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Educators, parents and policy makers should all be concerned at the rapid decline in unsupervised free play for children, which may damage early child development and later social and emotional learning, according to research.

Sustained, moderate-to-severe play deprivation during the first 10 years of life appears to be linked to poor early child development, later leading to depression, difficulty adapting to change, poorer self-control, and a greater tendency to addiction as well as fragile and shallower interpersonal relationships. Play deprivation in childhood has come up in numerous interviews that I have conducted with some of America's most violent criminals.

This emerging evidence is set against childhood environments where outdoor play has decreased by 71 per cent in one generation in the US and UK. Intergenerational play and 'family' games are also in decline. Poverty and fewer opportunities to play are endemic, particularly in inner cities.

Joe Frost, the leading American scholar of play, contends that the diminution, modification and/or disappearance of play during the past 50 years is causing a public health crisis and a threat to societal welfare that may last generations.

Findings on play and early child development

Mounting evidence regarding the impact of play deprivation on early child development and social and emotional learning comes from three sources: behavioral studies of mammals; neuroimaging and chemical analysis of animal brains during and after play; and exploring the childhood play histories of thousands of human adults.

The evidence remains incomplete because it would be unethical to deprive human infants or young children of play intentionally. But findings are sufficiently compelling to demand that we rethink early child development policy and practice around play in homes and in early years' institutions and schools, and that we reconsider how adults lead their lives.

Researchers have detailed behavioral evidence in rats showing both the deleterious effects of play deprivation and the positive effects of adequate play. Rats do not function well if they don't play. Play-deprived rats can't distinguish friend from foe. They don't mate well, and they are less resilient than normal rats in response to stress. All rats react with fear and flee if they are subject to a cat odour-laden stimulus. However, rats that play get over it and return to normal. Play-deprived rats don't get over the stress well.

Play primes the brain for social and emotional learning

There are parallels with severe play-deprivation in individual humans - particularly young children who find themselves unable to play because, for example, they are caught up in wars, severe poverty, or abusive home settings. When these children do not play normally, they may have real difficulty joining in with the human tribe and recovering from their experiences. That's because belonging to your own social group is a complex social and emotional learning experience, catalyzed by play.

When they reach elementary school, severely play-deprived children may not have learned the complicated languages of play which harmoniously bring together the cognitive, emotional, physical and social elements that are all necessary for personal competence in playing.

The social and emotional learning that allows safe play between kids occurs slowly. A child who has not had early experience of healthy play may overdo the play process or may simply not understand what is going on. These children can become isolated or bullied, or they may become bullies. The lingering effects of childhood play deficits echo in later adult attitudes about becoming a viable part of a community.

Behavioral evidence around play-deprived children is reinforced by studies of rats. These experiments show the anatomical benefits of healthy play, which activates a wide array of genes in the prefrontal cortex. This is the executive area of the brain, governing decision-making for rats as well as other social mammals, including humans.

Jeffrey Burgdorf at Northwestern University created an experiment in which rats, aged between four and 15 weeks, engaged in rough-and-tumble play. After they had experienced intense play, he found that between 300 and 1,200 genes had been activated in the prefrontal cortex. The late Jaak Panksepp, a play neuroscientist and co-author, with Lucy Biven, of 'The Archaeology of the Mind, ' suggested that as many as 3,000 genes in the cortex may be activated by play. In short, play seems to be vital in crafting social brains.

"Rats do not function well if they don't play. They can't distinguish friend from foe. They don't mate well and they are less resilient than normal rats in their responses to stress."

This work needs finer analysis. We do not yet fully understand the processes by which chemicals such as dopamine, endocannabinoids, opiates and IGF-1 are released in the brain. We need to know more about how neurotransmitters and neuro-hormones operate in response to play experiences and how they can influence brain development, functioning and lifetime plasticity.

Early child development of young male murderers

Another piece helps to build a fuller picture. My own research, conducted since 1968, has involved around 6,000 individually conducted play histories. It correlates play deprivation during early child development with the predilection of felons for violent, antisocial criminal activities. We found the play experience of homicidal individuals to be vastly different from that of other human beings. Their childhoods were typically characterized by isolation, abuse or bullying.

As a clinician reviewing incarcerated young male murderers, I noted that none of them, in their self-reporting or in family recollections, remembered 'normal' playground rough-and-tumble play. They were unable to remember the names of playground friends. Bullying and inappropriately acted out aggression were their 'play' patterns. There is an intriguing parallel here between rats and antisocial humans: behavioral research shows that rats deprived of rough-and-tumble play don't possess the social skills to distinguish appropriate from inappropriate aggression.

Early child development underpins play 'drive'

The skills and capacities to play seem to begin to develop in humans very early on, from the first communications between mother and child. Normally, joyfulness naturally erupts between mother and infant as they perform baby talk spontaneously and instinctively. This attunement and bonding between parent and infant underpin a sense of safety, and they are accompanied by mutual joy that provides grounding for the play drive to respond to opportunities that arise. In contrast, when that attunement process between parent and child is interrupted or does not occur, early child development is disrupted. Then infants tend to see the world as threatening and unsafe, and they are less ready for play.

Allan N. Schore, a leading neuropsychologist, has shown how fine attunement and trust between mothers and infants produce mutual electrical rhythms that shape the baby's brain and, likely, set the foundations for a child being able to play and establish trust with other people.

Risks of 'helicopter' parenting for social and emotional learning

For parents in general, an issue that is more relevant than severe play deprivation is the need for children to be able to respond to play within their own instinctive capability. Parents or caretakers should allow that natural gleeful pleasure in play to emerge in its own way. However, 'helicopter' parents sometimes orchestrate how they think infants should play rather than leave them free to respond.

When children are highly sensitized to what the adults want to see, or their parents have a fixed plan for what their children should become, they may learn to suppress their intrinsic play experience to fit the adult who is trying to mold them. So authentic play is set aside to gain their parents' approval.

Among my early interviewees was Charles Whitman, whose childhood play history featured consistent play deprivation due to an overbearing and disturbed father. In August 1966, in Austin, Texas, Whitman killed his mother and his wife. Then, by sniper fire from the University of Texas clock tower, he killed more than a dozen people and wounded more than 30. His preschool teachers, recalling Whitman's childhood, said that, rather than spontaneously engage in activities of his choice, he would look carefully to see what pleased the teacher. He mimicked what he thought would be appropriate rather than picking behavior that was true to himself. He became a gifted mimic, hiding his inner feelings from others.

Such compensatory behavior occurs among many play-deprived children - they can become skilled in pleasing adults and in conforming behavior. In doing so, they are not expressing their own motivations. That intrinsic motivation is found in childhood through play. If children don't play, they do not find the authentic exuberance that is so obvious in the playground when they play freely from within themselves.

Play-deprived early child development

In contrast, severely play-deprived children will tend to engage in automatic and repetitive activities, failing to engage socially. In later childhood, the play-deprived child may have more explosive reactions to circumstances rather than a sense of belonging. As adults, they are often unoptimistic and subject to smoldering depression due to a lack of joy in their lives. They tend to be more ideologically fixed and certain with little ambiguity in their social worlds. That's because play fosters the social and emotional learning and acceptance that ambiguity is a part of complex and human interactions.

Play-saturated children tend to have more resilience. They feel comfortable with, and are curious to know, other children who are different. Tolerance and developing empathy are natural outgrowths of more complex play processes. Rough-and-tumble play provides nuanced social learning that inclusion and exclusion is part of the politics of human beings getting along. It is not a life or death thing - you can roll with the punches and still belong to social groups. A child who does not gain this social and emotional learning may become hyper-reactive to criticism, interpreting it as exclusion.

"Reviewing incarcerated young male murderers, I noted that none of them remembered "normal" playground rough and tumble play ... Bullying and inappropriately acted out aggression were their "play" patterns."

The late Brian Sutton-Smith, a pioneering play researcher, contended that among adults who continuously disrupted a group process in, say, a church or civic organization, one could normally find that play deficits had occurred in their childhoods which appeared to keep them from 'belonging.' This disrupted early child development created a lack of social skills and made it difficult for them to participate in tribal sharing and cooperative activity in an adult unit.

Play implications for social and emotional learning

Is there a play crisis? We should certainly be alert to the possibility. Numerous influences are currently diminishing access to self-organized childhood play. We do not know the outcome of these many influences.

All parents should identify their own play nature, recognize the spontaneous play natures of their children, and allow environments to nourish those natures. The anarchy of normal play at preschool should be given space. Within it lies a complicated learning process, as complicated as learning to read.

The social and emotional learning that is fundamental in play behavior is vital for human survival. Play might seem trivial in industrial societies, but we should understand that it exists because it helps us adapt to each other. It is a basic aspect of human socialization that lets us have more fun with each other and, yes, helps to keep us from killing each other and allows a cooperative ethic to develop in each of us.

Play also equals learning. Children engaged playfully will have memorable learning experiences. If math is joyful with a playful teacher, children learn better. Play should be infused into the education system because it makes learning joyful and school into a source of reward, not a punishment.

In the West, we have distorted life by separating work and play, forgetting our pasts as hunter-gatherers, in which sharing and joyfulness were integrated into the task of finding food. Honoring a human need to be in a state of play and seeing this as a public health necessity is as important as hand washing, good nutrition or careful driving.

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Play deprivation has long term impacts on early child development

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Educators, parents and policy makers should all be concerned at the rapid decline in unsupervised free play for children, which may damage early child development and later social and emotional learning, according to research.

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This form can help you determine which intelligences are strongest for you. If you're a teacher or tutor, you can also use it to find out which intelligences your learner uses most often. Many thanks to Dr. Terry Armstrong for graciously allowing us to use his questionnaire.

Instructions: Read each statement carefully. Choose one of the five buttons for each statement indicating how well that statement describes you.

1 = Statement does not describe you at all
2 = Statement describes you very little
3 = Statement describes you somewhat
4 = Statement describes you pretty well
5 = Statement describes you exactly

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This form can help you determine which intelligences are strongest for you. If you're a teacher or tutor, you can also use it to find out which intelligences your learner uses most often. Many thanks to Dr. Terry Armstrong for graciously allowing us to use his questionnaire. Instructions: Read each statement carefully.

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About this Strategy Guide

A Concept Sort is a vocabulary and comprehension strategy used with students to introduce new topics and/or familiarize students with new vocabulary. Concept Sorts can be used before reading to gather students' prior knowledge about the upcoming content, or can be used after reading to assess students' understanding of the concepts that were presented to them. Additionally, these sorts help students use critical thinking skills by creating categories for groups of words as they sort them based on each word's meaning. Have students brainstorm a list of words from reading material or an upcoming unit, lesson, or text (sometimes the word list may need to be provided by the teacher). Students then discuss each word and place it in its correct category; categories can either be defined by the teacher or students.

Research Basis

To ensure student understanding of a new topic or to familiarize them with new vocabulary, it is important to do pre-reading activities to introduce them to these new words and topics. Concept Sorts allow the teacher to introduce new vocabulary to students that they will see in an assigned text. Additionally, strategies such as the Concept Sort show teachers about students' prior knowledge of a topic. This strategy can also be used as a post-reading activity to assess students' understanding and knowledge.

Strategy in Practice

1. If the goal of the lesson is to teach students about a difference in concepts (such as gigantic/miniature), gather objects or pictures that can be used to demonstrate these categories. If the goal is to preview vocabulary in an upcoming lesson or text, choose 10-15 relevant vocabulary words from the upcoming activity/text, or have the studens choose words they don't know.

2. Using the chosen words, and encouraging input from students, sort the words/cards/objects into meaningful groups. With students' help, name the categories in which you've placed all of the words/cards/objects. As you sort these words as a class, ask the students for their reasoning as to why they feel that each of the words fit into the named categories.

3. Provide the students with 10-15 new words and have them sort them into meaningful groups individually or in small groups. You may choose to have students do a closed sort, where groups/categories are predefined by the teacher, or an open sort, where students name the groups/categories.

4. After students have had ample time to do their sorts, discuss the categories that they chose to use for the different groups. Have students describe to their peers why certain cards were placed within certain groups.

5. To take the sort further, consider introducing students' to the 2-circle or 3-circle Venn Diagram tools to compare and contrast similarities and differences. Additionally, consider using this strategy as a post-reading/post-studying activity to assess students' understanding.

Examples
Math
Concept sorts can be used to help students differentiate between geometric shapes. Students can sort the shapes based on number of sides, angle measurements, and other features.
Science
The following sort can help introduce students to different categories of animals.

1. Introduce the following terms and have students discuss them:

2. Ask students to sort the words/terms in a way that is meaningful to them or into the following categories. Be sure to follow up to check for students' understanding of the categories and words.

Types of animals (mammals, amphibians, etc.)

Animals that people have as pets

Animals that live in similar places

Literature/Social Studies
Students can sort these vocabulary words from Esperanza Rising, putting them into the categories of:

Or, students can come up with their own categories by which to sort the words.

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Introducing Ideas and Vocabulary with the Concept Sort

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About this Strategy Guide A Concept Sort is a vocabulary and comprehension strategy used with students to introduce new topics and/or familiarize students with new vocabulary. Concept Sorts can be used before reading to gather students' prior knowledge about the upcoming content, or can be used after reading to assess students' understanding of the concepts that were presented to them.

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Graffiti walls are a simple, fun, and interactive way to get kids involved in their learning. All you need is a blank whiteboard or some sheets of butcher paper to get started. Kids can write, draw, and express themselves as they learn and review a variety of subjects. Here are some of our favorite graffiti walls for the classroom.

1. Have them tell all about themselves.

A perfect activity for the first week of class. Have each student make their own"All About Me" graffiti walls to help you and their classmates get to know them.

Source: clnaiva/Instagram

2. Take geography to a whole new level.

Whether kids are learning about colonies, states, countries, or continents, graffiti walls are a fun way to show off their knowledge. Have them draw or paint the geographic feature, then add fun facts all around.

Source: Teaching in Room 6

3. Pose a math teaser.

How many different ways can you answer the question? Math teaser graffiti walls have endless possibilities, and kids at all skill levels can get in on the action.

Source: SHOJ Elementary

4. Visualize your vocabulary lessons.

This example is for math, but you could do this for any subject. In English, try boards labelled "Alliterations" or "Irony." For science, use concepts like "Physical Properties" or "Mammals." Get the idea?

5. Review for a test with graffiti walls.

Preparing for a big unit-end test? Review the concepts they've learned with graffiti walls. Pose a series of questions around the room, and have kids rotate from one sheet to the next to record their answers. When they're done, take a "gallery walk" as a class to review all the knowledge (and correct anything that's wrong).

6. Capture their favorite reading quotes.

This is one of everyone's favorite graffiti walls. Have kids post quotes from books they're reading to inspire others. Use chalk markers on black paper for a striking look.

Source: Lessons With Laughter

7. Prepare for a discussion on a serious topic.

Ready to tackle a tough topic? First, give kids time to gather their thoughts by having them write answers on the wall. (This will especially benefit students who are hesitant to speak up in class.) Then, use their answers as a jumping off point to start the discussion.

8. Encourage critical thinking skills.

One of the neat things about graffiti walls is getting to see people interact with each other. One comment sparks another, and before you know it, kids are building on each other's ideas at an amazing pace.

Source: Michelle Nyquist/Pinterest

9. Ask for reading recommendations.

This one would be especially fun in the school library. Ask kids to recommend their favorite books. They can include quotes or brief summaries to pique the interest of other students.

10. Make it motivational.

Pump up your students and send them out into the world with motivational messages to and from each other. We really love the idea of each child writing a special note to another student in the class.

Source: Teacher Idea Factory

11. Do a daily theme just for fun.

In addition to motivational activities, post themed questions each day (or every so often) that are just plain fun. It's a wonderful way to fill a few minutes at the end of class, or get them in learning mode before the bell rings.

Source: Tonya's Treats for Teachers

12. Show an image to spark discussion.

Prompts don't always need to be questions or even words. Display an image and ask students to jot down their feelings or reactions to it. It's an interesting way to talk about symbolism.

Source: Jillian Watto/Instagram

13. Use graffiti walls to share information during guided reading.

As kids read, have them jot down important points for others to note too. (Graffiti can be done on a table, too, as in this example. You can post them on the wall later if you like.)

14. Reflect on the week's learning.

Before students fly out the door on Friday, ask them to jot down one important thing from the week behind them. Leave it up and have kids look it over on Monday to get them ready for the new week ahead.

Source: Melissa R/Instagram

15. Hold a drawing contest.

One teacher holds a robot drawing contest every year, and her students love it. Choose any topic your kids will enjoy, then have them mark off their place on the board and go crazy!

16. Find out how they feel about music.

Working on music appreciation? Ask kids to listen to a piece of music, then write down how it makes them feel. They can also draw pictures of what the music brings to mind, or suggest their own song title.

Source: foxeemuso/Instagram

17. Introduce new concepts with open-ended questions.

Before starting a new unit or book, get kids to reflect on what they already know about a topic or idea. Ask them "What are clouds?" or "What do you know about the history of our state?" Save the graffiti walls and compare their answers after they've completed the unit to see what they've learned.

Source: Musings from the Middle School

18. Learn about graffiti as an art form.

Street artists like Banksy have shown that graffiti is a legitimate art form in many cases. Have a conversation in your class about the difference between graffiti and vandalism. Then have kids draw a brick wall and cover it with their own graffiti art.

Source: My Craftily Ever After

19. Build graffiti walls with LEGO bricks.

If your classroom has a good collection of LEGO bricks already, this project is easier than you might think. Buy bulk packages of flat base plates and attach them to the wall with double-sided tape. Then let kids build, build, build!

20. Just let them do whatever... really.

Don't overthink it! Just throw up a blank piece of paper and allow kids to add to it throughout the semester or year. At the end, they can all snap a picture so they'll have a record of some of their favorite memories.

Source: stephaniesucree/Instagram
How have you used graffiti walls? Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, check out our guide to Anchor Charts 101 !

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20 Engaging Ways to Teach With Graffiti Walls

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Graffiti walls are a fun and interactive way to teach a variety of subjects in the classroom. Get ideas for language arts, math, social studies and more.

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The New York State Education Department is no longer supporting the EngageNY.org website and it will no longer be available for use after April 15, 2022. NYSED encourages educators to download any EngageNY content they wish to use in the future.

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Primitive reflex information and how they may present themselves in the classroom if not integrated at a young age. 

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Primitive reflex information and how they may present themselves in the classroom if not integrated at a young age. 

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01.11.2016

This blog will focus on the motor challenges faced by children in the early childhood to school age years with minimal to moderate motor delays that continue to be influenced by what have been described as Primitive Motor Reflexes.

A Reflex is a stereotyped response to a sensory stimulus. For the purpose of this blog, minimal to moderate motor delays will exclude children with severe deficits in mobility and gross motor functioning. This includes the need for moderate to maximum physical assistance from others to ambulate.

The Primitive Tonic Reflexes appear in infancy and are integrated into normal movement patterns as the infant develops during the first 6-12 months of life. These reflexes are thought to help the infant learn to organize motor behavior. Integration refers to the inhibition by higher centers of neurological control which modify the reflex in such a way that the pattern of response is no longer stereotypical. The reflex does not disappear; it may reactivate under stress or during activities requiring great strength. If these so called primitive reflexes are persistently displayed beyond the expected or typical developmental time period, their presence has been considered an indication that underlying developmental or neurological issues may exist. When these reflexes do not integrate, they may interfere with a child's development of more advanced motor skills. If such a delay or disruption in motor skills exists, there may be an impairment in the child's occupational performance. That is where an Occupational Therapist's skillful assessment and intervention will make the difference for the child!

This blog will review tonic reflexes, their significance if the reflex persists beyond the typical age range, and the possible impact on a child's functioning and role performance. Last but not least, this blog will suggest therapeutic interventions that are known to help inhibit the activation of tonic reflexes and advance postural control as a foundation for optimal functioning.
TONIC REFLEXES: REVIEW OF HOW THESE PRESENT DURING INFANCY
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) :

Onset: 0-2 months

Integration: 4-6months

Stimulus: Rotation of the head

Response: Arm and leg on the "jaw" side extends. Arm and leg on the "skull" side flex.

Importance for Baby: Assists with early eye-hand regard, provides vestibular stimulation, changes the distribution of muscle tone.

Significance on Early Development if Persists: May impair ability to roll, use hands smoothly together at midline, poor visual regard for object(s) being held, poor balance. May impair creeping or crawling. Baby loses balance and/or falls when rotates his head from midline; very frustrating and causes excessive fatigue.

Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) :

Onset: 4-6 months

Integration: 8-12 months

Stimulus: Flexion and extension of the head (neck)

Response: With neck flexion the upper extremities will flex and the lower extremities will extend. With neck extension the upper extremities will extend and the lower extremities will flex.

Importance for Baby: The STNR assists in the development of bilateral patterns of body movement. Allows child to move up against gravity and assume quadruped (on all four's like a dog). Integrates as child begins to crawl and can lift the buttocks from the heels without flexing the neck. Integrated when rocking back and forth on hands and knees.

Significance on Early Development if Persists: Interferes with advanced reciprocal creeping. Impairs dissociation between the two lower extremities and transitioning between quadruped to sitting to kneeling to standing and vice versa. If strongly influenced by the STNR a baby will not be able to creep; will bunny hop versus true creeping/crawling on the floor.
Tonic Labyrinthine-Prone & Supine (TLR):
Onset: Birth

Integration: 6 months

Stimulus: Change of orientation of the head in space; position of head in relation to gravity while prone (on belly) and supine (on back).

Response: In prone flexor tone will predominate with arms flexed by the child's chest. In supine extensor tone will predominate.

Importance for Baby: Allows baby's posture to adapt to that of the head.

Significance on Early Development if Persists: Will interfere with movement that requires smooth grading of flexor and extensor muscles. In supine child will have compromised ability to raise head up against gravity; this will affect anti-gravity control for movements such as bringing feet and hands together and rolling. In prone (on belly) child will have compromised ability to raise head, extend spine, and bear weight on elbows. This, in turn, will limit time spent on his/her tummy for crawling and developing the movement in their pelvis and shoulders that sets the stage for moving in and out of various body positions (sitting to stand). Without such ability, the baby will be without options for exploring. This will affect social and cognitive gains.
PERSISTENT TONIC REFLEXES: HOW THESE MAY PRESENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
& SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN Influence of Retained Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR):
Poor Isolation of Individual Body Movements- Ongoing influence by the ATNR may have affected the child's earlier success with creeping or crawling. The skill of crawling has a developmental sequence of its own. In the beginning the baby simply uses his arms to push himself backward. Ultimately the baby should use quick alternating movements of their arms/legs while only two of four limbs are touching the surface; indicative of intact balance, strength, and ability to isolate movement. Children with poor isolation of individual body parts may also show poor grading and accuracy when moving.

Poor Sitting Posture- Child may sit asymmetrically in a chair; the arm and leg on the "jaw" side of the face extend & torso rotates away from midline. Because child is not upright and centered in a chair, he/she appears "inattentive" and perhaps "disruptive" when sitting at a table with peers.

Attention & Focus- When child turns his/her head, their whole body may also turn. This is very distracting and may interfere with task compliance. The child will be less capable at performing multiple actions. For example, he may not be able to use his eyes to scan the classroom (with a stable head) while folding his paper in one-half (using both hands together) as directed by the teacher.

Impaired Pre-writing & Writing- Writing requires isolated and precise movement of individual body parts; the continued presence of the ATNR interferes with this. When the child rotates his head away from midline, one arm will be influenced to extend and the other to flex. This will impair the stabilization of the paper with non-dominant hand and controlled use of writing tools with the dominant hand. The child may compensate with an immature pencil grasp and need frequent reminders from their teacher to hold his paper. Copying from one source (ex: the board) to another (ex: paper on their desk) requires dissociation of the eyes from the head; the continued presence of the ATNR will also affect this.

Impaired Scissor Use- Rather than holding the paper at midline and cutting forward, the child may use scissors to cut "laterally". The non-dominant hand may tightly clutch paper versus lightly grasping and shifting as needed. This impairs independence, precision, and speed.

Fasteners/Tying/Musical Instruments- The solid foundation for using both sides of the body for different movements is missing. Hands are unable to work together smoothly; eyes struggle to view what hands are manipulating.

Impairments in Reading- Reading requires quick and smooth eye movements; child may have very poor ability to dissociate eye from head movement to quickly localize, scan, track, and shift their gaze between targets. The child may lose his/her place and have difficulty locating specific letters, words, or sentences on a page.

Keyboard Use- Will impair ability to keep both hands properly positioned at midline on the home row keys; may need to persist with hunt and peck method.

Impairments in Gait- When turning their head off midline while walking, the child's entire body follows. This interferes with walking in a controlled manner and remaining with peers during physical education/ group movement activities.May appear "disruptive" when required to walk in a line at school.

Running- Poor reciprocal arm swing; arm fencing posture may present because running requires extra strength and endurance. Overall speed and accuracy will be reduced. May not keep up with peers during movement games and physical education.
Influence of Retained Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR):
Decreased Strength & Balance- Ongoing influence by the STNR may have affected the child's earlier success with creeping or crawling; the child may have used the Bunny Hop method which requires less balance, strength, and control. Without these pre-requisites, equilibrium or optimal balance will not be realized. Balance is not just necessary for gymnastics, it is also needed for basic skills such as kicking a ball, going up/down stairs, and stepping down from a curb.

Sitting- Slouches while sitting in a chair; slumps at his/her desk. More likely to fall out of chair than other classmates.

Floor Sitting- More likely to W sit. This may lead to overstretching in some muscle groups and tightness in others. Over time, this may further limit the child's flexibility and ability to spontaneously sit in a variety of sitting postures.

Walking- May predispose children to walk up on their toes rather than flat feet.

Writing- Places their head on their non-writing arm on the desk while writing with their dominant hand. Very slow copying skills; each time child's head moves up (extends) or down (flexes) there will be movement in the arms that may interfere with the motor act of writing.

Ball Handling Skills- Are immature; difficulty with throwing and catching. Strong hands are need for sports such as playing baseball or basketball.
Influence of Retained Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR):
Walking-May present as extra cautious; the child lacks strong arms necessary to protect from trips and falls.

Sitting- Slouches while sitting in a chair; can sit upright for short periods.

Writing- Leans down over the page when writing.

Balance- Difficulty with stairs, curbs, bus steps and managing uneven terrain.
COMMON FINDINGS AND TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH PERSISTENT TONIC REFLEXES Common Finding: Delayed or Incomplete Righting and Equilibrium Reactions
If primitive tonic reflexes are poorly integrated, the righting and equilibrium reactions will not optimally mature. If the tonic reflexes persist past the typical developmental age range, it is safe to assume the child's righting and equilibrium reactions are impaired. The child will be using his/her hands to prop him/herself because of incomplete balance. This will impair bilateral hand use for function; a common concern for referral to Occupational Therapy.

Treatment Considerations: Design treatment that activates mature postural responses (righting and equilibrium reactions) and the influence of the tonic reflexes will be minimized. Increase trunk rotation; this is needed for full expression of mature equilibrium. Reach and move across midline of the body; this is also needed for full expression of mature equilibrium. Promote balance without the use of arms to support self; narrow child's lower extremity or upper extremity base of support. For example, while child is using his/her arms while prone, skillfully minimize the amount of abduction and external rotation at one, then both hips. Also, while weight bearing on arms, facilitate prone extension with elbows positioned just below the child's ears, rather than supporting his/her-self on forearms of widely abducted arms. When possible use movable equipment such as balls, swings, tilt boards, bolsters, or T stools.
Common Finding: Decreased Axial Strength & Compensatory Tightening of Certain Muscles
May see poor trunk extension with accompanying shoulder elevation to compensate for reduced strength. The rib cage may be high in the chest and flared. The child may not spontaneously rotate his/her torso while moving to perform functional tasks; instead will over rely on symmetrical flexion/extension patterns. This will compromise efficient movement for performing functional tasks and result in tightening in certain muscles such as the latissimus and pectorals.

Treatment Considerations: The procedure for inhibiting tonic reflexes requires activation of muscles antagonistic to those activated by the primitive responses. For example, to counteract the effects of the tonic labyrinthine (prone), provide intervention designed to increase strength in the posterior trunk musculature. To counteract the effects of the tonic labyrinthine (supine), provide intervention designed to increase strength by moving against gravity with rotation. Regarding flexibility, determine if stretching the muscle groups that "fix" for stability is needed. For example, to stretch the pectorals child stretches arms behind back, stretch the latissimus by externally rotating and reaching up with both arms, stretch the hamstrings by long sitting and touching toes.
Common Finding: Joint laxity or Hypermobility
May see pronated feet, "winging" in the scapula, hypermobile finger joints, hyper-extended knees, and/or lordosis in lumbar spine.

Treatment Considerations: The biomechanical consequence of joint laxity and hypermobility is a poor ability to generate sufficient force for movement. Just as babies develop, when treating be sure to encourage movement in small ranges to develop stability.
SAMPLE INTERVENTION ACTIVITIES
Remember to focus not only on maintaining this static position, but the transition into and out of prone. The child should remain static for brief periods; even minimal weight shifting from the child's center of gravity may activate the muscles of the spine and shoulder girdle. Remember...upper extremity strength is important for ideal protective extension and use of the arms for transitioning between positions and minimizing the influence of primitive reflexes.

Prone for fine motor activities & games- The elbows provide a point of stability for freeing the hands for manipulating.

1. Hold a large dowel with both hands, use this to push a ball back and forth

2. Use arms to push a ball back and forth

3. Color, print, draw, read, or complete puzzles in prone

4. Use whistles or play games that require blowing through a straw

5. Pivot in both directions

6. Prone on therapy ball, platform swing, or over bolster

7. Prone on scooter board- push off with arms from wall to glide backward

8. Prone on scooter board-being pulled by a rope while grasping onto it with both hands

Superman/Super Woman- prone extension with arms and legs fully extended activates muscles antagonistic to the tonic labyrinthine prone reflex

Meatball Position- activates muscles antagonistic to the tonic labyrinthine supine reflex

1. Child uses their own hands to place/remove stickers on knees or feet

2. Child uses their own hands to place/remove rings from their feet

Supine

1. Bounce ball off hands while child's shoulders flexed to 90 degrees with elbows straight; therapist drops ball from above for child to volley back

2. Use legs to kick suspended ball

3. Supine on therapy ball; transition into sitting

Bridge Position Rolling

1. Outside-down or up hills

2. With arms overhead or at side

3. Be sure to encourage chin tuck

The Sidelying Position offers the opportunity to increase strength and edurance while moving in 3 planes. The child will learn to balance by keeping their head and body oriented in midline; remember to not only focus on maintaining this static position, but transition into and out of sidelying. The child should remain static for brief periods; even minimal weight shifting from the child's center of gravity may activate head and torso righting. Be sure to encourage the use of this posiiton on their right and left sides. This will lengthen muscles needed for full rotation of the trunk. Remember...full expression of equilibrium reactions require torso rotation and freedom of movement in the upper and lower extremities.

Reach- Use free arm to encourage reaching and other movement/manipulation

1. Play games such as Connect Four in high sidelying

2. Swat at suspended ball with free arm while in high sidelying

3. Work puzzles with free hand while in high sidelying

While Side Sitting strive to have child free both hands free to manipulate object at midline; this may require considerable time and practice. To work toward this encourage the child to adjust to small weight shifts away from their midline. Remember...diagonal control sets the stage for isolation of movement for each limb, important for minimizing the effects of primitive reflexes on functional movement.

1. Side Sit

2. String beads in side sit

3. Lace in side sit

4. Toss a ball while side sitting

5. Catch a balloon while in side sitting

Long Leg Sitting offers the opportunity to stretch muscles that are often tight in children that need to "fix" due to immature balance and ongoing influence from primitive reflexes. This position can help lengthen the hamstrings; a muscle that often tightens as children over-use to stabilize. Strive to have child free both hands to manipulate an object at midline. This position also provides a chance to develop balance by narrowing the child's base of support.
4-Point Quadruped:

1. On tilt board

2. Turn head side to side, raise head up & down, or "roll" neck without moving knees or hands

3. Rock body back & forth or side to side while knees and hands planted

Creeping on Hands & Knees:

1. Creep though tunnel forward and backward

2. Creep over obstacles such as cushions, pillows, bolsters, etc.

3. Creep sideways

Donkey Kicks- raise one leg into extension, then flex/extend knee so as to kick

Two Point- Maintain one arm & one leg in full extension

Transitioning between Tall and One-Half Kneel provides an excellent opportunity to develop the strength and balance to not only minimize the influence of primitive reflexes, but to develop the motor planning for energy efficent and functional movments.

Slowly transition between tall and one-half kneel

Use hands to complete tasks placed on vertical surface

When encouraging transitional movements, such as Standing to Squat, be sure to focus not only on the end position, but accomplishing the movement in a smooth and efficient manner. This will set the stage for the child to adopt this pattern in to their functional movements. Squatting provides opportunity for developing hip stability and balance.

When Standing & Walking:

1. Stand and roll a ball up & down the wall with head sideways and arms perpendicular to torso

2. Stand and balance on one foot for several seconds

3. Hop from one foot to another

4. Stand with feet planted while catching a ball thrown slightly out of reach toward his/her side

5. Stand facing wall with straight elbows and palms against wall, rotate head left to right without bending elbows

6. Stand with back to wall and legs apart; touch right foot to left hand, then left foot to right hand

7. Stand while using hands to complete tasks placed on vertical surface

8. Walk while holding a tray full of objects; pause and turn head side to side and up/down

9. Walk & catch objects with a play fishing pole; use one hand to hold the pole and other to remove "caught" object

Position Resources
Tools to Grow is pleased to present our NEW Position resources!!
Position Picture Cards:
A fun way to encourage children to develop balance and postural control.

The process of assuming & maintaining these postures helps minimize the effect of primitive reflexes on a child's functional movements.

Encourages the development of strength and endurance while holding anti-gravity positions.

Helpful for those children that resist adult directed tasks; minimizes possible conflict as the position is determined by "chance".

The therapist/adult can customize the use of the body positions in a variety of ways.

Included is a set of 12 picture cards. Each 4 by 4 inch card has an attractive, easy to copy image of a different position.
Roll a Position:
This game includes a high quality game card and detailed instructions.

Child rolls a die and finds the corresponding pictures on the board. He/she can select one of the two.

With the adult's assistance as needed, the child is to assume the position depicted on the game card.

Use with the accompanying "Position Picture Cards"; these provide a larger view of the posture the child is to assume.
Spin a Position:
This game includes a high quality game card and detailed instructions.

Child flicks the spinner and with the adult's assistance as needed, the child is to assume the position depicted on the spinner.

Use the accompanying "Position Picture Cards"; these provide a larger view of the posture the child is to assume.

Infographic: FREE Downloadable PDF! Copyright Tools to Grow, Inc. For personal use only.

You can find these NEW Position Resources, Games. and PDF Version of Infographic in 2 Newly Added Sub-Categories:

Visit our Etsy Shop to find this informative Resource in a Printable E-Book and High Quality Poster!

significance if the reflex persists beyond the typical age range

the possible impact on a child's functioning and role performance

1. Color Poster Paper - 20 x 41 inches

2. 12 Page High Quality Color Article

Related Topics: Early Intervention , Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Treatment , Press Releases, Reflexes , School Based OT

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Primitive Motor Reflexes & Their Impact on a Child's Function

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This Blog and Infographic will review tonic reflexes, their significance if the reflex persists beyond the typical age range, and the possible impact on a child's functioning and role performance. Last but not least, this blog will suggest therapeutic interventions that are known to help inhibit the activation of tonic reflexes and advance postural control as a foundation for optimal functioning.

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Yardsticks: Child and Adolescent Development Ages 4 - 14

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Yardsticks: Child and Adolescent Development Ages 4 - 14 [Chip Wood, Center for Responsive Schools] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Yardsticks: Child and Adolescent Development Ages 4 - 14

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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.

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

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Purposeful Play: A Teacher's Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day [Mraz, Kristine, Porcelli, Alison, Tyler, Cheryl] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Purposeful Play: A Teacher's Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day

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From a leading expert, a groundbreaking book on the science of play, and its essential role in fueling our happiness and intelligence throughout our lives.

We've all seen the happiness on the face of a child while playing in the school yard. Or the blissful abandon of a golden retriever racing across a lawn. This is the joy of play. By definition, play is purposeless, all-consuming, and fun. But as Dr. Stuart Brown illustrates, play is anything but trivial. It is a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition. We are designed by nature to flourish through play. Particularly in tough times, we need to play more than ever, as it's the very means by which we prepare for the unexpected, search out new solutions, and remain optimistic.

A fascinating blend of cutting-edge neuroscience, biology, psychology, social science, and inspiring human stories of the transformative power of play, this book proves why play just might be the most important work we can ever do.

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Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul

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Amazon.com: Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul (Audible Audio Edition): Stuart Brown, Christopher Vaughan MD, Michael Hinton, Tantor Audio: Audible Books & Originals

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Morning meeting (or anytime) classroom games and activities!

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Morning meeting (or anytime) classroom games and activities!

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Social and emotional learning is at the heart of good teaching, but as standards and testing requirements consume classroom time and divert teachers' focus, these critical skills often get sidelined. In Sharing the Blue Crayon: How to Integrate Social, Emotional, and Literacy Learning , Mary Anne Buckley shows teachers how to incorporate social and emotional learning into a busy day and then extend these skills to literacy lessons for young children. Through simple activities such as read-alouds, sing-alongs, murals, and performances, students learn how to get along in a group, empathize with others, develop self-control, and give and receive feedback, all while becoming confident readers and writers.

As Buckley shares, "Every day we ask young children to respectfully converse, question, debate, and collaborate about literature, science, math problems, history, and more. That's sophisticated stuff and requires sophisticated skills. Social and emotional skills are essential to helping children communicate their knowledge and articulate their questions. We must teach students how to build respectful, caring classroom communities, where students are supported and fully engaged in the learning and everyone can reach their potential."

In this fresh and original book, Buckley captures the humor, wonder, honesty, and worries of our youngest learners and helps teachers understand how to harness their creativity and guide their conversations toward richer expressions of knowledge. Teachers of special populations will especially appreciate Buckley's successful strategies for reaching English language learners and children from high-poverty homes who may not have strong foundations for academic discourse.

As Buckley reminds us, "By understanding one another-orally and socially at first, then using those community-building exchanges to strengthen the skills of reading and writing-we experience the authentic pride and sweet joys of learning, understanding, and connecting to one another."

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Sharing the Blue Crayon: How to Integrate Social, Emotional, and Literacy Learning

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Amazon.com: Sharing the Blue Crayon: How to Integrate Social, Emotional, and Literacy Learning: 9781625310118: Buckley, Mary Anne: Books

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Build the foundation for a productive year of learning. Written by teachers, for teachers, this comprehensive K-6 guidebook shows how to:

Plan a great first day-set a positive tone right from the start.

Ensure that every part of the day flows smoothly-arrival, recess, lunch, and dismissal times, as well as lessons.

Teach positive discipline-invest children in the rules and build prosocial behavior skills that keep their learning going.

Present engaging academics-spark motivation and lay the groundwork for high academic achievement.

Foster community-start with a daily Morning Meeting and end with a closing circle.

The First Six Weeks of School is packed with practical teaching tips and examples of effective teacher language, along with activities and interactive learning structures-all in a lively, easy-to-navigate format. This book is your essential guide to the early weeks of school!

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The First Six Weeks of School [Responsive Classroom] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The First Six Weeks of School

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What Every Kindergarten Teacher Needs to Know (What Every Teacher Needs to Know K-5)

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Amazon.com: What Every Kindergarten Teacher Needs to Know (What Every Teacher Needs to Know K-5): 9781892989444: Margaret Berry Wilson: Books

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You're teaching 1st grade this year. What do you need to know? In a warm, conversational style punctuated with anecdotes and examples from her own classrooms, Margaret Berry Wilson reviews first graders' common developmental characteristics and shares practical know-how on topics such as:

Arranging a circle, desks, and tables

Choosing and storing supplies

Scheduling a child-centered day and teaching daily routines

Planning special projects and field trips that maximize learning and build community

Understanding the special concerns of first graders' parents and finding the best ways to communicate with them

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What Every 1st Grade Teacher Needs to Know About Setting Up and Running a Classroom

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Amazon.com: What Every 1st Grade Teacher Needs to Know About Setting Up and Running a Classroom: 9781892989406: Margaret Berry Wilson: Books

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Think-pair-share is a collaborative learning strategy where students work together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned reading. This strategy requires students to (1) think individually about a topic or answer to a question; and (2) share ideas with classmates. Discussing with…

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Classroom Protocols in Action: Think-Pair-Share

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Over the 20 years I have been a kindergarten teacher, assessment has changed dramatically. When I first began teaching, educators' observations and self-made assessments were honored as appropriate ways to document young children's growth and mastery. My colleagues and I used our own assessments and observations to plan instruction based on what our students needed. We had the flexibility to evaluate children in areas that were appropriate for them. For example, we could delay assessing reading skills if a child did not yet show an understanding of the difference between letters, words, and numbers.

Assessment in today's kindergarten classrooms, unfortunately, looks at times like what we would expect in upper-grade classrooms, with proctors and secure testing materials. Teachers are often not allowed to assess their own students (in order to protect the integrity of the results), and the results are sometimes used to measure teacher performance (whether or not the assessments have been designed and validated for use in high-stakes decisions).

Timed assessments and scripted directions, which must be read word for word, provide valuable information but offer no flexibility for our young learners. Even when children are just beginning to learn English, I am required to assess them in English-according to the script, not to their needs. I have sat with many frustrated children, some near tears, as I asked them to read sight words during their second week of kindergarten. I will never forget the defeat on one child's face as she looked up at me with a quivering chin and said, "But I can't read." Despite how positive and nonchalant I tried to be during that assessment, assuring her that I did not expect her to read the words, the formal assessment experience affected this child's confidence and her excitement for learning.

It would be easy to have a sweeping negative view of assessments in the current climate. Like many teachers, I have felt dread when someone mentioned assessments. But I know that long before this age of high-stakes accountability, intentional teachers were developing and using assessments as powerful tools in their toolboxes.

Intentional teachers gather data that are needed to guide instruction, ensuring that all children grow and learn at the right pace. We use assessments to find our students' strengths and to figure out which areas we need to target for early intervention. We use varying methods of observation and assessment to find out what young learners are able to do, so that we can help them progress. These varied strategies are important for all young children, and especially so for dual language learners (DLLs).

Intentional assessments prevent unintentional errors

I teach kindergarten in a rural, high-poverty school in North Carolina that has a diverse student population, including children who speak a language other than English at home and whose parents (and often other family members) are migrant workers, often coming from Mexico. Most of my DLL students live in homes where Spanish is the primary language; some children are learning both Spanish and a dialect of Mixtec at home, but these students communicate in Spanish (and in their emergent English) in the classroom. Many of our migrant families return to the area year after year during spring and early summer. These families travel up and down the East Coast, as well as to areas such as Michigan, to work in agriculture.

I serve as a North Carolina Kindergarten Demonstration classroom teacher, which means my role extends beyond the classroom. The NC Pre-K/K Demonstration Program's guiding mission is to "lead by modeling, sharing, promoting, and articulating effective learning environments, curricula, and instructional practices to ensure optimal learning and development for all children" (Public Schools of North Carolina, n.d.). My classroom is open to teachers and other educators for professional development in the form of full-day guided observations. These guided observations allow visitors to see best practices in action. I provide visitors with ongoing support as we all continue to grow and change in our own practice. I also work with other Demonstration teachers to present at local and state conferences.

Intentional teachers gather data that are needed to guide instruction, ensuring that all children grow and learn.

I often begin the school year with children who speak little to no English. These students struggle on our required early literacy assessment-the previously mentioned assessments that I am required to administer in English, word for word, in September-and are automatically labeled at risk. My colleagues and I are able to use the data from these assessments to help identify students who need more support and interventions in literacy skills. The danger with relying solely on scripted, inflexible assessments is the labeling and grouping of children with a broad stroke. We might target skills based on these test results without fully realizing what our children need. It would be easy for me to group all of these "at risk" children together in the same skill-based intervention group because they all had the same score on the reading assessment that focused on book and print concepts. But for me, the mandated assessment is just the beginning. I dig deeper to find out what I need to know in order to provide opportunities for growth for all of my students. I have learned valuable information by using my own observations and assessments to find the knowledge and skills the children do have. With book and print concept inventories from the works of literacy researcher Marie Clay (1993), along with my own very limited Spanish skills, I try to assess my Spanish-speaking students in their native language as much as possible.

Our school has been fortunate to have an English as a second language (ESL) teacher who speaks Spanish. She serves all of the emergent bilingual children at our school, K-5. I try to assess what I can using my limited Spanish skills and then use the ESL teacher as a resource to dig deeper, when needed.

What I find most useful is systematically observing children throughout the day in the natural learning environment.

Administering my own additional assessments confirmed that a number of these children did not, in fact, know any print concepts. They were unfamiliar with holding a book, turning the pages, and using pictures to enhance meaning. It was evident they'd had very limited early literacy experiences, even in their home language. But I also found out that some of these "at risk" students were familiar with book and print concepts. My assessments showed that they understood the difference between the front and back of a book, knew the difference between print and pictures, tracked left to right when looking at the text, and looked closely at the pictures on each page. Some even knew that a period at the end of the sentence signifies a stop. Their at-risk scores on the required assessment were not representative of poor early literacy knowledge and skills, but rather, were indicative of their nascent English language skills. They clearly had engaged in many literacy experiences with their families before entering kindergarten.

While all of these students had the same results on the mandated assessment, my more nuanced assessments provided valuable information that enabled me to target the children's very different needs.

To ensure that I have all necessary information, I begin each school year with informal checklists assessing children's alphabet and numeral recognition, knowledge of colors and shapes, and rote and object counting abilities. I have found that this is important for all of the children, not just the DLLs. For example, I often have students who speak only English who are not able to count past five or to identify basic colors and shapes. I observe and assess these children frequently in the first weeks and months of kindergarten to see if and to what extent they are making progress. That helps me determine whether their limited knowledge is due to lack of exposure to these concepts-a problem I can address-or whether there are other issues, such as cognitive or developmental delays, that would require additional assessments and supports by specialists.

One pitfall I have learned to watch out for is not giving to my students who are just starting to learn English the same focus and opportunities that I give to children whose home language is English. I once again gain valuable information by evaluating which DLLs can identify numbers, shapes, and colors in their first language and which children cannot. That way, I can provide these students with the same opportunities for individualized early interventions as their English-only peers and not let them slip through the cracks simply because of their limited English.

The ESL teacher, Ms. Worley,and I regularly share observations with each other. Her fluent Spanish skills allow her to find out more about our Spanish-speaking students' strengths and needs in their native language. While she focuses in Spanish and English on building the conceptual knowledge of the DLLs with the most challenges (and on determining whether additional supports are called for), I target English vocabulary with the students who already know basic shapes and colors in their first language.

Intentional assessments throughout the day

Doing my own flexible assessments enables me to collect information about students that goes beyond the scripted, mandated assessments. I do observations and keep running records that allow me to look at each student as a whole child, including a child's approaches to learning, language development and communication, cognitive development, emotional and social development, and health and physical development.

What I find most useful is systematically observing children throughout the day in the natural learning environment. This practice, which all intentional teachers use, doesn't interrupt instruction. The challenge comes from recording or documenting what I learn from watching the children so that I can reflect on the information and use it to guide and differentiate instruction. Current technology aids in information gathering. Photos and videos are quick and easy ways to document student learning. Some free software platforms (such as Seesaw, available at https://web.seesaw.me/) even empower children to use technology to document their learning.

Assessing children during engaging play

I have found that my classroom schedule and environment play a large role in my ability to collect data throughout the day. Large blocks of uninterrupted time, when children can play and make choices, set the stage for gathering meaningful information about each of my young learners. When children are able to choose where they are going to play, they tend to pick areas where they feel safe and experience some confidence. This is a great opportunity to observe their skills and strengths. North Carolina Guide for the Early Years states that "preschool and kindergarten children are more likely to perform at their best when engaged in interesting and meaningful classroom projects they choose themselves-such as real reading and writing activities rather than only skills testing" (Public Schools of North Carolina 2009, 79). Anecdotal notes, photos, and videos are useful for documenting children's abilities. They provide additional evidence, especially when children are not able to use oral language to fully showcase their learning (which may arise among both DLLs and English-only children, such as children with autism).

I have had several DLLs who were not able to retell a story in English. This was a concern because they would need to retell a simple story on the state reading assessment. One particular student, Alonso, stands out in my mind. Ms. Worley and I had been observing him closely for possible developmental delays that might be hidden by his limited English proficiency. Alonso could not orally retell familiar stories that we had read together over and over. It would have been easy to believe that he lacked an understanding of sense of story and that his receptive and productive language skills were lacking-possibly in both Spanish and English. Observing him during play provided me with valuable information that debunked these assumptions.

Alonso loved the block center and was able to engage with peers despite his limited English. He had confidence when playing in this center and felt comfortable taking risks. One time when he was in the block center, he built three small structures. When I asked him about the structures, he said they were the pig houses. I realized he was retelling The Three Little Pigs, a book we had been reading. I sat and observed Alonso as he used small wolf and pig figurines to act out the story, completely in order, including the beginning, middle, and ending.

Alonso used simple, key phrases from the story and showed an understanding of character and setting. I knew then that his receptive language skills were stronger than I had thought and that, while he was not able to successfully retell a story orally with many details in English, he did in fact understand the story we'd read together and had a concept of story sequence. I updated Alonso's learning target to "building vocabulary in order to retell simple stories," replacing the assumed learning goal of sequencing stories. Because of my careful observations and record keeping of Alonso's engagement in play that was meaningful to him, I was better able to address his needs.

By focusing on flexible, ongoing, intentional assessments, teachers are better able to fully address their students' needs.

Another example of choice and play creating great opportunities for information gathering is when students play with their peers. When my DLLs play with peers who are bilingual, they show more confidence and I am then better able to observe their strengths. I recently observed a non-English-speaking student playing a counting game with a bilingual peer; both were counting and conversing in Spanish. I listened to and saw their oral and object counting skills while they played. The student who was just beginning to learn English performed much better in this setting than he would have if I had called him over to a table and asked him to count. In the midst of play, he was not as self-aware or worried that he did not yet know how to count in English as he would have been if he were trying to answer my questions.

Asking probing questions

Early childhood educators are skilled at asking questions in different ways to find out what young learners know and understand. In many instances I've had to reframe questions asked by another staff member or an administrator so that my 5-year-old students comprehend what is being asked. Often the adult laughs and responds, "See, that's why you're the kindergarten teacher and I'm not!" We must use this same skill when observing our students.

We must intentionally reframe questions to elicit the information we are looking for. There are times when I can simply ask questions and use the children's oral responses as evidence of learning, but there are often other times, especially with my DLLs, when I must break the question apart or say "show me." As I listen to my students explain what they are showing me, I gain valuable insights.

Two wonderful, free resources that have helped me plan and set up environments that promote opportunities for assessing and questioning throughout the day are the North Carolina Guide for the Early Years (Public Schools of North Carolina 2009) and the North Carolina Kindergarten Center Posters and Planning Guides (Public Schools of North Carolina 2019). The Guide for the Early Years ( www.dpi.state.nc.us/earlylearning/resources/) is an extensive document that promotes best practices in early childhood classrooms. It combines research and teacher-tested strategies, and it has examples of questions teachers can ask that extend children's thinking. Each chapter is dedicated to a different learning center and lists associated questions.

For teachers who are struggling with how to uncover their students' thinking and understanding, this is a great place to start. I have used these lists of questions to make small charts that detail ways to check for understanding and place them in each center in my classroom. They serve as reminders not just to me, but to my teacher assistant, interns, and volunteers as well. For example, questions to promote children's thinking in the math center include "What other ways can we show that?," "How can we do this differently?," "Tell me how you did that," "Why do you think that?," and "Tell me how you figured that out." Over the years, this shift in thinking has allowed both my teacher assistant and myself to focus on the process of learning-not just on our students' finished products. In the art center, for example, the teacher assistant and I both make comments like, "You worked really hard on that. How did you come up with that idea?," instead of something more general, like, "That's a beautiful painting."

The North Carolina Kindergarten Center Posters and Planning Guides ( https://bit.ly/2DfitTz) is a collection of resources for planning center-based classrooms, including information on art, block, books and listening, dramatic play, math, science, and writing centers. The planning guides explicitly describe how children may engage in each center and how intentional teachers can support their learning. They serve as a starting place for teachers to think about what types of skills are addressed and what types of data they could gather at different centers. The posters include standards for all development and learning domains that might be addressed when children are working in the centers. A quick glance at these standards serves as a reminder of how we teachers can use centers as assessment tools. The posters also include several questions to ask, once again prompting teachers to use questioning as a way to gather information and promote learning.

Conclusion

By focusing on flexible, ongoing, intentional assessments, teachers are better able to fully address their students' needs. My colleagues and I are ensuring that all of our young learners have the same opportunities to grow and succeed. My assessments allow me to focus on the children's strengths and to dig deeper into their individual needs. This is true with all of my students and is especially true with my dual language learners.

I hope that by sharing my experiences, I have motivated my fellow teachers to feel empowered to continue using assessments as a powerful tool in their toolboxes. Step back when you feel overwhelmed by mandated assessments, particularly those that interrupt instructional time, and take inventory of the countless other ways you dig deeper to identify the strengths of your young students. They deserve nothing less.

References

Clay, M.M. 1993. An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Public Schools of North Carolina. 2009. North Carolina Guide for the Early Years. 2nd ed. Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. www.dpi.state.nc.us/earlylearning/resources/.

Public Schools of North Carolina. 2017. North Carolina Construct Progressions and Situations: NC K-3 Formative Assessment Process. 2nd ed. Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Office of Early Learning. www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/earlylearning/kea/construct-progression-book.pdf.

Public Schools of North Carolina. 2019. Kindergarten Center Posters and Planning Guides. Raleigh: Public Schools of North Carolina. https://bit.ly/2DfitTz.

Public Schools of North Carolina. N.d. "Pre-K/K Demonstration Program." Raleigh: State Board of Education, Department of Public Instruction. http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/earlylearning/demo/.

Creative Arts

Questions to Promote Children's Thinking

How are these alike or different?

Is there a pattern in this?

What do you think should happen next?

What would happen if . . . ?

Which is . . . (e.g., larger or smaller, louder or softer, brighter or darker)?

How would you move if you were this animal?

What can you tell me about your work?

How did you feel when you heard/saw that?

How is this . . . (e.g., shape, sound, movement, phrase) different from the other one?

Mathematics

Questions to Promote Children's Thinking

Can you see if you can find another way to make those blocks stand up?

What other block shape might work there?

How will the firefighters get into your building?

It looks like you are all out of the long blocks. What else could you use to fill up the same space?

Can you find two blocks that you could put together to be the same size as this one block?

How will people know what building this is?

How will people know which way to drive their cars on the road?

Which animals will live in each part of your zoo?

Tell me about your building.

How did you decide to put all those blocks together?

Questions to Promote Children's Thinking

What do you suppose would happen if . . . ?

What will you do next?

I wonder . . . ?

Why do you think that?

How did you figure that out?

Do you have any ideas about how we might begin?

How does it move?

What changes do you see?

Which have changed the most?

How do you know?

Which one is . . . (e.g., heavier, taller)? How could you find out? Why do you think so?

What can you add to the class definition of . . . (e.g., animals, weather)?

What characteristics do the . . .

(e.g., flower, caterpillar) have that make it a . . . (e.g., plant, insect)?

What do you think will happen?

Why do you think the . . . (e.g., ice melted, clouds disappeared)?

Can you draw a picture of your findings? Can you add some words?

Which holds more: the tall, thin jar or the short, fat one?

These questions to promote children's thinking are from the North Carolina Guide for the Early Years (Public Schools of North Carolina 2009). The creative arts, mathermatics, and science questions can be found above.

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Assessment in Kindergarten: Meeting Children Where They Are

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Over the 20 years I have been a kindergarten teacher, assessment has changed dramatically. When I first began teaching, educators' observations and self-made assessments were honored as appropriate ways to document young children's growth and mastery. My colleagues and I used our own assessments and observations to plan instruction based on what our students needed.

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Good PICS for talking about safety at the beginning of the year. 

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Good PICS for talking about safety at the beginning of the year. 

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A great read about integrating differentiation and assessment.

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A great read about integrating differentiation and assessment.