by Guest Blogger, Lisa Solar

Have you ever breezed past an acquaintance or colleague, offered a snap smile and a quick “Hi, How are you?” without listening for the answer?  Probably.  Most of us have.  It’s common habit in American and many other cultures to offer this rote greeting and inquiry, and then move on.  It’s the friendly thing to do, right?

But what if we could pause for a moment right then, and make a concerted effort to look at someone and truly acknowledge them, even for just a few seconds?  Could it make a tiny difference in that person’s day?  Could altering our greeting rituals just a little, and learning to move through the world with a little more intention, a little more connection, begin a chain reaction of kindness and caring that might effect an even more profound change?  I think so.

With a renewed and expanded commitment to Social and emotional learning at School For Little Children this year, some wonderful transformations are taking place.  One element that I am especially excited about is the Morning Meeting that is being practiced in many classrooms this year.

We’ve always enjoyed time together on the carpet, greeting one another and taking some time to look at one another and the school day ahead.  Having trained in the Responsive Classroom approach last fall, our teachers and staff have refreshed their own intentions and have brought an even more thoughtful attention to this well-known part of the class time.  Instead of singing a song that acknowledges the children in the circle all together, one version of Morning Meeting now includes the children practicing intentional person-to-person greetings and acknowledgements.  In this practice, each child in circle turns to the child next to them and takes their hand.  They say, “Hello, Amelia, I’m glad you’re here today.”  That child then turns to their partner and takes the opportunity to do the same until the circle is complete.

I had a chance to witness this new ritual in the Yellow Room, and it was a revelation to me.  I saw how time slowed for the kids.  How they watched and waited, excitedly yet patiently, for their turn to perform this special little act of seeing one another.  I’m not sure I can describe in words how adorable it was.  But it was also serious to me- I had the sensation that something important was taking place.  These children were seeing each other in a way that we don’t often prioritize in our fast-paced culture.

In South Africa, members of the northern Natal tribes greet one another daily by saying “Sawa bona”, which literally means: “I see you.” The response is “Sikhona” which means: “I am here”.

This sense of coming further into being when others recognize you is being echoed in the classrooms at our own school.  It gives every child a moment of recognition, and creates a feeling of belonging for them in that moment.  A feeling we hope they will carry with them throughout the school day.

As parents, we can foster this feeling of community by bringing the lesson home.  When we demonstrate to our children that each person matters by looking them in the eye and  effectively communicating that you see them in that moment, it spreads a sense of belonging far beyond circle time.

Try for some time to alter your own way of greeting the people you encounter, and see if it brings you yourself a greater sense of belonging.  I’m guessing it will.  And I’m guessing you will find a reward in your own heart that makes the extra seconds feel like they are remarkably well spent.

this post is part of a five post series on Individual Differences.

Each year, our school community is made up a little differently and our classrooms take on a collective “personality”.  In getting to know each class as a group, among other things, we gather information about the birth order of the children. 

Overall, as a school, we have 32 only children, 55 first born, 72 second born, 19 third born, and 5 fourth born children.  In addition, SLC welcomes 5 sets of twins.

There are reams of research and multiple theories about how birth order affects personality, but reviewing a brief article found in Parent Inspiration, July 2010 gives a snapshot description of each place in the family unit.  Judge for yourself if this applies to your own family!
“Only children tend to be well organized, perfectionists”

“First borns tend to be more attuned to the outside world”

“Second borns tend to be more internally focused

“Third borns tend to be most greatly affected by family members’ relationships”

“Fourth borns tend to be most concerned about how the entire family unit functions”

Regardless of birth order, every child will thrive when he/she is recognized as a unique individual!

Carol Teske
SLC Director

This post is part of a five post series on Individual Differences.

Over 20 different home languages are spoken in the homes of SLC families.  Over the last several years, SLC has seen a dramatic increase in children who are bilingual, trilingual or are being exposed to English for the very first time. 

Reality

Bilingual children are often very creative and good at problem solving.  Compared to children who speak one language, those who are bilingual can communicate with more people, read more, and benefit more from travel.  Such children will have an additional skill when they enter the workforce.

Children do not get confused, even when they combine languages in one sentence.  Mixing languages is a normal and expected part of learning a second language.

Actually, the opposite is often true.  Bilingual children make the transition to decoding words well.

As long as they are exposed consistently to both languages, children can become proficient readily in both languages.

Nearly all children are capable of learning two languages during the preschool years.

In addition, research shows that children who develop a sound foundation in their first language are more efficient in learning a second language.

Welcoming children from different cultures enriches our school in a unique way.  All of us benefit.

Carol Teske
SLC Director

This post is part of a five post series on Individual Differences.

At SLC, 87% of our school population is made up of Evanston residents, while 13% live in Skokie, Wilmette, Chicago and Glencoe.  We would not consider ourselves a neighborhood school in that our families live all over the Evanston area.  In fact, last year, SLC children fanned out to 26 different kindergartens!  

Regardless of where anyone comes from, or where they are headed, it is our task to create classrooms where children feel safe, help one another and see themselves as part of a group.  We strive to help children understand how to treat other people and how they want to be treated by others; to cooperate, negotiate and make and keep friends; to resolve problems that inevitably arise.  These are not easy skills to acquire – they take time, practice, direct teaching and lots of support from home.

Carol Teske
SLC Director

This post is part of a five post series on Individual Differences.

As a school community, SLC is split between 96 boys and 87 girls.  Most preschools in Evanston are reporting this year as a “boy heavy” year, so a margin of 9 is quite balanced!  

During the preschool years, children are very interested in categorizing their friends by gender and they are still learning what if means for themselves to be a girl or a boy.  Research tells us that children have already absorbed gender stereotyping by the time they are two years old. Therefore, as parents and teachers, it is important for us to encourage children to explore gender-related roles and take part in activities that are related to these roles.

As one example, in a classroom, we can encourage children to take materials from one area to another, such as carrying plates and cups to have a picnic in the block area where additional blocks can be used to cook beef stew or build cribs for baby dolls.  At home, perhaps include a grandfather or male friend  in a cooking venture in your kitchen would be a good idea.  Or, add a basket of silk flowers and strings of play beads to a pile of blocks in your playroom.

Enjoy this list of books, provided by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) that break gender role stereotypes.

Carol Teske
SLC Director

This post is part of a five post series on Individual Differences.

This fall, we welcome 183 children to our school community, each with a different temperament, learning style and personality.  With so many children to get to know, we begin by focusing on what makes each one unique.  Observation is key.  Knowing how one takes in information is essential as we create a safe environment where learning can truly take place.  

What do we look for?  It’s helpful to notice where a child feels most secure – we take note of what area of the room he/she chooses to begin the day.  Is it a snuggly bean bag chair, an open area on the rug, with a group of friends, or quietly enjoying a book?  We look for signs of ease because we know we’ll connect faster and bond more deeply if we are able to give children the time to adjust to their surroundings on their own terms.

This can be helpful for parents during play dates, running carpools and in backyards, too!   Giving children (your own, as well as their playmates) the gift of time to help regulate may make the difference between a stressful encounter and a successful play experience.

Carol Teske
SLC Director

On July 16th, a beloved family foundation gave School for Little Children a tremendous gift – the Gift of Opportunity.  With a generous donation, we were able to turn a vision into a reality for our school, our staff and our children.  How very fortunate we feel to accept such a heartfelt contribution and how deeply we appreciate the gesture!

What is this all about? 

Last year, a small group of parents met with a small group of administrative staff to discuss ways in which we, as a school, could enhance and be more intentional about our social emotional curriculum in the same way that we have recently focused on our literacy curriculum.  Stemming from that conversation, we took a closer look at various approaches to support healthy social emotional development in the early years and selected one that we felt would be the most effective for use in our classrooms.  Feeling good about our choice, The Responsive Classroom, we searched to find a way to fund the expensive training that needed to take place before this new approach could be implemented.  This family foundation’s gift gave us the opportunity to make it possible.

With these funds, we flew in (from Connecticut) an early childhood Responsive Classroom expert who provided a day of training for our entire staff on September 4th.  This was truly a remarkable feat for School for Little Children and it was a day in which I felt very, very proud for all of us.

As the school year progresses, more will be shared about how the Responsive Classroom approach is helping us build friendly, supportive classroom communities and how academic learning is linked to social emotional development.   Lisa Solar, our Parent Liaison for Social Emotional Learning, will keep parents informed and engaged in how families can participate in this movement as well.

Gifts come in many forms and each one is sincerely appreciated.

Carol Teske
SLC Director

One of the advantages of sitting just outside of preschool classrooms all day is having the privilege of listening to the conversations that flow out from each room.  A few weeks ago there was spectacular interchange between Jo-Jo and a three year old boy in the Red Room regarding the baby in his tummy! I hear the most fascinating stories articulated in the most interesting ways.

Language absorption peaks during the period of time between 18 months and 3 years of age.  Yet as we all know, there is more to communication than just understanding the spoken work.  Communication involves speaking with and to someone, getting feed back, and composing a response (verbal or non-verbal).

A case was cited in 1978 involving a boy with normal hearing born to deaf parents who communicated through American Sign Language.  His parents exposed him to television every day so that he would hear and learn English.  By the age of three he was fluent in signing, but he spoke NO English and his English comprehension was limited.  The element of exchange was missing from his daily exposure to television.

Taking time to intentionally initiate two-way conversations with preschoolers will help children improve both receptive and expressive language skills.  Here are few ways we can help children practice communication skills:

• Accumulate a number of “stock themes” to ask about that relate to your child’s experience; things they play with, things they can do all by themselves, what Mommy does, or what Daddy does.  Respond to their answer with another comment or question so as to establish turn taking.
• Use nonsense talk to start a conversation such as, “Did you eat purple crackers for snack today?”  This will usually elicit some sort of response and you can take it from there!
• Answer the never ending “Why?” questions with a silly answer like, “Because the moon is made of green cheese.”
• With older preschool children discussions revolving around feelings and behaviors can take place as well.  Evaluating facial expressions of others is always a good conversation piece.
• Correcting grammar or pronunciation puts a child’s confidence at risk so it is best to simply respond to a question or comment as it is offered.

As with every other area of development, the art of communication will blossom with time and practice.  Meanwhile, I will continue to listen in and enjoy the sounds of their laughter and the enthusiasm in their conversations.

Three years ago, the SLC Governing Board approved the first of its kind, three year strategic plan. The purpose was to guide the direction of the school and help with planning, resource allocation and decision-making as we moved forward. Four strategic priorities were identified, including an important focus on Curriculum Enhancement. As a result, our staff has selected, studied and discussed several new curriculum resources and implemented numerous new practices based on current research in early childhood education.   

In turn, as the current school year opens, our classrooms look a little different with the addition of “art studios”, enhanced writing centers, improved classroom libraries, and Morning Messages posted on easels to kick off the daily morning meeting.  The SLC Book Room is transformed from a “catch all book closet” to a well organized space filled with themed bins of books, literacy based table activities, and read-along audio books for our listening stations.  In addition, we welcomed a Curriculum Coach to our staff last year and she continues to lead us in trainings and book studies where we learn more about research based practices, current educational resources and recent advances in the field of early childhood education.

As we open our doors this fall, the professional energy within the walls of our school is elevated. Those who attended our recent Curriculum Connection Night for parents could feel it and the momentum continues to build.  We are poised and ready to launch a school year like none other!

Carol Teske
SLC Director

The average number of years our teachers have taught at SLC is equal to 12.5.  Pretty impressive!

A high quality preschool starts with a high quality team of teachers.  Experienced, responsive educators build classroom communities where love for learning, acceptance and curiosity flourishes.  It’s not always easy.  A few years ago, I asked each of our teachers what traits they felt were most important to possess when working with young children.  Their answers were similar –patience to account for individual learning styles and differences, willingness to allow time for practice and repetition, and initiative to plan for child-centered discovery.

With an average of 12.5 years of experience, our teachers are able to share their collective knowledge, mentor and coach each other, and encourage one another to be the best they can be. They are at the cornerstone of School for Little Children and I’m proud to be their leader!

Carol Teske
SLC Director