Sharing at NAEYC
The Tracks class curriculum front and center, please. I had the pleasure of presenting on the Curriculum-Creative Expression and Appreciation for the Arts track at the Association's Annual Conference in D.C.
Small steps to learning; how does a child learn to write?
Valerie Strauss writes an education news piece called The Answer Sheet for the Washington Post. While her posts are “all things educational,” it is interesting when she turns her attention to the state of affairs in early childhood education—“Tutors for 3-year olds and More Preschool Nuttiness” leads the blog post! Why is it so easy to put the words “nuttiness” and “preschool” together? Read it now! It gets nuttier tomorrow!
Early Literacy and Language Development, or How Do You Hold A Book?
How do you hold a book? Which is the front? Where is the back? In which direction do the words flow – up, down, to the left, to the right? When someone is speaking can you tell the difference between a question and a statement? How do young children learn the things we, as adults, take for granted?
The Art of Conversation
The art of conversation is something many adults take for granted. Try to remember a recent casual conversation you had with someone. Focus only on the back and forth flow of statements, responses or questions made by you and the other person. What was the ratio of questions versus statements?
Most casual conversations between adults probably consist of an equal give and take of related ideas rather than questions. In fact, if you were talking to a person who constantly asked you a series of unrelated questions, you would leave the conversation feeling like someone had just invaded your personal space!
Welcome Contradiction Dance!
We are pleased to welcome Kelly Mayfield, Founder and Artistic Director of Contradiction Dance, and other principals in the company as they join our staff in creating an innovative new movement program at The Cooperative School. Kelly and her company offer impressive experience in providing arts education appropriate for our three age groupings (the Bugs, Leaves, and Tracks) and a keen understanding of how to support the Cooperative School’s parent/child educational philosophy of enriched, integrated arts-based curriculum.