A Space Like This

Before I knew about the Adventure  playground movement, I had a plan, a plan to make our playscape into one that mimicked the playscape that I spent my childhood in. It would be full of nature, overgrown grass, trees, water, dirt, and lots of "STUFF" to drag around and use in many ways.  The children would play freely and endlessly in this space, losing track of the time, only stopping to refuel and dive right back in. There would be little nooks and crannies for play that was best spent with one other person, or out of the watchful eye of adults. There would be free access to water, shady areas, and spaces that they could alter and develop all on their own.

I knew from my childhood that playing in a space like this was when I felt most free and powerful. A space like this is where my strength arose, I became a leader, a creative problem solver, and the risk taker that I am today.

I can count on one hand the number of conflicts I remember. It just seemed when we were out in fresh air, we were better listeners, we were softer, kinder people, our ears and hearts were wide open.  Sharing ideas and trying things out failure after failure without haste, because we knew we had what seemed to us like forever to get it right. Nature does that to you, it causes you to slip deep into its arms and float in a state of deep engaged play.

I remember collecting water samples from the creek in old jelly jars, drawing pictures of what floated inside, each morning we would run out to look at its changes, watch it mold, and grow with fuzz. We thought deeply, we thought scientifically, we taught ourselves.  I remember climbing trees clear up to the tips collecting pinecones, you know the tiny ones before they open up and turn brown? Oh I used to fill sacks and bags full of them. It was like an instinct to collect, to compile stuff, most of the time natural materials. I knew that our playscape would have to offer natural materials that could be collected and transported.

Weather didn't stop us either, in fact it just added to our already complex play.  rain became puddles and puddles became oceans, the creek swelled up and mud was abundant. When it snowed we ran to the steep hill trudging up and zooming down again and again and again... lifting and hoisting huge balls of snow to sculpt out snow families, building igloos and forts from snow.. oh those were the days.  I'd NEVER allow our children to miss out on the joys of the elements.. We would go outside in ALL weather in a Space Like This.

-Lakisha Reid 

Owner/Educator 

Discovery Early Learning Center 

www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning

Founder of Play Empowers ( Sharing the POWER of PLAY) 

Thinking Together

Today we introduced our floorbook! I learned about this great idea after finding Clair Helen Warden's facebook page called Planning Through Talking and Thinking Floorbooks. "Claire Warden created the concept in the late 1980's whilst researching scientific thinking in young children." What pulled me into this style of documentation is the fact that it is inclusive of the children.

This tool pulls the children into the thinking, planning, and documentation process in a way that is all their own. It encourages collaboration, sharing of thoughts and thought processes, dissecting ideas, and thinking deeply.

As I introduced the large floor book, the size alone attracted children, I told them that I had something to show them, to share with them. They began to gather around the book. We thought together about our upcoming trip to a new forest location. There were some very interesting ideas and conversations happening. One child thought that the forest would be spooky with an owl " but he will not see us cause his eyes will be closed", he said as he closed is own eyes and began to well up with excitement as if he was actually in the forest in that moment experiencing what he held in his imagination.

Another child chimed in with " Cause he's nocturnal, nocturnal means that he sleeps in the day and opens his eyes at night!"  another said there would be lots and lots of trees then he thought out loud "How do trees grow? We pondered that question for a while and then another child said " They grow with seeds!"  Together we drew trees and water, spiders and owls. This was a great start to our inquiry floor book. We have a wonderful question to take into the woods to investigate "HOW DO TREES GROW?"

As the children talked and thought, I heard many hypothesis, theories, and ideas. One child wondered if there would be water, and if so what color the water would be. One child said "purple, cause purple is my favorite color". Another argued that it would be blue.

I could have told them how trees grow, or what color the water really is, I could have whipped out my phone, or iPad, or computer, I could have filled them with facts... but is it really about that?? NO, it's about instilling a love of learning, feeding their curiosity with deep thought and investigation through play, allowing them to discover new ideas, ask new questions and answer their own questions through hands-on exploration. If I give them the flat facts... then the process of learning is over, it's halted.. they ask the question, I give the answer.. THE END... I'd like to instead make this just the beginning.. they have FOREVER to learn all of the facts.. right now, they are learning the ways to learn and acquiring facts along the way. I am NOT here to fill their buckets up, I am here to pass them the shovel and watch them work.

-Lakisha Reid 

Owner/Educator 

Discovery Early Learning Center 

www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning

Founder of Play Empowers ( Sharing the POWER of PLAY) 

Co-Host of Dirty Playologist Podcast 

The Art of Connection

The other day a friend's question got me thinking about the meaning of the word art.. so I looked it up. 
One definition stood out to me and made me think past the idea of traditional art. 

art. : something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings.

It was the words beautiful and feelings that stood out to me. I often wonder in deep reflection whether what we do with children is an art or a science. I silently debate that time and time again as I reflect at the end of each day. After reading this definition I have concluded that it is both, an art and a science;  for you can not have science without art, and you can not have art without science...

 Our daily work is rooted in the art and science of connection and relationship. Authentic connections are born out of *feelings of security, love, belonging, and acceptance. The result of this connection is so very deeply *beautiful. 

With every interaction and every encounter, we are either strengthening our connection or weakening it. Knowing this and being mindful of this drives me to put much thought behind my interactions with the children I spend my days with. 

Share with them, play with them, step out of my adult world and into their world.  Speak their language, the language of play. 

Look closely at this pillow fight, there is a teacher buried under those pillows and joyful children. 

The word SKILL caused me to think even deeper, does the art of connection take skill? 

The skill to observe, document and gain a deep understanding of the needs and interests of the children.  The ability to translate my findings to make the learning visible to the children, their families, and the community at large. The Sense to respect their need to be free of adult intrusion and understand when my close presence is not needed or wanted. It takes skills to detect the need for support and to decipher what tools to use to scaffold a child in need. It takes  skills to design an environment that supports each individual child's unique needs.. I'd say YES... The art of connection takes skill. 

Running, laughing and dancing with the children in the rain

Through connecting with children on such a deep and authentic level, you are *expressing important ideas and feelings. The idea that the child is worth it, the child is valued, loved, and inherently good.  The art of connection produces such masterpieces, it produces strong, confident children who grow to be imaginative, creative, skillful, beings with important ideas and feelings to express. 

art. : something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings.

-Lakisha Reid 
Owner/Educator 
Discovery Early Learning Center 
www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning
Founder of Play Empowers ( Sharing the POWER of PLAY) 
Co-Host of Dirty Playologist Podcast 

WHY?

I find that the more I let go, the more authentic our program becomes. The more I am in tune with what the children need.. 
what each individual child needs. I am not bogged down by unnecessary rules and ways of doing things that are born out of tradition.. repeated time and time again with no connection to the WHY. 

It wasn't until I began asking  myself WHY? Why do all of the children have to eat when I say they should be hungry. WHY do  children who no longer need a nap have to sleep, why do they have to suppress their natural urge to throw things, to dump and pour things, to transport things from place to place, to collect and compile large piles of things. WHY? 

After reflection I came to the conclusion that those rules were more about me, they were born out of convenience and outright laziness.  I don't beat myself up about it because those "rules" were handed down to me, it was just "what we have always done". I do beat myself up for taking so long to ask the question WHY? 

As I continue to ask WHY and to question everything we do with and for the children in our program, I began to reformulate the ways that we work with the children in our program. We pay close attention to the individual needs of the children we spend our days with. In doing so we've noticed that one child needed to eat a late lunch. He was not hungry as early as many of the other children. He was not eating, he was picking at his lunch and then declining to eat much at all. 

We began to watch for signs that he was hungry and noticed that in fact, he needed to eat much later. His eating time overlapped with the time he would be napping. In a rigid classroom will a broad stroke set of "rules" this child would not be accommodated. In a program that is in tune with the children and has committed to ensuring that their individual needs were met, he was permitted to eat at a time that his body needed to eat. He ate EVERY DROP of his food and promptly fell asleep right after. 

It is the responsibility of early educators to be well-versed in the latest research on child development and to design programs accordingly, merely continuing traditions and following standards that totally disregard what we know about children and how they learn is not conducive of providing a quality early childhood education. 

As early educators, we have a responsibility to ask the question WHY? Ask parents, ask administrators, ask policy makers, and ask fellow early childhood educators.  It is in answering this question that we build authentic child-centered programs. 

WHY is a question best answered by doing the work.. the research is there and in this age of the internet every educator, parent, and policy maker has a responsibility to inform themselves and construct developmentally appropriate programs. WHY??... WHY NOT?? 

-Lakisha Reid 
Owner/Educator 
Discovery Early Learning Center 
www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning

Play... It's Academic

The more I study play, the more of a purest I become.. It brings to light the thought that if we say that humans are designed to play and learn from life and through interactions with people and things.. then why do we try to alter or speed up that natural process ?.. I think the saying " You can't fix what ain't broken" comes to mind..

A play based program is one that does not come prescribed with pre-written daily lesson plans.. No calendars of pre-planned activities ripped from the pages of cookie cutter pre school workbooks. No worksheets, no flashcards, no teacher decided lesson plans and blanket lists of academic goals to reach.

 A play-based preschool is rooted in the idea that through play, children will learn socially, cognitively, physically and the whole child will be developed and nurtured.

    This IDEA.. is not just an IDEA it is well backed up by research and is proven in classrooms worldwide.  Knowing what we know about children and what science has proven, has supported my passion to provide a play-based program for the children enrolled at my school.

***In this set of posts I will attempt to show a small glimpse into the learning of all kinds that happens naturally in my play based preschool.  Play... It's Academic, Play... It's Emotional, Play... It's Work,  Play... It's Person Building,  Play.. It's the Foundation, and finally Play... It's Learning. This is Part One Play... It's Academic** 

I found this sitting on top of the shelf in preschool. I was impressed by the child's attention to detail and the ability to repeat the pattern in such an intentional way. I even, for a second thought that maybe one of the teachers assembled these tiny pieces.  After asking the children, one child pipped up saying " That's my whole family, the green one's my grandma." I went from impressed with mathematical accuracy, to being impressed with his symbolism, and his ability to clearly represent the members of his family. He started with an idea and carried it through with clear understanding. Experiences like this form that layer of knowledge and experience with ideas and materials that will support later lessons in both math and reading.

Programs designed for young children should reflect the developmental needs of the children in the program not mimic that of children much older with a completely different set of developmental needs.

Preschools should not look like schools at all, they should look like living breathing places for play.. heck I think SCHOOLS can use a little re design to meet the needs of the children and support children of all ages in active, engaged learning.

Each day I witness children engaged in self guided learning. These experiences are meaningful because they are initiated by the children based on their interest in that moment. I find that the children are deeply engaged in tasks and challenges that they choose. They spend much more time and effort to solve their problem or complete their task because it's their task and the motivation is coming from within.

Animal Talk 

These two friends pulled out a basket of small animals and set up shop at one of the tables in the classroom. they started by dumping the basket on the center of the table and then, as if they had a non verbal agreement, they began arranging the animals. As I observed further, I noticed that they began to group like animals together.  They discussed the characteristics of the different animals and also, at times, referenced animal facts. This sharing of dialog and of prior knowledge gave each child the chance to be the expert and to share and gain additional knowledge. This ping pong style dialog continued throughout the entire play session.

 As the animal groupings began to take shape their conversation turned toward the value of each grouping.  Counting and comparing the groups educed vocabulary such as more, less, and same. By simply observing, I was able to clearly asses what these two children understand about classification, sorting, graphing, as well as their knowledge base and interest in animals. This "lesson" was totally child initiate, lead and completed. No adult was needed to plan this.. It was not extended on because what the children needed to learn and practice was done through play, they had constructed new knowledge and will, I'm sure, return to these animals our countless other loose parts in the classroom and practice this same skill over and over each time constructing a deeper and deeper understanding of what it means to count, sort, classify, and compare.


Why not set up "work stations"  to learn through play like the play that naturally took place in the example above?

Because, natural and authentic learning like what was observed happens when the idea is owned by the children. When it is THEIR inner voice that leads them to fill their time with that task. It's like a lit fire that they control the flame of, if we keep trying to fan and blow on it to make it grow we may risk accidentally putting out that fire.. Instead we tend to the fire giving it what it needs to continue to glow and flicker. If we trust that play is enough we can allow experiences like this to take place, we can trust that children will re play these same schemas time and time again until the layer of learning is set and they are ready to construct additional layers.

Uninterrupted play with open ended loose parts is vital to the development of the whole child. Play supports the development of social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and creative skills in children. How do you make time and space in your program for play?

-Lakisha Reid 
Owner/Educator 
Discovery Early Learning Center 
www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning

A LOVE OF LITERACY: Creating A Literacy-Rich Culture In The Classroom

A LOVE OF LITERACY: 

Creating A Literacy-Rich Culture In The Classroom

I remember when I first opened Discovery, I was so eager to settle in and have a culture, a way, a feeling of our school. I was, like I often am, rushing what should happen naturally. As time went on I was reminded that a culture is something that is cultivated over time, it simmers and sizzles until it boils over. As much as I wanted to dig in.. I had to allow things to happen at it's own pace. I already knew this about children and how they learn, I knew that they could not be forced to learn and develop, that it would happen naturally in an environment full of rich material and a culture that supported play.. I used this same mindset to settle down my inner voice and let the classroom culture take shape.

One thing was for sure, play would be at the center of what children experienced at our school. Why play? Well because Play develops relationships, relationships with people, spaces, materials, and ones self. We understood that these relationships would be of great importance to the classroom culture.

With relationships as a main focus, we began to closely observe the children. Through our observations we noticed the connection and closeness that was nourished while sharing stories, books and simply chatting together. We had designed the classroom with ample access to reading and writing material, but with the new knowledge of the children, we began to fill the shelves with books that supported the interests of the children in the classroom. We blurred the lines between "Centers" in the classroom by adding reading and writing materials in all areas of the classroom, by doing this it became understood that writing and reading did not happen ONLY in designated centers.

By providing books that matched the interest of the children and allowing them to read  naturally in groupings of their choosing, on the lap of a teacher or alone at any given point in the school day, we created an environment that merged the joy of reading with the joy of play.  Children could be found deep into a book as a marching band marched on by, children giggling in delight didn't even threaten to tear a child away from his book.  





We also found it important to offer ample opportunities for children to write and mark make. blank books made of folded paper then stapled along the spine, blank paper, lined paper, chalk boards, journal books, memo pads, and any other type of paper we could find is nestled in all areas of the classroom. A myriad of writing tools accompany them. Clip boards, and mini notebooks create a mobile writing device that add to play of all kinds. cardboard, scraps of wood dry erase boards were also placed thoughtfully around the room. 

Simply adding an easel and large paper to the block area encourages plans to be mocked up and sketches to be made. 

We do not do worksheets, we do not practice any writing curriculum or have any teacher directed writing sessions, it's not a chore.. or work, it's PLAY..  

Children write and mark make ALL day, children read and tell stories ALL day. Our end of the day story is an event.. We call it the book vote. Everyone meets at the rug. Small blocks are passed out as tickets, three or four books are laid out after each title is read and displayed for all to see. Then the vote begins! The children are called up a few at a time to place their vote. It's always exciting to tally up the votes at the end and see which story won. This time fosters a sense of community, a sense of democracy and a love of and excitement for reading. 


We found that there are a few key things that helped to develop our literacy rich culture. 

- We provided ample accessible books and reading material 


- We talked with and listened to the children 


- We asked " How does your story start" ( Bev Bos) 


- We provided many tools for mark making and writing 

- Plenty of play give the children to opportunity to play out ideas and events in    stories and books. 

- Reading one on one, small groups, and whole group situations naturally. 

- Never having a forced reading time or a lesson in reading. 


We dictate the words of the children reading their own words back to them and their classmates. Dictation is so much a part of our program that now the children attempt to dictate for each other, the act of dictation is showing up in play!

Never before have I seen children flock to reading and choose it when play is an option, my theory for this is;  they are never forced to sit for group "reading time" they are never punished by being sent to " go read a book" they are not worried that they will miss play time because play is not scheduled between all of the other stuff.. it is the other stuff. They have associated reading and mark making or writing with spending time with loved ones, with laughter, sharing ideas, playing and learning.  They do it for pleasure, not because they are pressured. 

Their love for books and reading continued to grow, to the point that children began asking to take favorite books home. This prompted us to create a book borrowing corner in our classroom. The children and their families check out books to enjoy together at home, this home school connection reinforces the importance of reading to children and with loved ones.  

The children have truly developed a love of literacy

-Lakisha Reid 
Owner/Educator 
Discovery Early Learning Center 
www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning

Hogtied and Happy

This was a long morning of the type of play many would stop in it's tracks.. call it " not meaningful" and poo poo it.. We, instead asked the children if we should open the door so that they could have more space to run and hide.. It was a whole class deep meaningful game of, I don't know what to call it.. but "WAR" comes to mind. Although I didn't hear any talk of guns or bombs.. THIS TIME..I did know that there were three sides.. the boys, the girls, and the ones we call the flip-floppers, the flip-floppers are the ones who sway to the side of the winning team or play the part of the rescuers. I remember this type of play as a child, running wildly, almost feeling as though I was escaping real danger, breathing fast and deep, hiding behind rocks and logs to take a breath and then running off screaming " You can't catch meee!"

I am saddened by the thought that many children do not get to play in this wild unbridled way anymore. Adults are typically in the shadows or hovering overhead frantically asking for peace. Peace.. IS being tackled and giggling so hard you think you may pee your pants, peace is sitting watch after you just captured the leader of the other team. Let's take off our old adult lenses and put on our youthful eyes.. remember what it was about this type of play that called us to it over and over again as children.

The most peaceful part about this play is the fact that they know they can quit when they choose to. Each child is a willing participant; they all want the play to be sustained, therefore they are all playing to have fun and not to hurt. Does this mean that no one gets hurt? No, some days children go home with the proof of such play, scratches, scrapes, and bumps.. rarely do we have tears, the children are so enthralled in their play that they don't even stop to nurse their boo boo's. And I know I know I know, many of you are gasping in disbelief that we have rope on the playground.. that we let them play with it and that we let them use it to tie each other up.. Well to start, we did not offer them the string and say, "here go hogtie a friend". The ropes are used for many things including making our beloved swing, but that is a whole other story, I'll get to that later.

It is our job to monitor the play and ensure that the children understand the safe ways to play with the materials that we provide.

When stopping this kind of play we are not allowing the children the chance to use their whole bodies to play, heir whole minds to moderate that play. We are not also  allowing them to practice expressing and reading expressions. We are not allowing them to be the victor or feel defeat. We are not allowing them to be true to themselves. Children need to run, jump, push, pull, roll, hide and be the victor.

Now about that rope..

Here is the same type of rope, this time used to create a swing.

The Story of The Swing

The children created the swing, they asked me to connect the wood to the rope. it has been there for months. In the beginning there were issues with turn taking, as a class we came up with the 7 swings rule.. that quickly became an issue, no one can enjoy swinging in JUST 7 swings.. We as a staff decided to trust the children to govern their own swing. We decided that like with other items they did not have to give it up if they were using it. Every child knew they had the power to use the swing as long as they wanted. At first it was hard for the waiters to wait, but once they realized that when it was their turn, they had the same rights things began to simmer down. We witness children setting their own rules, their own games, and limits. No longer was there begging children posted near the swing, they waited, they waited until the swing was free and then they took their turn. It is so amazing to see the children share, communicate, negotiate, and relish in their freedoms.. the swing is just one example of this.








Again the story is that of children who all have a common goal. They are able to come up with some understandings and agreements in order to make their play community one that they all can live in. By allowing THEM to set their guidelines and standards, they gain the ability negotiate, rally for a belief, or settle from time to time.

So before putting a stop to an idea, type of play, or the use of a material, think about what can come of it, how it will benefit the children and why they are gravitating towards it. Ask yourself, What are they getting out of that play, or material?

here's to many more days of play and being hogtied and happy!

-Lakisha Reid 
Owner/Educator 
Discovery Early Learning Center 
www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning

Limitless Learning

Limitless Learning 

Pure Play is a state of mind.

A space.

A sense.

A zone.

It's not any one thing.

It's not tangible, or stagnant.

Play is ever changing, growing, and developing.

Play moves up and down like a roller coaster, catching wind, as it travels through time and space.

Play is fast and loud, slow and quiet, calm and crazy.

Play is the vessel from which REAL learning passes.

The kind of learning that people are made up of.

The kind that becomes a part of your innermost being.

The Kind that you can not shake, you can't forget.

It becomes who you are, what you believe about yourself and about the world around you.

No boxes to check off.

No circles to fill in.

No lines to color inside of.

Play is limitless, Play is learning...  Limitless Learning!

-Lakisha Reid 
Owner/Educator 
Discovery Early Learning Center 
www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning

Moments Like this...

Moments like this I feel so content. I step back and I watch, I observe the children playing, being,  and belonging. I feel so strongly that moments like this are the right of EVERY child, no matter the family structure, race, or economic circumstance. Every child deserves the chance to just be.. to just play..... TO- JUST- BE..

Moments like this only happen if we see the value of stillness, connection with nature, and connection with each other.  If we understand that SOMETHING does not need to be happening, but that something IS happening, we will welcome moments like this.

  If we are able to ignore the urge to push and prod the children into play that looks more meaningful to us, we can relish in the moments that make up days like this.

Just as it is important to reduce the color and distractions on the classroom walls, it is also important to reduce the mental distractions, allow time for silence, reflection, and connection to simmer and grow.


Moments like this allow the brain the time to ponder the wealth of information it has received. It is a time to make meaning where none was before.

To respect these moments:

•  We back-up, we back-off, we do not intrude. 
•  We plan for large blocks of unstructured play. 
•  We create an environment full of nooks and crannies to gather or be alone. 
•  We ensure that the children know that their ideas are good enough. 
•  We, ourselves reflect out loud in order to model the act of rethinking a past experience. 

So the next time you see a child so deep in thought, or seeming to be "just laying around" remember, this is a very important part of their play, a time to digest, a time to ponder deeper, a time to LEARN.

-Lakisha Reid 
Owner/Educator 
Discovery Early Learning Center 
www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning

Let Children Be Children ...and play with JUNK!

Let Children be Children........ and play with JUNK!!

When I was a child we played with JUNK, I mean real JUNK. We had toys, I'm sure... Just none so beloved that I can remember them.

We had the freedom to roam and to collect. Oh man.... the collecting was just as much, if not more fun, than the "play".

We took our tasks so seriously, we all actively and collaboratively set out on great adventures to find just the right piece of JUNK to build our "club house" or "hide out".

We raided the back dumpsters of the strip mall that backed up to our neighborhood and drug all kinds of treasures through the lot, up the road, and into the woods, our very own jungle.. where we could plan and plot and PLAY



I don't remember many fights, I don't remember much sadness.. I do remember the feeling of FREEDOM, ADVENTURE, CREATIVITY, BELONGING, LEADERSHIP, POWER, and CONNECTION that I felt as I played with JUNK.

These feeling are what made me who I am today...

Who am I today? you ask...

A person who provides these same JUNK FILLED opportunities for children so that they may feel the same feeling of ADVENTURE, CREATIVITY, BELONGING, LEADERSHIP, POWER and CONNECTION that I felt as I played with JUNK