Reminder: Closed Tomorrow, 10/14
Another reminder that we are closed tomorrow for teacher in-service. We'll see you on Monday!
More on Marshmallows, Part II on Self-Regulation
In last week's newsletter we touched on the experiment known as the "marshmallow test" which deals with with concepts of self-regulation and delayed gratification in children, and eventually, adults. Writing about the test and reflecting on what to write in this week's follow up really got me to thinking about something that we are all being exposed to, that is if we feel like doing any kind of reading, radio-listening or television watching, and that is the ultra-saturation of "news" regarding the current election season. In our geographic region, we are unlucky enough to be hit by not only the swirling, twirling national election, but info and debate in our state races and all of the ads and hub-bub from two other states, New York and New Hampshire. Where ever you stand, I think it's fair to say, it's all a bit much, and a perfect of example of those without much self-regulation. I have to thank my lucky stars sometimes that in my line of work, I get to avoid all the bluster. I learn a great deal from quieting down, slowing down and really watching and listening to the children in my care. In doing so, it's my hope to help them develop the skills necessary to succeed in their relationships, as well as their educational lives, future workplaces; above all, to be good people. Oh, and if they become politicians, to avoid negative attack ads of course.
So, how exactly can we help build the executive functioning skills that we know from research and experience are crucial to successful outcomes for our children? According to Shauna Tominey Associate Research Scientist at Yale and author of the book Stop, Think Act, Integrating Self-Regulation in the Early Childhood Classroom, building self-regulation begins with strong adult-child relationships and models of self-regulation in a child's life. So first and foremost the quality time piece is key, and that means without screens, and often following the child's interests, no matter how goofy it can seem in the moment. For instance, this week the children in my classroom wanted to know why the insoles in their shoes came out from the shoe. They had lots of great ideas. We needed to explore that together and moments where an adult stops, slows and validates their interests only makes stronger the bond.
One way to actually model the self-regulation is by speaking out loud to your children when you directly encounter moments where you yourself have to regulate your own behavior. Here are two great examples from Tominey:
Another reminder that we are closed tomorrow for teacher in-service. We'll see you on Monday!
More on Marshmallows, Part II on Self-Regulation
In last week's newsletter we touched on the experiment known as the "marshmallow test" which deals with with concepts of self-regulation and delayed gratification in children, and eventually, adults. Writing about the test and reflecting on what to write in this week's follow up really got me to thinking about something that we are all being exposed to, that is if we feel like doing any kind of reading, radio-listening or television watching, and that is the ultra-saturation of "news" regarding the current election season. In our geographic region, we are unlucky enough to be hit by not only the swirling, twirling national election, but info and debate in our state races and all of the ads and hub-bub from two other states, New York and New Hampshire. Where ever you stand, I think it's fair to say, it's all a bit much, and a perfect of example of those without much self-regulation. I have to thank my lucky stars sometimes that in my line of work, I get to avoid all the bluster. I learn a great deal from quieting down, slowing down and really watching and listening to the children in my care. In doing so, it's my hope to help them develop the skills necessary to succeed in their relationships, as well as their educational lives, future workplaces; above all, to be good people. Oh, and if they become politicians, to avoid negative attack ads of course.
So, how exactly can we help build the executive functioning skills that we know from research and experience are crucial to successful outcomes for our children? According to Shauna Tominey Associate Research Scientist at Yale and author of the book Stop, Think Act, Integrating Self-Regulation in the Early Childhood Classroom, building self-regulation begins with strong adult-child relationships and models of self-regulation in a child's life. So first and foremost the quality time piece is key, and that means without screens, and often following the child's interests, no matter how goofy it can seem in the moment. For instance, this week the children in my classroom wanted to know why the insoles in their shoes came out from the shoe. They had lots of great ideas. We needed to explore that together and moments where an adult stops, slows and validates their interests only makes stronger the bond.
One way to actually model the self-regulation is by speaking out loud to your children when you directly encounter moments where you yourself have to regulate your own behavior. Here are two great examples from Tominey:
- If you pick up a dessert on your way home from work, rather than taking a bite in the car, say out loud, “I’m going to save this and wait to eat it after dinner because that’s when we will all have dessert!” By sharing your “private speech” with children, you can point out your own self-regulatory abilities and explain your choices — and, in turn, help children learn to exercise the same skills in their own lives.
- Share about simple choices and/or more complex choices, depending on the age of your child. For example: “When the light turns red, I stop the car because it is someone else’s turn to go. Now the light is green, so we can go.” Sharing stories helps promote critical thinking and encourage children to consider what they do and why.
I like Tominey's use of the term "private speech." I often do this with the children. I spend a lot of time with them narrating what they do, but also find myself narrating what I'm doing as well. Sometimes I think children feel that we don't completely understand who they are and the complexity of their feelings. Exercises such as these build empathy (and thereby again, make relationships stronger) and clearly model appropriate behavior.
Again, we are born with very little capacity to regulate our own emotions, it is really something that we have to learn to do. And often facing a manageable challenge is one way to build that executive functioning skill set.1 This is one of the reasons why we as teachers work very hard to increase what's called "wait time." For older children it can mean extending the period of (quiet) time between when you've asked a question and their answer. For younger children it can mean watching and waiting when a child has tripped or fallen before offering help (uncomfortable as it can be, we try to wait first for them to get up on their own and care for themselves). Another example is getting through the manageable struggle of putting on shoes or trying a zipper. We don't need to swoop in and solve it all. And our good intentions might well be leading to bad results when we just erase the struggles for children. Taking the time for children to work through difficult tasks or problems on their own builds healthy emotional regulation.1
This week I had a thoughtful conversation with a parent as we watched two children struggle and become very upset over the use of a toy. With keen insight she said, "Wow, their emotions are all right there near the surface aren't they?" Yes. They really, truly are. And I do admire that about these young people, the rawness of their feelings, the ever-present honesty. But as I thought about the struggle for the dump truck later that day, I remembered that not too long ago, those children were not even two, and quicker to anger, and likely quicker to use physical force to meet their needs for that toy. With pretty minimal support, the two children's eyes dried and they found a solution that they negotiated and felt good about, and off they went. Tominey's book, Stop, Think, Act applies to what children need to do in moments where self-regulation is key, but they also apply to how adults can help provide support when needed. I might only change the word "Stop" to "Watch." First watch, then think, and then act.
1. Gillespie, Linda Groves and Nancy L. Seibel, "Self-Regulation: A Cornerstone of Early Childhood Development." Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web: NAEYC. July 2006.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We are proactively working with the children on social skills. We are modeling appropriate greetings, waving and showing how we use gentle hands when touching peers. Some of the children are becoming quite adventurous when it comes to climbing. We have been allowing them space to figure out balance for themselves while monitoring them closely and providing gentle encouragement and support.
Infant II: The children have enjoyed the autumn weather this week. The leaf piles are an especially joyful part of our day; we like walking through them, throwing handfuls skyward and just sitting together in the crunchy leaves. We have been using wagons to transport the pumpkins all over the playground, and we have also been interested in their varied textures.
Pre-K: Jen was out on Monday, but the class still got out to the SES playground. Tuesday and Wednesday the adventures continued with small groups heading to different locations throughout town, and Thursday the whole class reunited to play out back for the morning. On Wednesday, library story hour was all about fire safety! The group was ready to impress with our vast knowledge. We are talking a lot about kindness and teamwork. Working together makes our clean up jobs go more quickly so that we can move on to other activities. One of our recent stories involving kindness and teamwork was Pumpkin Soup. It reminded some children of another story we've read called Stone Soup. We decided to read them ALL again. Then we will work together to make both kinds of soup! Meanwhile interest and excitement builds for carving our very large pumpkin, Patrice. First we'll be making some predictions, estimations and creating some stories before we begin the BIG PUMPKIN INVESTIGATION.
Also Seen At MVS
Thanks for Reading
-Sam
Again, we are born with very little capacity to regulate our own emotions, it is really something that we have to learn to do. And often facing a manageable challenge is one way to build that executive functioning skill set.1 This is one of the reasons why we as teachers work very hard to increase what's called "wait time." For older children it can mean extending the period of (quiet) time between when you've asked a question and their answer. For younger children it can mean watching and waiting when a child has tripped or fallen before offering help (uncomfortable as it can be, we try to wait first for them to get up on their own and care for themselves). Another example is getting through the manageable struggle of putting on shoes or trying a zipper. We don't need to swoop in and solve it all. And our good intentions might well be leading to bad results when we just erase the struggles for children. Taking the time for children to work through difficult tasks or problems on their own builds healthy emotional regulation.1
This week I had a thoughtful conversation with a parent as we watched two children struggle and become very upset over the use of a toy. With keen insight she said, "Wow, their emotions are all right there near the surface aren't they?" Yes. They really, truly are. And I do admire that about these young people, the rawness of their feelings, the ever-present honesty. But as I thought about the struggle for the dump truck later that day, I remembered that not too long ago, those children were not even two, and quicker to anger, and likely quicker to use physical force to meet their needs for that toy. With pretty minimal support, the two children's eyes dried and they found a solution that they negotiated and felt good about, and off they went. Tominey's book, Stop, Think, Act applies to what children need to do in moments where self-regulation is key, but they also apply to how adults can help provide support when needed. I might only change the word "Stop" to "Watch." First watch, then think, and then act.
1. Gillespie, Linda Groves and Nancy L. Seibel, "Self-Regulation: A Cornerstone of Early Childhood Development." Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web: NAEYC. July 2006.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We are proactively working with the children on social skills. We are modeling appropriate greetings, waving and showing how we use gentle hands when touching peers. Some of the children are becoming quite adventurous when it comes to climbing. We have been allowing them space to figure out balance for themselves while monitoring them closely and providing gentle encouragement and support.
Infant II: The children have enjoyed the autumn weather this week. The leaf piles are an especially joyful part of our day; we like walking through them, throwing handfuls skyward and just sitting together in the crunchy leaves. We have been using wagons to transport the pumpkins all over the playground, and we have also been interested in their varied textures.
Shakers have also been something we've been using pretty frequently in our outdoor play. We enjoy shaking both the shakers (and ourselves) as we listen to the different sounds they make. It's an exciting cause and effect that unfolds. Composting is another area of interest lately. No only do we enjoy watching as the compost is picked up each week, but we also like bringing our food scraps from the table to the bin. The children ask to compost their own food as they leave the table.
Toddler Room: It's been a time of nature exploration for the class. We're asking questions and finding out more about why the leaves are changing color and falling. We've been exploring the texture and color of the leaves, and connecting it to the changing weather and cooler air. This week, we have an addition to our day and that is a short circle time which occurs directly before lunch. The children really enjoy singing songs together and reading books as a whole group. We've also moved lunch back a bit to accommodate this interest, and we're also finding that the kids are eating more of their lunches and taking more restful naps... that way we're ready to tackle our afternoons!
Preschool I: Week two of our investigation into all things music continues. We built upon the work of learning the major scale by adding solfege hand signs. We've gotten all the way to "fa" this week. And, we are not only using the scale in ascending order, but descending order as well.
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| Just in case you feel like practicing! |
We've been talking about other concepts in music such as composers and musicians, and how to use instruments properly. Next week, we will have some more in-depth studies of instruments, starting with a tiny piano! Some strings will work their way into the mix too, with the potential to add rhythm sticks to our circle time. Aside from music, we have been enjoying the new "play pizza" in our kitchen, have been using all number of flat objects as "Frisbees" outdoors (we prefer the small yogurt lids, they actually fly really well) and we have been walking to a few new places this week.
Our walks have been a source of great excitement and cooperation. We are making connections about the ways we behave on walks and seeing the group as a community. One way this is particularly true is our use of a rope to keep us together. If one person falls, we all tend to, this has made clear communication really key, and the kids improve at it every week.
Preschool II: This week we spent time observing and and noticing the changes in nature. We've been looking at the color of the leaves, taking in the colder temperatures and reading about the changes as well. We are continuing our instrument work at circle, especially the drum roll. We go fast and loud and all have to stop at the same time a real example of great self-regulation! Some of the children have continued their interest in puzzles; a small group recently completed a 60 piece puzzle! We have also been taking care of the flowers that were covered due to the cold. We uncover them when warm enough so they can see the sun and water them, hoping they will stay blooming for a bit longer. We have been practicing our walking skills out in the community. We have gone up the sidewalk on Thomas Lane with the PreK as an example. We stop by each driveway and every lamp post; our listening skills have greatly improved! We are becoming more and more skilled at zippers, sweatshirts, snaps and buttons. The more time you give them to figure it out in their own the more impressed you will be. We have a new favorite book this week, Stellaluna. If you haven't read it you should, we love it!
Pre-K: Jen was out on Monday, but the class still got out to the SES playground. Tuesday and Wednesday the adventures continued with small groups heading to different locations throughout town, and Thursday the whole class reunited to play out back for the morning. On Wednesday, library story hour was all about fire safety! The group was ready to impress with our vast knowledge. We are talking a lot about kindness and teamwork. Working together makes our clean up jobs go more quickly so that we can move on to other activities. One of our recent stories involving kindness and teamwork was Pumpkin Soup. It reminded some children of another story we've read called Stone Soup. We decided to read them ALL again. Then we will work together to make both kinds of soup! Meanwhile interest and excitement builds for carving our very large pumpkin, Patrice. First we'll be making some predictions, estimations and creating some stories before we begin the BIG PUMPKIN INVESTIGATION.
Also Seen At MVS
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| The thrill of victory... |
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| The agony of defeat... |
-Sam
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