For Your Binder

In this article the author introduces readers to the newest book in the Contesting Early Childhood Series entitled, Alternative Narratives in Early Childhood in which Moss explores two key terms: narratives and dominant discourses. A quote from the author, "My hope is that the dominant discourse will be put back in its place as just one of many stories as a local narrative that once upon a time got beyond itself and claimed to be the universal truth." #teaching 

This link will bring you to a Master's Thesis from a Bank Street student. In it she explores (the lack of) play as a social justice issue. "Helping low income kids" often gets translated into "eliminating play" and we know this flies smack in the face of what the research (which she does a fantastic job reviewing!) tells us should be happening for all children regardless of socio-economic status. The paper is informative; her references are invaluable.  #DAP #play #equity #teaching #learning

Creative thinking is critical for progress and for survival. How is it fostered?  #art #creativity #play #teaching #resilience #DAP

Are our elementary school memories influencing how we are doing early childhood even though (we know) many of those practices are not developmentally appropriate? #DAP #teaching #learning

This is a brief - yet rich - overview of a few benefits of rough & tumble play!  #play #powerplaying #DAP

A good synopsis! #DAP #play #teaching #learning #parenting

Policymakers persist in ignoring the huge discrepancy between what we know about how young children learn and what we actually do in preschools and kindergartens. #play #pushdown #teaching #learning #DAP

I've included this resource mainly for the image you'll see when you click the link (although it's not an off-base blog post by any means!) I wanted you to see Mitch Resnick's Creative Learning Spiral without (full disclosure: forgive me) all of the MIT tech speak, including descriptions of the technologies he's created, that usually fill the articles that contain the image.  I love this image.  I also believe when children are playing they tap into this cycle of creativity without needing to scratch any crickets.  #play #DAP #creativity

This study attempts to explain the underlying processes that contribute to the well-documented racial disparities in school readiness, educational achievement and in later life opportunity. #teaching #learning #equity #implicitbias #expulsion

Is your child getting enough bacteria?  #play #outside #nature

This is the one that started it all! This handout is not only full of art, science & sensory recipes and activity ideas, it's got the words to tell the wolves for you too!  You know, the folks who barge in and want to know what everyone is learning and what standard you are meeting!! #handouts #play #sensory #science #DAP #art #teaching

Need more ideas? Lisa has 3 other activity focused books! 

Missed the workshop? Want to watch it again? Got a DVD player? Lisa has DVDs of all her workshops! #oldschool  

Rae shares with us the three things she's been hearing all across the country in regard to children and their development. Sadly, they probably won't surprise you.  #play #DAP #movement