It's the Journey, Not the Destination....A Post by Mrs. McClelland

You know that old saying, “It’s the journey, not the destination….”? That’s what keeps running through my mind as I remember a Fall day 11 years ago….

My son Ty who was just  three at the time comes running up to me  after school saying enthusiastically “Mommy, Mommy, look what I made!”

He lifts his circular paper plate creation still damp and dripping with white glue up for me to see. “Oh beautiful, Ty!” I say, while  trying to decipher what his preschools art project was that day. As I realize it’s a bear’s face made on the paper plate, I say, “Oh I love this fuzzy cuddly bear you made, I can’t wait to put it on your bulletin board in your room”. While we walk hand in hand to the car I’m thinking to myself, does the bulletin board have any room left? I’ll have to sneak an old craft down during nap-time again to make room for this new creation!

I’m sharing this story about my son, Ty’s bear craft to illustrate that a craft is much more than a just a craft.  It’s so much more than the cute little fuzzy bear face that every child made that morning at school.  

Children learn by doing. It’s a great way for us early childhood educators to tie in a concept or theme we’ve been working on by giving children hands on experiences.

The process of creating the craft for preschool children is far more important than the finished product. It’s the journey! Or in this case, it’s the process not the product!

With the process on my mind, I recently set up my own version of Ty’s bear craft during center time at BELA. Using this craft as an example, I can “paint a picture”, (sorry,  pun intended!)  of what I would encourage during the process of creating this bear and share with you what the children would be learning as they build their masterpiece!

From the pictures, you will see that I set out a variety of materials on the table during center time. The only explanation I gave the children was that the materials were there for them to make bears. You will see the difference in each child’s creation. In this case we are focused on the process and what the children are gaining from each experience they are having as they make the bear.

This approach differs from what is known as structured or ‘cookie cutter ‘ crafts. With structured crafts they might be provided with each piece of the bears face, with things chosen for them, pre-cut or pre-colored. There are times to use structured crafts as our approach when we are using them to facilitate the learning of a certain skill. For example if we are working on fine motor or hand strength we may choose a structured craft where they have to pick up small buttons using their pincer grasp repeatedly to glue to certain areas as they follow a predetermined craft design.

When we choose to focus on process crafts we are using a distinctly different approach, one that gives the student a different experience and allows them to  achieve different learning outcomes. They are experiencing the process so much more than when they are  being provided with all the exact same pre cut eyes, nose, mouth, fur and ears. This approach is  more likely to retain their attention, as they have to think about and decide what they will use for the different parts of the bear’s face.

Now that we have considered the differences between the educational purposes of cookie cutter crafts, and those crafts that are process focused, let's look at specific examples so you can understand what the educator would be encouraging (and how) and what the student would be gaining!

Sensory Exploration:Students are getting to feel the texture of the fuzzy bear fur, touching and manipulating the smooth plastic buttons. The children will inevitably experience the sticky glue feeling on their hands since we know preschoolers love to squeeze out white glue in epic proportions! All part of the process!

Imagination: 

We can pretend to roar like bears as we make our craft! All the while the children are deciding to use as little or as much fur as they want. They can decide what colors the bear’s fur will be. Who says bears need to be brown or black?  The biggest joy of crafting is getting to imagine and then create what was imagined.  Maybe a child is imagining a green bear or a rainbow one.  Maybe they are imagining their bear might have big eyes or small eyes or one of each. Or maybe even triangle or square eyes instead of round. We, as Early Childhood Educators, and parents can foster children’s vivid imaginations by providing a variety of materials and the freedom for children to be able to bring to life what is in their imaginations during craft time.

Fine Motor Skill Development: 
Preschoolers work on their pincer grasp to pick up the pieces of fur and buttons. They are building up the muscles of their hands by overly enthusiastically squeezing that bottle of glue! Then using eye hand coordination to precisely stick the buttons and fur onto the paper plate. 

Concentration and Focus: 
While children are working on their masterpieces, they are learning to concentrate and minimize the distractions around them while learning to master the use of crayons, placing objects and gluing . It takes a lot of concentration for little ones to complete a craft . This helps to build up their attention span.

Following Directions: 
Being able to understand and follow directions is a skill needed and used throughout life. Giving the children simple instructions, while giving a visual demonstration of the steps is imperative to a successful craft time.  

For example: I instruct children to color their plate first as I demonstrate coloring one; next I would show the children how to glue on the bear’s eyes, nose and mouth, lastly gluing on the fur. During the visual directions I would encourage the children to use whatever shape or size buttons they like or choose what color of fur they’d like their bear to have. This way, children are free to make their own creative choices but are given the basic instructions of what needs to be done.

Social Emotional: 
Children will feel a sense of accomplishment and a boost in their self-esteem from finishing their creation and will be proud of themselves that they’ve made their bear all by themselves. This extends to bonding with their parents as parents oooh, awe and praise their child’s masterpiece when they get to take it home that day.

Vocabulary: 
We can choose to target specific words to expand children’s vocabulary during craft time.  While making the bears some words I might focus on would be soft/hard,  big/little, the names and identifications of colors and shapes, roar, growl, the facial body parts; eyes, nose, ears, fur & head. The list of words we choose to focus on can be as big as children’s imaginations are.

Extended Learning: 

As Early Childhood Educators and parents we can extend and carry over our craft into another time of play.  Once the bears are dry, we can take our bears and hold onto them while acting out the actions to the song, “Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around.”  We can play with toy bears in our block centers and can end our day reading a book about bears.  

In the end it doesn’t matter if one child made a bear with just fur and no facial features, or that one child made a blue bear with one triangle eye and one square one. It matters that they had the freedom to use their imagination while creating and learning and most of all have fun doing it!

Do I still have the bear Ty made over a decade ago? I sure do! It made the cut for his memory box, but there were hundreds of crafts my boys created over the years that  didn't make the cut and ended up in the garbage.  
Were they a waste? No, because  I know they  had hundreds of meaningful experiences that enhanced their development by having the opportunity to explore, create and master important learning tools and skills through the process of creating their masterpieces. 
I know they enjoyed the journey and I enjoyed it with them!!

~KM

For more information regarding the importance of process vs. product see:

earlychildhoodnews.com

naeyc.org

theallianceforec.org

" Please Mom (Dad, Grandma, Grandpa) would you play with me?"

If we are lucky, we get to hear this request often, and should take it as a compliment!  Most children only ask people to play with them, who they think are fun to play with.  But parents, and grandparents, are often unsure what their role is when asked to play.  Are we there simply to keep them safe, as supervisor?  Do we act as a referee, to make sure everyone plays nicely?  Should we tell them what to do, and organize their play?  The answer to these questions is yes,  sometimes, all that & so much more!

Psychologists suggest that play is the ideal context for acquiring social skills & forming friendships.  Trawick-Smith, in the book, Interaction in the Classroom – How Do We Facilitate Play? describes three important types of play: make believe; group games; and outdoor motor play; all of which are important in the development of social skills and forming friendships.  The National Association for the Education of Young Children (1986) summarizes the benefits of play, “Knowledge is not something given to children as if they were empty vessels to be filled.  Children acquire knowledge about the physical and social world in which they live through playful interaction with objects and people.  Children do not need to be forced to learn; they are motivated by their own desire to make sense of their world (p.20)”.  

Trawick-Smith tells us there are developmental benefits to play:

·      stress reduction & reduction of anxiety

·      ideal context for acquiring social skills and forming friendships

·      important contributions to cognitive development & intellectual growth

·      problem solving ability

·      language development

·      creativity

·      healthy personality development

·      early reading skills

 So how do we capitalize on this natural desire of early learners, to play, learn, and make sense of their world?  There are 4 important times to play with children:

·      when a child doesn’t play; by playing with or around a child who doesn’t

interact with materials or peers, an adult can offer gentle invitations to participate, increase social contact, promote friendships and enhance social skills

·      when children need support; Yawkey, Smilansky et al (1987, 1968) found

 that it is not enough to simply provide more opportunities and materials to engage in social pretend play, only when adults joined in the play, were gains achieved in play and language development

·      when a teachable moment arises; when opportunities arise as children

 are learning a new concept, or are thinking about a problem in a new way, an adult may intervene and take advantage of the moment by adding new information to an exploration, give hints to help solve a problem, or ask questions to guide thinking.

·      when a child invites you to play; an adult who joins in the play has the

opportunity to learn more about a child’s social competence, their anxieties, concerns, or interests.  It is during play that children show us what they know, and how they think.

So the answer to the question about how we can enhance and extend the play of our children, is to see ‘play’ as their ‘work’, and be present.  Be present, to watch and observe, to invite or join in, ask questions, make suggestions, share in their joy and celebrate their eagerness to grow and learn. 

Anita Wadley’s poem “Just Playing” provides a wonderful reminder of the importance of play!

‘When you ask me what I did today,

And I say, “I JUST Played”,

Please don’t misunderstand me.

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

I’m learning to enjoy and be successful in work.

I’m preparing for tomorrow.

Today, I’m a child and my work is play’

In response to questions from parents at BELA , our staff  have devoted our Professional Learning time this year to learning more about effectively facilitating play.  April 20 @ 1:00- 2:30, Ms. Flynn and Mrs. Parenas will be offering a workshop for parents designed to provide information about facilitating play, and opportunities to practice different ways to facilitate play with your own child. Please join us!

- JR

Jody Rutherford

Director of Education & Programming

Obviously Lasagna Won't Fix Anything....a post by Tara Stogre

When life goes sideways, people close to me know they’ll usually find me in the kitchen.   When I don’t have the answers, feel helpless, or the “waiting game” seems endless, it gives me something to focus on…something to DO.  Obviously, lasagna isn’t going to fix anything, but it’s just what I do.  When I don’t have the words, it gives me a way to say to someone, “I’m here, I care about you, I’m sorry you’re hurting or scared, and I promise to support you in any way I can.”

When my Mom's cancer returned after 10 years, it was scary and heartbreaking, and very hard not to get angry and stay that way.  My Grandma was also facing her own battle with breast cancer at the time, giving our family more unwanted perspective on the disease, the treatment, and the progression.  Always thankful for my family, there was some added comfort in the fact that my sisters and I have all ended up back in Brooks with our growing families close to Mom and Dad.  Our little support system was in place, but dealing with all of this, staying positive, and supporting Mom, Grandma, and each other was going to require a lot more than muffins.

We were lucky growing up to always have amazing support from our family.  My mom modeled the importance of helping others and always being there to give support when and where we’re able.  Her lifelong support of her girls continues as we navigate marriage, motherhood, and achieving a balance between chasing our own dreams and raising happy, healthy families.  We grew up asking “What can we do? How can we help?”…Now the questions became more focused… “What can we do to show our support to Mom?  How can we help create a future without breast cancer?”

This ingrained need to do something and show my support is a big part of what drives me to work on the Pink Ribbon Project.  I was so grateful to be able to work alongside my sisters and our dedicated team last year to bring the vision for this event into a glowing pink reality.  Rather than letting feelings of fear or helplessness take over, the event gave me a focus for my energy, allowing me to do something that had the potential to have a positive impact in many different ways.  We gathered our team and our resources; we made plans, we made lists, we made contacts.  We were making a promise of support – to our moms & grandmas, to our families, to the Foundation, and to ourselves.  We were a small group that was determined to make a difference and contribute in some way to raising awareness, supporting progress, and providing hope.

My hopes for the Pink Ribbon Project were many and varied that first year.  I hoped the women we set out to show our support to would really feel the love, and understand how many people are cheering them on.  I hoped that our guests that night would have a memorable, inspiring and fun evening.  I hoped that we would raise a respectable amount of money in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation  I hoped that just talking about breast cancer, the event, the screening programs and other resources available, that even one person would quit waiting to get that lump checked and be proactive about their health.  I can’t know for certain about that last hope, but as for the others…the feeling at the event that night was incredible: the beautiful room, the great people, and the positive energy all contributed to a wonderful night and a successful event in every respect.

As we head towards our second Pink Ribbon Project, my hopes are much the same.  My brave and colorful Grandma lost her battle with breast cancer in November, surrounded by her family, comforted by baby snuggles, and entertained by her GGs up to her final days. 

My courageous and inspiring Mom continues her second fight and we are thankful for every day we have together and every memory we make.  My mind sometimes wanders to what the future might hold for me or my sisters, or my beautiful daughter.  I hope it is a much different story, but all of these personal motivations only strengthen my resolve to do what I can.  

Photo Credit : Rachel Boekel

My commitment to the Pink Ribbon Project is my promise of support, not just to my people, but to anyone’s Mom, Grandma, sister, daughter, friend…anyone’s anyone.  It is my way of finding the good, embracing the hope, and making a difference.

This year’s event promises to be another great night, and our team is so grateful for the incredible response & support we have received already.  From our generous sponsors and donors, to the hard working people who help put on the event, and all those who attend, we thank you! Visit our event's webpage for more info on how to get tickets. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter,  or Instagram to get your pink ribbon info where you want it! 

- TS

Emotions Among Preschoolers

Kristen, 4 years old, was with her Mom in a department store to buy diapers for her younger brother. A doll caught her attention, as they were about to pay. Kristen pulled her mom back to the aisle where she saw it.  Her Mom said, “You’ve got lots of them at home, let’s go.”  But Kristen refused to go and insisted on buying it. Her mom on the other hand was firm about not buying the doll.  Kristen, feeling frustrated yelled, “I don’t want to go!” then turned around and started to run away from her Mom.

Was her emotion valid? Was her reaction acceptable?

Frustration is an emotional reaction when a goal is blocked and is commonly related to anger.  Like adults, young children express emotions everyday and we witness a variety of these in a preschool setting. Joy, fear, anger, surprise, sadness and disgust are universal emotions, expressed similarly in all cultures and are already present at birth or in the early months (The Development of Children, 2009).  A person’s characteristic pattern of emotional reactions is a basic element of personality (A Child’s World, 2008). Children of Kristen’s age may use hitting, biting, or pushing as a way to solve conflicts. They simply don’t understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate interactions yet.  Although 3-year-olds begin to understand the emotions they are feeling, they have very little control over them. If they feel something, they will likely act on it. This may mean snatching away a toy from another child if they want to play with it. They get upset when told to wait  for something they want to do right away. If they find something funny, they will laugh wildly. If they get excited, they will jump and yell uncontrollably. When children are extremely happy, they giggle almost endlessly and wrestle each other. If they feel sad or angry they will burst into tears.

As adults, we know how it feels to be frustrated or upset and we should know how to appropriately react or express such feelings. On the other hand, these feelings present special challenges to children’s self-regulation abilities. Between 2 to 6 years of age, children develop a number of strategies to help them keep their emotions under control (Grolnik, McMenamy  Kurowski, 1999, Saarni, 2007, Gross & Thompson, 2007). Emotional self-regulation helps children guide their behavior (Laible & Thompson, 1998) and contributes to their ability to get along with others (Denham,et al, 2005).

Emotional understanding becomes more complex with age. Preschoolers can talk about their feelings and often discern the feelings of others (Saarni, Mumme, & Campos, 1998). By about age 3, having acquired self-awareness plus a good deal of knowledge about their society’s accepted standards, rules and goals, children become better able to evaluate their own thoughts, plans and desires, and behaviour, against what is considered socially appropriate. This is when they develop self-conscious emotions such as embarrassment, empathy and envy, and the self-evaluative emotions of pride, guilt and shame.

What Can Adults Do to Help Preschoolers in Understanding, Regulating and Controlling their Emotions?

Parents, teachers, and other adults can help children understand and control their emotions (Havighurst, Harley, & Prior, 2004; Thompson, 2006; Thompson & Lagattuta, 2005). They can talk with children to help them cope with distress, sadness, anger, or guilt (highered.Mcgraw-hill.com). Shame, guilt and pride depend on internalization of parental standards of behaviour (A Child’s World, 2008).

Modelling appropriate behaviour is still the most effective way of showing kids how to respond appropriately. As noted by Berk and Shanker (2006), by watching adults handle their own feelings, preschoolers pick up strategies for regulating emotions. Warm, patient parents, who use verbal guidance to help children understand and control their feelings, including suggesting and explaining strategies, strengthen the child’s capacity to handle stress (Gottman, Katz & Hooven, 1997). In contrast, when parents rarely express positive emotion, dismiss their child’s feelings as unimportant, and have difficulty controlling their own anger and hostility, children have continuing problems managing their emotions,  that may seriously interfere with psychological adjustment (Calkins & Johnson, 1998; Eisenberg, et. Al, 2001; Gillion et al, 2002; Katz & Windecker-Nelson, 2004).

Accordingly, to be competent members of society, children must learn how to control their emotions in addition to controlling their thoughts and actions (The Development of Children, 2009).  In fact according to Dennis (2006), the ability to understand and regulate, or control one’s feelings is one of the key advances of early childhood.  The emerging ability to control emotions help the preschool-age child deal with the disappointments, frustrations, and injured feelings that are so common at this stage.

Clearly this is a complex topic that requires parents, caregivers and those who interact with a child on a regular basis to work together. Modelling behaviours, teaching strategies to help cope, as well as working on language with children to help them express their emotions are key to supporting the child and family and are of utmost importance at BELA

-Cecila Parenas