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You're invited to share artifacts and/or reflections from your ecology walks. Post them below. 👇

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You're invited to share artifacts and/or reflections from your ecology walks. Post them below. 👇

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tonya@tonyagilchrist.com

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Tweets by Mrs_Gilchrist

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Inquiry, Agency, & Responsive Teaching in International Schools

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Inquiry, Agency, & Responsive Teaching in International Schools

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Join this Facebook group to connect with educators around the world as well as to access articles and resources.

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In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching, and Learning (2nd Ed.)

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In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching, and Learning (2nd Ed.)

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Carlina Rinaldi (2021)

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Note on Terminologies Introduction: our Reggio Emilia Gunilla Dahlberg and Peter Moss Carlina Rinaldi: writings, speeches and interviews, 1984-2004 Staying by the children's side: the knowledge of educators (1984) Participation as communication (1984) Malaguzzi and the teachers (1996) Documentation and assessment: what is the relationship? (1995-8) Dialogues The space of childhood (1998) Issues in educating today (1998) Documentation and research (1999) Continuity in children's services (1999) Creativity as a quality of thought (2000) The construction of the educational project: an interview with Carlina Rinaldi (2000) Teachers as researchers: formation and professional development in a school of education (2001) The organisation, the method: a conversation with Carlina Rinaldi (1998) Crossing boundaries: reflections on Loris Malaguzzi and Reggio Emilia (2004) In dialogue with Carlina Rinaldi: a discussion between Carlina Rinaldi, Gunilla Dahlberg and Peter Moss Carlina Rinaldi: writings and speeches, 2007 - 2016 The Loris Malaguzzi International Centre. A metaproject (2007) The natural complexity of becoming children (2012) LEGO, Reggio Emilia. A Story, a Prize (2015) The city of Jerome Bruner (2016) A system Bibliography Index

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In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching and Learning

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Reggio Emilia's educational services for 0-6 year olds are widely acclaimed as one of the best systems in the world.

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Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning

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Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning

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Peter Johnston

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Throughout this book, author Peter Johnston provides examples of seemingly ordinary words, phrases, and uses of language that are pivotal in the orchestration of the classroom. Grounded in a study by accomplished literacy teachers, the book demonstrates how and what we say (and don't say) have surprising consequences for what children learn and for who they become as literate people. Students learn how to become strategic thinkers, not merely learning the literacy strategies, but adapting them to their lives outside of the classroom.

In addition, Johnston examines the complex learning that teachers produce in classrooms that is hard to name and thus is not recognized by tests, by policy-makers, by the general public, and often by teachers themselves, yet is vitally important. This book will be enlightening for any teacher who wishes to be more conscious of the many ways their language helps children acquire literacy skills and view the world, their peers, and themselves in new ways.

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Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning

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Amazon.com: Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning: 9781571103895: Johnston, Peter H: Books

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The Hundred Languages of Children (3rd Ed.)

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The Hundred Languages of Children (3rd Ed.)

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Editors: Carolyn Edwards, Lella Gandini, and George Forman

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Educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy, use a distinctive innovative approach that supports children's well-being and fosters their intellectual development through a systematic focus on symbolic representation. From birth through age six, young children are encouraged to explore their environment and express their understanding through many modes of expression or "languages," including verbal communication, movement, drawing, painting, sculpture, shadow play, collage, and music. This organic strategy has been shown to be highly effective, as the children in Reggio Emilia display surprising examples of symbolic skill and creativity.

This book describes how the world-renowned preschool services and accompanying practical strategies for children under six in Reggio Emilia have evolved in response to the community's demographic and political transformations, and to generational changes in both the educators and the parents of the children. The authors provide the reader with a comprehensive introduction to the Reggio Emilia experience, and address three of the most important central themes of the work in Reggio in detail: teaching and learning through relationships; the hundred languages of children, and how this concept has evolved; and integrating documentation into the process of observing, reflecting, and communicating.

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The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition

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Buy The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition: Read Kindle Store Reviews - Amazon.com

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The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives

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The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives

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William Stixrud and Ned Johnson

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" Instead of trusting kids with choices . . . many parents insist on micromanaging everything from homework to friendships. For these parents, Stixrud and Johnson have a simple message: Stop. " - NPR New York Times bestselling author of How Children Succeed mean giving up your authority as a parent. In this groundbreaking book they reveal how you can actively help your child to sculpt a brain that is resilient, and ready to take on new challenges.

"This humane, thoughtful book turns the latest brain science into valuable practical advice for parents." -Paul Tough, doesn't The Self-Driven Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in behavioral therapy, and case studies drawn from the thousands of kids and teens Bill and Ned have helped over the years to teach you how to set your child on the real road to success. As parents, we can only drive our kids so far. At some point, they will have to take the wheel and map out their own path. But there is a lot you can do before then to help them tackle the road ahead with resilience and imagination.

A few years ago, Bill Stixrud and Ned Johnson started noticing the same problem from different angles: Even high-performing kids were coming to them acutely stressed and lacking motivation. Many complained they had no control over their lives. Some stumbled in high school or hit college and unraveled. Bill is a clinical neuropsychologist who helps kids gripped by anxiety or struggling to learn. Ned is a motivational coach who runs an elite tutoring service. Together they discovered that the best antidote to stress is to give kids more of a sense of control over their lives. But this

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The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives

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The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives - Kindle edition by Stixrud, William, Johnson, Ned. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets.

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Story Workshop: New Possibilities for Young Writers

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Story Workshop: New Possibilities for Young Writers

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Susan Harris MacKay

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

Even our youngest students have lots of stories to tell, whether real or imagined. How can we create entry points for writing, so that all writers feel confident and motivated to share their stories? How can we establish a classroom community of beginning writers where equity, empathy, and compassion become part of the process and vital by-products of story writing?

Enter story workshop, a structure for early literacy that amplifies the relationship between play, art, and writing. Children develop ideas and stories through choices of art materials. By creating images through play, story workshop invites children to explore the "amazingness" (Nisa, age 10) of their ideas in a variety of art forms. "Through their stories," Susan writes, "students share the meaning they make of their experiences in the world." Children in every classroom environment feel empowered to transition from play to pencil as they add words to their stories.

Story Workshop includes an abundance of classroom videos, photos, and student samples that illustrate what is possible when children use words, colors, textures, shapes and all kinds of materials to create the stories they want to tell. Watch how students' imaginations soar, their love of writing blossoms, and their connections with one another become the focal point of your classroom.

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Special Offer: Save 30% off our list price automatically when you buy 15 or more. Even our youngest students have lots of stories to tell, whether real or imagined. How can we create entry points for writing, so that all writers feel confident and motivated to share their stories?

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Choice Time: How to Deepen Learning Through Inquiry and Play (PreK-2)

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Choice Time: How to Deepen Learning Through Inquiry and Play (PreK-2)

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Renee Dinnerstein

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How to Deepen Learning Through Inquiry and Play, PreK-2

By Renee Dinnerstein
Foreword by Kathy Collins

In Choice Time, Renée gives you everything you need to set up choice-time centers that promote inquiry-based, guided play in your classroom. Give your students choice time, and watch them engage in joyful, important, playful, age-appropriate work that will empower them to become lifelong learners.

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

"In her inspirational, well-researched book, Renée describes the kinds of learning opportunities that all parents want for their own children. Her accessible writing style makes it easy to envision the environment, teaching, and community she describes with such clarity you'll want to get started on her ideas tomorrow." -Jennifer Serravallo

"How refreshing it is in a test-driven climate to read a book stressing the nurturing of imagination and empathy that comes from inquiry, play and children making choices." -Deborah Meier

"The bottom line is when children are at play, they're not just playing--they're learning machines, and play is the engine that drives them." -Renée Dinnerstein

How do you define play and choice time in early childhood classrooms? According to Renée Dinnerstein,"During choice time, children choose to play in a variety of centers that have been carefully designed and equipped to scaffold children's natural instinct for play."

In Choice Time, Renée gives you everything you need to set up choice-time centers that promote inquiry-based, guided play in your classroom. Renée summarizes the research, describing the different kinds of play and why they are important. Then she dives into the nitty gritty, providing:

blueprints for six proven choice-time centers, with variations

a guide to arranging your classroom space to maximize play's value and support the child's growing independence

scheduling suggestions for different grade levels

ideas to connect centers to the curriculum, giving children greater agency in designing and planning centers.

Renée reveals what can happen when you embrace a culture of inquiry, providing opportunities for children to be explorative and creative in their thinking. She believes that, "A child's engagement is the most powerful asset we have for teaching and learning." Give your students choice time, and watch them engage in joyful, important, playful, age-appropriate work that will empower them to become lifelong learners.

(click any section below to continue reading)

Contents

How to Use This Bookvi

Foreword by Kathy Collinsvii

Chapter 1 - Why Choice Time and Play Are Important1

Chapter 2 - The Classroom Speaks21

Chapter 3 - A Classroom Where Centers Thrive36

Chapter 4 - Block Center50

Chapter 5 - Science Center66

Chapter 6 - Reading Nook85

Chapter 7 - Dramatic Play Center101

Chapter 8 - Math Center117

Chapter 9 - Art Center136

Conclusion151

Appendix A Planning Tools for Centers153

Appendix B Observation and Reflection Form for Centers154

Acknowledgements155

Works Cited160

In Depth

I wrote this book with two major goals in mind: I want to show what a powerful, authentic, inquiry-based choice time could achieve when placed at the heart of an early childhood classroom. In addition, I want to give teachers everything they would need to implement choice time centers.

The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 begins with "Why Choice Time and Play Are Important." This chapter presents the research on why play is important and what children can achieve through play as well as a description of the different types of play. The second chapter, "The Classroom Speaks," gives practical ideas for classroom arrangement, lists important materials, and offers suggestions for scheduling choice time in grades preK through 2. The last chapter in Part 1, "A Classroom Where Centers Thrive," focuses on the management of choice time-how to plan for centers, implement predictable routines, and use the workshop model. I also answer some questions that teachers frequently ask.

Part 2 focuses on what I might often call the meat and potatoes of choice time. It includes six chapters that present centers that will most likely be regular centers in your classroom. I describe the reasoning behind each center, show how to set it up, and list materials you'll need to begin. I also give ideas for introducing the center, provide some helpful minilessons, and suggest useful changes to keep things fresh across the year. This section of the book provides a practical template that can be used for observing, reflecting, and planning next steps in each center.

If you are a teacher new to choice time, you might want to use the centers just as I've described them and eventually take off on your own. If you've been using choice time already, I hope that this book gives you some new ideas for variations on your existing centers. In either case, I hope that you will heed the central lesson of this book, which is to tailor the centers to the interests of the children in your classroom. A child's engagement is the most powerful asset we have for teaching and learning.
- From 'How to use this book'

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By Renee Dinnerstein Foreword by Kathy Collins In Choice Time, Renée gives you everything you need to set up choice-time centers that promote inquiry-based, guided play in your classroom. Give your students choice time, and watch them engage in joyful, important, playful, age-appropriate work that will empower them to become lifelong learners.

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Tonya Gilchrist

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Tonya Gilchrist

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Learning Spaces are Safe, Stimulating, and Inviting

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Got: What was most helpful? Want: What would you most like to explore next? 👇

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Got: What was most helpful? Want: What would you most like to explore next? 👇

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Tonya Gilchrist

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IB PYP

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IS Ulm: Self-regulation - Google Jamboard

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Tonya Gilchrist

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Got: Concrete examples of agency in a classroom of young learners
Want: Documenting play as learning for parents (who are concerned only with academics)

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IB PYP

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Many of these connect directly to AtL, and the progressions can be a helpful support for your planning and responsive teaching.

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Gallery Walk of Documentation Possibilities - TG

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Green Modern Monthly Updates School Newspaper Classroom News A4 Email Newsletter

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Inspiration from the Australian International School of Phnom Penh 👇

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Inspiration from the Australian International School of Phnom Penh 👇

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This was shared with parents, and it was also turned it into a book and placed in the classroom library. The children could see it whenever they wanted.

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Got: What was most helpful? Want: What would you most like to explore next? 👇

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Got: What was most helpful? Want: What would you most like to explore next? 👇

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Great examples of documenting play as learning.

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Great examples of documenting play as learning.

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You're invited to share artifacts (pictures, reflections, etc.) of what you and your students have tried when it comes to monitoring and documenting learning. 👇

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You're invited to share artifacts (pictures, reflections, etc.) of what you and your students have tried when it comes to monitoring and documenting learning. 👇

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3-2-1: Think back across all three of our sessions...

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3-2-1: Think back across all three of our sessions...

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Hit the plus button below and share:

3 insights you want to carry forward with you

2 things you plan to try next in your individual context

1 thing you hope your whole team can continue to collaborate on together

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AISPP - EY December Report Template 2021

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via Juliana Lopes and Sara Tomlin

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IB PYP

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via Ingrid McCormack

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Dialogic Conversation - Engage, Repeat, Expand

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Dialogic Conversation - Engage, Repeat, Expand

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1) Share your stories. Discuss: How did story creation feel?
2) What skills did you use? Examine the "What Students Do" AtL resource from the PYP. Hit the plus button below to share your group's ideas on how Story Workshop can help students develop AtL. 👇

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Breakout Discussion - Story Creation & AtL Skills - TG

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Considerations for Preparation for Story Workshop 

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Considerations for Preparation for Story Workshop 

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1. Empowered! Inspired! Like what we have to say is worth listening to
2. Communication, Thinking, Research

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having students create little play scenarios with blocks, figures, and "loose ends" and beginning to narrate what they are imagining

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having students create little play scenarios with blocks, figures, and "loose ends" and beginning to narrate what they are imagining

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3 Insights
- Descriptive Commentary Examples with ATLs
- What conferring is in Early Years!
- Dialogic Conversations

2 Things to Try
- Sticky notes for observing and recording
- Engage, Repeat, Expand

1 Thing to continue
- Story Workshop
- Learning Environments are key!

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realizing that the time we devote to literacy with some of our future Grade Ones can, in certain instances (like with newer ELLs), be reimagined (and better spent)  as narratives about our play scenarios

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realizing that the time we devote to literacy with some of our future Grade Ones can, in certain instances (like with newer ELLs), be reimagined (and better spent)  as narratives about our play scenarios