About Ooey Gooey, Inc.

Tom and Lisa Murphy created Ooey Gooey Inc. (originally The Learning Through Adventure Company) in 1997 in order to bring high-energy, informative, meaningful, exciting seminars and workshops to the early childhood educational community.  And since conducting her first workshop (at a small preschool in San Diego for 15 teachers, where it took her 2 hours to set up and 2 mini-vans to haul all the materials) to some of her recent events in auditoriums that hold 5,000 , she now spends about 300 days a year on the road doing workshops and conferences both domestically and internationally. And despite the inconvenience of airport security, baggage fees, stolen materials and cars set on fire (true story)  she continues to stay true to the question she asks at each workshop:  are we (you, me, us) committed to creating environments that are exciting, relevant and meaningful for the children who are growing  up in them?  And, deeper still, are we in touch with why we even do it in the first place?  Because truthfully, it does not matter how many kinds of playdough you know how to make if you are not deeply passionate about what you do.   If  you have lost touch with the WHY behind your work none of the activities, the games, the experiences, the books, the toys… none of it matters.  At.  All.

We believe that in order for children to be “ready” for school, they need to have time to PLAY.  The best places for them to play are in child-centered environments.  Whether within homes, preschools, family child care homes, kindergartens, or child care care centers, children need to have the opportunity to be engaged in experiences that are relevant and meaningful to them. How do we do this? How do we meet the needs of all learning styles? Why is play-based more appropriate than academic [drill and (s)kill] based? What are children learning while playing? How do we share knowledge and information with parents, principals and administrators about what children really need (blocks, water, clay, stories, songs, free play, social skills and recess time) vs. what we sometimes think children need (dittos, drills, sitting still, homework, computers, evaluations, standardized tests, table work and grades)?

Facilitating discussions with parents and educators, providing mentor teaching and shadowing, coordinating staff development meetings, working with agencies to plan community workshops, writing books and articles, providing keynote speeches at conferences, sharing and disseminating the most recent information and research and assisting educators and parents as they think about the answers to these questions all the while working with parents and educators to create engaging, hands-on, play-based environments is the mission of Ooey Gooey, Inc.

Here at Ooey Gooey, Inc. we support the creation of child-centered environments,  But wait just one minute; what is a “child-centered environment” anyway? There are many parenting books out there that claim “child-centered” parenting and/or teaching is NO GOOD! And should be BANNED and AVOIDED at all costs. And, to be honest, after reading how they DEFINE child-centered, I would have to agree with them. Adults who permit children to run around the classroom doing whatever they want, jumping off of tables, hitting, all while standing silently by claiming to be “child-centered” have lost touch with the meaning behind the phrase.

It is the desire of Ooey Gooey, Inc. to establish a base line understanding of what child-centered is and isn’t in order to make sure that the practitioners of it are all on the same page and working towards the same goals with the same definitions.

Child-Centered is NOT…

• putting out the new activity idea you learned at a conference this weekend then turning around to go clean the cupboards…
• letting children have the run of the home or classroom…
• a reenactment of Lord of the Flies…
• letting children do “whatever they want”…
• children running around naked with paint flying through the air…
• an excuse to be disengaged from the children…
• something that happens over-night…
• the elimination of curriculum, rules, boundaries and structure…
• CHAOS!

Child-Centered IS…

• linking concepts to experiences…
• controlling the environment, not the little people in it…
• making a commitment to understanding the research that impacts our profession…
• believing that there is NOT a one-size fits all formula that can be applied to each child, each time, in each situation…
• engaging and connecting with the children, even at the expense of the lesson plan…
• the hardest way to be… why? It takes passion, dedication and commitment on the part of ALL grown-ups involved!

How can you IDENTIFY a child-centered environment?  Here for you is an very generalized overview of the Ooey Gooey® philosophical and educational frame work.

Lisa Murphy’s Ooey Gooey® Philosophy is play-based, hands-on & child-centered.  We are committed to creating early childhood environments that value…

Principle 1:            TIME

Children are provided with long periods of uninterrupted free time for exploration and interaction within their learning environment.

Principle 2:            OUTDOORS

There is lots of outdoor play time.  The outdoor environment is not considered a separate space, but instead is seen as an extension of the indoor space.  It is understood that the outdoor environment is just as credible of a classroom as the one inside.

Principle 3:            RULES

Children have the freedom to explore this environment with few restrictions.  We have one overarching rule:  People are not for hurting.  We are able to provide this level of freedom because…

Principle 4:            THE SECRET

The secret to good teaching is learning how to control the environment, not the little people in it.  The “no-no’s” have been removed.  Consequently the child has freedom to explore within the environment that the adult has set up.

Principle 5:            FACILITATING

Teachers are serving as facilitators within this space, deepening the child’s investigations and providing activities and materials that reflect the needs and interests of the children in the room.  Their role is much deeper than “the keeper of keys to the cupboard”.

Principle 6:            ARTICULATION/BEING INTENTIONAL

Teachers are intentional in their language and actions. And can articulate their rationale for activities presented.  Teachers are able to articulate WHY they do what they do, and these reasons go deeper than “because it’s so cute”.

Principle 7:            THEORISTS

Teachers are committed to understanding the history and theory of child development and are aware of the professionals and researchers who have “paved the way” for us in our commitment to a play based, hands-on, child care environment.

Principle 8:            KEEPING IT REAL

Children are provided with engaging experiences that are (literally) real. Children are provided with active, relevant, hands-in and hands-on investigations on a daily basis.  You will see children exploring real objects.  Not coloring dittos of them.

Principle 9:            THE SEVEN THINGS

Children are provided time each day to: create, move, sing, discuss, observe, read and play. It is our view that a foundation containing these items will be a strong foundation which will in turn support the “house of academics.”  But too many houses are being expected to be built where there is not foundation.  This troubles us.

 

Ooey Gooey, Inc. is committed to providing parents, educators and administrators with the knowledge, facts and research that supports this educational philosophy. And it is this information that Lisa shares during the workshops she presents, All over the world.

Don’t Delay!

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(800) 477-7977

CLICK HERE to read more about Lisa Murphy’s high-energy, informative, and inspirational workshops!