Growing Together Blog Archives

This will begin with an ‘I’ and will change quickly to ‘we’. That is the way of the parent cooperative. It is also the way of the parent cooperative to find a need and then work to fill it. From the founding of schools to the digging of a dry creek bed. This story begins [...]

When a teacher poses questions during story time or during play, she or he is not quizzing the children. An answer or response is not always expected. Teachers are helping make connections and extensions. Children benefit from wait time and the look twice, so that they can reflect and enrich their understanding.

“Rather than getting children ready for school, we need to get school ready for them.” a quote from Docia Zavitkovsky, President, NAEYC 1984-1986, Founder of Play Matters, and lifelong supporter of parent cooperative schools.

Imaginary play and open-ended play materials for indoor or outdoor play, but always defined and led by children.

We have all done it. We see the cookie crumbs sprinkled down our child’s shirt or the purloined item held behind their back, and we have to ask the big question: “Tell me the truth: did you . . . ”

At our parent cooperative school, we have “boiled down” a handful of essentials for helping children navigate social situations. We believe that by making these cues a pervasive part of our conversation, conflict resolution can be “owned” by the child.

Imaginary play is a chance for children to be IN CONTROL of scary situations. Emory Luce Baldwin talks about how children gain mastery in many different domains through their play. Children choose roles and situations that may worry adults, but are crucial in the language of play and learning

Bias may be strengthened by outside influences or our own misgivings and misconceptions as we make sense of ourselves. It can also be addressed and even eliminated in early childhood as we place value on the power of words.

Beginning a storyline that will last a lifetime–helping young children build and find friendships. Friendship, negotiating the rules of play and conflict resolution become an important part of life at home and at school.

Go outside and play—on the street or sidewalks, in empty lots, backyards, front yards. A child could join a roving crowd of other children, younger and older, and only come inside when the streetlights came on. Even then, there are a whole host of games and activities designed specifically FOR streetlights and the lightning bug glow adventures…