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Kristine Mraz, Alison Porcelli, Cheryl Tyler

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A Teacher's Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day

"We believe that play is one type of environment where children can be rigorous in their learning," Kristi, Alison, and Cheryl write. They provide a host of lessons, suggestions for classroom setups, helpful tools and charts, curriculum connections, teaching points, and teaching language to help you foster mature play that makes every moment in your classroom instructional.

Play is serious business.

Whether it's reenacting a favorite book (comprehension and close reading), negotiating the rules for a game (speaking and listening), or collaborating over building blocks (college and career readiness and STEM), Kristi Mraz, Alison Porcelli, and Cheryl Tyler see every day how play helps students reach standards and goals in ways that in-their-seat instruction alone can't do. And not just during playtimes. "We believe there is play in work and work in play," they write. "It helps to have practical ways to carry that mindset into all aspects of the curriculum." In Purposeful Play , they share ways to:

optimize and balance different types of play to deepen regular classroom learning

teach into play to foster social-emotional skills and a growth mindset

bring the impact of play into all your lessons across the day.

"We believe that play is one type of environment where children can be rigorous in their learning," Kristi, Alison, and Cheryl write. So they provide a host of lessons, suggestions for classroom setups, helpful tools and charts, curriculum connections, teaching points, and teaching language to help you foster mature play that makes every moment in your classroom instructional.

Play doesn't only happen when work is over. Children show us time and time again that play is the way they work. In Purposeful Play, you'll find research-driven methods for making play an engine for rigorous learning in your classroom.

(click any section below to continue reading)

In Depth

Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky was a proponent of the idea that children learn best when we build on their strengths, but accomplishing this can sometimes feel a bit frustrating. As we struggle mightily to develop kids' stamina to ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes of reading and writing, we watch these same children deeply engaged in play during recess and choice time for long, extended periods. So while we firmly believe in building on children's strengths, it can be frustrating when we find ourselves limiting the time we give kids to do what we know they do best: play.

Perhaps, we need to look at play from a different perspective; if the feeling of active movement toward a goal is what we call work, then play is the work of children. In fact, it is the work and the art of childhood: the essence of learning, discovery, and creating. In play, learners are developing ideas, taking on and assigning roles, collaborating, crafting the environment and deciding when to change it, developing and negotiating rules, and being active listeners. If play is the work of children, then to build on kids' strengths, we need to ask, "How can we infuse an abundance of play and the crafting the environment and deciding when to change it, developing and negotiating rules, and being active listeners. If play is the work of children, then to build on kids' strengths, we need to ask, "How can we infuse an abundance of play and the principles of play across the curriculum?"

Reviews

"Some of the book's most powerful advice about play pertains just as much to adults working with children as it does to the children. Play is a mindset. The role of play in the classroom doesn't only improve kids' learning lives; it makes teachers' lives that much more joyful, purposeful, and sustainable.."
- Elizabeth Moore, at Two Writing Teachers
Read the entire review

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"We believe that play is one type of environment where children can be rigorous in their learning," Kristi, Alison, and Cheryl write. They provide a host

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Christine Hertz & Kristine Mraz

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A Teacher's Guide to Today's Classroom

The classroom of your dreams starts with one big idea. From the first days of school to the last, Kids First from Day One shares how to put your deepest teaching belief into action. Whether it's building community, designing your classroom spaces, matching instruction to students' needs, or engaging students in curriculum, Christine Hertz and Kristi Mraz help you put into action the belief that children are the most important people in the room.

Special Offer: Save 30% off our list price automatically when you buy 15 or more.

"This book is a place to start creating the classroom of your dreams from the very first minute of school, a classroom that is research based, child centered, and in step with the world today."
- Christine Hertz and Kristine Mraz

The classroom of your dreams starts with one big idea. From the first days of school to the last, Kids First from Day One shares teaching that puts your deepest teaching belief into action: that children are the most important people in the room.

Christine Hertz and Kristi Mraz show how to take that single, heartfelt value and create a cohesive, highly effective approach to teaching that addresses today's connected, collaborative world. With infectious enthusiasm, hard-won experience, and a generous dose of humor, Kids First from Day One shows exactly how Christine and Kristi build and maintain a positive, cooperative, responsive classroom where students engage deeply with their learning and one another.

Kids First from Day One strengthens and deepens the connections between your love of working with kids, your desire to impact their lives, and your teaching practice. It shares:

plans for designing beautiful classroom spaces that burst with the fun of learning

positive language and classroom routines that reduce disruptive behavior-without rewards and consequences

suggestions for matching students' needs to high-impact teaching structures

a treasury of the Christine and Kristi's favorite "teacher stuff" such as quick guides for challenging behavior, small-group planning grids, and parent letters

links to videos that model the moves of Christine's and Kristi's own teaching.

Just starting out and want to know what really works in classrooms? Curious about how to make your room hum with learning? Or always on the lookout for amazing teaching ideas? Read Kids First from Day One. You'll discover that the classroom of your dreams is well within your reach.

(click any section below to continue reading)

Contents

1. Teaching Is Heart Work

The Flourishing Teacher
The Empathetic Teacher
The Playful Teacher
The Flexible Teacher
The Reflective Teacher
Conclusion: Glad We Got That All Figured Out
Interviews with Experts: Jessica Lifshitz, Sara Ahmed, Chad Everett

2. The Physical Environment
Big Idea: Setting Up Your Classroom: Start with a Blank Canvas Not a Finished Masterpiece
Big Idea: Let Your Space Reflect Your Students
Conclusion: Take Time to Reflect on Your Classroom and Your Beliefs
Interview with an Expert: Julie Denberg

3. The Emotional Environment
Big Idea: Scheduling for Success
Big Idea: Build a Community Don't Just Manage One
Big Idea: Social Skills Can Be Taught
Big Idea: Supporting Every Child
Conclusion: Rome Wasn't Built in a Day; Kids Won't Learn Everything
About Your Community Overnight
Interview with an Expert: Allyson Black-Foley

4. Building Curriculum
Big Idea: Curriculum Should Be Responsive and Intentional
Big Idea: Build a Better Teaching Toolbox: Clear Teaching Structures Drive Complex Learning
Big Idea: Responsive Teachers Draw from All They Know
Conclusion: Assume Success Is Possible When the Factors Are Right
Interviews with Experts: Annie Dunn, Yvonne Yiu, Kate Roberts and Maggie Beattie Roberts
Tips for Family Interaction
Annotated First-Day Letter
Annotated Letter About Mindset
Room Planning Guide
Quick Guide to Teaching Social Skills
Quick Guide to Challenging Behaviors
Checklist Template
Conference Notes Form
Conferring and Small-Group Planning Grid

In Depth

This book is a place to start creating the classroom of your dreams. A classroom that is research based, child centered, and in step with the world today. A classroom that exemplifies the collaboration, flexibility, agency, and problem-solving that people need to be successful in the coming decades. A classroom where critical thinking, thoughtful reflection, and curious inquiry sit side by side with reading, writing, and math, But here's a caveat: we're not going to promise that you'll ever achieve classroom nirvana-we know there's no such thing as perfection. And we are the first to admit that this is hard, messy work. There will be missteps and mishaps, but just like your students, you will learn from your mistakes and grow. Know that there is a community out there ready to celebrate and commiserate and think and question with you every step of the way. This book is just a first step, a launching pad to what is possible. To help you along the way, we've included lots of our favorite books, people to follow on Twitter, interviews with experts, and videos of the two of us teaching.

Are you looking to infuse or reclaim a spirit of joy and possibility into your teaching? Do you wish your students were happier and more playful? Start in Section 1.

Looking to create a beautiful classroom space that fosters collaboration, independence, and curiosity? Are you curious about the intersection between environment and behavior? Start in Section 2.

Do you want to create a classroom community free of rewards and threats? Do you see a need for your children to learn social skills but aren't sure how to go about it? Start in Section 3.

Do you find that you use the same teaching structures (guided reading for example) again and again and again? Are you interested in finding ways to engage students in learning that isn't always teacher driven? Are you curious about how to make your teaching more responsive, even if the curriculum is set? Start in Section 4.

Do you love stuff? Let's be honest, we all do. The goodies are in the back. Start in the appendixes.

- Introduction

Companion Resources

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The classroom of your dreams starts with one big idea. From the first days of school to the last, Kids First from Day One shares how to put your deepest teaching belief into action.

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How lessons from kindergarten can help everyone develop the creative thinking skills needed to thrive in today’s society.In kindergartens these days, children spend more time with math worksheets and phonics flashcards than building blocks and finger paint. Kindergarten is becoming more like the res…

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Review

"I really intended just to skim it over. Two hours later, I discovered that I had read the whole thing from cover to cover. Not just read it, but thoroughly enjoyed it, and couldn't wait to pass it on." - Teaching with Picture Books blog

About the Author

Georgia Heard is a nationally and internationally known leader in the field of teaching writing. She was one of the first staff developers at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project in New York, and for the past twenty-five years has visited schools and spoken at conferences throughout the United States, Canada, and Southeast Asia.

Georgia received her bachelor's degree in history from American University and her master of fine arts degree in writing from Columbia University.

"My mother was the librarian at my school, so I always spent time in the library," Georgia remembers. "When I went to Columbia University to study writing I realized what a gift it would be to be able to help other writers."

She says that she enjoys helping other people find their writing voice, especially children who are curious about how the world works.

Georgia lives in Singer Island, Florida, with her husband and son. "Moving from NYC to Florida was a transition but now I live on the ocean and we are finally settling in. We walk every morning and evening on the beach where we keep an eye out for hatchling turtles and ghost crabs. We frequently kayak and swim, and try to avoid hurricanes."

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Miriam Trehearne

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The Essence of Effective and Engaging Literacy Learning K-2: What We Really Know! Multiple Paths to Literacy K-2 Proven High-Yield Strategies to Scaffold Engaging Literacy Learning across the Curriculum Inquiry, Play, Art, Technology, and Self-Regulation through Intentional Teaching Multiple Paths to Literacy K-2 (2016), Miriam's latest book, equips teachers of young children with practical high-yield strategies, assessment tools, and motivating activities, all steeped in strong research and easily applicable in all kinds of learning environments. Included are many authentic writing samples, photos, mini-lessons, engaging activities and teacher stories that truly enliven the instructional methods. Sought-after author and speaker Miriam P. Trehearne demonstrates how to scaffold play, self-regulation, art, inquiry, technology and literacy learning effectively while linking assessment to instruction. There are multiple paths to literacy learning. That being said, we do know that there are some proven high-yield strategies that do make a huge difference no matter the path taken. The teachers celebrated in this research-based book demonstrate many high-yield strategies and instructional approaches by providing hundreds of practical ideas that teachers can put to use in their classrooms tomorrow. In the process, responses are provided for the following frequently asked questions and more: How does research describe the practice of the most effective/accomplished K-2 teachers? What do they do? * How can play and literacy learning effectively support one another? * How do mature play and immature play differ? * What do engaging and effective learning centres look like? * What is self-regulation and how does one scaffold it? * What does inquiry-based learning really mean? * What does the research say about how effective inquiry-based learning really is, in K-2 classrooms? * What does effective inquiry-based learning look like? * What is self-regulation and how does one develop this in K-2 classrooms? * What are the high-yield strategies or non-negotiables of effective literacy teaching and learning in K-2? * What is phonological awareness and how important is it in K-2? * How much time should be allocated specifically for language arts each day and how does one fit it all in? * How can one effectively organize the classroom? * What effect do classroom colors have on student learning? * How can one keep students meaningfully engaged during the language arts block? What are "the other kids doing" during guided reading? * How should phonics be taught? * How many high-frequency words (sight words) are crucial for students to know by the end of kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2? Which words are they? * What is fluency and how does one support its development? * What are the researched-based strategies that support reading comprehension? * How can one effectively assess and support oral language and vocabulary development? * How can we most effectively differentiate for ELL and second dialect learners? * Which literacy assessments and documentations should teachers use and how can they help to drive instruction? * How can one combine the writing process, writing genres, and writing traits or characteristics during writing workshop? * How can one motivate reluctant writers and readers? * What are effective mini-lessons to use when teaching writing in K-2? * How does one effectively assess and teach word work and spelling? Which spelling rules work in K-2? * What does effective early intervention look like? * How can technology be used as a vehicle to support literacy learning in the classroom? * What role can parents realistically play in support of literacy learning and how might teachers enhance this home-school connection? * How does literacy support the arts and vice versa? Fourteen research-based yet practical chapters provide the essence of what we know about excellent early literacy teaching and learning. And we know a lot!

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Let's Talk About Purposeful Play

Posted at 22:49h in by Uncategorized kristimraz

I am so excited to share that in a week or so my new book (with Alison Porcelli and Cheryl Tyler- play gurus and authors of this handy book on choice time) about PLAY will descend upon this fine earth!!!! Now, listen, there is nothing I like to do more in advance of a new book coming out then have imaginary conversations of excitement and anxiety in my head. As a matter of fact, if you wake up at 3 AM to go to the bathroom, please rest assured that I am staring at my ceiling trying to execute everything I learned while writing A Mindset for Learning.

So, in the hopes of getting the word out about the book, and also maybe stop communing with my ceiling in the wee hours of the morning, I thought it might be nice to put out a post that conquers some of the big questions I imagine you might have about the book:
Let's Start From The Top, The Title:
What is purposeful play, you might ask? Is some play purposeful and some play, well, not? Wait does that mean there is good play and bad play? Is this book about that?????!?!?!?! Okay, well, no. We talked long and hard about this title and here is the big idea we hope to communicate with this title: ALL PLAY IS PURPOSEFUL even, brace yourself, the play that looks purposeless to us as adults. Because, it is not about us, it is about what play does for children and ALL play has a purpose for children. My husband, who plays in bands, spends hours strumming in a seemingly mindless way on his guitar. To the casual observer this may look purposeless, but in fact, it is the way he stumbles upon the riffs that then become songs, which is in fact, his job.

Likewise, the child who might be stacking blocks meticulously, or playing a game of superheroes on the playground, or even crumpling paper and uncrumpling it to see what it feels like is doing SOMETHING. Each of those acts has a purpose and value to the child. We have to change the narrative of play from something "fun" or "cute" or "for when work is done" to one of play (all play) being purposeful and meaningful for the joyful intellectual and social development for children. In the book you will see pictures of children goofing off, building. pretending to be knights and we know that each of those things has a deep purpose in the classroom, and makes all teaching and learning more powerful. That is one of the main reasons we open with research and keep it embedded throughout the book. There are biological and sociological reasons that play exists in the world, that it is IMPERATIVE that we support it in our schools and in our society. Play is deeply purposeful, it is purposeful play.

For us, it was about choosing a title that is also a lens, once you name something as purposeful, you start to see its value. Alison shares this anecdote:

"I remember hearing a comment from an acquaintance when Preston (her son) was 6 months old. They had a 6 month old too and talked about how their 6 month old doesn't do anything.. He just bats at his activity gym, and they just leave him alone to do it. And I remember thinking.. How differently we view these things!! (Of course we were writing a book on this topic so my mind was geared up) I remember watching Preston "bat" at his activity gym and marveling at how he was really figuring out cause and effect.. "When I hit this it makes a noise!" Once we are aware of the purposes we react differently. While they left their child alone...Tom and I narrated what was happening and then introduced other toys on the gym that made different noises or moved in different ways."

Our goal of this book is that every teacher in every school see that play is purposeful and necessary and seek to provide ample time for it for every child. (and by the way, we don't say play is just purposeful for 5 year olds- this book is for the teachers of older kids as well!)
Okay, so Play is Purposeful, but Why Do I Need a Book About it?
If you are new to open-ended play, this book will help you get on your feet, but that's not all. Maybe you already honor and encourage open ended non-scripted play in your classroom and school, and you know lots of research about it, but maybe (like me) you are not always so sure what to do besides just watch, or maybe you feel like you are running around solving problems. Or maybe you don't know how to respond when kids say they are bored, or you have two children who just stare at each other. It is a fallacy to think that kids come to school knowing how to play collaboratively. Many do, but also some don't. It's also a fallacy to think that we teachers always know the best ways to support kids emotional development. Its not something always covered in teacher education.

Its true that some kids don't come to school with well developed social emotional skills, or their behavior is at odds with working in a community. We would never look at a struggling reader and punish them. Rather we design thoughtful instruction to support them. So how come we punish kids struggling with social skills of being in school? We can design thoughtful instruction in play to help kids learn to negotiate, problem solve, build empathy, develop a growth mindset. And play is where kids learn how to be with others best. Research has shown social emotional skills to be a better predictor of long term success than academic skills - and (good news!) they can be taught, and (better news!) play is the best place to develop those skills. Our second section deals with all of these topics.
Wait, Did You Say "Thoughtful Instruction?" Should I Really be Teaching Into Play?
Ah, good question 3 AM brain. What does it mean to teach into play? So here is what it is not: telling kids how/what to play. We offer teaching sessions in the book that are NOT a program, but rather an if/then. For example, if your children are coming to you to resolve problems, then you might want to teach this problem solving routine. Or, if your kids are melting down when the blocks fall, then you might want to teach these reflection questions.

My classroom community runs smoothly because we used play as an opportunity to teach big ideas like sharing and turn taking that we need as a SOCIETY, but also in school. (Personal aside, maybe Donald Trump didn't have many chances to play?)In addition, we also show some classrooms where play is happening and teachers are supporting it to help you get a sense of what it might sound like when you use storytelling or inquiry to teach big ideas about play and community. We call these parts "Peek Inside A Classroom."
Alright so, reasons for play, setting up an environment for play, using play to teach social emotional learning, what else is in this book?
This brings us to our last section- the play in work. So, Stuart Brown, who wrote Play, talks about how play is a mindset, not an action. Its why when people encounter tricky things they might say "oh, I have to play around with it for a bit." If we can help work feel like play, then children will bring their free-est, most resilient, most joyful self to the work. I have a kindergartener who approached a small group that was writing and asked, "Can I play too?" It is not just gimmicks that make this happen (though those can help when needed) but rather infusing all parts of the day with a celebration of joyful interest, kid created materials, and a sense of inquiry.

If you are curious and want to get a better sense of the book, you can read the first chapter here. You can also join us for a twitter chat on 4/6 (#tcrwp) and 4/14 (#g2great). We've also got an informational webinar through Heinemann on 4/21. In short, we'll be everywhere talking about PLAY!

And if you are interested, I have some books to give away. Leave a comment and I will randomly choose 2 names to send a book to!

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Posted at 22:49h in by Uncategorized kristimraz I am so excited to share that in a week or so my new book (with Alison Porcelli and Cheryl Tyler- play gurus and authors of this handy book on choice time) about PLAY will descend upon this fine earth!!!!

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Blog (Mrs. Ouellette @ Kingsclear Consolidated School)

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Today we took the next step in our gardening learning and welcomed some new friends to our classroom - worms!

Vermicomposting - using worms to create compost from organic waste or matter such as paper and veggie/fruit scraps.

The littles worked with Ms. G to create a "home" for the worms from two plastic containers. They drilled holes in the top for air and in the bottom for drainage. They added screen to the bottom of the worm house so the compost can drain but our friends won't slip through the holes. They then added shredded paper, the worms, and some soil to the worm house. Finally, they spritzed everything with water and put the lid on.

We will watch the composting process happen right in our classroom and then, when we are ready to start our outdoor garden, our worm friends' compost will help our plants grow.

Hands on learning - we love it!

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Today we took the next step in our gardening learning and welcomed some new friends to our classroom - worms! Vermicomposting - using worms to create compost from organic waste or matter such as paper and veggie/fruit scraps. The littles worked with Ms. G to create a "home" for the worms from two plastic containers.

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Dramatic Play

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Dramatic Play

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Dramatic Play

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Anchor Chart

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Anchor Charts

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Dramatic Play

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Ideas for Dramatic Play

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Stuart Brown TED Talk

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Stuart Brown: Play is more than just fun

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A pioneer in research on play, Dr. Stuart Brown says humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation and fantasy are more than just fun. Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults -- and keeping it up can make us smarter at any age.

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Investigating Choice Time: Inquiry, Exploration, and Play

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There will be two days of wonderful professional development workshops and keynote talks at the JCC in Manhattan on August 29 and 30. I'll be facilitating an all day workshop on August 30. Here's the information:

A SUMMER LEARNING SERIES
FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Join us for the third annual Come Learn with Us conference. This two-day event will feature full- and half-day learning opportunities for early childhood educators. The conference is timed to reinvigorate, inspire, and challenge educators just before they go back for the start of the school year. Each workshop will include hands-on interactive components and highlight clear, actionable takeaways. New this year, participants will have an opportunity for ongoing learning or midyear check-in to extend their learning well past the conference is over. Click the link under each session title below to register for individual workshops or use the group form to register multiple teachers together.

DETAILS

Registration and workshop details will be available on this page in the spring

Participants can register for full- or half-day workshops on either or both days

Several workshops will be offered each day

Full-day workshops are $100, half-day workshops $50

Registration includes a kosher lunch from 1-2 pm both days

Group registration will be available

Discounts are available for schools sending their whole teaching staff, as well as for members of JECA

New this year, we are committed to providing a limited amount of scholarships for teachers who do not receive registration reimbursement from their schools

Please direct all questions to Aida Mehmeti at [email protected]

WED, AUG 29 + THU, AUG 30, 10 AM-5 PM Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue @76th Street
HERE'S A DESCRIPTION OF MY WORKSHOP

Come Learn With: Renée Dinnerstein (10 am-5 pm)
The Classroom Speaks: Transforming the Early Childhood Classroom into an Exciting Laboratory for Learning
REGISTER HERE

In this workshop, we will discuss how to transform a classroom into a place where children build things, conduct experiments, create innovative projects, read fascinating books, write original stories, use technology and texts to research for information, and feel free to try out possibilities. We will think carefully about how to create a space where children grow big ideas, make new friends, and dig deeply into exciting investigations. The workshop will address:

Arranging the furniture and materials to make the best use of classroom space

Considering the different centers that children will use at the beginning of the school year and creating dedicated areas that will be permanent throughout the year, as well as how to make trade-offs when space is limited

Looking at what materials will be necessary at the start of the school year and how this will change over the course of the school year

Creating a daily schedule that satisfies the demands of the administration yet doesn't rush children through the day like a train keeping to a timetable

How kindergarten and first-grade children can use their Choice Time journals to reflect on what they did at Choice Time and what might have challenged them

We will have opportunities to work on Choice Time planning templates and also work together on interpreting choice time observations and using these interpretations to plan next steps. There will be time for questions and answers.

Renée Dinnerstein has over 50 years' experience as an early childhood educator. She has taught both in Italy and the US and has spent 18 years as an early childhood teacher at PS 321, one of New York City's leading elementary schools. She was the teacher-director of the Children's School early childhood inclusion annex and worked also as an early childhood staff developer in the New York City Department of Education, Division of Instructional Support, where she wrote curriculum, led study groups and summer institutes, and helped write the New York City Prekindergarten Standards. Renée, a past member of the Teachers' College Reading and Writing Project Early Childhood Reading "think tank," taught in the project's summer institutes and presented calendar days for kindergarten and first-grade teachers. She received the Bank Street Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award in 1999. Her book, Choice Time, How to Deepen Learning Through Inquiry and Play (Prekindergarten-Second Grade) was published by Heinemann in August, 2016.

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Investigating Choice Time: Inquiry, Exploration, and Play

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There will be two days of wonderful professional development workshops and keynote talks at the JCC in Manhattan on August 29 and 30. I'll be facilitating an all day workshop on August 30. Here's the information: A SUMMER LEARNING SERIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS Join us for the third annual Come Learn with Us conference.

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Creating Citizens for the World—Early Educators Speak Out

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An excerpt from TIME Magazine written by Siobhan O'Connor

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Recess time isn't just a break from school. It helps kids learn to be human

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The Aviation Study: From Brooklyn to Hong Kong

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There will be two days of wonderful professional development workshops and keynote talks at the JCC in Manhattan on August 29 and 30. I'll be facilitating an all day workshop on August 30. Here's the information:

A SUMMER LEARNING SERIES
FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Join us for the third annual Come Learn with Us conference. This two-day event will feature full- and half-day learning opportunities for early childhood educators. The conference is timed to reinvigorate, inspire, and challenge educators just before they go back for the start of the school year. Each workshop will include hands-on interactive components and highlight clear, actionable takeaways. New this year, participants will have an opportunity for ongoing learning or midyear check-in to extend their learning well past the conference is over. Click the link under each session title below to register for individual workshops or use the group form to register multiple teachers together.

DETAILS

Registration and workshop details will be available on this page in the spring

Participants can register for full- or half-day workshops on either or both days

Several workshops will be offered each day

Full-day workshops are $100, half-day workshops $50

Registration includes a kosher lunch from 1-2 pm both days

Group registration will be available

Discounts are available for schools sending their whole teaching staff, as well as for members of JECA

New this year, we are committed to providing a limited amount of scholarships for teachers who do not receive registration reimbursement from their schools

Please direct all questions to Aida Mehmeti at [email protected]

WED, AUG 29 + THU, AUG 30, 10 AM-5 PM Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue @76th Street
HERE'S A DESCRIPTION OF MY WORKSHOP

Come Learn With: Renée Dinnerstein (10 am-5 pm)
The Classroom Speaks: Transforming the Early Childhood Classroom into an Exciting Laboratory for Learning
REGISTER HERE

In this workshop, we will discuss how to transform a classroom into a place where children build things, conduct experiments, create innovative projects, read fascinating books, write original stories, use technology and texts to research for information, and feel free to try out possibilities. We will think carefully about how to create a space where children grow big ideas, make new friends, and dig deeply into exciting investigations. The workshop will address:

Arranging the furniture and materials to make the best use of classroom space

Considering the different centers that children will use at the beginning of the school year and creating dedicated areas that will be permanent throughout the year, as well as how to make trade-offs when space is limited

Looking at what materials will be necessary at the start of the school year and how this will change over the course of the school year

Creating a daily schedule that satisfies the demands of the administration yet doesn't rush children through the day like a train keeping to a timetable

How kindergarten and first-grade children can use their Choice Time journals to reflect on what they did at Choice Time and what might have challenged them

We will have opportunities to work on Choice Time planning templates and also work together on interpreting choice time observations and using these interpretations to plan next steps. There will be time for questions and answers.

Renée Dinnerstein has over 50 years' experience as an early childhood educator. She has taught both in Italy and the US and has spent 18 years as an early childhood teacher at PS 321, one of New York City's leading elementary schools. She was the teacher-director of the Children's School early childhood inclusion annex and worked also as an early childhood staff developer in the New York City Department of Education, Division of Instructional Support, where she wrote curriculum, led study groups and summer institutes, and helped write the New York City Prekindergarten Standards. Renée, a past member of the Teachers' College Reading and Writing Project Early Childhood Reading "think tank," taught in the project's summer institutes and presented calendar days for kindergarten and first-grade teachers. She received the Bank Street Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award in 1999. Her book, Choice Time, How to Deepen Learning Through Inquiry and Play (Prekindergarten-Second Grade) was published by Heinemann in August, 2016.

It is not unusual to overhear observations such as " kindergarten looks like the new first or second grade" or "What happened to play in kindergarten?" In a growing number of schools across the country we haven't moved past these observations to take action. So what does this all have to do with the boycotting of high-stakes standardized tests? And why should parents and teachers support what is now well known as the Opt Out movement?

The assessments that third, fourth and fifth graders are subjected to each year are more about crunching data and less about helping children become stronger, inquisitive and active learners. Teachers usually do not see the results of the tests until it is too late for any information to be helpful for instruction. The exams seem to be designed in ways that do not relate to what children in each grade need to learn. Because there is so much pressure for schools to reach high test score numbers, much class time is spent in teaching to the test.

What does this have to do with kindergarten? Five year olds don't (yet!) take these tests. Alhough research shows that young children learn through play, not through early academic pressure, administrators, pressured by the demands of standards-based accountability, impose inappropriate curricula that early childhood teachers must implement. Young, new teachers, many of whom have not experienced play-based learning themselves, are often at a loss, caught between early childhood's solid research base and expectations.

In the 2009 report, Crisis in the Kindergarten, Edward Miller and Joan Almon cite the following findings from Linda Darling-Hammond and Jon Snyder's research on German kindergartens found in their article " Curriculum Studies and the Traditions of Inquiry"
Long-term research casts doubt on the assumption that starting earlier on the teaching of phonics and other discrete skills leads to better results. For example, most of the play-based kindergartens in Germany were changed into centers for cognitive achievement during a wave of educational "reform" in the 1970s. But research comparing 50 play-based classes with 50 early-learning centers found that by age ten the children who had played in kindergarten excelled over the others in a host of ways. They were more advanced in reading and mathematics and they were better adjusted socially and emotionally in school. They excelled in creativity and intelligence, oral expression, and "industry." As a result of this study German kindergartens returned to being play-based again.
In the United States, however, evidence seems to be thrown out the window or ignored and kindergartens continue to eliminate most , if not all, opportunities for children to play.

Recently, as I was walking down the hallway of a New York City public school, I passed a kindergarten class with this weekly schedule posted on the door of the classroom.

I wondered if this school day for five- year old children, like the one shown in this schedule, was becoming more common throughout the city. I've often seen similiar schedules where children get "free play" or "Choice Time" for a half-hour at the end of the day. Why aren't educators and parents connecting the dots between a grueling school day in kindergarten and the increase in diagnoses of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?

Isn't it obvious that this schedule and others like it are so closely connected to the hysteria over high test scores and the pressure to meet the Common Core Standards? Isn't it obvious why all parents, not those only of third through fifth grade students, should be vocally supporting the Opt Out movement?

If we, parents, grandparents and educators, do not speak up and put pressure on politicians and high-up powers in the education department, then it certainly will be our children who suffer.

This entry was posted in Investigating Choice Time: Inquiry, Exploration, and Play and tagged kindergarten, Opt Out, standardized tests, weekly schedules on by .

Here's some information about a wonderful early childhood conference that will be held in Albany, NY this April 30.

Anna Allanbrook, the inspiring principal of the Brooklyn New School will give the keynote address and some of the teachers from her school will be presenting workshops. It sounds like it will be a day not to be missed!

Here's a link to register www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?I=2654581&D=13206

If you're anywhere on the east coast, don't miss this wonderful opportunity !

"Music makes your kid interesting and happy, and smart will come later. It enriches his or her appetite for things that bring you pleasure and for the friends you meet." Dr. Kyle Pruett, Clinical Professor of Child Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine

On March 21, 2018, a public school in Brooklyn was invaded by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach in celebration of his 333rd birthday. Forty musicians spent a day visiting every P.S. 321 classroom. The rooms and the halls of the school were filled with music. This wasn't the first year that the school was invaded by musicians playing classical music but each "invasion" brings excitement and new experiences to the children from kindergarten through fifth grade.

This is a huge school. There are almost 1500 students. How many principals would be as open to dedicating a school day to music as Liz Phillips, She has welcomed each "invasion" with open arms and anticipation. I taught at P.S. 321 for many years, my daughter and grandson were students there and my son-in-law, Jeremy Greensmith, now teaches there. It's truly an important part of the life of my family. Now, Simone Dinnerstein, my daughter, has organized community concerts at the school and also made a personal commitment to bringing classical music into the lives of all the children and their teachers.

Here's a glimpse into some of the classrooms.

Here's a jazz musician introducing children to his improvising on Bach's music.

Kelly Howard and her students played for the children in Jeremy Greensmith's class.

Even the squirmy kindergarten students were visited by a high school student who played her cello for them.

My former first grade student, Corinne Bennett, returned to P.S. 321 to perform for a class of second-graders. What a wonderful teacher she has become!

I wonder if this experience will be the inspiration for a chid to learn to play the violin?

For some time there has been talk of the "graying" of the classical music audience. Somehow, I think that the exciting introduction to classical music that these children are experiencing is creating many future concert-goers!

Here is a television program that highlighted a past "invasion"

It is a happy talent to know how to play
Chinese fortune cookie

Have you ever watched children racing about in the schoolyard during recess? Motion, curiosity, interactions, explorations...these all abound. Just click on this link and witness the energy and the discoveries these children are making as they splash the ball into the puddle. 244 puddle splashers https://www.investigatingchoicetime.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/244-puddle-splashers-2.mov

Charlene Cruse-Rivera, a kindergarten teacher in a New York City public school, watched her students playing in the schoolyard last September and had an inspirational idea. Why not begin the school year with an project exploring outdoor games? Working on this as a class would be a sure-fire way of building a community of learners and this study would assure lots of outdoor time.She got parents on board by introducing a notebook that went from one family to another every few days. Parents, grandparents and caretakers could write about the way that they played outdoors when they were children. Each time the book was returned from one family, it was shared with the class and passed on to the next family. This school is in a community that has many immigrants from a variety of different countries and cultures. Some parents, who were less comfortable writing in English, wrote in their native language . Charlene assured them that she could have their entries translated so that she could read them to the class. Some parents preferred sharing drawings instead of writing. The book was a wonderful way of including families in the class investigation and the children were so proud of sharing their family pages.

The project was brought into the classroom at Choice Time when children went to the art center and found ways of representing some of the outdoor games that they played.

PLAYING JUMPROPE IN THE PLAYGROUND

PLAYING BALL IN THE SCHOOL YARD

When the weather got colder Charlene had the idea of extending the investigation into a study of board games because these could be played indoors. She began by dedicating one period a day for one week for children to play a variety of board games.

After the children had time to explore the different games, Charlene felt certain that this would be a study that they would enjoy and that would be worth spending an extended amount of time exploring. When I visited the school for one of my consulting days, Charlene and I sat down and did some planning.

These are some of the understandings that we hoped would come out ot the study:

There are some similarities in the rules of playing otdoor games and the rules for playing board games.

There are also differences in the rules for outdoor games and board games.

The rules help us understand how to play a game.

Rules for a game are usually consistent.

By knowing all about commercial board games, children will understand how to create their own games.

Children began creating their own games during Choice Time. They also wrote about the games they played in their Choice Time journals and they added to a big book of games and game rules.

They made new games for the class to play, even some in the block center.

The Dinosaur Game

Click here to see some wonderful inquiry into creating a new game in the block center! best block investigations

Playing board games gives children opportunities to experience taking turns, verbally interacting with friends, waiting for their turns, and sharing. Rather than becoming fixated on a computer screen, children experience playing face to face with each other. They also learn new strategies, and often use mathematical skills (counting the dots on the dice, counting out moves on a board, using logical thinking skills.) So many of the kindergarten Common Core Learning Standards were playfully addressed in this study.

As Benjamin Franklin said, " Games lubricate the body and the mind."

Bravo Charlene, for getting those young minds very well-lubricated and giving them lots of important time for play and exploration!

I am honored to have been asked to participate in the New Hampshire Literacy Institue. (description below.) If you have an interest in taking part in an exciting and intense explortaion of Choice Time and Inquiry in Grades Pre-k through 2, check out my section:

ENGL 920-03 (2.0 credits)July 23-27 (1 week)
Monday-Friday, 8:15-2:15
The Classroom Speaks: Transforming the early childhood classroom into a laboratory for learning literacy

As our early childhood classes become more and more academic, it's important for us to hold onto what we know young children need-opportunities for inquiry, exploration and play. When a powerful, authentic inquiry-based choice time is placed at the heart of an early childhood classroom, the energy, creativity and excitement for learning rises to the forefront.
Thinking of the classroom as a laboratory for learning, we will design physical classroom layouts that support this concept. Working from our room plans, we will then look carefully at each center, planning for appropriate materials, and discussing ways to integrate opportunities for writing and reading in each center.
Using video clips and transcripts, participants will use an observation template to reflect on children's work/play in a center and to use this information to develop next steps for the center. We will pay particular attention to how a teacher sets up a center and how children are encouraged to then take ownership of what happens in the center. We will see how Choice Time Journals can be implemented in classrooms to give children the opportunity to use their writing and drawing as a means of reflecting on their day's experience at their Choice Time center.
If you know anyone who might be interested, please pass on this information. Also, if you have any questions, send me an email.

The New Hampshire Literacy Institutes is a five-week summer program consisting of two- and four-credit graduate-level courses as well as non-credit workshops. You may register for a course and/or attend a workshop, but auditing will not be permitted. Undergraduates with a bachelor's degree in May are eligible to attend in July. Permission is required. The maximum load is ten credits. Classes are scheduled daily, Monday-Friday, 8:15-2:15, except where noted. Keynote Speakers are included in the program as a special feature for all participants.

Here's a link for more information and to register online: https://cola.unh.edu/english/program/new-hampshire-literacy-institutes/summer-overview-2018
Keynote Speakers
TOMASEN M CAREY - JULY 10

TOM NEWKIRK, PENNY KITTLE & KELLY GALLAGHER - JULY 17

KATHERINE BOMER - JULY 24
ENGL Course Offerings

911-01: Experiments in the Poetry Classroom (Shelley Girdner), 2 weeks (4.0 credits), 7/2-7/13

922-01: Reading to Write (Linda Rief), 2 weeks (4.0 credits), 7/2-7/13

922-02: Listening Beyond the Text (Tomasen M Carey), 2 weeks, (4.0 credits) 7/9-7/20

920-01: Get a (READING) Life (Kathy Collins), 1 week (2.0 credits), 7/16-7/20

911-02: Writing Fiction (Clark Knowles), 2 weeks (4.0 credits), 7/23-8/3

920-02: The Journey Is Everything (Katherine Bomer), 1 week (2.0 credits), 7/23-7/27

920-03: The Classroom Speaks (Renee Dinnerstein), 1 week (2.0 credits), 7/23-7/27

920-04: Who's Doing the Work? (Kim Yaris), 1 week (2.0 credits), 7/30-8/3

922-03: Reading Between the Lines (Laura Smith), 1 week (2.0 credits), 7/30-8/3

Workshop: The Power of Narrative

Non-credit, 3-day workshop with Tom Newkirk, Penny Kittle & Kelly Gallagher, 7/16-7/18

Department of English | phone (603) 862-1313 | fax (603) 862-3563
Hamilton Smith Hall | 95 Main Street | Durham, NH 03824
College of Liberal Arts * 603-862-2062
Murkland Hall, Durham, N.H. * 03824

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Investigating Choice Time: Inquiry, Exploration, and Play

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There will be two days of wonderful professional development workshops and keynote talks at the JCC in Manhattan on August 29 and 30. I'll be facilitating an all day workshop on August 30. Here's the information: A SUMMER LEARNING SERIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS Join us for the third annual Come Learn with Us conference.