Breaking the Routine

Routine, routine, routine. It is practically shoved down a parent’s throat these days! A consistent bedtime routine helps to encourage healthy sleeping patterns. A daily schedule, chore chart or list can help a day run smoothly. In my work with our students this summer, I have learned that for some, learning to break the routine is just as important.
I use many songs and rhyming chants to help us navigate through our day. After two to three weeks most students are singing along. The amount of language and literacy development is off the charts!
Here comes the tricky part. Two of my Early Childhood Special Education students are now stuck. It is difficult for either of them to complete a task if the routine has been changed. For example, during morning meeting the students are asked to find their written name and then their picture, which is hanging on a bulletin board. They are then supposed to turn around to greet their friends by name. My co-teacher and I have noticed in the past few days that Mia, one of our routine loving students, is not listening to the words we are saying, but going through the motions by heart. We decided that we would help Mia practice her adaptability skills by adding to, subtracting from or changing the routine.
It is amazing to watch how one little change can throw off a child like Mia. I am thankful that she feels safe and welcome in school. These big learning opportunities would not be possible if she did not trust her teachers. The first time we tried a change in routine, we asked Mia to sit down before finding her picture. From the moment the words left my mouth, Mia looked stressed and attempted to ignore my directions. I asked her to stop what she was doing and really listening to my words. With much patient practice we are slowly getting used to using our ears to hear and our brains to process important information!

Playground P's & Q's

In the past year there have been numerous reports of school administrators banning various behaviors on the playground.  For example, a school in Minneapolis, Minnesota banned touching due to rough housing incidents.  A school in Spokane, Washington has enforced a "no running" policy in order to maintain order on the playground.  These instances make me wonder, if you can’t touch the hand of a classmate or run on a playground, where are students going to learn these skills? 
 
My style as a teacher is to assume nothing.  Each student that walks in my door has a different life story and varying degrees of learning experiences.  It is my job to set expectations and parameters and to work with my class to develop rules and logical consequences that we can live by during our time to together.  This takes a lot of work.  In fact, the first 5-6 weeks of my school year are devoted entirely to this process.  We learn appropriate ways to use our materials and equipment and also agree on how to handle difficult situations with our friends.   
 
Our school shares a large wooden playground with the neighboring elementary school.  Weather permitting, I take my students outside daily for at least 15 minutes.  This is an important time for them to work their developing muscles, practice motor planning and interact socially with their peers.  I can’t imagine the horror of having to enforce a "no touching" or "no running" policy!  With enough practice and consistency from the teachers and assistants in our program, we've been able to create an active, safe and appropriate playground environment for all of our students.
 
One of the main reasons that playground behavior is an issue for school communities is because some teachers and administrators fail to see the playground as an extension of their classroom or school building.  Expectations and logical consequences need to be created, practiced and enforced.  Playground monitors, often in charge of recess supervision while we teachers grab lunch, need to know the rules and enforcement policies in order to maintain order.  With persistence, patience and consistency it is possible to maintain a safe and fun playground environment for students without taking the running out of recess.   



   

Today’s Secret Ingredient is…Music!

Any experienced early education teacher will tell you there are three key ingredients that go into creating every recipe for classroom success: blood, sweat, and tears.  Just like any good chef, good teachers add their own flair, spices, and secret ingredients to their classrooms to make the flavor “just right”.   No two classrooms are the same because no two chefs teachers are the same.  What separates me from Ms. Hoffman the fifth grade teacher down the hall and Chef Boyardee culinary extraordinaire is music.

As a pre-k teacher, I'm continually thinking of ways to motivate my students to learn, while keeping them focused on the activity at hand. Learning the lesson is only one piece of the puzzle; ensuring the concept being taught is retained for future application is where success lies. I have found music to be the most engaging, beneficial way to give my students memorable and meaningful learning experiences while keeping them alert and on task. Simply singing or playing the first few beats of a particular song can allay dangerous daydreaming and classroom catastrophes. I incorporate music in my classroom as often as I incorporate technology – which is constantly.

Here are just a few examples of songs I use to teach skills and concepts in the classroom:

• Dr. Jean’s Rise and Shine song = good morning ritual
• Frog Street Press = colors
• Frog Street Press = shapes
• Dr Jean = Days of the week 
• Stephen Fite = months of the year
• Dr Jean’s Nursery Rhymes and Good Ole Times = nursery rhymes
• Jack Hartmann’s Rhymin’ to the Beat = nursery rhymes
• Dr. Jean’s Scissors Snip = cutting skills
• Dr. Jean’s Name on Your Paper song = routines and procedures
• Heidi Songs Sing and Spell = sight words
• Heidi Songs = Numbers
• Dr. Jean’s Totally Math = patterns and numbers
• Sweet Honey in the Rock “Oh My Goodness Look at This Mess” = clean-up routines and procedures
• Dr. Jean’s Good-bye Friends song = good-bye ritual

No discussion about music in early childhood education would be complete without a mention of visuals. For an auditory lesson to have maximum impact, singing a song is just not enough. Visual aids accommodate students of different learning styles while introducing students to new skills and reinforcing thier knowledge retention. Another obvious benefit, imagery assists ESL learners in easily grasping otherwise difficult English language concepts.  Examples of visual props to use with music include: 

• Clip-Art: Pictures that go with a song (i.e. pictures of the animals to go with the song I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly)
• Stuffed animals or puppets (i.e. a stuffed dog or dog puppet to go with the song B-I-N-G-O)
• Toys (i.e. a toy boat to go with the song Row, Row, Row, Your Boat)
• Actions: Using simple actions to accompany songs such as dance movements to Jack Hartmann’s Rhymin’ to the Beat Nursery Rhymes

To the trained musical ear, auditory lessons might not be considered “music” at all. And while This Old Man and Down by the Bay aren’t the revered works of Bach or Beethoven, they are effective tools that promote fun learning to otherwise un-captive 3 and 4-year-old audiences.  Integral to any early education lesson is the ingredient music.  There’s always room for a sprinkle of Raffi or dash of Rachmaninoff in a delicious pre-k recipe.   

Learning Through Play

Recently, the early childhood world has been buzzing about an NPR story on the importance of play.  This was music to the ears of educators like me in the "pro-play" choir!

What I found most fascinating about the story was the research reported, which showed strong positive gains for children who experienced a play-based curriculum in pre-k.  All too often, pre-k teachers find themselves defending the use of play in the classroom to administrators who are unfamiliar with best practices in early childhood classrooms. By attesting to the importance of play this information may also help ease the fears of those parents who feel public pre-k is too academic.  Whether you are a parent or a teacher, it is research such as this, presented to a national audience, that can help raise awareness of the central role of play in the pre-k classroom.

The article discusses "executive function" and how it has drastically declined in our population in recent years.

Executive function has a number of elements, such as working memory and cognitive flexibility. But perhaps the most important is self-regulation - the ability for kids to control their emotions and behavior, resist impulses, and exert self-control and discipline....  Poor executive function is associated with high dropout rates, drug use and crime. In fact, good executive function is a better predictor of success in school than a child's IQ.

Unfortunately, play has changed dramatically during the past half-century, and according to many psychological researchers, the play that kids engage in today does not help them build executive function skills.

This really struck a chord in me as I have definitely noticed a change in my students over the years. Long before I read this article I was calling this phenomena “t.v. syndrome” because the students appear to be watching t.v instead of participating in class.

I spend the first two months of the school year showing students appropriate behaviors during circle time. For example, when I am reading a story their eyes glaze over and their jaws go slack; some lay on the floor like they are watching t.v. They will not interact with me and can’t answer even the simplest of questions like, “What color was the cat in the story?” When I sing a song such as Five Red Apples the slack jaws and glassy eyes persist, and I can’t get them to sing with me and hold up five fingers. These problems spill over into play time as well. Most students will wander around aimlessly during play time unless shown how to play with each other and each item, specifically.

What is most troublesome, however, is their lack of empathy, which I feel directly relates to a decline in their executive function. In the beginning of the year if I stumble or pinch my finger in the door the students will laugh. It’s almost as if they are watching an episode of Tom & Jerry instead of a real person. I have learned over time to actually teach them how to interact and respond to these types of situations. If somebody cries, get them a tissue; if somebody trips or falls, help them up and ask if they are o.k.

The article also mentions a program called "Tools of the Mind" that helps children develop their executive function.  I have never heard of this program before, but perhaps it warrants further investigation.  I would love to hear comments from anybody who has used Tools of the Mind in their classroom. 

When we provide opportunities for children to engage in play in the classroom we are allowing them to exercise their executive function and self-regulation skills, which the NPR article points out are extremely important parts of their development.

Coping with the Bad Days

Like adults, pre-k students have good days and bad days.  How we as teachers deal with the latter can significantly impact our relationships with individual students, their academic and social growth, and our overall classroom culture.

Just as we differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students, we must also individualize our approach to motivating them.  Karen, though upbeat and highly participatory throughout the day, periodically comes to school in tears, clinging to her grandmother.  She is quite comfortable using writing and drawing as a creative outlet, so  I suggest that she write a note or paint a picture for her grandmother during choice time.  This helps her remain connected even when she cannot be with her family.

Her grandmother and I have also worked on stressing responsibility with Karen.  I thank all of my students for being responsible when they correctly follow our morning routine as they enter.  Karen’s grandmother and I use that same terminology when we are trying to stop her from crying.  This process usually takes a few minutes.  She then calmly puts away her belongings, washes her hands, and is eating breakfast with her friends in no time.

Awana occasionally comes in sobbing and lethargic, particularly if she has been absent or we are returning from the weekend.  If she says anything, it’s usually a very quiet, “I want to go home.”  Her mother is not nearly as present or supportive as Karen’s grandmother, nor does she use writing and art in the same way as Karen.  She does, however, respond well to good old-fashioned hugs.  I usually ask her how she feels, let her know how I would feel, remind her of our classroom routines, give her a hug, and send her on her way to “have fun and learn with her friends.”  Kevin or David sometimes chime in with their own hugs and a “We missed you when you were out, Awana.”

Aniyah often arrives late and upset about something that happened with her brother on her way to school.  Despite our daily “fresh start,” she sometimes carries over some baggage from behavioral problems the day before.  I am quite familiar with her affinity towards cheer leading and use this knowledge to motivate her.  I often greet her with a cheer to her name or ask her to help me out with a cheer for one of her friends.

Understanding and effectively addressing mood fluctuations is an important part of my job, and through this process my students gain self-confidence and the trust in me they need to be engaged members of the classroom community.  When we as teachers succeed in this role, disruptions to the class are minimized and children are less likely to use negative behavior to get attention.

Perpetual Peace: Kant's Vision Realized through Pre-k?

The other day I was reminded of the importance of solidifying positive and peaceful attitudes early on in pre-k.  I overheard a teacher reprimanding a first-grade student in the hallway for hitting another child.  The teacher simply said, “You cannot hit her, it’s not nice.  Do you understand?”  When the child did not respond, the teacher said, in a more abrasive tone, “Say YES!.”  The child then said “yes,” as commanded, and the teacher moved on.

I had to wonder how effective that child will be in solving problems on his own.  Perhaps his teachers to date have not taught social skills effectively.  Or possibly he has experienced things that have undermined the endurance of those skills in the long run.  The incident caused me to reflect on my efforts this year.

I start teaching our peaceful and empowering approach in the beginning of the school year.  The process entails direct whole-group instruction through puppet role plays, books about friends and feelings such as Words are not for Hurting, and songs like “The More We Get Together.” In these activities, we use consistent language like, “I feel sad when you [fill in the blank].”  Add to this many one-on-one, informal teachable moments, and gradually the children gain an understanding of why they should use their words instead of their hands. 

By December, my students were able to follow through with a “peace agreement”, but I served a dominant role in the initial stages of the process.  Since then, the children have made even more progress and now take ownership of the peace process from the beginning.  For instance, David used to suggest that characters in our stories use violence to solve problems.  If the Cat in the Hat won’t leave, David suggested, we should “hit him on the head.”  Now, he is more likely to recommend talking through problems.  When we discussed recently how the farmer in Farmer Duck exploits duck and refuses to do any work, David chose peaceful means over violent ones, advising the duck to tell the farmer, “Please, can you help me?.”

Other children still require occasional reminders and encouragement, but their skills are clearly developing.  Tyrone’s first inclination during a recent read aloud was to hit the animals that had stolen a character’s fruit.  After I asked him, “Do we hit animals or people?” he offered an alternative measure: “I would tell the animals that I won’t ride them no more.”  Similarly, Jeffrey came to inform me today that another student would not let him play with a certain toy.  All I had to say was, “Work it out on your own,” and Jeffrey returned to the student to say, “I feel sad when you won’t let me play with it.”

Pre-k teachers - indeed, all teachers - have an obligation to teach conflict resolution in a way that empowers students to solve problems peacefully.  I want my students to leave pre-k with the rationale and language needed to facilitate peaceful conflict resolution so that, throughout their lives, they will rarely, if ever, receive a scolding like that first grader in the hall.  Perhaps if we start with pre-k classrooms that provide students with such tools, we will lay the foundation for a society that more closely embodies Immanuel Kant’s vision of enduring peace between people and states.   

The Benefits of Pre-K: A Parent's Perspective

After reading the reports about the link between childcare and negative behavior problems later on, I thought it might be helpful to hear a parent’s take on the effect of pre-k on her son’s development.  I decided to interview Ravon’s mother (“RM” for the remainder of the interview).

Ms. Pappas: Why did you decide to enroll Ravon in pre-k?

RM: I didn’t want a lot of play for Ravon.  My younger brother was in your class the previous year, and I always liked the way you involved the parents in the homework assignments.  I like the interaction with me and Ravon because I know what he is learning and we can work on further developing his listening and language skills together.  Also, you still let them play in your classroom, but they learn through the play.  Daycare was just play, play, color, color, all day long, but not enough learning. 

Ms. Pappas:  What do you think about recent studies that link childcare programs with negative behavior later on?

RM: Well, I used to work in daycare, so I agree.  They tend to baby the kids instead of giving them ways to solve problems when they misbehave.  They don’t explain things as much.  The regular elementary school pre-k is different.  You explain to the child why they are wrong and how they can correct themselves. 

Ms. Pappas: How much education do you think a pre-k teacher needs in order to benefit children?

RM: I think experience goes a long way, often more than education.  Some people with experience over education can deal with children better.  My grandmother had no education and kept eight children in line. 

Ms. Pappas: What are the benefits of pre-k?

RM: I have seen so much growth with Ravon.  He’s expressing himself better.  He’s more disciplined, and he wants to come to school.  He doesn’t want to miss a day.  My husband and I are so happy. 

Ms. Pappas: What are your hopes for Ravon?

RM: Ravon can write, express himself more, interpret things better, read at least on his level. 

Ms. Pappas: What about in the long run?

RM: I want my son to go to college.  I want him to have a very decent job.  I want him to enjoy what he does.  It's not as much about the money.  I really want him to be happy. 

Bad Behavior Solved, Not Made, in High-Quality Pre-K

I was concerned last week when a recent report linking child care to later behavioral problems in children grabbed headlines.  I can only imagine the guilt that parents who have children in such programs felt upon hearing this news.  But the reality is far from the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” picture painted in the media.

High quality pre-k offers the chance for young children to learn how to express themselves appropriately in a wide range of social interactions, how to solve conflicts with peers, and how to function productively in a structured school environment.   

The first thing my children learn is how to follow set routines.  Many come in without any previous childcare experience.  Their first week behaviors have included children leaving the class to run down the hallway laughing and screaming and others simply wandering the classroom unresponsive to my efforts to give directions.  I consistently implement classroom procedures and routines designed to make the students capable of working on their own and with others. 

By the end of September they could do everything from sitting on the rug to disposing their lunch tray.  They also knew what would happen if they did or did not follow our classroom rules, why it was important to follow the rules, and how to “use their words” to solve conflicts.  Their awareness of what to expect, desire to receive positive praise, and investment in our “we are all friends” classroom culture curbed negative behavior.  Moreover, our emphasis on the rationale behind wise choices such as peaceful conflict resolution made our teaching more lasting. 

Parents can certainly also teach their children about solving problems and behaving appropriately.  Yet pre-k offers the opportunity for young children to practice these strategies with a large and diverse group of their peers on a daily basis.  Kevin, aka “the anti-sharer,” who frequently threw temper tantrums when he did not get a turn at something, frequently exhibited similar behavior at home.  Pre-k gave Kevin the chance to practice working out problems with other children, a skill that will help him in school and at home.  Moreover, we used our knowledge of his learning style based on our extensive anecdotes to develop an outlet for his negative energy and an opportunity for him to take ownership of the solution within the context of our daily routines.    

High-quality pre-k offers high-quality teachers focused on analyzing student behavioral problems and implementing enduring solutions. Without such attention, I could see the problems getting worse and producing the kind of results captured by this latest research.  For me, this study and my experiences are a call for educators, parents, and policymakers to support efforts to make all early care and education programs high quality.       

Honoring our Contract

She did it!  After three weeks on her individualized behavior contract, Aniyah finally earned enough points to present a special cheering show in front of the whole class. 

As she stepped into the spotlight, Aniyah was surprisingly shy, unlike her attitude when giving frequent, disruptive cheers at inappropriate times.  This “command performance” cheer was a bit more subdued.  Yet as her friends cheered her on, her face brightened, and you could hear a sense of pride reverberating through her voice.

She cheered while clapping out each letter, “A-N-I-Y-A-H, A-N-I-Y-A-H, Aniyah, Aniyah, I am Aniyah! Aniyah, Aniyah, Aniyah!”

When I shared news of Aniyah’s show with her brother and mother the following day, the pride became contagious.  Her family members smiled widely and seemed relieved that Aniyah was showing progress.

Aniyah’s road to victory was not quick and easy.  She initially responded to the point system just as she had to our whole class color card behavior system, asking me angrily why I gave her a one or a two or a yellow or blue card instead of connecting her behavior to the negative consequence.

As we had one-on-one conversations each day, focused on her specific behaviors and the number of points that corresponded with them, she began to grasp the relationship between her choices and the consequences.  Towards the second week, I would ask her how many points she thought she earned for the day, and she could usually guess correctly based on her own assessment of her behavior. 

What does Aniyah’s behavior look like on the rug now?  She usually listens to her friends and me attentively and rarely creates a disturbance by calling out.  We, of course, still have our cheering moments, but these have become exceptions.

Perhaps best of all, Aniyah’s behavioral improvements have facilitated intellectual growth.  She engages more actively in discussion during stories, making predictions and thinking critically about how to solve the characters’ problems.  Just last week, she posed the “water car” solution to the problem in Leo Lionni’s classic, Swimmy.  After losing his school of fish to one deep sea predator, Swimmy found another school of small fish so petrified of big tuna fish that they would not swim around the ocean.  Aniyah’s solution required the small fish to drive a water car out of the ocean away from the big tuna fish.  Aniyah was so focused that she not only suggested the idea but also wrote “wtr car” on our solutions list without guidance from me.

Her behavioral and academic progress have gone hand in hand, and I look forward to more improvements in the months ahead.  This is one contract that both sides of the table are happy with.