Wild Poppy Atelier

“In the wood the trees are tall,
Up and up they tower;
You and I are very small—
Fairy-child and flower.
Bracken stalks are shooting high,
Far and far above us;
We are little, you and I,
But the fairies love us.”

“I look in the mirror and what do I see?
A pair of eyes looks back at me.
A nose, two ears, two eyebrows, too:
Two lips, and teeth, to say,
“I love you.”
I look in the mirror and what do I see?
I look in the mirror and I see ME!”

L I G H T P L A Y I S -
S E R I O U S P L A Y

We are becoming engineering experts, little math freaks, architects. We are learning the connection between light and shadow, distance and dimension, area and volume. We are learning through play.

C O M P A S S I O N

Nothing that we do is more imporant than teaching young people how to have, develop and nurture their own sense of companssion for others. NOTHING.

D I R T Y H A N D S , H A P P Y H E A R T S !

We plant our flowers and talk about how the sunshine and rain are coming. Soon, all the Earth will come alive. We will certainly be ready and waiting!

Yes, we put mud in our water. Doesn't everyone? Best fake spring ever!

“Compliance-driven environments designed for outdated industrial-era goals may stifle individuality & creativity, focusing more on conformity & preparing individuals for structured roles, rather than fostering a child's innate developmental needs-needs that will support them in positions & companies 20 years into the future that *require* this kind of divergent thinking, resilience, respectful collaboration, & emotional intelligence.”

🐜SHAREABLE GRAPHIC🐜 for the Reggio Emilia Pedagogy that not only our school was founded on, but so many more are transitioning into.

Because. We. Need. To. Evolve. Education.

“This 4 yr old child has asked for help to write his name, but aside from that, he has done zero writing of any other letters,

YET...

I see all the components necessary to form every single lower case and upper case letter in his self-chosen painting.

I see big lines, little lines, horizontal lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines, big curves, little curves and circles.

This tells me all of this child's freedom to MOVE and USE his body as he so chooses has worked to connect body and brain. (far more so than removing time to MOVE and replacing it with forced table time and "writing time")

His hands are able to do what his brain says....his brain is able to direct those hands to make all sorts of necessary lines to accomplish HIS intrinsically motivated task.

PERHAPS, we should assess a child's ability to write in a different way?

PERHAPS, forming actual letters CAN WAIT until the child is intrinsically motivated.....

PERHAPS, forming actual letters isnt as important as assessing a child's body/brain connection in different ways?

PERHAPS, we should stop the disrespectful practice of teaching children how to write their names INCORRECTLY (all capitals) just so they can do it earlier. INSTEAD...wait, and follow the lead of the child. WAIT....and value that ALL MOVEMENTS a child chooses to engage in are, indeed, getting a child's body and brain "ready".”

This 4 yr old child has asked for help to write his name, but aside from that, he has done zero writing of any other letters,

YET...

I see all the components necessary to form every single lower case and upper case letter in his self-chosen painting.

I see big lines, little lines, horizontal lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines, big curves, little curves and circles.

This tells me all of this child's freedom to MOVE and USE his body as he so chooses has worked to connect body and brain. (far more so than removing time to MOVE and replacing it with forced table time and "writing time")

His hands are able to do what his brain says....his brain is able to direct those hands to make all sorts of necessary lines to accomplish HIS intrinsically motivated task.

PERHAPS, we should assess a child's ability to write in a different way?

PERHAPS, forming actual letters CAN WAIT until the child is intrinsically motivated.....

PERHAPS, forming actual letters isnt as important as assessing a child's body/brain connection in different ways?

PERHAPS, we should stop the disrespectful practice of teaching children how to write their names INCORRECTLY (all capitals) just so they can do it earlier. INSTEAD...wait, and follow the lead of the child. WAIT....and value that ALL MOVEMENTS a child chooses to engage in are, indeed, getting a child's body and brain "ready".

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/listentothechildren

****Commenting has been turned off on this post...there is just one of me and 50,000 plus of you. When I feel Im falling behind on my posts, I seek balance. Thank you for understanding****. You can ALWAYS message me.