The Early Years Bulletin, published four times a year, brings together the voices of practitioners, administrators, researchers, and advocates around specific issues that impact teaching and learning for children ages 0 to 6. Also includes reviews of children's books and helpful information for caretakers and educators working with children in the early years.
Early Years Bulletin Summer 2014 vol 1, no 4 Communicating With Parents About Socialization Concerns Teachers and child care providers spend many waking hours with young children, and are uniquely positioned to notice and recognize socialization concerns. It is important to address these issues with the child’s parents and other caregivers. This way, everyone caring for the child can work together to respond to any issues. Below are a few tips for talking to parents about socialization issues: • Be respectful, explain your concerns gently, and encourage parents to watch the child’s interactions and see if they notice the same issues. • Make sure to set aside some time for this conversation, and a quiet place to talk. Parents often rely on caregivers’ expertise to notice issues like these, but the conversation may be difficult for them. • Avoid using labels or technical terms. You’ll want to convey information about your observations in a way that is easily understandable to parents. Source: www.extension.org/pages/28228/tips-for-child-care-providers-to-communicate-with-parents-concerns-about-childrens- development#.U33-uCgmW_w Learning To Read Naturally: The Martin Model of Reading by Michael Sampson, Ph.D., Dean, School of Education, Southern Connecticut State University Language works in chunks of meaning. Reading aloud deposits literary and linguistic structures in children. Developing a love of reading and books is the key as we share books with young children. Reading skills are developed in the same way speaking skills develop— through meaningful transactions. C hildren in a literate society are fascinated by books and reading. From the toddler years, children are drawn to a parent’s or caregiver’s lap by the call of rich, predictable, melodic story books. Reading begins through the ears and through the eyes, as children hear the melody of language and see the beauty of the picture book art. Reading aloud to children creates a loving and pleasurable atmosphere for children. Love, repetition, art, and language are key factors for positive read-aloud sessions with children. Just as children learn to talk naturally, they can learn to read naturally as well. Bill Martin, Jr.’s model of emergent reading shows us how. It’s simple, really. If what continued on p. 2 . . . Contents p. 2 Children’s Books p. 6 Perspective Through Fairy Tales p. 11 Action Research/ Evidence-Based Practice p. 15 Suggested Books on Friendship for Infants and Toddlers
Transcript
Early Years BulletinSummer 2014
vol 1, no 4
Communicating With Parents About Socialization Concerns
Teachers and child care providers spend many waking hours with young children, and are uniquely positioned to notice and recognize socialization concerns. It is important to address these issues with the child’s parents and other caregivers. This way, everyone caring for the child can work together to respond to any issues. Below are a few tips for talking to parents about socialization issues:
• Berespectful,explainyourconcernsgently,andencourageparentstowatchthechild’sinteractionsand see if they notice the same issues.
Learning To Read Naturally:The Martin Model of Reading
by Michael Sampson,Ph.D.,Dean,SchoolofEducation,SouthernConnecticutStateUniversity
Language works in chunks of meaning.
Reading aloud deposits literary and linguistic structures in children.Developing a love of reading and books is the key
as we share books with young children.Reading skills are developed in the same way speaking skills develop—
through meaningful transactions.
Children in a literate society are fascinated by books and reading. From the toddler years, children are drawn to a parent’s or caregiver’s lap by the call
of rich, predictable, melodic story books. Reading begins through the ears and through the eyes, as children hear the melody of language and see the beauty of the picture book art. Reading aloud to children creates a loving and pleasurable atmosphere for children. Love, repetition, art, and language are key factors for positiveread-aloudsessionswithchildren. Just as children learn to talk naturally, they can learn to read naturally as well. Bill Martin,Jr.’smodelofemergentreadingshowsushow.It’ssimple,really.Ifwhat
continued on p. 2 . . .
Contents
p. 2 Children’s Books
p. 6 Perspective Through Fairy Tales
p. 11 Action Research/Evidence-Based Practice
p. 15Suggested Books on Friendship for Infants andToddlers
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. . . continued from p. 1comes into the ear of the child touches the heart of the child, it will soon come out the lips of the child. The child progresses from listening, to participating in the story, to independentreading.Withinthehighlyrepetitiveandmodeled storybook environment, children develop both theirreceptiveandexpressivelanguageabilitiesinresponsetoMartin’smelodic,predictable,anddevelopmentallyappropriate storybooks. From the first read, children will want to possess the book. Withsubsequentreadings,childrenwillbeginchiminginonthe lines with you. Soon after, they will read it by themselves as you turn the pages. Theinitialstageofreadingisreadingfromexperience—fromtheirmind—andnotfromthepage.Anticipatingandmemorizing the highly predictable language structure allows the child to read the book without knowing specific words. Aschildrendevelopinthereadingprocess,theywillbeginconnecting what is in the mind to what is on the page. The key is not to rush the child, but rather realize that with each repeated reading, the child is depositing the literary structure and sentence patterns in his or her linguistic storehouse. But how do children move from beingreadto,toreadingthebookindependently?Martin
shows us how, through his interactive model of reading. Martin’sbooksdemonstratehisconvictionthatlanguageworksinchunksofmeanings.Wordsdonotexistbythemselves,butingroupings.Forexample,“Onceuponatime” is processed as one word, or one chunk of meaning. ThejaggedrightmarginofMartin’sbookscomesfrombreaking each line where there is a break in meaning or a break in rhythm. Initially, the break shows the parent or teacher how the story may be read while also modeling the phrasing for the child. This encourages the young readertofocusonclustersofwords—wordsthatsingtogether and demonstrate meaning together. Achildlearnstoreadthesamewaytheylearntotalk,from listening to and interacting with other language users. In learning to read, children begin the process by receiving language input through the ear. Later, after they have internalized language and stories, they begin to understand that the art, words, and phrases carry meaning andtellastory.Aschildrenreadthesewordsandphrases,they develop an awareness that letters, sounds, and patterns of letters are repeated in words, and they begin to internalize phonics. This phonic knowledge is then applied to new words, and the child soon bursts into independent reading.
Andreae, Giles & Parker-Ress, GuyGIRAFFES CAN’T DANCE: Number Rumba Counting Book. ISBN 978-0-545-63996-5. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2014. 12 pp. $7.99. ChildrenwilldelightasGeraldandhis friends dance their way through numbers 1 to 10. This board book features humorous illustrations, with each character peeking over his or her page. By pairing the animals together, the authors introduce children to numbersenseconceptsbeyondjustcounting.Thistextwill also be perfect for introducing young children to one-to-onenumbercounting.Childrencaneasilyturnthe pages and have the pleasure of seeing the characters all over again when they finally get to number 10! Ages 0-4.
Becker, Aaron. JOURNEY. ISBN 978-0-7636-6053-6. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2013. 40 pp. $15.99. Ayounggirlusesa red crayon to create a world full of adventure and wonder. Her journey involves adventures on land, at sea, and in the air. She even gets captured as she tries to save a beautiful purple bird. There’s no need to worry, though, because they both escape and fly through theair.Eventually,thebirdleadsthegirltoapurpledoor; on the other side, she finds a boy who has been drawing adventure, too (fans of Harold and the Purple Crayonwillsmileinrecognition).Attheend,thereaderis left knowing the two children are going to use their imaginationsforevenmorefantasticcreations.Even
withoutwords,theaward-winningillustrationsgivereaders the sense that anything is possible and inspire children(andadults)tobecreativeandexploretheirimaginations. Ages 2-6.
Capucilli, Alyssa SatinTULIP LOVES REX. Il. Sarah Massini. ISBN 978-0-06-209413-1. New York, NY: Katherine Tegen Books, 2014. 32 pp. $17.99. Tulip dances her way through her home, neighborhood,andlocalpark,whereshemeetsRex,adogwholovesdancing,too.Rexhasatagaskingforagood home, and Tulip’s parents agree to let him come homewiththeirfamily.TulipandRexshowthatbeingunique should be embraced with joy! This book will have children twirling and whirling and possibly even asking foraRexoftheirveryown.Ages 4-6.
Hills, TadDUCK & GOOSE GO TO THE BEACH. ISBN 978-0385372350. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade. 40 pp. $17.99. DuckandGooselovethemeadowtheyliveinmorethananyplaceintheworld.Butoneday,Duckhas an adventurous plan. They should go to the beach! Gooseisabithesitant,butagreestocomewithDuck.Alongtheirjourney,theymeetdifferentanimals.Whenthey get to the beach, they discover that the beach has hotsandandwaves!Childrenwillenjoyreadingthisbeautifullyillustratedbookthatexplorestheexcitementandnervousnessthatcanoccurwhenexperiencingnewplaces. Ages 3-7.
Hills, TadROCKET’S MIGHTY WORDS. ISBN 978-0385372336. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade, 2013. 22 pp. $10.99. This large board book features the adorable dog Rocket, who wants tolearntoread.YellowBirdteachesRocketsightwordssuchas“d-o-g”and“n-o-s-e”.Thisbookfocusesmoreonintroducing words than telling a story. Readers who enjoy this book will also enjoy How Rocket Learned to Read and Rocket Writes a Story. Ages 2-5.
Idle, MollyTEA REX. ISBN 978-0-607-01430-9. New York, NY: Penguin Young Readers Group, 2013. 40 pp. $16.99. Tea time is an adventurefortwolittleonesandtheirfriend,T-Rex.Thechair might not be quite right, and the snacks may go too quickly. Nevertheless, the hosts use their manners
andcontinuetomaketheirguestfeelwelcome.Childrenwillgiggleatthewallpaperpeelingoffthewallsandthechaos in the house as the children are trying to help their guestoutthedoor.However,thisT-Rexispolite,andinvites his hosts over to tea at its house. They go with eagerfacesandaregreetedbyT-Rex’sdinosaurfriends.Youngreaderswillenjoythesetea-timeadventuresandbe ready to try them out at home. Beware, because they just may want to invite a dinosaur too! Ages 4-6.
LaRochelle, DavidMOO! Il. Mike Wohnoutka. ISBN 978-0-8027-3409-9. New York, NY: Walker Books For Young Readers, 2013. 40 pp. $16.99. Whoknewonewordcouldsaysomuch?Readerswillenjoytryingoutalloftheexcitingwaystosay,“Moo!”Thiscrazycowshouts,“Moo,”whenitdrivesawayand“moos”asmuchaspossiblewhentryingtoexplainitscrazyanticstothepoliceofficerafteranautomobileaccident.Youngchildrenwilllaughatthecow’sexpressionsandshareinitsjoysandsorrowsastheyviewthe cartoonlike illustrations that capture movement and excitement,muchtoeveryone’sdelight.Ages 0-4.
Morales, YuyiNINO WRESTLES THE WORLD. ISBN 978-1-59643-604-6. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press, 2013. 36 pp. $16.99. Nino pretends to be a luchadore (wrestler) and defeats many terrible foes. Then, his sisters wake from their naps and prove to be his ultimate challengers. They jump and twist as only siblings can do. In the end, however, they decide to join forces as Los Tres Hermanos. This new trio is ready to take on anyone! The rich use of Spanish languagewillintroduceEnglish-speakingchildrentonew vocabulary as well as the dramatic style of wrestling, lucha libre.Allchildrenwillbeabletousetherichillustrations to help understand how the story develops andwillappreciatethevibrancyandexcitementofluchadores. Ages 4-6.
OHora, ZachariahNO FITS, NILSON! ISBN 978-0-8037-3852-2. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2013. 32 pp. $16.99. Amelia’sfriendNilsonmightjustbeastuffedanimal,buthe’scapableofmonster-sizedfits.Thesetwopalsgetinandoutoftroubletogether.Sometimes,AmeliacankeepNilson from throwing a fit, but sometimes they end up in trouble.Throughaseriesofreal-lifescenarios,likerunning
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errandswithaparentandwaitinginlonglines,Amelia’s(and Nilson’s) patience is tested. There is a close call at the icecreamtruck,butacompromisesavestheday.Withthemeslikesharing,friendship,andself-control,adultsare sure to keep this book on hand for children who will keepcomingbacktowatchNilsonandAmeliaintheirbigcity adventures. Ages 2-6.
Ondaatje, GriffinTHE CAMEL IN THE SUN. Il. Linda Wolfsgruber. ISBN 978-1-55498-381-0. Toronto, Canada: Groundwood Books, 2013. 32 pp. $17.95. Asalonelycameltoilsdayafterday,hesuffersinsilence,untiltheProphetfeelshispain.Then the camel’s tears seep into the ground and into his master’s dreams. His master, Halim, begins to empathize with the camel and regret his mistreatment of the animal. The story ends with redemption as the previously harsh master demonstrates compassion and patience for the oldcamel.Themirage-likeillustrationssuggestthepower of the desert and the emotions that accompany peaceandregret.Thesethemesarewell-representedinthe story and can be easily communicated to children throughthewordsandimages,despitetheircomplexnature. Ages 4 and up.
Pendziwol, Jean E. ONCE UPON A NORTHERN NIGHT. Il. Isabelle Arsenault. ISBN 978-1-55498-138-0. Toronto, Canada: Groundwood Books, 2013. 32 pp. $17.95. Whilealittleboysleeps,theworld outside his window is filled with the nighttime beauty of nature in winter. The night sky transitions from a blank canvas to a vision of twinkling lights. This same artistic vision is repeated in the landscape. Initially, the winter world looks bleak, but the author and illustrator show that it is really full of life, beauty, and hidden color. Whentheboyisawakenedandlooksouthiswindow,white light fills his room, and the reader knows, just like the boy, that warmth and love can surround us even in winter. The rhythmic language of the story is sure to lure childrenincloser,makingthestoryevenmoreexcitingfor everyone involved! Ages 4-6.
Robinson, SharonUNDER THE SAME SUN. Il. Ag Ford. ISBN 978-0-545-16672-0. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2014. 40 pp. $17.99. This
heartwarming tale demonstrates how one family comes together to celebrate their past, present, and future. Readers will get a glimpse into how slavery influenced generationsofthoselivinginAfricaandtheU.S.astheylearnaboutthereal-lifefamilyofRachelRobinson,wifeofJackieRobinson,thefirstAfrican-Americanbaseballplayer.ThefamilycomestogethertocelebrateBibi’s85thbirthday in Tanzania and, like the reader, is reminded that families are always connected, even when distance separates them. Themes of unity and love will help young children see the strong bond that families can have across generations, and the realistic illustrations are captivating. Ages 4-6.
Shea, BobUNICORN THINKS HE’S PRETTY GREAT. ISBN 978-142315952-0. New York, NY: Hyperion Books, 2013. 40 pp. $15.99. GoatisjealousofUnicorn’sskillsandfrills,butitturnsoutUnicornadmiresGoat’sgeneral“awesome-ness.” Together, they learn to appreciate each other’s differencesandfindthestrengthtodefeatimaginarybank robbers. These new friends show how even when we’redifferent,wecanallgetalong.Thispowerfulmessage is sure to hit a home run with adults and children who need a reminder that everyone is special. Ages 2-6.
Snicket, LemonyTHE DARK. Il. Jon Klassen. ISBN 978-0-316-18748-0. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company, 2013. 40 pp. $16.99. The dark scares Laszlo. It hides behind corners and door during the day and surrounds him at night. He always runs from it, until one day his night light burns out. Laszlo conquers his fears and realizes that even though the dark is always there, it is nothing to be afraid of. In an interesting series of illustrations, Klassen does not belittle children’s fears. His images capture the essence of the lurking dark that scares children. However, with tricks of light and interesting uses of white and dark spaces, this bookwillbeago-toresourcefornightswhenyoungstersare afraid of shadows and creaks. Ages 2-6.
Stills, CarolineMICE MISCHIEF: Math Facts in Action. Il. Judith Rossell. ISBN 978-0-8234-2947-9. New York, NY: Holiday House,
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2013. 24 pp. $16.95. Demonstratingadeviationfrommore traditional counting books, this story counts the numbers from 1 to 10 forward andbackward.Childrenwill be captivated by the mischievous mice, but also interested in the number sentences on nearly every page.Forexample,when“7micewash”and“3micespin,” the number sentence 7+3=10 is there to help young children develop their number sense. It’s also fun to watch how the mice clean up after themselves, only to make a mess again. There will be lots of laughter and counting with this book as children watch these silly mice get in and out of jams! Ages 0-6.
Wiesner, DavidMR. WUFFLES. ISBN 978-0-618-75661-2. New York, NY: Clarion Books, 2013. 32 pp. $17.99. Mr.Wufflesrefusestoplay with his toys; instead, he toys with an unidentified flyingobjectthatlandedinhishouse.AfterbeingtossedaboutbyMr.Wuffles,thealiensdecidetoleavetheirspaceshipandinvestigatemoreclosely.Eventually,theyfind help from other creatures that have been bullied by Mr.Wuffles.Despitelanguagebarriers,thesenewfriendsunitetosavethespaceship.Mr.Wufflesislefttowonderwhatreallyhappenedtothespaceship.A2014CaldecottHonorBook,thisstoryissuretoexcitechildren’simaginationswithitstinygreenaliens.Non-readersand readers alike will delight in guessing what the animal and alien language symbols might really mean. This story teaches us all that we can work together to overcome any challenges and defeat bullies once and for all. Ages 2-6.
Willems, MoA BIG GUY TOOK MY BALL! ISBN 978-1423174912. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children, 2013. 64 pp. $8.99. WhenPiggieloseshisballto“abigguy,”hedependsonElephanttogetitback.Unexpectedly,Elephantthinksthe“bigguy”istoobiganddoesnotknowwhattodo.ItturnsoutWhalejustwantsafriendtoplaywith,and these animals learn quickly that size is a matter of perspective. Through sharing and understanding, Elephant,Piggie,andWhalefindawaytoplaytogetherregardlessoftheirdifferences.Thesethemeswillhelpchildren who might not feel like they fit in understand thatothershavesharedthosesamefeelings.Withbig
print and emotional illustrations, children can help adults read this story and find ways to talk about those times when“abigguy”takesyourtoys!Ages 0-6.
Willems, MoPIGEON NEEDS A BATH! ISBN 978-1423190875. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion, 2014. 40 pp. $16.99. Pigeondesperately needs a bath, but he needs some convincing to clean up. The bus driver, a regular character in the Pigeonstories,helpsreadersconvincethebirdtotaketheplunge.Asthestoryprogresses,Pigeonrealizesthathe is filthy and should do something about it. He finally concedes,butitishardforhimtogetthebathwater“justright.”Whenhefinallytakestheplunge,guesswhat?Heloves it! Readers of all age will delight in the story, told throughthePigeon’sspeechbubbles.Ages 3-5.
Young, CybeleOUT THE WINDOW. ISBN 978-1554983704. Ontario, Canada, 2013. 28 pp.$12.95.Whetherchildrenarereading this book backwards or frontwards, they are suretobedelightedbytheuniqueformat.Aschildrenunfold each section in the story, they will see the main character bounce and jump as it tries to see more of the world.Whentheyflipthebookover,theoutsideworldisrevealedtobeamarvelousplacefullofexcitingimagesand activities. Just when you think the book is over, it reads,“Timetoturnaround.”Andchildrenwilldojustthat, time and time again! Ages 0-4.
Zuckerberg, RandiDOT. Il. Joe Berger. ISBN 978-0-06-228751-9. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2013. 32 pp. $17.99. Using clever wordplay and beautiful illustrations, Zuckerberg andBergerremindchildrenandadultsthat“tagging”canhappenoutsideaswellasonthecomputer.Dotuses technology to complete a variety of tasks, but when her mother sends her outside to play, she finds herself doing those same activities with friends in nature. She’s no longer swiping an electronic tablet; instead, she’s swiping paint while making a mural with friends. In the end,Dotandherfriendsuseamixtureoftechnologyandgoodold-fashionedoutdooractivitiestoshoweveryonehow to enjoy being unplugged as well as being plugged in. Ages 4-6.
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If you want children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales.If you want them to be more intelligent,
read them more fairy tales. ~Albert Einstein
It was a beautiful sunny day and the kindergartners were enjoying some extended time on the playground. Jamari ran up to Mr. Kravitz crying, “Melody pushed me down!” Mr. Kravitz comforted Jamari and then sat down with both children to figure out what happened. Jamari insisted Melody had pushed him down on purpose, but Melody was adamant she had not even been playing with Jamari. Mr. Kravitz said, “Melody, I saw you and some friends running around pretty fast, do you think maybe you ran into Jamari on accident and he fell down?” Melody nodded. “Jamari, I don’t think Melody meant to hurt you. She accidentally ran into you and you fell down. I know that hurt and you are really mad.” It was hard for the children to understand what Mr. Kravitz was saying, but these were conversations that happened all the time in their classroom. Mr. Kravitz worked regularly to try to help his students understand each other’s perspectives, to understand the concept of social justice, and to think critically, but he wondered if he could do more to help them understand that everyone in every story has a unique perspective. He remembered the book titled, The TrueStoryoftheThreeLittlePigsby Jon Scieszka (1996) and thought that would be a perfect place to start a new unit on perspectives in fairy tales.
BackgroundDuringthepreschoolyears,childrenbegintodevelopand value relationships with other children. They enjoy playing with other children and are proud to call
anotherchildafriend.Duringthistime,theyarealsodevelopingself-controlandself-regulation,andbeginto understand the perspective of others. These early relationships can be filled with turmoil, especially as young children learn to control their strong emotions and temperaments. It is not unusual for two children to go from best friends to worst enemies within the course of a day, but preschool children are capable of solving problems in nonaggressive ways, especially with the help and understanding of a trusted adult. This article willexplorewaysthatteacherscanusefairytalestohelpchildrenexploremultipleperspectives,andlearnaboutsocial justice and critical thinking.
Young Children and PerspectivesDuring large group time, Mr. Kravitz read the ThreeLittlePigs (Marshall,1989)andthen led a group discussion about the story. Most of the children were convinced the Wolf was bad and deserved to get in trouble. At one point, Stephen shouted out, “They need to call 9-1-1 and get the police to make him wear handcuffs!” Mr. Kravitz asked the children if they could think of any reasons why the Wolf would have blown down the Pigs’ houses. The children could not think of any reasons. Mr. Kravitz created a graph so the children could indicate which characters in the story were “good” or “bad.” Not surprisingly, the children all thought the Wolf was bad and the Pigs were good. Later in the day, Mr. Kravitz read The True Story of the Three LittlePigs by Jon Scieszka (1996). Some of the children were confused, but they began to make the connection. Tamiko said, “That’s like when people accidently knock down your blocks and you’re so mad, you think they did it on purpose and then you get in trouble!” Mr. Kravitz replied, “That’s EXACTLY what it’s like!”
Beyond the Big Bad Wolf:Using Fairy Tales To Explore Perspective With Young Children
by Debby Shulsky,UniversityofHoustonClearLakeDonna Kirkwood,NationalProgramDirectorofHIPPYUSA
Focus on Pre-K and Keditors: Jennifer Baumgartner & Cynthia DiCarlo
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When Mr. Kravitz got out a set of Three Little Pigs puppets, he was surprised to see how the children built on the story and took turns being the Wolf and trying to explain what happened.
Youngchildrenwhohaveastrong,emotionallysecurefoundation begin to understand their own feelings and the feelings of others. In order to help children develop these important relationship skills, teachers are encouraged to have regular conversations about feelings and perspectives with children. Teachers can talk about their own emotions and perspectives regarding classroom activities. The emotions and perspectivesofthechildrenintheclasscanbeexploredthroughroutineaffectivequestioningaboutacademicandsocialactivitieswithintheclassroom.Childrencanbe taught to consider the emotions and perspectives of characters in books through role play. Intheexampleabove,Mr.Kravitzhelpedthechildrento see both sides of the story by reading The Three Little Pigs(Marshall,1989),andthenreadingThe True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Scieszka,1996).Whilereadingthestories,Mr.Kravitzaskedthechildrentolook at the characters’ faces to guess how they were feeling. He also encouraged the children to try to think about how they would feel if they asked to borrow something and nobody would let them, or if someone destroyed something they made. They talked about how they felt when they did something accidentally, and other children thought it was done on purpose. This discussion provided children with a realistic and meaningfulexampleofperspectivesandemotions.Whenreadingstories,teacherscanaskchildrentoguessthe emotion of the characters based on the illustrations, thenaskthechildrentodemonstratedifferentemotionswiththeirownfacialexpressionsandbodylanguage.Ifweexpectchildrentounderstandandappreciatetheemotions and perspectives of others, we have to show them how to do that, and practice it repeatedly.
The class kept talking about the Three Little Pigs for several days. There were quite a few debates about the wolf and the pigs. Then one morning, when they were on the playground, Jasmine and several other children were making a castle in the sandbox. They were just about to show their masterpiece to Mr. Kravitz when a soccer ball flew across the playground and landed right on the top of the castle. Joseph and Jamari ran across the playground and through the sandbox to get the ball.
The castle was ruined. Jasmine screamed, “You broke our castle! You’re going to time out!” After Mr. Kravitz helped everyone to settle down, he took this opportunity to apply what the children had been learning about perspectives to this situation. When they came inside Mr. Kravitz had a class meeting so everyone could share their side of the story. Interestingly, each child had a different perspective, but all were concerned with what was fair.
Social JusticePreschool-agechildrenaresurprisinglygoodatunderstanding moral dilemmas because of their sensitivity to the feelings of others and desire for fairness.Childrenatthisagemakeadvancesintheirunderstandingofvaluesandexpectations,andaredeveloping consideration of others, a conscience, and asenseofrightandwrong.Thisisanexcellenttimetowork with children to help them understand and work toward social justice. The ability to consider the world from multiple perspectives is a preliminary skill required for students to be able to identify issues of social justice. Social justice is a big idea for young learners, but such abstract conceptscanbeexploredandlinkedtomeaningfulexperiences.InthecaseofMr.Kravitz’sclass,theexplorationoftheWolf’ssideofthestorymeaningfullyconnected to the incident on the playground. By connectingthelivedexperienceofthestudentsontheplaygroundwithapieceofliterature,Mr.Kravitzlaid the groundwork for his students to begin to build anunderstandingofsocialjustice.Althoughtheterm“socialjustice”maybeabstractforyounglearners,theirexperiencescanhelpthemself-definetheideasbehindtheconcept.Foryoungchildren,theexperienceof being accidently pushed by a classmate, or being blamed for something they didn’t do intentionally seems unfair, just like the seemingly senseless destruction of a pig’s house. The discovery of the idea of fairness and the ability to question things that appear unfair is a powerful first step toward understanding the morecomplexideasbehindsocialjustice.
After a class discussion, Mr. Kravitz decided the children needed more practice understanding and thinking through all sides of a story. He read the story of The Three Bears (Jacobs, n.d.) to the class. After reading the story, he asked the children to think
continued on p. 8 . . .
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. . . continued from p. 7
about who was “good” and who was “bad” in the story. Melody said, “Are you trying to trick us again?” Mr. Kravitz laughed and said, “Of course not. But I’m glad you made that connection. Remember how the Wolf had a story? Do you think Goldilocks has a story? How could we help the Bears understand why she ate their food and slept in their beds?” Mr. Kravitz brought out a set of Goldilocks puppets and asked the children to act out the story from different perspectives. Mr. Kravitz was amazed to watch the stories they created. They even asked if the Pigs and Wolf could be involved in their new story.
Critical ThinkingConnectingchildren’sexperienceswithclassroomlearn-ing is a starting place for educators seeking to nurture thepracticeofcriticalthinking.Creatingclassroomsgrounded in the teaching of thinking routines is essential inestablishingaclassroomofcriticalthinkers.Afirststepin this process is to cultivate the young learner’s ability to listen with understanding and empathy, a foundational skillrequiredofcriticalthinkers.TheactivitiesinMr.Krav-itz’sclassencouragetheuseofthisskillthroughexplora-tion of multiple perspectives in a variety of scenarios (or stories). In addition, young learners can build their capacity to thinkdeeplythroughexposuretoactivitiesthatencour-agethemto:1)questionandsenseproblems,2)identifyrelationships between ideas, 3) organize and summarize information,and4)reachevidence-supportedconclu-sions. In the case of the perspectives lesson on The True Story of the Three Pigs (Scieszka, 1996) and Goldilocks and the Three Bears(Jacobs,1990),Mr.Kravitzexposeshisstudents to this process of inquiry as it relates to a re-al-worldproblem(theincidentontheplayground).Heregularlyofferedthemopportunitiestolistentoandtryto understand multiple sides of real and fictional situa-tions in order to determine what is fair. Whenthoughtfuleducatorsprovideforopendiscus-sion and ask probing questions, students strengthen the connections they make between the curriculum and life experiences.Withpractice, students can discover new waysofthinkingabouttheirexperiencesandtheexperi-encesofothers.Eventually,wehopestudentsareabletoapply these thinking skills independently.
Classroom ApplicationsAs the year progressed, the children still had disagreements and skirmishes; with the help of their teacher, however, they were better able to understand that things aren’t always as they seem. They worked hard to understand that everyone has a side and that other children usually aren’t trying to hurt them or their belongings. One day, when several children were arguing over some supplies, Mr. Kravitz overheard one of the boys say, “It’s just like Goldilocks, she didn’t mean to take your crayons!! She thought they were hers.” He was thrilled to see the children were able to apply the lessons themselves and help their friends solve problems without his help.
Fairytalesoffercountlessopportunitiestohelpchildren understand and appreciate how the world works.Intheexampleprovided,Mr.Kravitzusedtheconcepts from two fairy tales to help his group of young learnersunderstandhowcomplexconceptsrelatedbackto their lives and their classroom. The following section providesexamplesofstoriesandguidedquestionseducatorscanusetoexploreperspective,socialjustice,and critical thinking with young children.
PerspectiveMostfairytales(andotherstoriesforyoungchildren)havecharactersinopposingpositions.Thesestoriesofferauniqueopportunitytodiscussdifferingperspectivesin a safe environment. Because fairy tales have been around for so long, there are often multiple versions available, allowing students to hear the story told in manyways.Whenreadingfairytales,teacherscanhelpchildren understand why the characters act the way they do, how the characters feel, and why their initial impressions might change as they begin to understand the characters more deeply. By asking thoughtful guiding questions, teachers can help students study the characters in a story, and develop their ability to see differentperspectivesatthesametime. The Lion and the Mouse. Before reading a story like The Lion and the Mouse (Pinkney,2009),wherethe visual image of the main characters provides a very distinct impression, teachers might want to start with showing a picture of the characters to the students.Afterthestudentshaveaminutetobuildanimpression and before reading the story, the teacher can ask questions like:
him to get free?• Howdoyouthinkthemousefeltwhenhehelpedthe
lion to get free? • Doyouthinkthelionandthemousearefriendsnow?• Whodoyouthinkisstronger?Weaker?Why?• Whatdoesitmeantobestrong?• Canthemousebestronginadifferentwaythanthe
lion is strong?
Aftercompletingthestory,theteachercanrevisitthechildren’s original answers to see if they have changed. By recording the answers before, during, and after the story on a flip chart or white board, children can see the differentperspectivesofthecharacters.Inaddition,theycan see how their perceptions evolved as they learned moreaboutthecharacters.Otherfairytales,suchasRumpelstiltskin (Zelinsky,1996) and The Ugly Duckling(An-derson, 1999), can be used to foster discussions on per-spective with young children by asking such questions as,“Iwonderhowhefeels,”“Hassomethinglikethateverhappenedtoyou?,”and“Whatwouldyouhavedone?”
Social JusticeYoungchildrenhaveverydistinctideasaboutwhatis
fairandwhatisnot.Earlychildhoodisthebeginningof a long road toward a full understanding of social justice.Fairytalescanbeusedtoexplorefairnessina nonthreatening way, and can help children see that fairnesslooksdifferenttodifferentpeople.Whenreadingfairy tales, teachers can lead discussions regarding what is fair to each of the characters involved. These stories canbeparticularlyeffectivewhendifferentversionsofthestoryareavailable.IntheThreeLittlePigstales,theideaoffairnessinthestoryappearsdifferentlyineachversion.Doesfairmeanthateveryonegetsthesamething?Doesitmeanthateveryoneishappy?Doesitmeanthateveryonegetswhattheyneed?Byexploringthese topics through fictional works, we can help childrenunderstandwhat“fair”looksliketodifferentpeople. The Little Red Hen. The Little Read Hen(Pickney,2006)isastorytowhichmanychildrencaneasilyrelate. Before starting the story, teachers might want to lead a discussion about situations in which children felt like they did more work than another person, or another person had something they would have liked to have.Anotherwaytoopenthisdiscussionistoaskthechildren who does most of the work at their house, or in their classroom. These discussions can prepare children to think about how the story relates to their own experiences.Beforeandduringthestorytheteachermight ask:
other people to participate? • Haveyoueverwantedsomethingthatyoudidn’tget?• Howdidthatfeel?• Wasthereanythingyoucoulddoorhavedonetoearn
the thing you wanted?
Aftercompletingthestory,theteachercanreviewthechildren’s original answers to see if they have changed their perceptions about what is fair. The teacher can then discuss classroom situations that may seem unfair, and see if the children are able to understand or articu-late how the fairness changes depending on the situation andthepeopleinvolved.Otherfairytales,suchasThe Three Bears (Jacobs, n.d.) and The Tortoise and the Hare (Wildsmith,2007),canbeusedtofosterdiscussionsaboutsocialjusticewithyoungchildren.Questionslike,“Doesthatseemfairtoeveryone?,”“Doyouthinkthatseemsfairto___?,”or“Howcouldtheauthormakeitfairforthecharacters?” can help to start these conversations.
Critical ThinkingYoungchildrenarenaturallytrusting,andcanbeeasilyconvincedofthingsthatmaynotbetrue.Manyfairytales involve characters who are misguided, dishonest, or who deceive other characters for their benefit. These storiesofferadistinctiveopportunitytohelpchildrenpractice critical thinking skills on behalf of storybook characters.Whenreadingthesestories,teacherscanhelp children practice using thinking skills to know if a character is being honest or dishonest by asking if what the character said seems right or makes sense, and if they are being deceptive on purpose or by mistake. Teachers can also address how we can form an opinion based on evidence. Chicken Little. Stories like Chicken Little(Asbjornsen,n.d.)provideopportunitiestohelpchildrenusetheir“in-ner voice” to decide if something sounds right or true, or seems like a good idea. Teachers can start the conversa-tion by asking children if they’ve ever thought something that ended up being wrong. Have they ever been con-
vinced of something but found out that another person was tricking them or was, themselves, misinformed? By helping children recognize how it feels when you know that something doesn’t sound correct, we can help them learn how to form independent beliefs based on their experiencesandanyfactsorevidencetheysee.Beforebeginning the story, the teacher might ask:
is falling?• Isheranswertrue?• Isshebeingdeceptiveonpurpose?• Aretheotheranimalsbeingdeceptive?Onpurpose?• Whydoesthefoxtelltheanimalstoruntohisdenso
that he can tell the king?• Doyouthinktheanimalsshouldgotothefox’sden?• Whydotheygotohisden?
Aftercompletingthestory,theteachercanreviewthe original conversation where children shared times when they were misguided and ask what they could do to make sure they are making good choices using their thinking skills. Using stories like The Emperor’s New Clothes(Anderson,2004)orStone Soup(Brown,2004)todiscuss thinking can help children practice using these skillsineverydaycircumstances.Discussionslikethiscan
continued on p. 16 . . .
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Intentional and reflective teaching requires that teach-ers assess students’ learning and progress as well as
theeffectivenessoftheteachingmethodsimplement-ed.Developmentallyappropriatepracticebeginswithobservation of what children know and are able to do. These observations, along with knowledge of devel-opmental principles and individual characteristics, can guide the design of individually and developmentally appropriate learning activities. The creation of a dynam-icandappropriatelearningcontextultimatelyproducesan enduring environment of industrious transformation. Examiningtheimpactofthesepracticesonchildren’slearningisacriticalpartoftheteaching-learning-assess-ment cycle. Research is the process of inquiry, collection, andexaminationofevidenceinordertoreachananswer.Teacherresearchisdesignedtoexamineaproblem,concern, or question from several perspectives in order to inform practice. The skills required for careful inquiry and careful data collection and analysis are important for early childhood educators because their research can inform instructional changes. These skills and compe-tencies have been recognized as essential for teachers by many professional organizations, including the National AssociationfortheEducationofYoungChildren(NAEYC),NCATE,andtheDivisionforEarlyChildhoodoftheCoun-cilofExceptionalChildren. Whileteachersacknowledgetheimportanceoftheseskills, they often report a lack of comfort with engaging in teacher research. Recommended practices in early childhood education include the integration of skill de-velopmentwithinfield-basedcontextsandtheprovisionof multiple opportunities for learning and success. In an efforttoincreasebothstudentcomfortwithteacherre-search and the development of skills required of teachers
for the practice, one could develop an action research project.
The Action Research ProjectSkills associated with assessment overlap with those nec-essary to engage in action research. The process of iden-tifying questions, developing tools to collect informa-tion, and analyzing information are the same. The action research project helps teachers synthesize what they havelearnedbyimplementingtheNAEYCStandardsofProfessionalPracticeinassessment.Priortoundertakingthisproject,teacherswillhavehadmultipleexperiencesengagingintheteaching-learningcyclethroughtheiruse of published assessments of programs, children, and families.Asaninitialexperiencewithassessmentre-search, the objectives of the action research assignment are to encourage teachers to use their knowledge of the child and program to create their own assessment of a particular skill. The project is completed within the con-textofaclassroomexperienceandtheresultsareusedto inform instructional practices within the classroom. It is our belief that through this process, practitioners begin to perceive teacher research as an integral compo-nent of their teaching. The action research project involves identifying an ac-ademic or behavioral concern, designing an assessment tool to measure the identified behavior, conducting a reviewofliterature/collaboratingwithotherstodesignand implement an intervention, and evaluating the ef-fectiveness of the intervention. The following discussion outlinesthestepsintheresearchprocessusingexam-ples from one teacher’s project.
by Cynthia F. DiCarlo,Ph.D.,CollegeofHumanSciencesandEducation,LouisianaStateUniversity
Focus on Infants & Toddlerseditors: Laura Hooks & Nur Tanyel
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. . . continued from p. 11
Identification of the target behavior. The first step of the action research project is to identify a behavioral or academicproblem.Askingimportantquestionsanden-gaging in critical thinking about possible answers is not only a vital research skill, but also is helpful in all aspects of teaching.
Lila and her mentor teacher Janice observed Jack, who has a diagnosis of Down syndrome, engage in a game of peek-a-boo with one of the teachers in the bathroom. While, initially, Lila recognized and recorded this interaction in her journal as positive, over time she noticed that these types of interactions predominat-ed Jack’s social interactions in his inclusive classroom; he seemed to prefer playing with adults rather than his peers. Through her observations and conversation with Janice, Lila decided to target Jack’s peer-to-peer interaction for her teacher-made assessment project.
Designing an Assessment Tool. The second step in the process is to design an assessment tool to measure the identified behavior. In order to systematically inves-tigate Jack’s play, Lila assigned definitions to each be-havior category (called behavior definitions) to guide the datacollection.Agooddefinitionprovidesanaccuratedescription of the behavior to be studied: it should be objectively stated (e.g., looking at a peer while they are talkingvs.“listening”),unambiguous(e.g.,manipulatingmaterialsvs.“playing”),andhaveclearboundariesofwhatisincluded(e.g.,touchingatoy)andwhatisexclud-ed (e.g., kicking a toy). DefinitionsforLila’stargetbehaviorsforJackwereasfollows. Teacher play was recorded when the child was observed positively interacting with the teacher (i.e., playinghide-and-seekorpeek-a-boo).Peer play was recorded when the child was interacting with other chil-dren.Examplesofpeerplayincludedactingoutscenesin dramatic play, building something in a group, or partic-ipating in a conversation with other children. Solitary play was recorded when he was interacting with materials by himself.Parallelplay,playingnearapeer,wasstillrecord-ed as solitary, due to the absence of interaction among peers. Teacher prompting was recorded as solitary play if the nature of the prompt was to provide assistance and was not reciprocal in nature. Measuring the Target Behavior. Single-subjectre-
search design allows teachers to measure what is cur-rentlyoccurringintheclassroom(seeCooper,Heron,&Heward,2007;Kazdin,2011;Schloss&Smith,1998,formoreinformation).Insingle-subjectdesigns,individualsare compared to themselves instead of to other groups. In contrast to quantitative studies, which sample large numbers of individuals prior to and following an inter-vention,single-subjectresearchdesignsexaminetheperformance of individuals before and during an inter-vention.Experimentalcontrolisdemonstratedbyim-plementing the intervention across settings, people, or behavioratdifferentperiodsintimeandobservingthesame outcome. In order to capture the type of play in which Jack en-gaged, a momentary time sampling was used to record teacherplay,peerplay,orsolitaryplay.Whenusingamomentary time sample, behavior is recorded at the be-ginning of a specified interval; in this case, Lila recorded play behavior each minute. This type of data collection capturesa“snapshot”ofthechild’sbehavior,andiseasyto do in the classroom while supervising and interacting with other children. Datawerecollectedfor3daystocapture an overall picture of Jack’s typical play behavior. This overall picture is called a baseline observation. Typi-cally, baseline observations are conducted until a stable pattern of behavior is observed. This can take as little as 3 observations if the data follow a predictable pattern, but can also take many more. The length of baseline ob-servation is determined by the behavior that is observed and cannot be decided ahead of time. Lila collected data every day, and then added it to her graph to see what it looked like. This is called visual analysis of the data.
For the study of Jack’s play, Lila created a data collection sys-tem to measure how frequently Jack played with teachers, peers, or by himself. Lila watched Jack during the free choice center time when children had access to all centers and were free to interact with each other. She sat in an unobtrusive location and scored the type of play observed from Jack. She noticed that 50% of Jack’s play was with teachers. She began to consider what she could do to encourage him to show interest in his peers.
Baseline observations revealed that Jack was engaged inteacherplayduring50%oftheobservationsessions,peerplayduring20%oftheobservationsessions,andsolitaryplayduring30%oftheobservationsessions(seeFigure 1). This graph shows that teacher play was on an
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Summer 2014 Early Years Bulletin
upward trajectory, while peer play was on a downward trajectory.Withthisinformationprovidingaclearpic-tureoftheproblem,thenextstepintheprocessistodesign an appropriate intervention. Designing and Implementing an Intervention. The results of the teacher’s baseline research impacted future instruction; it was determined that if Jack were redirect-ed to play with his peers, he may play less often with the teacher and may begin to seek her out less. (This is called adult facilitationintheliterature;seeSnell&Brown,2000.)Theinterventionwasfocusedonhavingthe teacher redirect Jack to play with his peers when he approached her. The steps in the intervention were as follows. The teacher was to 1) get on Jack’s eye level, and 2)providehimwithaverbalinstruction,pairedwithsignlanguage,toplaywithhispeers(“WhereisJohn?Hewould really like to see that tower you built.”). This in-tervention was carried out each and every time Jack ap-proached the teacher to play. Solitary play was deemed at an appropriate level for his developmental age and, therefore, no attempt was made to limit, impact, or in-terrupt the child’s choice of solitary play. The same data collection procedures described in baseline were used during the intervention.
The first morning of the intervention, Jack approached Lila to show her a truck; she immediately said, “Wow, that’s a big one you brought. Why don’t you show it to Molly?,” then guided him toward a peer. Jack happily complied. This continued throughout the morning, with Lila and Janice redirecting Jack’s invitations to play toward other chil-dren in the classroom.
Determining the Effectiveness of the Intervention. Graphingdataisanimportant part of the action research process.Hojnoski,Gischlar,&Missal(2009)suggestthat“organizingchildperformance data into graphic dis-plays can promote the systematic use ofdataineducationaldecision-mak-ing, which enhances outcomes for all students”(p.34).Studentteacherswere taught what to graph (usually the behavior you are trying to increase)
todetermineiftheinterventionwaseffective.Studentswere instructed to interpret mean, level, trend, and vari-ability.Eachday,Lilaenteredherdataonhergraph(seeFigure 1), creating a visual representation of the data before and after the intervention. For this student’s proj-ect,thegraphdisplaysadecreaseinteacherplayto23%ofobservationsessions(a27%decreasefrombaseline)andanincreaseinpeerplayto47%(a29%increasefrombaseline). Because the intervention was never applied when Jack was engaged in solitary play, his levels re-mainedconstantat30%acrossbaselineandinterventionobservation sessions.
The sound of happy laughter drifted from the block area where a group of children were moving blocks with trucks and knocking down towers. In the midst of it all was Jack. Lila smiled as she observed Jack interacting with peers playing in the block area during morning free play. By redirecting Jack toward peers, he was now engaging in peer play almost 50% of the time!
By applying a relatively easy teacher intervention, the amount of teacher play decreased and the amount
continued on p. 14 . . .
Figure 1Percentageofobservedintervalsofteacherplayandpeerplaypriortoand during the teacher prompt intervention.
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Early Years Bulletin Summer 2014
. . . continued from p. 13
of peer play increased. The take home message for teachers is that with the right tools, they already have the skillsrequiredtomakedata-drivendecisionstopositivelyimpact learning.
Reflection on Teacher ResearchIt is important for early childhood educators to use a variety of instructional practices to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the children they teach. To stay cur-rent in the field, teachers must evaluate their own prac-tice, which includes both curriculum evaluation and child progress. The important elements of such a project are thatitisintegratedinpracticefieldexperience,andthatitincludes an assessment that connects to instruction.
Strategies for Conducting ActionResearch in Your Classroom Identify a target behavior.Definethetargetbehaviorin a way that is observable and measureable. It should includebothexamplesandnon-examplesofthetargetbehavior. Design an assessment tool.Determinehowyouwillquantify the target behavior during a specified period of time. Measure the target behavior. Use your assessment tool to determine how frequently the behavior is occurring. Continueyourdatacollectionuntilyouhaveastable,predictable pattern that represents the child’s general performance of the target behavior (a set of baseline ob-servations). Design and implement the intervention. Look to the literature to find research that has addressed your target behavior to design the intervention. Determine the effectiveness of the intervention.Continueto use your assessment tool to measure the target behav-ior once the intervention has been introduced. Revisit the intervention if the child’s target behavior does not improve.
Copple,C.,&Bredekamp,S.(2009).Developmentally ap-propriate practice in early childhood programs: Serving children from birth through age 8.Washington,DC:Na-tionalAssociationfortheEducationofYoungChildren.
Fuchs,L.S.,Fuchs,D.,Hamlett,C.L.,&Stecker,P.M.(1991).Effectsofcurriculum-basedmeasurementand consulatation on teacher planning and student achievement in mathematics operations. American Edu-cation Research Journal, 28,617-641.
Henderson,B.,Meier,D.,&Perry,G.,(2004).Teacherre-search in early childhood education. Young Children, 59(2),94-100.
Kazdin,A.E.(2011),Single-case research design.NewYork,NY:OxfordUniversityPress.
Moore,R.A.,&Gilliard,J.J.(2008).Preserviceteachersconducting action research in early education centers. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 29,45-58.
Sandall,S.R.,Schwartz,I.S.,&LaCroix,B.(2004).Interven-tionists’ perspectives about data collection in integrat-ed early childhood classrooms. Journal of Early Interven-tion, 26,161-174.
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ConclusionUnder the supervision of trusted adults, young children cantacklebigissuesinage-appropriateways.Oneway to help children understand perspective, social justice, and critical thinking is to read and discuss fairy tales.Thesestoriesofferrichexamplesofconceptsthatchildrenexperienceregularlyintheirownworldandofferthem the opportunity to practice and develop skills that are beneficial to their social and emotional development. By asking guided questions and allowing the children’s answers to evolve over time, teachers can help children develop their ability to see and understand perspective, social justice, and critical thinking during story time. Then, when related situations arise in the classroom, teachers can refer back to the stories and help children applytheseskillstotheirownexperiences.
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Gartrell,D.(2012).Education for a civil society: How guidance teaches children democratic life skills.Washington,DC:NationalAssociationfortheEducationofYoungChildren.
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BrownBooksforYoungReaders.Scieszka, J. (1996). The true story of the three little pigs.NewYork,
NY:Puffin.Seefeldt,C.,Castle,S.,&Falconer,R.(2010).Social studies for
the preschool/primary child(8thed.).UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:Merrill.
Thomspon,R.A.(2006).Thedevelopmentoftheperson:Socialunderstanding, relationships, conscious and self. In N. Eisenberg(Ed.),Handbook of child psychology(6thed.,pp.24-98).NewYork,NY:JohnWilleyandSons.
Wade,R.(2007).Social studies for social justice: Teaching strategies for the elementary classroom.NewYork,NY:TeachersCollegePress.
Wildsmith,B.(2007).The tortoise and the hare.NewYork,NY:OxfordChildren’s.
Early Years Bulletin, ISSN 2333-6226, is published quarterly by the Association for Childhood Education International, 1101 16th St., N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.
Articles published in Early Years Bulletin represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions taken by the Associ-ation for Childhood Education International.
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