Blog – Albany Preschool Cooperative

A favorite schema*: rotation!

Have you ever watched your child spin on a swing and felt a little queasy? It’s not a motion adults like but it’s crucial for young children. They spin because their bodies crave that specific stimulation. They also crave the feeling of rolling, being upside down, and tumbling. These motions help their bodies to organize and function.

Our sensory systems, (the vestibular, proprioceptive, auditory and visual senses) work together to take in information and shape the brain’s network. The more the input is repeated, the strong the connection is made. Our circle swing in the South Yard is the perfect vehicle for this stimulus.

“Spinning in circles is one of the best activities to help children gain a good sense of body awareness. Through spinning they figure out where their “center” is and then are more able to coordinate movement on the two sides of the body.

Rather than making children susceptible to falls, spinning actually improves a child’s surefootedness, and it also improves their ability to concentrate in the classroom.

According to Kawar, Frick, and Frick (2005), the centrifugal force experienced on things like merry-go-rounds activates the fluid-filled cavities in the inner ear. These sensors tell the brain the orientation of the head which develops grounding and sustaining attention to task.

The vestibular system controls a person’s balance, posture, gaze stabilization, and spatial orientation. It also impacts impulse control (Angelaki and Dickman 2017). This nerve development is necessary for future tasks like following lines of text across a page (White 2013).” (Penn State Extension, Better Kid Care) For more information, follow this link to the original article.

*Schemas are universal repeated patterns of behavior children use to explore and learn about their environment. Examples are enveloping – hiding under blankets or covering themselves in sand, transporting – carrying around objects from place to place, and trajectory – constructing buildings then knocking them down.

06.13.18 | 2 Comments

Gardening with preschoolers: Small investment, huge rewards

It’s the time of year when, everywhere we look, green things are growing. Depending on our inclinations, gardening with kids can be either a win-win or a no-go situation. For some, digging in dirt is a way of life; for others, it’s an intimidating hassle. Most small children take naturally to gardening; they love being outdoors, helping with garden tasks, and having an excuse to dig in the dirt and splash water. Gardening can be an important part of how children learn to enjoy the world around them. With small efforts on the part of teachers and parents, kids can reap five important rewards:

ONE: Get outside, get dirty, and get active.

Get digging!

With all the digging, amending, mulching, weeding, planting, and watering, gardening is a very physical undertaking. The good news? Kids can be involved in every step of the work. Sunlight, exercise, and working side by side with others benefit both body and mind. Handling seeds, digging, and weeding provide excellent practice for developing fine motor skills. And all of it is just plain fun!

TWO: Learn about how life grows: seeds, plants, fruits, worms, and bees.

Gardening is a simple way to teach the scientific method, to find out why and how things happen. Children can form hypotheses and see how they come out.

While we garden with children, we can have great discussions about where food comes from. We get to see all the parts of the plant life cycle, from seed to sprout/transplant to leaves and buds, flowers, and fruits. We learn that different parts of plants are used for food: leaves (spinach, lettuce), stems (celery), roots (potatoes, carrots), and fruits (tomatoes, peppers). We discover that plants need food, water and a safe place to live in order to thrive, just as we do, and that individual plants have different needs.

Gardening also gives us the opportunity to appreciate the critters that live in and around soil and plants: roly-polys, ladybugs, hummingbirds, and lots of insects. We learn about the important role that bees play in helping produce our food, and about hard-working earthworms (and their valuable, er, waste).

Starting seeds

THREE: Learn about our place in the world, stewardship, work and waiting.

Many children are nurturing by nature; look at the care they lavish on dolls and loveys. Taking care of baby plants feeds that nurturing instinct. Weeding, feeding and watering gives kids a sense that they are protecting and helping their plants grow, and changes are often visible from day to day. When results are longer in coming, we learn valuable lessons in patience. Learning how much work goes into growing food helps to build appreciation for what we eat. Garden-related activities such as composting and wise water use provide early lessons in stewarding the earth’s resources; planting native and drought-tolerant species can open a discussion about sustainability and ideals of beauty.

Taking great care of young carrots and peas.

FOUR: Work together, learn together.

One of the best things about gardening is that you don’t have to be an expert. It’s great to learn side by side with kids. Planning what to grow, taking field trips to nurseries and farms, and reading books from the library make the garden a shared project to treasure. Share the successes and don’t waste the failures: when things don’t go as planned, it can be as much of a learning experience as when they do.

Transplanting herbs

FIVE: Harvest, eat and share!

Kids are generally very interested in what they grow, and proud of their garden achievements. Tasting crisp peas and soft, juicy strawberries straight from the garden is one of the sweetest rewards. Planning meals around homegrown produce can make even picky eaters excited. Picking bouquets of fragrant homegrown flowers and sharing them with friends is a lovely way to take pride in their work. Related projects like pressing flowers, drying fruit, or building garden art can take your “harvest” to a different level (see resources below).

Eating peas together in the garden

Gardening with kids at home: how to get started

All you need is a few pots or a bare spot in your existing yard. It’s worth it to grab a bag of garden soil or compost, and sort of dig it into the existing soil to loosen and enrich it. Easy plants to grow include herbs, sunflowers, squash, tomatoes, and beans. In particular, nasturtiums, sunflowers, beans and peas are large enough for little fingers and developing fine motor skills to handle. Or buy small plants to get an extra-quick start, like strawberries or cucumbers. For resources on starting a kid-friendly garden, see our list of books and articles below.

Albany Preschool’s spring garden

We keep a garden throughout the school year. This spring we planted scarlet runner beans, sunflowers, hardy flowers such as zinnias and marigolds, purple potatoes, and wonderfully fragrant sweet peas. The children were involved in making seed starters and watering. Unfortunately, some of them scattered salt into the beds and others were a bit heavy-handed with the watering, so many of our tender plants died. Despite how hard it is to wait and to learn from our mistakes, we re-planted and know we will be back on track in a few months. After all, learning from our mistakes is just as important as learning from our successes!

Purple potatoes that survived the saltwater deluge

Sturdy and beautiful flowers

More ideas and resources

Gardening with kids: How it affects your child’s brain, body and soul. PBS Parents. March 16, 2018.

Gardening with kids. Parenting.com. Accessed May 10, 2018.

Gardening with children at preschool.Let The Children Play. March 2010.

10 ways for preschoolers to learn and grow in the garden.Family Maven/Kids’ Activities. October 2014.

The Family Garden. Book section in The Artful Year by Jean Van’t Hul.

Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy: “12 spirited, easy-to-implement ideas for theme gardens that parents and kids can grow together.”

Green Bean, Green Bean by Patricia Thomas: “A girl plants the seed of a green bean and watches it grow and mature through the seasons, even providing a nook in which to read a book. Includes supplementary information about the life cycle of plants, pertinent vocabulary, and activities.”

Oh Say Can You Seed? All about Flowering Plants (Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library) by Bonnie Worth: “With the able assistance of Thing 1 and Thing 2 — and a fleet of Rube Goldbergian vehicles — the Cat in the Hat examines the various parts of plants, seeds, and flowers; basic photosynthesis and pollination; and seed dispersal.”

A Seed is Sleepy by Diana Hutts Aston: “A beautiful and informative look at the intricate, complex, and often surprising world of seeds.”

04.23.18 | 2 Comments

RIP, Fluffy: Talking to children about death

We’re sad to report that Fluffy, one of Albany Preschool’s pet guinea pigs, has died.

About three years ago, we adopted Fluffy and his best friend, Oreo, as a bonded pair. They were cheerful classroom residents, and the children enjoyed greeting them daily. We often brought them out to play in the soft grass, and celebrated their birthdays every Earth Day.

(Oreo and Fluffy [R] enjoying treats on their fourth birthday, April 2017)

When Fluffy fell ill, the teachers let the children know that Fluffy was not feeling well. They reported on his condition at circle time, and the children were allowed to ask questions. The children learned that Fluffy was going to see the doctor, that he was taking medicine, and that the medicine was helping a little bit. Then the medicine stopped working. Fluffy died in Teacher Susy’s arms on March 15, about a month shy of his fifth birthday.

(Fluffy in his last days, resting in his house, with Oreo nearby)

Parents and teachers spoke to the children about Fluffy’s death, and about the fact that he was not coming back. Many had questions–“Where did Fluffy go?” “Will he come back?” “Can I see him?” Some expressed emotions–“I am sad that Fluffy died.” “I miss him.” “Will Oreo be all right?”

(A note to Teacher Susy: “I’m so sorry Fluffy died”)

As sad as we are about Fluffy’s death, it has provided us with an valuable opportunity to discuss death with the children. Young children deal with death quite differently than adults. For many, this was their first experience with death. Teacher Nancy explains, “Adults tend to project loss (‘could Fluffy have had a few more good years?’), or to feel relieved that he is no longer suffering. But preschool-age children live in the present. Having less of a concept of time, they don’t carry baggage from the past (‘I forgot to say hello to Fluffy last week’) and don’t project grief into the future (‘I won’t be able to play with him next year’).” This simplicity makes the preschool years a natural time to start talking about death and loss.

Here are some suggestions for how to talk to your child about death.

Prepare children for the possibility of death. If somebody is seriously ill, let children ask questions. Talk about what’s being done to help the sick person. In Fluffy’s case, teachers explained that Fluffy was taking medicine from the doctor, but that it stopped helping and “there was no more medicine to give him.”

Keep answers short and simple.

Use clear language. It’s recommended to use the words “died” or “death.” Trying to soften the blow by saying somebody has “gone to sleep,” “passed away,” or “been lost” can confuse a child and increase fears and anxieties (for example, of going to sleep). Young children often think that death is temporary. Try saying “(s)he has died, and that means we will no longer be able to see him (her).”

Follow a child’s lead. Some children have difficulty finding the words to express their feelings or fears, and may instead play-act illness and death. Their thoughts and anxieties come out naturally in their process of play. Others have many questions. “If they are asking about the details of the pet’s death, it’s a sign that they want to talk about it. They are looking for your comfort.” -Dr. Abigail Marks, clinical psychologist

Expect more questions. Young children often ask the same questions, like “what happened?” or “when will (s)he come back?” more than once. Continue to give clear answers. “Asking the same question again and again, gives a child another chance to test our answers and gradually come to their own understanding.” -Mr. Rogers

Support their grieving. Remind children that though the loved one has died and will not return, the memories and the love we shared will last forever. Children may wish to write about their feelings or about the person, or to make cards or memorials.

What do you think? We’d love to hear your comments below.

(A beautiful memorial to Fluffy on his cage, with his class photo below)

Resources for parents

Saying goodbye: talking to kids about death. Parents.org. Accessed 4.20.2018.

Dealing with death. FredRogers.org. Accessed 4.16.2018.

When a pet dies, helping children through the “worst day of their lives.” NYTimes.com. Accessed 4.4.2018.

How to talk to kids about the death of a pet. Childdevelopmentinfo.com. Accessed 4.20.2018.

How children understand death and what you should say. Healthychildren.org, from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Accessed 4.2.2018.

Children’s books on death

Goodbye, Brecken by David Lupton

City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems

The Tenth Good Thing about Barney by Judith Viorst

The Berenstain Bears Lose a Friend by Stan, Jan, and Mike Berenstain

I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm

The Forever Dog by Bill Cochran

03.07.18 | Leave a Comment

A case for boredom (or, how to stop worrying about your child being bored)

Paddington had noticed in the past that he often got his best ideas when he was “at a loose end.”

-Michael Bond, Paddington

“I’m booooooored.”

It’s a cry that strikes a visceral reaction in the hearts of parents everywhere-often frustration, annoyance, or an anxious leap to action. While some parents can find the balance of calm assertion, helpful suggestions, and wise withdrawal, many of us feel responsible to keep our children constantly entertained, stimulated or “enriched.” The result is overscheduling, excess screen time and fatigue for everyone involved.

Parents used to order their kids to stay out of the house on a nice day and find something to do. How many adventures were born out of boredom? Clearly, today we live in a different generation and culture of safety and supervision. But we can still appreciate the underlying principles: 1) free time and boredom can be good things for children, and 2) learning to entertain yourself is an invaluable life skill.

Why is it good to let your child be occasionally bored?

Think of the best memories of your childhood. How many of them started with being “at a loose end”? Sitting with nothing may be uncomfortable because it requires your mind to work by itself. In fact, boredom is connected to original thinking; learning to harness boredom helps us to become productive, creative, interesting people. Even daydreaming is important. In Bored and Brilliant, Manoush Zomorodi describes mind wandering—what our brains do when we are doing nothing at all—as very productive work that allows new ideas to emerge. You might even say that never allowing yourself, or your child, to be bored is to miss opportunities for growth.

Everything is not a journey to a destination. Help your child understand that living in the moment is really good for us and is actually quite relaxing.

Deb Lonzer, MD, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital

On overscheduling

Overscheduling happens easily even with the best of intentions, unless we are proactive about protecting free time. We want our children to pursue and enrich their interests; we don’t want them to miss out on opportunities. We want them to grow up to be well-rounded, high-achieving, even competitive young people. Some of us who have a high degree of control over our own lives are more comfortable taking the same degree of control over our children’s lives and time. We are wary of having too much free time or boredom.

But remember, boredom is important. Down time is essential not just for physical rest, but for psychological development. Self-directed executive function (goal-oriented processes like planning, decision making, and filtering information and thoughts) develops mostly during childhood and is important both for success both in school and in life. A 2014 study by psychologists at the University of Colorado and the University of Denver found that kids who spent more time in less structured activities were more self-directed; when they spent more time in structured activities, they were less able to use executive function. Because young children are dependent on parents for the scheduling of their days, it’s important for us to model balance for them. When scheduling an activity, consider scheduling down time as well; it deserves to be a priority.

Our preschool’s take on boredom

Despite the importance of boredom, we debated how to write this post because, obviously, the children at our preschool aren’t primarily bored. It’s not the goal of the school or the goal of the parents who send their children here. However, our preschool is based on the principles of free play and imagination; we believe that giving children space to direct their own activity and, occasionally, become bored exercises their ability to try new things. “Children today are overscheduled,” muses Teacher Nancy. “They spend a lot of time overstimulated with structured activities, playdates, and electronics; they are being fed things to do. I’ve observed the kids on micro-schedules are more anxious and less willing to take creative risks. We need to reclaim the lost art of playing, and start to exercise the muscles of using imagination and creating.”

The National Association for the Education of Young Children describes the five essentials to meaningful play as the following:

Children make their own decisions.
Children are intrinsically motivated.
Children become immersed in the moment.
Play is spontaneous, not scripted.
Play is enjoyable.

Albany Preschool approaches the education of our children as a journey, not a destination. We provide opportunities, not prescriptions, for learning. Whether a child wants to construct an elaborate fort out of furniture, build rivers, culverts and dams for water play in the sand box, or just daydream in the loft, they have a safe space and a lot of time. Now that’s making the most of being at a loose end.

The thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “My Lost Youth”

So now what?

If, after reading the above, you’re more comfortable with the idea of your child being bored, give it a try. Don’t try to fill every moment of your child’s day. When you hear “I’m bored,” wait before intervening or suggesting an activity, and see what happens. Children are good at surprising us. Your child might find something to do (don’t be afraid of messes! Creativity is blooming). He or she might find nothing to do, and rest or daydream a bit. More likely, you might hear some whining and pouting until they figure out what to do with that boredom. Be prepared! Stay strong. Know that learning to deal with the discomfort of boredom takes time. It’s like working out a muscle. And think about ways to allow yourself time to breathe, daydream, and, yes, be bored.

Words of wisdom from parents of the past:

“You’re bored? Go find something to do.”

“Your boredom is not my problem.”

“The best thing you can ever do for yourself is to learn to be happy just sitting with yourself.”

“Giving children time is a gift—time to problem solve, make choices, learn faster from their own choices,” says Teacher Nancy. “Learning what to do with that time builds gradually, with practice. It’s worth it.”

What do you think? We’d love to hear your comments.

More reading

Zomorodi, Manoush. Bored and brilliant: how spacing out can unlock your most productive and creative self. St. Martin’s Press, 2017.

Study: too many structured activities hinder children’s executive functioning. Elle Wexler, Education Week, July 2, 2014.

Less-structured time in children’s lives predicts self-directed executive functioning. Jane E. Barker, et al. Frontiers in Psychology, June 17, 2014

Over-scheduling: a problem for the child and the family. Cleveland Clinic, May 24, 2012.

Why you should do nothing when your child says, “I’m bored.” Vanessa Lapointe, Huffington Post, May 2, 2016.

Children should be allowed to get bored, expert says. Hannah Richardson, BBC News, March 23, 2013.

Being bored is a luxury-and for kids it can be magical. Kat Patrick, The Guardian, May 3, 2017.

Boredom is not a problem to be solved. It’s the last privilege of a free mind. Gayatri Devi, The Guardian, September 28, 2015

Let kids be bored (occasionally). Michael Ungar, Psychology Today, June 24, 2012.

5 ways boredom makes your kid more awesome. Mark Oliver, Parent.com, February 16, 2017.

The importance of letting your kids be bored. Chase Scheinbaum, Fatherly.com, February 6, 2017.

Overscheduled children: how big a problem? Bruce Feiler, nytimes.com, October 11, 2013.

Children’s books

I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black

There’s Nothing to Do by Dev Petty

Doodle Cat is Bored by Kat Patrick

02.27.18 | 2 Comments

Rain or Shine! Albany Preschool’s Spring Fair is Saturday, March 24, 2018

Join us on Saturday, March 24, 2018 for Albany Preschool’s annual Spring Fair! This super-fun event will happen, rain or shine.

Check our events page on Friday or Saturday to find out if we will be at Memorial Park or at our rain location, Albany Middle School.

We asked some kids and parents for their favorite things about our annual Spring Fair.

“The Easter Bunny coming in on the truck!”

“The cardboard maze! I went through like a million times.”

“Egg hunt!”

“Pizza and cookies!”

“Balloon animals! Last year I got a dog.”

“Face painting!”

“Stuffy toss! I won!”

“I can’t believe this huge event is put on by a little preschool. We look forward to it every year.”

“A fun Saturday at Memorial Park with tons to do. What’s not to love?”

Come join us! Tickets (50 cents each) are available to purchase on site. Most activities and treats cost 2-5 tickets.

01.09.18 | Leave a Comment

Tinkers, thinkers, inventors, scientists? STEM for preschoolers

“Early STEM skills lay the foundation for later success in school…to support children’s learning, we have to make sure that STEM starts early.”

-National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

When it comes to education these days, there’s a lot of talk about STEM. From school programs to camp activities, TV shows, toys and books, STEM is everywhere. What’s the deal?

STEM is an educational approach which combines learning across the key areas of science, technology, engineering and math with practical applications. Evidence has shown that early immersion in STEM sets children up for social, academic and career success. For young children, STEM can be a fun way to encourage curiosity, creativity, motor skills, and problem-solving skills. For school-age children, STEM helps them see how the math and science they learn in school is applicable to real-life problems and essential to technologies they use every day.

“Young children are naturally curious. They wonder what things are called, how they work, and why things happen. The foundations of science learning lie in inquiry and exploration—these are the tools of active learning. Fostering young children’s sense of curiosity about the natural world around them can promote a lifelong interest in it.”

– Boston Children’s Museum STEM Sprouts (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math teaching guide)

Did I mention that STEM is fun? Kids naturally love to learn how things work, and they ask cool questions about things that adults take for granted. They love putting stuff together, or even better, taking stuff apart. They love to tinker. If you think about it, isn’t tinkering a great way to play and to learn?

“Kids are natural tinkerers. They experiment, explore, test, and play…When children are encouraged to solve problems on their own, they learn a great deal through the questions and hands-on experiments that lead to a solution.”

-Rachelle Doorley, Tinkerlab: A hands-on guide for little inventors

STEM*	Definition	Activities for preschoolers include
Science	A way of thinking. Observing, asking questions, wondering how things work, and making predictions; experimenting and testing, sharing discoveries, adding to knowledge base.	Exploring water, rocks, sand and soil, playing with balls, investigating weather, plants, animals and bugs,
Technology	A way of doing using tools, being inventive, identifying problems, and making things work.	Computers, simple machines like gears and wheels and pulleys, taking apart a watch to see how it works
Engineering	A way of doing by designing and creating, solving problems, and building things that work.	Planning, designing and building with blocks, Legos, sand, Magna-Tiles, cardboard houses or mazes, tracks, marble runs
Math	A way of measuring, including sequencing (1,2,3,4…), patterning (1,2,1,2,1…), and exploring shapes, volume and size.	Counting, matching shapes, making patterns, measuring or comparing sizes

*adapted from Boston Children’s Museum STEM teaching guide

Learning how to learn

Curiosity—Asking questions—Exploring solutions—Learning!

Part of the learning process for any child involves problem-solving. The fact is that some ideas and solutions just don’t work. Learning to embrace failure as part of the process is a critical skill that a child needs to have for school, and frankly, for life. The experience of problem-solving, or Process, is more important than the result, or Product.

A process-based curriculum leads to self-directed, open-ended learning. Over time, exposure to a material, tool or experience helps a child develop skills, which builds competency and leads to confidence. Kids learn that repetition is good, that slow is good, that “boring” can be good. Gratification, even when (especially when!) delayed, lasts.

Much of the STEM process involves working with others to answer questions, learning to contribute to a group, learning that a problem may have more than one solution. All of these are all invaluable skills for a lifetime of learning.

Improving the balance

“Our society has a lot of common misperceptions about STEM. We often see it as hard, solitary, and more ‘for boys’ than ‘for girls.’ Children pick up on these beliefs at an early age, often based on subtle cues from the adults around them. By elementary school, girls are less interested in STEM than boys.”

-Dr. Allison Master, University of Washington

Positive STEM experiences in school can give children an idea of the options available to them in life. This is particularly critical for girls and minorities who are underrepresented in the fields of science and technology. Making early improvements such as immersing preschoolers in STEM education is one important step in the right direction. Children who develop scientific and technological literacy become adults who can make informed decisions on critical issues like energy, healthcare, and the environment. In other words, STEM education is essential for no less than shaping tomorrow’s workforce and informing its citizens. The good news is that equipping our children well for the future, in the STEM sense, means fun activities, explorations and tinkering for now.

References

Berger, C. (2017, Feb 23). Creating an engineering design process for the preschool classroom. Retrieved from http://blog.eie.org/creating-an-engineering-design-process-for-the-preschool-classroom

Boston Children’s Museum STEM sprouts (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math teaching guide) (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/STEMGuide.pdf

Doorley, Rachelle. Tinkerlab: A hands-on guide for little inventors. 2014: Roost Books.

Master, A. (2017, March 31). Make STEM social to motivate preschoolers. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/make-stem-social

Ruzzi, B.L., and Eckhoff, A (2017 March). STEM resources and materials for engaging learning experiences. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2017/stem-materials-experiences

Why engineering for children? (n.d.) Retrieved from https://eie.org/overview/engineering-children

More resources and activity ideas for parents

https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/support-science-learning

http://preschoolpowolpackets.blogspot.com/2017/01/engineering-for-preschoolers-stem.html

https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/engineering-preschoolers/

10.05.17 | Leave a Comment

At Albany Preschool, we play to learn

“It is not play versus learning, but play and learning.”1

-Dr. Kyle Snow, Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Center for Applied Research

As a parent without a formal background in education, I felt overwhelmed when choosing a preschool for my kid. So many options, so many buzzwords, not to mention the waiting lists. Frankly, it made me a little panicky that education for a 3-year-old was so complicated. Did I have to choose between my child becoming a Mandarin-speaking math prodigy or actually having fun? If I made the wrong choice at this point, would I be dooming my child to a cascade of lost opportunities and academic failure in the future? Melodrama aside, I had a valid concern that an overly academic program would turn her off school and thwart her natural desire to learn, but wondered if a play-based program would just be a glorified daycare with no real learning potential.

Just a year later, my almost four-year-old is absolutely loving her experience at Albany Preschool. Every day she plays, schemes and strategizes with friends. She imagines and creates and builds, and gets pretty darn messy and sweaty outdoors, all in a loving and supportive environment. I’ve seen her intelligence, self-control, empathy and creativity blossom. Frankly, it’s a humbling thing to witness as a parent; in trying to become a better one, I’ve started to spy on the APS teachers to figure out what the secret is. It turns out our teachers do a million things to scaffold the kids’ growth. They do subtle things you might not pay attention to, but those actions and preparations make the greatest difference to children as they start to figure out their world. Our teachers understand how small children learn. They understand the power of play. And that’s what makes Albany Preschool special: that we are truly play-based. I’m only beginning to see how much that foundational perspective affects everything my kid experiences daily at school, and how blessed I feel that we ended up at this school. It turns out that we didn’t have to choose between learning and play after all…

The importance of play: It’s how young children learn

“Strong preschool experiences will help a child think, ‘I am a good learner. I can find problems to solve. I can master a difficult task.’ These experiences show preschool children the power that learning holds.”2

-PBS Parents

Very young children learn quite differently than older children or adults. Quite simply, they are learning to learn. The good news is that they’re naturally good at it. They make sense of the world through all five senses, and they are constantly developing in multiple areas: cognitive, language, physical, social and emotional. When the environment around them is nurturing and interesting, children naturally build their understanding of the world around them, and this helps them gain confidence in their growing abilities.

Most of us realize that preschoolers won’t benefit from flash cards or rote memorization, but do we understand how they learn best?

“Perhaps direct instruction can help children learn specific facts and skills, but what about curiosity and creativity—abilities that are even more important for learning in the long run? Direct instruction really can limit young children’s learning. Teaching is a very effective way to get children to learn something specific—this tube squeaks, say, or a squish then a press then a pull causes the music to play…But there is an intrinsic trade off between [didactic] learning and the more wide-ranging learning that is so natural for young children. Knowing this, it’s more important than ever to give children’s remarkable, spontaneous learning abilities free rein. That means a rich, stable, and safe world, with affectionate and supportive grown-ups, and lots of opportunities for exploration and play. Not school for babies.”3

-Dr. Alison Gopnik, professor of psychology at UC Berkeley

The beauty of free play

Free play—play without defined scripts or goals, fueled by imagination, often outdoors, often in groups, and often using loose parts or found materials– is the backbone of a play-based program. At APS, children choose and direct their activities. During opening circle, the day’s various options are presented by the teachers with an invitation to join in (here’s what’s happening in the yard today, in the games room, at the art table, at the snack table). It’s amazing how excited the kids are to head to their favorite activities. Mine generally rushes for a seat at the art table, devotes a substantial chunk of time to dress-up and games, enjoys a snack and spends the rest of the time outdoors digging in the sand, sliding/swinging/biking or playing with water. It’s not always in that order, but she generally makes a tour of the entire school every day. Other kids devote themselves deeply to a specific interest or project. Everything, from our process-not-product approach to art to the self-serve snack table, is designed to spark a child’s interest and grow their learning in a nurturing but non-directive manner.* Outdoor play, so critical to early development in myriad ways, is something APS excels at. Our children choose to spend a lot of time outdoors. There is no assigned recess time; they have open access to outdoor space at any time. That means APS kids can enjoy up to 2.5 hours outdoors per half-day, in any season and all elements.

What are they learning through play?4

(Adapted from Let Me Be Me by Dr. Zohraida Sibtain Karim)

Example of activity	What a child is learning
Playing with blocks	Foundation for logical mathematical thinking Scientific reasoning Problem solving Improves visual memory Learn to match, classify, sort by shape and size
Drawing	How to use symbols to represent ideas (necessary for reading/writing)
Stringing bead necklace	Improving hand-eye coordination (necessary for learning to write) Learn to match, classify, sort by shape and size
Mixing colors of paint	Developing understanding of cause and effect
Pretend play	Improving language and social skills Developing understanding of social expectations Sharing and empathy
Active play	Gross motor skills, fine motor skills Agility, coordination and balance
Building towers	Basic engineering and problem solving

On social-emotional development and group dynamics

I think every parent who sends their child to preschool wants to know that their child is learning to express themselves, to play and communicate well with peers, and to self-regulate emotions and behaviors. Emotional competence, in addition to being a necessary life skill, is also linked to how well kids will transition to school and how well they perform academically in early grades. It depends on a child’s natural disposition as well as experience dealing with others. Preschool is an important time to build that experience, and a play-based environment gives children space to initiate their own ideas and learn social skills. APS is very group-oriented; almost all activities involve groups of kids coming together around common interests. When children create with their friends, they learn to present their ideas to each other and to negotiate strategies together. They gain skills in planning, problem-solving and cooperation. They learn to approach conflict with empathy and to become considerate of others. In cases of disaster (such as a Magna-tile tower crashing down) they learn to rebuild together or to invent new forms of play. They become resilient.

Asking the hard questions

Tell me the truth, does “play-based” just mean a chaotic free-for-all?

APS is such a happy, peaceful, and fun place. Teachers provide a learning environment that is challenging and nurturing, supportive and non-judgmental. They do an amazing job of scaffolding (if, like me, you’re not an educator, that means that they set up opportunities for building learning). For a child, it’s comforting to know that the day begins with circle time, that the activities for the day will be explained, and that they can pick up on their favorite activity or start something new with friends. My daughter adores and trusts all of her APS teachers. Sometimes they engage and invite her into play; often they observe in the background, letting kids really get into things with their peers without interruption and only providing guidance or intervention when needed.

But will my child be ready for school when the time comes?

Hopefully by now I’ve made the point that learning how to learn is more important in the preschool years than learning specific facts. Learning letters, numbers, handwriting, etc. is included in the curriculum, but not the focus. APS teachers do evaluate specific skills that children will need in kindergarten, and it turns out that APS graduates are very well prepared. The reason? Our children come out of APS with a strong disposition to learn, with confidence in creativity, exploration and adaptability, and with empathy and strong social skills.

They love to learn, and that is something that every parent wants for their child.

Sources and suggested reading

Snow, Kyle. “Research news you can use: debunking the play vs. learning dichotomy.” National Association for the Education of Young Children, www.naeyc.org/content/research-news-you-can-use-play-vs-learning. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.
“Grade-by-grade learning: Preschool.” PBS Parents, www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/grade-by-grade/preschool. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.
Gopnik, Alison. “Why preschool shouldn’t be like school.” Slate, 16 Mar. 2011, www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2011/03/why_preschool_shouldnt_be_like_school. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.
Karim, Zohraida Sibtain. Let Me Be Me. Rosedog Books, 2017.

Fitzgerald, Meghan. “Let ‘em spin! They’re learning.” Tinkergarten, 14 Jan. 2017, blog.tinkergarten.com/blog/2017/2/2/let-em-spin-theyre-learning. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.

Wisler, Joelle. “Unstructured Play Is The Parenting Miracle We’ve All Been Hoping For (Really).” Scarymommy, www.scarymommy.com/unstructured-play-is-parenting-miracle. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.

Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick, et al. Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How our children really learn–and why they need to play more and memorize less. Rodale Books, 2004.

Doorley, Rachelle. Tinkerlab: A hands-on guide for little inventors. Roost Books, 2014.

Van’t Hul, Jean. The artful parent. Roost Books, 2013.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. “Position statement: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8.” Adopted 2009. www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSDAP.pdf. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.

*Examples of taking play to the next level

One warm day this week, the children were enjoying splashing in the water outside and decided to make a water slide by directing the water down their slide. Then they decided to construct dams made out of sand to hold the water up, and enjoyed seeing how it changed the water flow. Teacher Nancy came by with some food coloring and dropped it in; now they could see how the color dispersed and moved with the changing current. It was all about them exploring interests and building on their knowledge to understand the world around them.

Another example of fluid play: not long ago, a large amount of Styrofoam was donated to the school from somebody’s computer boxes. The children first decided to color it with markers. Then some boys decided to make a school out of it. A group of girls took over then and converted the structure into a rocket ship. Over the several days it was left out, the project evolved several more times, each new iteration bearing the unique ideas of a group of friends working together.

05.26.17 | Leave a Comment

Building fine motor skills? For APS kids, it’s all about having fun!

What exactly are fine motor skills? As opposed to gross motor skills, which involve large muscles and movements like rolling over, sitting up, or running, fine motor skills use small muscle groups to do precise actions like using a pen, zipping up a jacket, or threading a necklace. While many important gross motor skills are learned during infancy and toddlerhood, fine motor skills hit a particularly steep learning curve during the ages of 3 to 5. Just think about about all the things a preschool-age child is learning to do: use Velcro on shoes, pour milk into a cup, scribble and write. Each of these involves very specific fine motor skills. Why does fine motor development peak during the preschool years? Physically, preschoolers are developing strength, coordination, dexterity and visual skills. Cognitively, they’re more able to sit still, focus on a task, wait, and problem-solve. Preschool is a critical time for the development of fine motor skills, which are essential for daily functioning, social development, and self-esteem; basically, for growing up.

“When combined with increasing hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills also open new doors to exploration, learning, and creative expression. In fact, research shows that emphasis on purely intellectual activities—memorization of letters and numbers, for instance—is far less useful at this stage than pursuits that encourage fine motor abilities and hand-eye coordination. These skills—rather than counting or reciting the alphabet—lay the foundation for academic learning in later years.”

-Child Magazine

At Albany Preschool, our teachers are very intentional about encouraging fine motor development by incorporating fun, developmentally appropriate activities into play. Basically, our kids are working hard on their skills, but all they know is that they’re having fun and learning to do new things:

Music/movement: clapping hands, using instruments, singing counting songs with fingers

Cooking and eating: setting the table, preparing food (mixing, sorting, shaking), pouring water into cups

Gardening: sorting and planting seeds, spraying plants, harvesting flowers and vegetables

Games: building towers and racetracks, working with Legos, completing puzzles, picking up small objects with tweezers

Art: making collages, drawing and painting, cutting with scissors, hole-punching, sticking objects into playdough, threading beads/cheerios/pasta, sorting small loose objects, learning to write

Self-care: getting dressed (using buttons and zippers, putting on shoes), using the toilet, washing hands

Let’s focus for a minute on a very important fine motor skill: writing. It’s kind of a big deal in preschool. At the APS art table, sometimes I watch in awe as a three-and-a-half year old deftly scrawls her name on her artwork. My own child, the same age, is just mastering her first initial (with a little creative interpretation). Many children still ask for help writing their names; others sign with a flourish.

Learning to write is quite a challenging hurdle in development. Writing requires a level of muscle strength, dexterity and focus, and can be very frustrating if a child is not ready. Many preschoolers can write their names, at least in part, but the development of proper pencil grasp, much less the ability to form letters, can be just be emerging in a younger child. Presenting such a child with tracing worksheets and asking him to write on lines before he even has a pencil grasp creates an exercise in frustration and futility.

Instead, focus on building muscle strength and dexterity by doing fun activities daily. Squeezing, cutting, and handling small objects are all winners. APS always has a play dough table with freshly homemade play dough in enticing colors and a rotating array of interesting tools and molds. The “literacy” table is stocked with paper, markers, colorful tape and lots of scissors. Enjoying and mastering skills that seem unrelated to writing may be the best way to prepare for the task of writing.

So put away those writing worksheets. Let’s sit down with some friends and a pile of paper, markers and scissors, and we can color and cut our way to a masterpiece. When you’re ready, maybe you’ll want to write your own name on it.

For more on this subject:

Vanessa Levin, Pre-K Pages. How to Teach Handwriting Skills in Preschool.

Karen Cox, PreKinders. Fine Motor Ideas.

Anna Ransom, The Imagination Tree. 40 Fine Motor Skills Activities.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. Help your Child Build Fine Motor Skills.

04.22.17 | Leave a Comment

It’s Almost Time for Summer Camp!

Would your kid squeal at the idea of digging up dinosaur fossils? How about winning a ribbon for cupcake decorating at a County Fair? Mine can’t wait to build a rocket ship and blast into space to visit her favorite planet.

Camp is a fantastic way for preschool kids to stay active and engaged during the long summer months. Albany Preschool offers a week-by-week summer camp program June 26 to August 18 (Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 1 PM), which is open to non-Albany Preschool children as well. Each week-long program is centered on a fun theme to encourage exploration and interest.

For children who plan to attend APS in the fall, summer camp provides an important opportunity to ease into preschool. The lower-key setting allows them to gain a sense of ownership in the new school environment before the formal school year starts, so they feel at home. And it’s just so much fun!

Here’s what to expect at APS Summer Camp:

Fun and Play: Tie-dye, cook, read books, play games

Music: Sing and play instruments

Outdoor Activities: Water and sand play, swing and bike, pitch tents

Arts and Imagination: Build forts, design rides and rockets, act out fairy tales, dress up, draw and paint

Cooking: Prep treats, and (everyone’s favorite) make ice cream every Friday!

Here’s a sneak peek at the 8 weeks of APS Summer Camp we’re offering this year. Which themes spark your child’s interest?

Week 1: Splish, Splash, Water Fun

Week 2: Albany Preschool’s County Fair

Week 3: Let’s Go Camping

Week 4: Princesses, Pirates and Fairy Tales

Week 5: Music, Instruments and Talent

Week 6: Exploring Science: Dinosaurs and Volcanoes

Week 7: Aliens and Astronauts

Week 8: Cooking: Math and Science in the Kitchen

Registration is now open until May 1. Please see our Summer Camp information page for weekly camp theme descriptions, tuition and applications.

04.18.17 | 2 Comments

Why Do Preschool Art?

Have you ever looked at a piece of art your child brought home from school and wondered what the point was?

A Googly Eye-Opening Experience

My kid and I used to attend craft time at the library. Generally, the teacher provided a sample of the project, and the children would try to copy it as closely as possible. Like many kids, mine would start to get frustrated that her project didn’t look like the teacher’s, and I’d swoop in to “correct” it. We’d come home with a cute but uninspired object that ended up in the recycling.

Once I was busy chatting with another parent and realized that my kid had been working away contentedly and eagerly for a while. Instead of making a kitty cat like everybody else (with the regular number of eyes, ears and appendages), she was engrossed in covering the entire thing with googly eyes and star stickers. I reached toward her…..and stopped. She was doing something new and having a great time! It was her very own art, and it turned out super weird-looking and cool.

How Albany Preschool Does Art Well

When my kid started at Albany Preschool, I noticed a different approach to art. The sheer volume of her projects went up, as well as the range of colors, loose pieces and materials (feathers?!) on them. More importantly, she was actually proud of her creations, asking us to put them up on the wall as soon as we came home.

Helping out as a parent participator let me see just how APS approaches art. There is no 15-minute “art time” where children sit down, hurry through and produce a copy of the sample (the “art as a receipt for childcare” approach). At APS, the art table is open; the artistic techniques and materials are introduced during circle time, and all are invited to come by the table. Children join in when they want to, and enjoy spending time making their creations. It’s fascinating to see what different works result. Some students are already developing their signature styles.

Process-focused versus Product-focused Art

Teacher Nancy and I were chatting one day, and she mentioned that there was a big difference between process-focused and product-focused art. I’d never heard of the distinction before, but that conversation was the start of a journey for me as a parent. Here’s what the difference is, and why it matters.

Product art:

Step-by-step instructions are provided, even a teacher-created sample to copy
Child feels frustrated if it doesn’t turn out “ right” and asks to be done with art or to have mistakes fixed
Child learns to follow specific instructions and to copy a sample
Results all look the same

Process art:

No “right” way to do it; open-ended play; “see what happens” approach encourages curiosity, imagination, innovation
Focuses on experiencing and exploring materials and tools, even adding new ones along the way
Child feels invested and successful, with a sense of ownership, and may be more interested in discussing or displaying the art
Child learns to problem solve, test theories, think outside the box, explore and create
Results are original (and sometimes surprising)

What I’ve Learned

Kids are natural innovators. I might sit mine down for “art time” and hope she makes something that we can frame for Grandma’s present. But she’s more interested in mixing the paint colors together and seeing what they look like on anything but the white paper I provided (her skin! the table! the dog!) She wants to see what else will stick in a blob of paint, or to explore the effect of adding lots of wadded-up masking tape. When it comes to art, I’m learning to provide the environment and an array of materials (a big workspace, music, and lots of colored paper, glue, paint, loose pieces), and then… I try to step back.

I’m so grateful that my kid is encountering art at Albany Preschool, where our wonderful teachers are intentional about emphasizing process over product. That’s a big deal. Because it’s not about producing something pretty enough to hang on the wall, it’s about my child’s precious process of exploration, innovation and expression.

“You won’t damage children by going off on these side trips of paper plate fish or hand print creations, but you won’t be giving them the best quality experience either.”

Jenny Kable, Let the Children Play. Art: Process Not Product

For more reading on this topic:

Rachelle Doorley, Americans for the Arts. Process over Product: Building Creative Thinkers with Art

Laurel Bongiorno, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). How Process Art Experiences Support Preschoolers