The 100th day of school!

IS IT DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE?

Kinesthetic learning is developmentally appropriate since all children start out as kinesthetic learners. It focuses on whole body and whole brain learning, using large motor muscles for academic learning.

The curriculum is academic- reading, writing, math, science- and yet the method is kinesthetic- completely developmentally appropriate. In kinesthetic learning, there are no worksheets or fine motor skills used, which developmentally appropriate practice warns against using in the preschool years.

Quoting an article from NAEYC, ”Recognizing the early beginnings of literacy acquisition too often has resulted in use of inappropriate teaching practices suited to older children or adults perhaps but ineffective with children in preschool, kindergarten, and the early grades."

"Young children especially need to be engaged in experiences that make academic content meaningful and build on prior learning. It is vital for all children to have literacy experiences in schools and early childhood programs. Such access is even more critical for children with limited home experiences in literacy. However, these school experiences must teach the broad range of language and literacy knowledge and skills to provide the solid foundation on which high levels of reading and writing ultimately depend.” (8)

The curriculum is individually "tailored" for each child, as per Joan Smutny, Acceleration for Gifted Learners K-5. (14)

The skills are introduced as games and play. The child is invited to participate. If s/he does not want to at the time, the materials are left out for further independent exploration, with the teacher there to supervise.

Unlined paper is essential to developmentally appropriate practice. Fine motor skills that support writing on lines develop later. A large diameter marker, pencil, or pencil with a rubber gripper on it is developmentally appropriate. Children enjoy writing with large diameter dry erase markers on large white boards. If the child has problems with writing, magnetic letters may be used and matched to letters alone, in a name, or word.

Almost all kinesthetic learning uses large muscle groups. Fine motor muscle development is not neglected though; practice includes cutting with scissors on lines, putting pegs into holes to make pictures, puzzles, play dough, using tweezers, and stringing beads.


Zone of Proximal Development

Lev Vygotsky's often-quoted definition of zone of proximal development presents it as
”the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers” (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86). Most simply defined, Vygotsky referred to the distance between the abilities displayed independently and with social support as the ZPD; his thesis is that this ”zone” is created by learning.

The zone of proximal development is known as the area of best learning. A significant adult's guidance is believed to be needed for a child's development within the ZPD and is known as scaffolding. It is up to the teacher to discern each child's zone and the best incremental steps and scaffolding to use.


Scaffolding

Scaffolding is a teaching method that promotes success for the student by only teaching the next one incremental skill to that individual student at a time. The rest of the lesson is already well known and practiced by the student successfully. This gives the student only one new thing to learn and thereby creates great confidence in the student's own learning.

Instructional scaffolding is the provision of sufficient supports to promote learning when concepts and skills are being first introduced to students. These supports are gradually removed as students develop autonomous learning strategies, thus promoting their own cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning skills and knowledge. Teachers help the students master a task or a concept by providing support.


Direct Teaching

When a skill is taught directly, it is given to the child in individualized incremental steps that s/he can understand. When a skill is taught directly, it is succinct and to the point. The teacher models, the teacher and student do together, and then the student does independently. I do, we do, you do.

Direct teaching is a term coined by scientifically-based reading research to oppose the concepts presented by whole language. In whole language, teachers would model the concepts without stating them explicitly and hope the child would understand the pattern. This created many mis-concepts and illiterate persons.

Ideally in a preschool classroom, there is one teacher to a maximum of five students.  Most preschool situations only require a ratio of 1:10. This does not allow the teacher the time to create incremental steps for each individual student. The ideal ratio of 1:5 or less allows the teacher to respect the child and his/her learning and creates the child's self-respect.


Assessment

Most non-kinesthetic assessments are either paper and pencil or observation checklist completed by the teacher. These are either not developmentally appropriate or subject to bias. Kinesthetic learning assessments are also kinesthetic. As the child expresses the independent aspect of learning, the teacher gives guidance and further teaching as needed.

An example of kinesthetic assessment is when the child places objects that begin with the sound of the letter onto the actual letter. During a beautiful day outside, this method can be modified. The teacher can write the letters being assessed onto the sidewalk with chalk. She can show the objects to the student who can swat the letter of the beginning sound with a fly swatter.  Or letters may be written on the fence and children run to swat them. Another way is that a teacher may ask for specific colored shapes on the other side of the room. ”Please bring me the red triangle.”

The assessment methods are only limited by the teacher's own creativity. Unfortunately, most teachers have become quite lazy in both teaching and creativity. I believe that teaching is the most creative job on the planet. We teachers need to fulfill our creative truth.


Thematic Units

Science, math, and social studies are used as themes. New vocabulary is introduced through the hands-on theme, and thus many new words are able to be webbed in the brain. Literature and non-fiction (expository) books are used as the primary resources, highlighting their information-bearing abilities. Information is discussed, retold, pictured, and acted out, emphasizing comprehension.

Some thematic ideas are:
Holidays              Weather                Dinosaurs
Fairy Tales          Maps                     Rocks    
Oceans               Insects                  Four Seasons
Plants                  Water Cycle          Animals: The 5 Vertebrates
Space                  Volcanoes            Time and Measurement


DISCIPLINE

Kid Garden discipline is that children are encouraged to love their own learning and not be shamed, criticized, or made to feel guilty or fear punishment. Our discipline plan is to learn and practice communication awareness. Adults model this respect.

Kid Garden discipline is based in the Non-Violent Communication principles of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg and Conscious Discipline by Dr. Becky A Bailey. We study and practice the ability to know our feelings and needs, communicate them, listen to others' words, feelings, and needs, respond to them appropriately, and practice the skill of mediation between others.  A quiet place and adult help is provided for children who need to discern their feelings, needs, communication, and understanding of others.

Behavior: Teaching Respect
Teaching Patience:  Instead of interrupting, students are taught to place their hand on the shoulder of the teacher and wait. The teacher places her hand over the child's as a signal that s/he is seen. When finished talking or teaching, the teacher compliments the child's patience and gives full attention to the child.
Teaching Wait Time:  Many children need processing time when asked a question. If other children blurt out the answer, they ”steal” the child's learning. When I question a particular child, I ask all the other children to put their finger over their lips if they know the answer. This gives the child thinking time. If the questioned child needs help, s/he can ask one of the kids with the finger over their lips. I would encourage parents to practice this during reading.