For Your Binder

A little shameless plug here! In the summer of 2020 the Texas Child Care Quarterly published four book reviews and I was honored to see that my book, Lisa Murphy on... Being Child Centered was one of the ones they included!  This link will take you to all four - mine is the last one.  #teaching #learning #environment #press #play 

Present company excluded, it is often a surprise that characteristics such as persistence, self control and curiosity are more important than sheer brainpower when it comes to being "successful"  #play #resilience #DAP #teaching #learning 

Disclosure, depending on how often you access articles from the NYT, you might need to sign up for a subscription.

This article was written by the lead researcher in what is simply referred to now as "The #Vanderbilt Study" - in it she reminds us that greater focus on academics for three and four year olds is not the solution. Her metaphor of an iceberg is a powerful visual; the tip of the iceberg are things we can see (read: measure) like ABCs and 123s, but what is below the surface?  What has actually made these other things visible? Curiosity, persistence, self-control... and when are those skills developed? When children #play !!!!!  #Tennessee #DAP #teaching #learning #environment #pushdown

I bet many of you have provided "forever homes" to tires, cable spools, milk crates and other items worthy of "rescue" from the side of the road!  #looseparts #teaching #play

When it feels like common sense and everyone should just "know it" (but they don't) it can be affirming to read about why it feels that way.  Bottom-up behaviors are instinctual and unintentional. Top-down ones are deliberate and intentional. There is a difference. And how we approach them needs to be differentiated as well! #teaching #learning #relationships #specialed #expulsion #environment

Let's stop using personal preferences as a measurement tool of "professionalism." #teaching 

While Lisa is not implying that you would interrupt a child at play in order to "get" a story, she does think this is a useful tool to have in our tool belts for when the situation is right. Calling on the work of Bev Bos, Vivian Paley & Barry Sanders, not only does this workshop walk you through a story writing process, it also reminds participants of the importance of orality and that we were a talking species before we were a literate one!! #handouts #DAP #stories #teaching #theorists

While this workshop is now a stand-alone session, it used to be a part of the Books and Stories session that was captured on DVD while back.  Did you miss it? Want to watch it again? Got a DVD player? Lisa has DVDs of all her workshops! #oldschool  

This articled appeared in The Medicine Hat News (Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada) when I was up there doing a presentation. More fuel for your #play fire!! #DAP #teaching #learning 

Getting closer to YES!  #teaching #learning #art #creativity #play

Life isn't always separated by age! There is magic in the mix!  #mixedages #DAP #learning #teaching

It's only the abstract to the study, but the message is still clear: fewer toys leads to increased focus and more creative play. #play #toys #teaching #learning #environment

Schools may be shooting themselves in the foot by taking away recess and playtime that is crucial to a child's growth. #play #recess #outside #movement #teaching #learning