Early Years BulletinSummer 2015

vol 2, no 4

A Summer Activity: Beat the Summer Heat With Ice Chalk

Make a batch of homemade chalk paint using equal parts corn starch and water. Split the mixture into smaller batches and add in your favorite washable paint colors. Pour the different colors into ice cube trays and freeze them. When it’s time to play, pop the ice chalk out of the trays into a container and let the kids use these ice chalk cubes to draw and experiment on the pavement. The colors get more vibrant as they melt.

Contents

p. 2Children’s Books

p. 4Children’s Expressive Language Development

p. 7Child-directedActivity in Preschools

p. 8The Environmentas a Learning Tool

Children around the world encounter various stresses in the form of natural disasters, political violence, malnutrition, maltreatment, and other threats to

healthy human development. Resilience research emerged in the aftermath of WWII, bringing attention to the adversity faced by children as a result of the dev-astation. In recent years, global interest in resiliency science has grown and studies investigate human response and adaptation to adversity. It is estimated that mil-lions of children each year are affected by global disasters, conflict, abuse, neglect, and various forms of exploitation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Intensive and prolonged stress can lead to a variety of short- and long-term negative health effects. It can disrupt early brain development and compro-mise functioning of the nervous and immune systems. In addition, childhood stress can lead to health problems later in life including alcoholism, depres-sion, eating disorders, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases. (p. 3)

Therefore, it is imperative that educators foster resilience in students in order to promote healthy development across the lifespan.

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Fostering Resilience in Kindergarten:Teaching a Stressed-Out Generation

by Helen Wilson, Louisiana State University

Focus on Pre-K and Keditors: Jennifer Baumgartner & Cynthia DiCarlo

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Sweeney, Linda BoothWhen the Wind Blows. Il. by Jana Christy. ISBN 0399160159. New York, NY: Putnam, 2015. 32 pp.When talking about spring, weather can be sunny, rainy, windy, or even a bit cold! As we say, “March rolls in like a lion and out like a lamb.” But what happens when the wind blows? Certainly, leaves swirl and seeds scatter, but it is also a great time to fly a kite! Using repetition and poetic language, this beautifully illustrated book cele-brates the warmth and textures of spring.

Berger, CarinFinding Spring. ISBN 0062250191. New York, NY: Green-willow Books, 2015. 40 pp.Mama and Maurice are two bears getting ready to hibernate. Maurice tells his mother that he doesn’t want to sleep; he wants to find spring. “Right now, it’s time to sleep!” Mama tells Maurice as she falls asleep herself. Maurice sneaks out of their cave and goes on a trek to find spring, asking all his forest friends where spring is. He finally sleeps and when he wakes up, it is time to celebrate the change of seasons with all his friends! The story culminates with a beautiful illustration of paper cut-outs that celebrates the beginning of spring, with flowers on the ground and in the air.

Hammill, Elizabeth (Ed.)Over the Hills and Far Away. ISBN 0763677299. New York, NY: Candlewick, 2015. 160 pp.What better way to learn about cultures around the world than through poetry, songs, and riddles? Over the Hills and Far Away is a brilliant collection of nursery rhymes that includes diverse verses from around the world. The illustrations are as varied as the rhymes; 77 artists contrib-uted artwork in a variety of styles and media, including collage, watercolor, and realistic paintings. A delightful section of riddles will entertain children.

Rosen, Michael J. The Maine Coons Haiku: And Other Poems for Cat Lovers. ISBN 0763664928. New York, NY: Candlewick, 2015. 60 pp.This delightful book featuring haiku about 20 cat breeds will captivate any cat lover. The haikus include interest-ing facts about each cat breed. Some of the breeds are familiar, such as Siamese and Balinese; however, many unique breeds are also included, such as the Scottish Fold. More information about each cat breed is provided at the back of the book.

Ragean, JeanHow to Babysit a Grandma. Il. by Lee Wildish. ISBN 978-0385753845. New York, NY: Random House, 2014. 24 pp. What does a child need to babysit a grandma? This heartwarming story about spending time with Grandma is funny and entertaining. It is a perfect book to learn how to have fun with Grandma and about the special relation-ship between grandmas and grandchildren!

Watt, FionaThat’s Not My Owl. Il. by Rachel Wells. ISBN 1409587584. London, England: Osbourne, 2015. 10 pp.Children reading this book meet eight different owls that they can touch and feel. Reading this book, chil-dren can explore what a “tufty tummy” feels like or even “fuzzy babies.” Finally, the reader realizes she finds the owl because the “babies are so fluffy”! Children will love the textural, hands-on experience of reading this board book.

Elliot, HannahGlasses to Go. Il. by Daniel Roode. ISBN 1481417916. New York, NY: Little Simon Books, 2014. 10 pp.“There are many types of glasses” and inside the cover of this book readers will find an envelope containing seven

Children’s Booksby Angela Wiseman and Meredith Mason, North Carolina State University

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pairs. This book asks the reader to match different glass-es to faces. The text provides information about who the person is and the reader must decide what glasses that person would wear. For instance, “Which glasses are for a rockin’ rock star?” The bold illustrations, collection of spectacles, and questioning text make this board book a fun interactive experience!

DiTerlizzi, AndreaSome Bugs. Il. by Brendan Wenzel. ISBN 144245880. San Diego, CA: Beach Lane Books, 2014. 30 pp.For children who are backyard adventurers, catching insects and exploring nature, Some Bugs provides lively and lifelike views of the tiny creatures to be found in the outdoor world. This book is fabulously illustrated, taking the reader into the outdoors. Short, descriptive lines, such as “Some bugs click/some bugs sing/ some bugs do a buzzing thing,” make for an appealing read-aloud. The book ends with a challenge to find the bugs in your backyard and will encourage even the reluctant child to think about the magnificent creatures outside.

Belle, Trixie and Caruso-Scott, MelissaLittle Red Riding Hood: Les Petits Fairytales. Il. by Oliver Lake. ISBN 0805099050. New York, NY: Henry Holt, 2014. 26 pp.This familiar tale about a young girl and a big bad wolf is told through pictures and one-word pages. This board book is an excellent adaptation for young children, with the illustrations revealing the plot of the story as Red Riding Hood makes it through the forest to her grand-mother’s house. In this variant, a woodsman rescues Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. The end scene features a celebration with cake, milk, and cookies.

Kang, AnnaYou Are (Not) Small. Il. by Christopher Wyant. ISBN 1477847723. New York, NY: Two Lions, 2014. 32 pp.Two fuzzy and shaggy creatures engage in a conversa-tion about their size. The larger one announces, “You are small.” Yet the smaller one provides a different perspec-tive that, “I am not small, you are big!” This book demon-strates how height, and other factors, can simply be a matter of perspective. Readers can discuss how people may have differing opinions and what it means to judge people based on your own viewpoint. It’s easy to see

why this book, with its simple text that could provoke complex discussions, won the Theodore Geisel award.

Dean, Kimberly and James Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Life. Il. by James Dean. ISBN 9780062351357. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2015. 45 pp. Pete the Cat gives advice about how to navigate through life using quotes from memorable figures, such as William Shakespeare, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Pablo Picasso. With hilarious illustrations, this book is sure to be a fun read while offering valuable advice through literature that is useful for any age.

Barnett, MacSam and Dave Dig a Hole. Il. by Jon Klassen. ISBN 9780763662295. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2014. 32 pp. This story about two adventurous boys relies on the detailed illustrations to provide part of the storyline. The boys plan to dig until they find spectacular treasure. As they change their plans, the illustrations show what would have happened if they had continued on!

Maloney, BrennaReady Rabbit Gets Ready! Il. by Chuck Kennedy. ISBN 9780670015498. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2015. 24 Pages. Many children will be able to identify with Ready Rabbit, as getting ready in the mornings can be a difficult task. This book is sure to entertain, with its wonderful illus-trations of Ready Rabbit’s morning adventures and will help make getting ready fun for young children.

Santat, DanThe Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. Il. by Dan Santat. ISBN 9780316199988. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group, 2014. 40 pp. Instead of waiting to make friends, Beekle demonstrates how important it can be to take the initiative in making friends and to be kind to others. This interesting story is helpful to children who may have trouble making friends and taking the first step that may be the start of a wonderful friendship!

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Lang, Max and Suzanne Families, Families, Families! Il. by Max Lang. ISBN 978-0553499391. New York, NY: Random House, 2015. 24 pp. With silly animal illustrations, this book demonstrates that all families, no matter the makeup, love each other. This entertaining book is a fun piece of literature that can be helpful in teaching young children to accept the different ways one can have a family.

Rose, NancyThe Secret Life of Squirrels. Il. by Nancy Rose. ISBN 9780316370271. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group, 2014. 32 pp.This book is worth reading just for the real-life photo-graphs of wild squirrels that accompany an entertaining story about Mr. Peanut. Mr. Peanut reveals just how ex-citing it is to be a squirrel who not only climbs trees, but also plays the piano and cooks on his grill. This creative story is entertaining for all ages!

Palatini, MargieNo Nap! Yes Nap! Il. by Dan Yaccarino. ISBN 0316248215. New York, NY: Little Brown, 2014. 32 pp.It’s a clash familiar to almost every parent—nap time is a contested event! This book uses repetitive and rhyth-mic lines to tell the story of a baby who does not want to go to sleep. The mother proclaims, “No more drink/no more song. No more clap/time to nap.” At the end of this story, both baby and mother get some much-need-ed rest!

McDonnell, PatrickA Perfectly Messed-Up Story. Il. by Jeff Schulz. ISBN 9780316222587. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group, 2014. 40 pp. This well-illustrated and creative tale about Louie’s messed-up story is an entertaining read. A Perfectly Messed-Up Story teaches young ones to take care of books, for they are important, and shows that life is just messed up sometimes and we can embrace the messes!

The desire to communicate is embedded deeply in human nature. Through communication, we make

ourselves known, connect with others, and engage in interactions that help us learn about and engage more fully with our worlds. The successful development of language skills in the early childhood years has a profound impact not only on children’s potential for literacy and overall academic learning, but also on their socio-emotional development. Children who use language effectively and joyfully are more likely to make strong

social connections and build relationships with others than children who struggle with language use. For all these reasons, teachers of young children have long known the significance of the integrated language arts (i.e., reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing) for learning. These language arts are all central elements of the communication process and vital components of early childhood development. They are life skills that children learn best

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“Talk About It!”Supporting Children’s Expressive Language Development

The following “Activities for the Classroom” column was submitted byPatricia A. Crawford, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, University of Pittsburgh.

Activities for the Classroomeditors: Patricia A. Crawford and April Mattix Foster

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A Cultural Perspective: Stressed-Out KidsExplorations of cultural influences on resilience have flourished over the last two decades. Also, an American Psychological Association study noted that while people of all ages experience stress, there are differences in levels of stress exhibited among varying generations. For example, the study noted that younger generations are more likely to exhibit increased levels of stress in addition to a greater trend toward such maladaptive behaviors as lying awake at night, overeating/eating unhealthy food, or skipping a meal because of their stress. In response to these maladaptive patterns, an increased focus has been given to the influence of religion, patterns of interdependence, education, family heritage, and economical situation on stress and resilience within family and school systems. Common sources of stress in children include somatic symptoms (e.g., hunger or headaches), thoughts of real or imagined danger, emotions, and environmental stressors (e.g., divorce, attending a new school, abuse, bullying, and exposure to violence).

Fostering ResilienceResilient children are able to: maintain a calm affect un-der pressure, solve problems, reflect critically on issues, act autonomously, and experience a sense of purpose. In 1987, a landmark article identified “steeling effects,” or opportunities for engagement with low-stress events that serve to prepare individuals for better responses to sub-sequent stress. For example, a child may experience stress in response to something as simple as a break in routine. With positive modeling and support from a teacher, children can develop healthy coping repertoires that pro-mote resilience in handling future stressors. It is important to note that the beneficial aspects of stress exposure diminish when the stress is severe enough to overwhelm a child’s ability to cope effectively. This emphasizes the importance of finding a good bal-ance in the amount and intensity of stress that we allow children to experience and when it is appropriate to in-tervene on their behalf. Despite the risks and conditions associated with high stress and adversity, some children do develop positively despite the adversity. Two children who experience similar intensities and frequencies of bullying in school, however, may be affected quite dif-

ferently. One may be able to continue functioning and developing at expected levels, while the other does not. This difference may be a result of the systems in which children grow up: family, peer groups, schools, neighbor-hoods, and society as a whole. Therefore, the adaptive be-havior of resilience may be thought of as a combination of system influences that promote positive responses to adversity. In the Classroom. Protective factors that foster resilience in the classroom setting include: caring relationships, high expectations, and opportunities for engagement. Caring relationships. According to the principles of social learning theory, much of children’s learning is expe-rienced through their interactions and relationships with others and their environment. This theory emphasizes the important role of caregivers in shaping young children’s development and, subsequently, their resilience in the face of adversity and stress. Caring and compassionate adults not only serve as a protective factor by modeling healthy adaptation to stress, they also provide children with nurturing support in navigating stresses of their own. Educators have the unique opportunity to fill this role, particularly for children who do not have caring rela-tionships at home. In a kindergarten classroom, teachers should be warm and nurturing in response to both desirable and undesirable behaviors. Implementation of active listening skills provides students with validation of their needs in that moment. Teachers should engage in clarifying and changing situations to help children reduce and process stress. They can model and teach coping skills by giving students more information about a stressor, prompting students to consider the appropriate actions that could be taken in response to a stressor, and reflecting children’s feelings in order to promote emotional intelligence and regulation. High expectations. When caregivers have high, yet reasonable expectations of children, they foster resilience in children by promoting their feelings of competence, control, and worth, and effectively increasing their overall self-esteem. As educators establish and maintain expec-tations in their classrooms, they foster these qualities in their students, increasing their overall resilience and re-sponse to stress throughout their lifespan.

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Teachers should use authoritative styles that incorporate demandingness and high responsiveness, and thus contribute to students’ sense of autonomy and competence in facing various challenges and small stressors that arise naturally during their interactions with others. Through established classroom procedures and routines (e.g., taking turns in centers, compromising with one another, completing a challenging task), children can be empowered with solutions to their stress. Opportunities for engagement. As children have op-portunities to engage with others, they also gain a sense of validation and belonging. Relationships with others can serve to normalize and contextualize adversity and distress by allowing individuals to feel connected to a larger sense of values, purpose, and meaning. Teachers can provide opportunities for engagement within the classroom by examining individual and collective inter-ests and promoting interaction among students. Teachers should encourage children to interact and engage in collaborative tasks with one another. Teachers often try to limit interaction among students for fear that they will go off-task; however, social learning is beneficial and can contribute to on-task learning within the classroom environment. In Families. Research indicates that resilience in chil-dren is closely related to family resilience. In War and Children, the authors noted that children rarely exhibited traumatic shock when accompanied by their parents during an adverse event and highlighted the importance of caregiver reactions in determining a child’s reaction. Promoting resiliency in families requires practitioners and helping professionals to address belief systems, organiza-tional patterns, and communication processes. Belief systems. Resilient families have belief systems that incorporate spirituality and a positive outlook. When children encounter adversity in the context of these fam-ily belief systems, they are exposed to adaptive practices in coping with stress. As this external modeling is prac-ticed by caregivers, children begin to internalize these same protective factors in handling stress on their own. Organizational patterns. Family organizational pat-terns that accommodate flexibility help maintain in-creased continuity and dependability, despite adversity, which in turn promotes stability in the home environ-ment. Such flexibility promotes respect, support, collabo-

ration, and commitment among families, which supports family members—both individually and as a whole. Communication processes. Clarity, open emotional ex-pression, and collaborative problem-solving also facilitate resilience among family members and family support sys-tems. As children are invited to share feelings, seek and provide empathy, and take responsibility for their feelings and behaviors while avoiding blaming, they gain protec-tive factors within a supportive system. Such systems promote positive adaptation and integration of various stressors and adversities.

As educators and helping professionals seek to promote optimal student development, it is essential that they understand children’s development of resilience. Through education and practice, we have the opportunity to pro-vide children with classroom environments (and promote home environments) that uphold these protective factors and foster resilience in our children.

ResourcesAmerican Psychological Association. (2010). Stress in

America findings. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/charles/Dropbox/Helen/School/Classes/EDCI%207054%20-%20Child%20Guidance%20and%20Behavior/Reflective%20Papers/Reflective%20Paper%20%233/References/stress%20in%20america.pdf

Bitter, J. R. (2014). Theory and practice of family therapy and counseling (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). The effects of childhood stress on health across the lifespan. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/pdf/Childhood_Stress.pdf

Khanlou, N., & Wray, R. (2014). A whole community approach toward child and youth resilience promotion: A review of resilience literature. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 12, 64-79. doi:10.1007/s11469-013-9470-1

Marion, M. (2011). Guidance of young children. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Masten, A. S. (2014). Global perspective on resilience in children and youth. Child Development, 85(1), 6-20. doi:10.1111/cdev.12205

Masten, A. S., & Monn, A. R. (2015). Child and family resilience: A call for integrated science, practice, and professional training. Family Relations, 64, 5-21.

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It was Chinese New Year, a holiday celebrated throughout Honolulu. After going to Chinatown with

his family and seeing lion dances in streets, Jake1, a 4-year-old preschooler, came to school excited and told his teacher Sarah that he wanted to make a lion dance. Although she knew a lot about lion dances, having seen and read about them and even created a lesson on lion dances in previous years, Sarah let Jake’s interest and perspectives lead the unfolding activity. She asked him, “What happens at the lion dance? What do you want to make?” They discussed what he had seen and how they could recreate it in the classroom. Jake’s excitement drew more children into the conversation, which soon turned into “a project.” Sarah asked the children to come up with a list of what they would need to create their own lion dance, accompanying the group to the storage room to find those supplies. There was a high level of engagement among the children. The above is an example of Child-Directed Activity, the incorporation of children’s choices and interests into instruction. Young children are naturally curious and enthusiastic, with an inner desire to make sense of the world surrounding them. Using that curiosity to guide instruction and including children in designing and implementing activities may enhance learning and maintain children’s interest. By encouraging young children to express their interests and utilizing those interests as a basis for instruction, teachers of young children may set a positive foundation for children’s upcoming school years. The purpose of this article is to describe what we have learned about Child-Directed Activity from our research at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Children’s Center, a preschool in Hawai’i that serves 2- to 5-year-old children of the university’s students, faculty, and staff. Educators at the center have been working with us to understand Child-Directed Activity and how they can best promote it in their work with young children. We videotaped

teachers’ instruction and coded the videos for the strategy. Later, we interviewed the center teachers on their perspectives about Child-Directed Activity and how to promote it. This article describes the strategy, discusses its effects when implemented with young children, and suggests tips for teachers who would like to use it in their practice.

Theoretical FoundationsChild-Directed Activity is one of the Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence (CREDE) Standards for Effective Pedagogy, strategies of instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse children. The CREDE Standards derive from Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory that highlights social interaction as the basis for children’s higher-level thinking. According to Vygotsky, adults and other more knowledgeable individuals help young children perform what is beyond their actual developmental level, indicating their potential level of development. Consistent with this perspective, social interaction among children and teachers within the classroom is key. Through Child-Directed Activity, teachers and other caregivers provide opportunities for children to express their interests in what and how they learn, and are responsive to those interests and curiosities. Educators can capitalize on young children’s natural curiosity and enthusiasm for exploring the world around them by including children’s interests in their design of instruction. This may enhance learning, maintain young children’s interest in the learning process, and validate their contributions.

What Is Child-Directed Activity? Child-Directed Activity originates from children’s ideas and interests. In such activity, both children and teachers have their individual roles and also shared roles.

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This Is What I Want to Do!Child-Directed Activity in Preschools

by Kathleen Tran and Lois A. Yamauchi,University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu

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It is a beautiful day; the sun is shining and Liam is outside playing. His environment is a bit different

from what most toddlers experience. He lives on a horse farm and so is surrounded by animals, land, materials, and tools with which he can interact. He encounters a constant stream of people; some are there to work, some are there to learn, and some are there to play. Liam’s mother ensures his safety as he explores and interacts with his surroundings. This home environment does much to support Liam’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. While not all children grow up in such an environment, it is important for all children to be exposed to components within their environments that support positive development in each of these areas. The environments in which children grow up have a profound impact on their growth and development. I ask adult students, studying to become early childhood teachers, what they remember playing as a child. Their answers invariably include a description of the environment. Many remember a special space outside, a tree house or perhaps a fort created from a space surrounded by bushes. Others remember a special place inside where they played house or school. They were allowed to create a space and explore it freely until it fit nicely into their interests and needs. The memories my students shared were from their early years and were most often memories of their homes or neighborhoods. When children are cared for outside of the home, it is important for caregivers to arrange environments in ways that encourage physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development while supporting health and safety. Even though infants and toddlers may not remember the environments in which they spent their first three years of life, those environments are crucial to healthy growth and development. Careful consideration of infant and toddler environments is needed to ensure optimal

development. Research supports the need for child care environments to be developmentally appropriate and of high quality. High-quality care and programs result in positive outcomes for the children who attend them. A high-quality infant and toddler environment is clean and safe. Caregivers consider the needs of individual children and support their growth and development through purposeful planning of the environment, the materials made available to children, the daily schedule, and the emotional climate of the classroom. High-quality environments for infants and toddlers demonstrate consideration for their emotional, physical, and cognitive well-being. Attention should be given to the physical surroundings, the materials with which children interact, interactions with caregivers, and daily schedules. This article provides examples of infant and toddler classrooms in an accredited child care center serving infants through school-age children. The discussion and pictures are representative of infant and toddler classrooms. Focus is given to the room arrangement and displays appropriate for infants and toddlers.

The Environment as a Learning Toolby Laura M. Hooks, University of South Carolina Upstate

Cribs are spaced in quiet corners with space between to minimize the spread of germs.

Focus on Infants & Toddlerseditors: Laura Hooks & Nur Tanyel

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Room ArrangementPhysically, infants and toddlers have a steep learning curve. They are learning to roll over, sit up, crawl, and walk. The furniture and materials in the room, and how they are arranged, help facilitate physical development in a safe and supportive way. Well-defined spaces allow infants, toddlers, and caregivers to transition smoothly from one task to another. An environment for infants should include a space for routine care (such as diapering and feeding), a quiet space for caregivers to provide comfort, resting spaces or cribs, room for infants to move about freely, a space to play safely on the floor, and storage areas for materials available for play. Rooms should be arranged in a way that provides well-defined areas for specific purposes. For example, cribs need to be placed in areas that are quiet and away from areas where there is a lot of distraction.

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The changing table is in an area of the room that is away from distractions yet provides an easy view of the room. Supplies used for diapering are located on a shelf next to the changing pad and a sink is just a step away. Placement close to running water makes clean up smooth and helps prevent the spread of germs. A mobile is hung over the changing table for stimulation, distraction, and a source of conversation while toddlers are being changed.

Placement of the glider allows caregivers to provide comfort to those in need while watching other infants/toddlers play.

This room has well-defined areas with space for building blocks, pretend play, and a quiet corner. Cubbies for children’s personal items are available, as well as open shelves and closed cabinets for convenient storage of supplies and other adult-controlled materials.

Defined spaces within this classroom include low shelving that permits toddlers to independently select toys and clean up following play.

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Infants and toddlers also need soft areas where they can move and explore. Thick vinyl cushions and mats on varying levels allow children to practice movement without risk of injury. Small stairs help toddlers learn to safely negotiate moving up and down.

DisplaysDisplays intended for children should be on their eye level. The best displays for children have meaning to them, such as pictures from activities or art projects created by the children themselves. Some displays for infants should be placed so that infants can see them when they are on their backs. Placing something over the changing area is a great idea, as it provides visual stimulation as well as a possible topic of conversation between the caregiver and child. Items intended for parents should be displayed at adult eye level and be located conveniently near the pickup area. Pictures of family members and classroom activities provide both stimulation and a feeling of belonging.

ConclusionThe photos in this article provide examples of room arrangement and displays that support and promote the growth and development of infants and toddlers. No two classrooms need to be exactly alike. What is important is that arrangement and displays work to create a space that fits the needs of the caregivers and the children within the confines of a particular classroom. There are assessment tools available that caregivers can use to help gauge quality of care provided within their program and improve the quality of the environment. The National Association for the Education of Young Children includes a comprehensive program assessment that is used to determine whether or not a program’s quality meets accreditation standards. This program assessment includes a self-assessment. Another well-known quality rating scale (ITERSR), the Infants/Toddlers Environment Rating System-R (2006), has been used for many years to evaluate the quality of care provided. Evaluation results can be used by caregivers as a self-assessment and also a resource guide for program improvement. Some programs use the results of program assessment

This space also includes a defined area where children can sit with or without a caregiver and enjoy a good book.

This space is cozy and gives children a place to be alone and relax and enjoy a book or quiet toy.

The child-size steps and slide include carpet to provide a soft surface for crawling and learning to climb up and down.

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for accountability and/or to direct funding. Ultimately, the purpose of assessments should be to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers within child care settings. Careful attention to room arrangement and classroom displays is a good place to begin when providing high-quality care for the youngest of our children.

ResourcesCopple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (Eds.). (2009). Developmen-

tally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 (rev. ed.). Washington, DC: National Association for the Educa-tion of Young Children.

Harms, T., Cryer, D., & Clifford, R. (2006). Infant/toddler environment rating scale revised. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Helburn, S. W. (Ed.). (1995). Cost, Quality, and Child Out-comes in Child Care: Centers, Technical Report, Den-ver-, Department of Economics, Center for Research in Economic and Social Policy, University of Colorado at Denver.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Accreditation. Retrieved May 26, 2015, from https://www.naeyc.org/accreditation

Pictures and displays are at toddlers’ eye level.

This soft area features pictures of families; children can take a minute to transition from home to the child care setting and find comfort with pictures of their families.

This display of children’s art lets parents know what their children have been experiencing and provides validation to the children that their work is important.

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Children’s Roles. When young children are interested in something, they will likely take initiative in exploring an activity further. Children’s interests often motivate sustained activity. Child autonomy is important, as children need to feel comfortable and able to continue an activity that they started. Teachers’ Roles. Educators play a critical role in Child-Directed Activity as they provide guidance by asking children questions, making connections, modeling behavior, and providing choices. Teachers can gauge how much and what kind of guidance to provide by being attentive to children’s capabilities and preferences. They shape the environment, supply materials, promote and allow play, and determine group size. As they decide how much time is allocated to an activity, spontaneity and flexibility will be important to promote Child-Directed Activity. Shared Roles. Both children and teachers need to trust one another for Child-Directed Activity to occur. Educators trust children to make choices, while children trust that teachers will value their ideas. Teachers and children share control, as well. Educators who release some control of teaching to children demonstrate that youngsters can take charge of their own learning. Consider the child-initiated lion dance activity that began this article. The child, Jake, was motivated to create a lion dance and inspired other children to participate. The children controlled the direction of the activity, as the teacher refrained from imposing her own ideas about how the activity should transpire, although she was attentive to the children’s curiosities and provided guidance by asking them questions to provoke thinking. When interviewed about this project, Sarah explained that she asked “how” and “why” questions, and shared some of her knowledge with the intention to help the children think critically. For example, Sarah asked Jake and the other children how they would build their lion. She wanted them to carefully consider the materials they chose and what they needed to assemble it successfully. Sarah knew which materials were available and where they were located, but refrained from choosing specific materials for them because she wanted the lion product to be their own. She wanted the children to experiment with materials to discover which ones worked well

together and to determine on their own what aspects of a lion were necessary to carry out their vision. Her questioning encouraged the children to reflect on their experiences, share their thoughts, and problem-solve throughout the activity. In addition, she encouraged the children to collaborate. They discussed as a group what happened at lion dances, what they wanted to recreate, and what a lion and a lion dance brings to mind for them. Sarah was also flexible with time by letting the children search for materials, create the lion, and perform an hour-long parade. Sarah guided the children and provided support, but ultimately the children made their own choices about what materials to use and how to bring their parade to life. All these aspects contributed to a successful Child-Directed Activity.

The Effects of Child-Directed ActivityOur research indicates the following positive effects of Child-Directed Activity. Problem Solving and Self-regulation. Child-Directed Activity promotes children being creative, exploring ideas, and problem-solving answers to their questions. Young children come to school with many interests, but may lack the tools to expand those interests into a sustained exploration. Educators can teach them about parameters and appropriate ways and times to investigate an interest, and guide them in their explorations. Adults also can help children develop skills in self-reflection as they evaluate options and consider the final product or process. These self-reflections can promote children’s understanding of their capabilities and limitations, which helps them set realistic goals for their pursuits. They learn to manage and regulate themselves to accomplish their goals. Self-expression and Confidence. Child-Directed Activity helps young children realize the desirability of self-expression. They learn to ask questions and state their views, and that their opinions and interests have value. By engaging in Child-Directed Activity, teachers demonstrate to children that what they say matters—they have a voice in what they learn, which will help them acquire a sense of responsibility for their own learning. When children take ownership of their learning and acknowledge resulting accomplishments as the result of their actions, they may become more confident in their

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abilities. They may begin to see themselves as competent individuals who have the power to take an active role in learning. One of the teachers commented on these effects:

It builds their confidence. . . . They’re confident enough to share their ideas and know that they can be heard and what they’re saying is important. . . . They can explore when they want to explore, and then we as teachers guide them in what’s the appropriate way to explore. (Carrie, 1/28/11)

Social Development. During Child-Directed Activity, young children interact with one another and come to understand and build relationships. In this process, children learn about their relationships and how to work with others, as they develop skills in listening, discussion, and collaboration. One educator noted that Child-Directed Activity is important for children learning to work in groups. In order for them to share their ideas with others, children learn “how to present an idea, how to solve problems, how to work together with other people, [and] how to build interest in something that they’re curious about” (Malia, 1/7/11).

Tips for Using Child-direCTed ACTiviTy

Below are some tips for implementing Child-Directed Activity in the preschool classrooms.

• Beattentive. Educators should be aware of children’s development, abilities, preferences, interests, and per-sonalities. With that understanding, educators can be flexible and apply appropriate guidance and support. They need to be sensitive about when and how to question and converse with children and what kind of materials and activities to provide.

• Encouragechildren.Educators should encourage children to make choices and act on them. Providing a variety of materials and activities will give children op-portunities to choose and develop initiative. Engaging in open-ended activities encourages children’s creativi-ty and imagination. Teachers can empower children by pursuing their suggestions and integrating their ideas into class objectives and activities.

• Havepatience.Educators who have patience in let-ting children accomplish tasks on their own may help

children increase their sense of autonomy. When chil-dren make mistakes, teachers should recognize their attempts. Allowing children to try things on their own, and providing guidance when necessary, without being overbearing, will support children’s drive to achieve in-dependence. Children will learn that they do not need to rely on adults to tell them what to do, yet understand that they can approach adults for assistance.

• Createsafetyandsecurity. Children who feel secure in their physical and emotional environments may be more comfortable presenting their ideas. Educators determine the physical classroom environment, set expectations and rules regarding appropriate behavior, and model how to treat others. If teachers and peers are supportive, children will be more likely to share their thoughts and take action in learning about their interests.

Note: 1All names are pseudonyms.

ResourcesDeci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2001). Extrinsic rewards and

intrinsic motivation in education: Reconsidered once again. Review of Educational Research, 71(1), 1-27.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Position statement. Retrieved from www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSDAP.pdf

Piaget, J. (1964). Six psychological studies. New York, NY: Vintage.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 54-67.

Stanulis, R. N., & Manning, B. H. (2002). The teacher’s role in creating a positive verbal and nonverbal environment in the early childhood classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 3(1), 3-8.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Yamauchi, L. A., Im, S., & Schonleber, N. (2012). Adapting strategies of effective instruction for culturally diverse preschoolers. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 33, 54-72.

Zimmerman, B. J., (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 65-70.

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when they are presented in ways that are authentic, meaning-centered, and integrated with one another, as well as with other aspects of the curriculum. While much attention is given to reading, writing, and representing, many aspects of oral language learning are often forgotten or neglected in education settings. Since children typically come to school with the ability to speak fluently in their first language, it is sometimes assumed that no additional support is needed in this area and the focus of instruction quickly shifts to learning to read and write. This is unfortunate, since the development of the oral and written language arts are intricately connected with one another. By providing an intentional focus on oral language development throughout the curriculum, teachers can make a significant contribution to the literacy and learning of the children in their care.

Suggestions for Supporting ExpressiveLanguage Development

Take Time to Talk: Language learning happens best in social environments in which individuals have many opportunities to interact in meaningful ways. Children will benefit greatly from the opportunity to engage in extended conversations during free play, center time, and over snacks and meals. Share Time: Provide a time for individual children to use their oral language skills to communicate with the whole group. Time-honored activities like sharing and show-and-tell offer opportunities for children to use their language skills to talk about the things, events, and people that play important roles in their lives. By adding an interactive element, children also can gain important skills related to posing and answering relevant questions. Read-Alouds: Literature provides an excellent means for helping children “tune into” language. Well-chosen read-aloud books provide an opportunity for children to encounter new ideas, to hear excellent models of oral language, to encounter robust vocabulary words, and to experience different literary and linguistic elements. Young learners will benefit from read-alouds as they develop both the receptive skills to understand the new words and concepts that are presented, and eventually the expressive skills to use them in their own speech.

Explore Wordless Books: Wordless picture books, texts in which the whole storyline is conveyed through illustrations rather than through print, provide a great forum for supporting oral language development. Children can explore these visual narratives and tell the story from a variety of perspectives and levels. For example, very young children may simply flip through the pages, stopping to point at objects and verbally label known words. Older, more experienced language users will be able to use the books as prompts for cohesive, narrative storytelling. Figure 1 recommends wordless picture books to share.

Explore Poetry: Poetry is a genre through which children can learn joyful and powerful lessons about expressive language. The youngest learners can play with language in a myriad of ways with nursery rhymes, action verses, and finger plays. They can experience the pleasure of rhythm and rhyme as they chant along with familiar verses and gain added pleasure and comprehension as they add hand motions or act out different aspects of poems. They can consider the impact of pacing (i.e., how does the poem seem different when we recite it slowly vs. quickly?) and intonation (i.e., can we make the same verse convey different emotions by reading or reciting it with varied tones?) on expressive language. Figure 2 provides online sources of chants, finger plays, and poems for children.

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Figure 1:

Suggested Wordless Picture Books

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaoloBreakfast for Jack by Pat SchoriesThe Lion & the Mouse by Jerry PinkneyFlora and the Flamingo by Molly IdleMr. Wuffles! by David WiesnerChalk by Bill ThomsonThe Red Book by Barbara LehmanA Ball for Daisy by Chris RaschkaTuesday by David WiesnerNoah’s Ark by Peter Spier

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Add an Oral Language Element: Teachers can add an expressive language element to any existing classroom activity. For example, after working with a math concept, children can be encouraged to “tell the group what you learned” or to “explain the way that you tackled the problem.” Students can report out on their learning of science and social studies topics, talk about art projects, or give oral descriptions of what they each did during center time. Read-alouds can be followed with a brief opportunity for children to talk about their favorite parts of the book or to pose questions about some aspect of the story. Play Games: Traditional games like Simon Says, Duck, Duck Goose, and I Spy invite participants to intentionally consider the ways in which they are using oral language. Through a playful forum, children have the opportunity to use language to issue directions, choose and use language for play, and describe elements of the world around them.

resoUrCes

Downloadable Guides for Teachers and Caregivers:Learning to Talk and Listen: An Oral Language Resource

for Early Childhood Caregivers, https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/LearningtoTalkandListen.pdf

Promoting Oral Language Development in a High-Quality, Inclusive Preschool Learning Environment, www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/files/early-childhood-resources/Promoting%20Oral%20Language%20Development.pdf

A Window to the World: Early Language and Literacy Development, www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/policy-toolkit/early-literacywebmarch1-6.pdf

Center for Early Literacy Learning, www.earlyliteracylearning.org/cellpract_pract/presch/PGPrac_P_TalkIsFun_WM.pdf

Related Research for Further Exploration:Dickinson, D. K., & Tabors, P. O. (2002). Fostering language

and literacy in classrooms and homes. Young Children, 57(2), 10-18.

Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.

Justice, L. M. (2004). Creating language-rich preschool classroom environments. Teaching Exceptional Children, 37, 36-44.

Kirkland, L. D., & Patterson, J. (2005). Developing oral language in primary classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 32, 391-395.

Resnick, L. B., & Snow, C. E. (2009). Speaking and listening for preschool through third grade. Newark, DE: University of Pittsburgh and The National Center on Education and the Economy.

Figure 2:

Sources for Chants, Finger Plays, and Poems

www.songsforteaching.com/fingerplays/index.htmwww.scholastic.com/teachers/article/group-time-

fingerplay-funwww.storytimestandouts.com/free-early-literacy-

printables-children/rhymes-songs-fingerplays-chants/#poems

Early Years Bulletin, ISSN 2333-6226, is published quarterly by the Association for Childhood Education International, 1101 16th St., N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.

Articles published in Early Years Bulletin represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions taken by the Associa-tion for Childhood Education International.

Copyright © 2015 by the Association for Childhood Education International. No permission is needed to reproduce materials for education purposes.

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