Do you have questions about child led curriculum?
This is how we “do” curriculum at FG. Our curriculum is child-led and play based meaning the children choose or show interest in topics and with our support the delivery is through play. First, we observe the children. Next, we consider the season that we are experiencing in our outdoor program. We then make a rough outline for the week. We include activities that incorporate the MA Learning Guidelines and Standards in the areas of small and gross motor skills, the arts, language and literacy, self-help and science. We add activities that we think the children will find interesting based on our observations. If they do not, we might re-introduce an idea or we might watch and choose to scrap it.
We continue to observe and introduce new elements that might extend play and learning. This looks like children playing all day with not much teacher intervention. The children make hypotheses and test theory. They explore natural and man-made sensory experiences. They are read to and read to each other. They paint and draw with many mediums. They listen to music, they play music. They explore sound with their own voices and objects or they use objects to make sound!
They eat when they are hungry. They get emotional and explore feelings both with adults and each other.
If you have any questions about our curriculum, please ask us.
When do you help a child?
To help or not to help?
When things get hard for children should we do something for them, solve their problem or do we encourage them to succeed at the task at hand? The answer seems simple but how/when do you draw the line? What questions do you ask?
We look at age, experience and ability. We check in to see what the emotions of the moment are. Additionally, note which educator is trying to help and is there a strong bond between the two?
And what about family? How do we consider their perspective? What does the family want? What are their values? Am I placing my values over theirs? Is that respectful? Perhaps I’m not thinking of their needs to keep a child the way they are which may be perfectly OK with them and contradicts my feelings. And what about other teachers? One teacher says, “I’m always torn between wanting to be present and encouraging and not wanting to be like a helicopter and just doing everything for them!!”
We are so keen to observe progress and independence have we stopped to consider all of the above. We know children are capable and when we see them being held back either by another teacher of family, is this truly a problem? It’s really not ours to judge, it is ours to communicate and work together! It is ours to facilitate learning in both children and families.
Is it OK to take care of the need so they can be on their way to play? As one teacher puts it,
”I have to remember that as much of our job is caretaking, it’s also technically teaching and I wonder what I’m teaching, when I just reinforce that they don’t even need to try and that whining/fussing excuses them from having to practice things that don’t come easily? I think I can really forget to be in service to their growth when I rush to stop them from wailing and crying. Remember ‘The child is safe, I am safe, even though they’re distressed’.
Let’s try a phrase like, “Something about this feels hard, can you show or tell me which part seems hard” and then consider the actual process. It is OK to step back!
Toddler Problem Solving
The Boot in the Can. A toddler tossed his boot into the metal can on the playground. He laughed as he did this. He looked about smiling, he was quite pleased with himself. Soon his facial expression changed to a quizzical look. He looked into the can, tried to reach in but the boot was at the bottom, too far in for him to retrieve. He smiled, no longer laughing. He tried several times to reach the boot.
He looked around, he saw where I was sitting and got my attention. This toddler does not yet speak in full sentences. He showed me the boot in the can. I responded that I saw the boot in the can and wondered aloud how he would get the boot out noting that he was responsible for his actions. I retreated to continue observing. Soon enough he figured out tipping the can over and crawling in to get his boot which he brought over to have put on with a big smile on his face.
If I had helped retrieve the boot, what would he have learned? I am so thankful I allowed him to problem solve, be accountable and successful!
This OR That, This AND that
Let’s choose AND rather than OR!
Children can play and still be learning. It’s not play or learning!
Children can move and still be listening. It’s not, you must sit still or you won’t learn!
Children can express opinions and be listened to. It’s not you will listen to me or else (insert some consequence).
It’s not me or you, it’s me and you. We all matter!
Interruptions
Do you like being interrupted when you are busy working on something important to you? Most of us do not! I wonder why we spend so much time interrupting children and simultaneously expect “good” behavior.
We try to keep children on a schedule ignoring their internal biological needs. We stop them in their tracks because we think they must do this or that. We organize their play because we think they should be learning something other than what we see. But how do we know what they are learning. When we impose our ideas, it interrupts their flow of learning and gathering information. Just like me interrupting you, the effect is the same, we are thrown off track!
Let’s step back!
Toddlers and Music
A teacher started their music app and set the phone on the counter. A few seconds later, one toddler was swaying, dancing, and singing. Two more joined in they held hands. All together four toddlers without any interruption, oversight or “help” held hands and swayed to the music laughing and enjoying themselves.
This lasted through one song and just into a second song before they drifted apart. Have you ever tried to organize children for a event like this, and it doesn’t work out? Children need the time and space to come together on their own without the pressure to perform. To me this is what an inviting, child led, play based quality experience looks like.
Did you sway, sing and dance uninterrupted today?
Little Humans
How is it that we spend so much time trying to make children just like us? We think they need to know what we know. We think they should use materials we put out in some pre-determined way. Children are little humans with rights. We should not impose ourselves on them but rather respect them for their inexperience and support them.
We are trying to fit all children into a model of education that doesn’t work for most. The “sit here and learn this” model doesn’t allow for movement, exploration, creativity, and collaboration. We aspire to a model where we acknowledge that we adults do not know what skills will be needed for jobs in 15 years.
If only we could view children as co-“everything” we could sit back and enjoy what they bring to the table. We don’t need to teach them ANYTHING. We need to give them a safe place with caring adults and stand back!
Made Up Games
When we give children resources they create their own games. This group of children used materials to create a “basket ball” game up off the ground.
We too often limit children’s imagination with our own constraints. The joy of children making up their own games and playing them teaches so many skills at once. Collaboration, communication, consequences, risk assessment, eye hand coordination and other skills are innate to play. These skills are skills we think we should teach. We do not need too if we just let the children be.
What will you allow children to do today?