thinkingaboutkids

Aren’t they missing the point here? Kindergarten is not longer age appropriate. It’s more like what 1st and 2nd grade used to be. So of course children have difficulty. Kindergarten used to be full of play, singing songs, a child’s “garden.” The Nordic and Scandinavian countries once (and some still do) allowed young children to play until the age of 7 when they attended “school.” Of course that makes sense! Through play, they learned what young children need to learn socially, emotionally, cognitively and physically. Why is this so hard to understand? Just watch children for awhile. You’ll see how vital play is to their lives.

Stanford researchers show we’re sending many children to school way too early

Love and respect for young people needs to be the “common core” of the equation, not fixed standards put together to rank and sort learners into rigid categories, to decide who has passed and who has failed.

In order for educational settings to be successful they need to be aligned with how children naturally learn. Children’s innate curiosity, enthusiasm, creativity, playfulness, individuality, …

Source: How Children Naturally Learn

By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. To begin with I would like to wish all the followers and readers of this blog a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! A new year is the time for reflection and resolutions. For me, 201…

Source: What about the What? Finding the Deeper Meaning in Pedagogical Documentation

It may be that of all the voices in the classroom, time actually speaks the loudest. How we use time during the day speaks volumes about our beliefs about teaching and learning and our understanding of the developmental needs of young children.

I love this quote. Read Susan Ochshorn’s review of Renee Dinnerstein’s book.

Maja Wilson and Alfie Kohn have found themselves in a problematic minority during the accountability era dedicated to standards, high-stakes testing, and the ever-present rubric. Rubrics, they argu…

Source: Measuring Proficient Teachers Codifies Bad Teaching