This was a particularly thought provoking chapter, because we as a district have struggled with the definition of play. On page 210, the authors state that play is an elusive concept. They compare trying to define play to seizing bubbles in the air.…
I see it year after year, the emotionally well-adjusted child who seems to glide effortlessly through the school year. They makes friends easily, work well in a group and are open to learning new things even if the concepts are difficult. They…
I found this chapter to be especially interesting because so often the poor behavior we see in a child is learned from the parent. If the child is easily frustrated and immediately reacts by having a melt down, frequently the parent is easily…
I too have had students with emotional outbursts that "hold the classroom hostage". It is very tiring to handle these situations, but like Nicole M said you have to remember that they are only 5 or 6 and probably come from homes that do…
I was struck by the author's citation of the report form the society for Research in Child Development that "The first few years of schooling appear to be built on a firm foundation of children's emotional and social skills." (p.…
This chapter made me think of a few students in my class. I have those few that "hold the class hostage" and have inappropriate outbursts. Sometimes I have difficulty trying to reason with the child and discuss the situation at hand. It is…
I agree with Kristie that giving students the resources to figure out things confidently and independently is such an important skill to instill in young children. I find that some of my students often say things like “I can't, I…
I really liked reading about the type of positive reinforcement we should be using with our kids. I tend to be the one to give constant praise....maybe too much. I find myself thinking about the praise I use now. I am interested to see how they grow…
I agree with you Susan- that the ability to regulate one's emotions is such an important thing to learn in early childhood. When a child has difficulty with this it seems to pervade thier abilities to learn and have positive social emotional…
I think kids are especially prone to think that being "smart" is a luck of the draw. They think that being smart is predestined. And, I think during the primary and elementary grades this might very well be the case for many of our…
I particularly agree with your final statement about commending children for effort and perserverance. I have a group of about 4 that are very low. Most times they want to give up before they even start. I find that I am trying to do activiities…
I think the authors have some really great insights in this chapter. All of you who teach 4 to 6 year olds, know how difficult it can be when a child is throwing a temper tantrum or has decided to "shut down" and not move. No matter how hard the teacher tries, the misbehaving child is holding the classroom hostage by thier behavior. Teaching a child how to regulate thier emotional self is a cruical part to early childhood education. It is an unfortunate reality, that children who come to you…See More
Chapter 7: Who Am I?
I think the authors have some really great insights in this chapter. All of us who teach or are associated with 4 to 6 year olds, know how difficult it can be when a child is throwing a temper tanturm or has decided to…
I am enjoying reading this book because so much of what the authors are saying we know already, yet it is refreshing to have this knowledge validated. On pag 134 the authors point out that one of the key features of intelligence is language ability.…
I think Jane makes an important point. This book has validated many things we already know about building a strong literacy foundation for children. However, I like very much how clearly the authors delineate the different levels of child…
Yes, I was really impressed with how long a baby will persist with attempting to communicate even at 11 mos. I think the baby gave the mother 7 opportunities to understand that she wanted the sponge. I remember my youngest niece was delayed in…