Robin Segal

What is your favorite alphabet book to share with little people?

developmentally appropriate practice

There's been a lot of talk about the need for developmentally appropriate practice and more talk about our youngest learners not meeting standards in the content areas.  The problem then becomes that many people take the need to meet content standards to the level of pushing down academics into preschool learning environments.  This then creates environments in which play (and therefore developmentally appropriate practice) gets lost in the effort to "prepare children for school".

What actually happens is the opposite of the intended effect.  Rather than having little people who are socially prepared to interact with peers and teachers, think creatively, problem solve, express themselves, and enjoy learning, we end up with little people who are stressed, socially delayed, and do not love discovering.  Yes, they may be able to recite information, but they aren't really prepared.

Instead, there needs to be a balance between what is expected in the content areas and what is appropriate for little people.  This is where early childhood teacher (and administrator) preparation is necessary.  The youngest learners need the best adults working with them as they learn about themselves and the world.  More than that, teachers need to be observant of what is happening with their little people and be prepared to use the children's interests and skill level to create learning opportunities through play.

Here is an example.  The young preschooler in my care is fascinated with cars and trucks and gets frustrated when his parents try to use flashcards with him.  (I would too, flashcards are annoying.)  Yesterday we drew a city on butcher paper for the cars to interact upon.   At the corner of the paper I drew a parking lot by creating several rows and columns.  I then challenged the little person to park the cars at clean up time, with the caveat that only one car could be in each parking spot to keep them safe.  As he started to park the cars, he realized that he had more cars than parking spots.  I reminded him of the challenge of one car per spot and so he used a crayon to draw the 2 extra parking spots that were needed before parking the final two cars.  During this activity he was exploring the concept of one to one correspondence, problem solving, creative thinking, and was using his fine motor control.  All this was done without interrupting his agenda and in a natural and playful way.

In the end, he will remember the concept of matching objects one to one in a more meaningful way than he will any of the things trying to be forced on him through direct instruction.