For Your Binder

Although the rest of the world has ratified Article 31 of the United Nations Rights of the Child which declares that play is the right of all children, the USA has yet to do so.  This article rejects play as a privilege and instead supports it as a matter of equity.  #play #equity #teaching

Unfortunately, “going out to play” has gone the way of the dodo, the typewriter and the eight-track tape.  #outside #play #parenting #risk #resilience 

Note: depending on how often you access the LA Times, you might need to sign up for this one

Are our elementary school memories influencing how we are doing early childhood even though (we know) many of those practices are not developmentally appropriate? #DAP #teaching #learning

You can never go wrong by using the words someone has asked you to use for them.  #equity #gender #teaching #learning

Mixed-age groupings create a frame for deepening relationships for staff with children and their families.  #mixedages #DAP #teaching #learning

If you have not heard of him I encourage you to spend some time investigating his website for more resources, courses you can take, interviews, articles... #DAP #play #learning #teaching #relationships #care

The reason I used this link for you is because within it you will be able to access a few other articles that give historical and more recent (2014) context to this ongoing topic. The other reason is because this website as a whole is a fantastic resource for making sure your book area is providing windows, sliding glass doors and mirrors for everyone! #books #stories #DAP #language #literacy #equity #diversity #teaching #learning #reading

Children all over the world organize these “special places.” #dens #forts #nature #outside #play

Imagine that!  Social and emotional competence is JUST AS important as the ABCs and 123s!  #play #DAP #teaching #learning

While I am not sure you will need to plan a hand-clap lesson, the first part of the article provides a nice quick overview of some of the history of hand-clap games as well as connection between hand-clap songs and literacy. #DAP #play #recess #songs #playground

First off, regardless of your position on screen based tech please shelve it for this read as, seriously, the article is from 1996 and I am quite sure anyone currently involved in designing interactive media would laugh at how dated and old the language is ("the popular analogy of an office desktop to help a user understand the operation of a microcomputer")  

Also, I reread it a couple times before posting and I really think we can take the message, which might initially seem specific to gaming/interactive media, lift it up and take from it a reminder of the value and importance of play, discovery, intrinsic motivation & self-regulation.  #play #teaching #learning #technology #screens

Here is the initial child centered manifesto that appeared on my original website! And guess what?!!? It is all still true! Only thing different is that now I have a whole book about it, not just a webpage!

#teaching #learning #DAP #posterity #musings