Early Years Bulletin
Winter 2017 vol 5 no 2
Focus on Pre-K & K editor: Jennifer Baumgartner
Building Self-Esteem in Young Children By Michelle Grantham-Caston, Louisiana State University and Caroline Tolentino, Villa del Rey Elementary
Pre-K students Ericka and Maria are in the art center together. They are about to decorate the masks they created the other day. Ms. Cathy, their teacher, has a variety of gemstones and colorful stickers on the table. Ericka sorts through the gemstones and finds one that is purple and pink. She shows it to Maria, who likes it. Maria looks for another gemstone with that coloration but she cannot find one. She gets frustrated and says, “I give up, my mask will never be as beautiful as I like it to be!” Ericka hands her the purple and pink gemstone and says, “Here, you can have this. I like the one that is plain purple anyway. That is my favorite color!” Maria smiles at Ericka and places the purple and pink stone on her mask. Ericka tells her, “There, your mask is beautiful just like mine,” while showing her the mask she made with a purple gemstone.
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valuating self-worth begins in the early years, as young children figure out who they are and use this information to examine what is going on inside their bodies and minds. As children grow in their ability to identify their unique qualities, this evaluation can be subjective and emotional, leading to judgments that support the components of healthy self-esteem: competence, worth, and control (Marion, 2011). Children can develop either high, healthy self-esteem or low selfesteem. Children with a high, healthy self-esteem are more likely to be engaged and collaborate with others in an appropriate manner because they are secure within themselves. A healthy self-esteem gives children the
confidence to trust judgments when making decisions and involves having self-assurance, knowing that a good decision can be made with beliefs that can be defended even when there is opposition. Ericka shows a high, healthy self-esteem. She is confident that even if she does not have the purple and pink gemstone, her mask will still be beautiful. She makes sure that Maria will feel good about her mask and is willing to give up something she has to make a friend happy. On the other hand, children with low self-esteem are more likely to avoid tasks and challenges or may exhibit negative behavior toward others and themselves (healthychildren.org, 2015; kidshealth.org, 2017). It is likely that low self-esteem evolves over time through feedback that shapes children’s feelings of self-worth, confidence, and the ability to complete tasks. A child’s negative evaluation of himself may lead him to believe that he is incapable of learning and affect the way he behaves at school.
Contents p. 5 - Focus on Infants & Toddlers p. 8 - Activities for the Classroom
Early Years Bulletin
Winter 2017 First-grade students are working in pairs to create a writing project about nocturnal animals. Ms. Karen, their teacher, models how to collaborate with others by having a discussion and agreeing on what they want to write about. She models how to draw pictures by putting shapes together and then coloring them. She shows the students how to put details into their drawings, then finally how to work together to write about their pictures. The class is working diligently when, suddenly, Richard starts screaming from across the room. “Ms. Karen, I don’t know how to do this!” he says as he starts crying. Richard’s partner, Miles, says, “We need to work together!” Ms. Karen sees that Richard and Miles have not attempted to draw anything. She assures them that she will help, but asks that they help her as well. She then tells them, “You need to think of the nocturnal animal you want to write about. Talk among yourselves and see which one you like the best.” Ms. Karen asks, “What nocturnal animals did we talk about this week?” Richard replies, “Bat, owl.” Miles continues “Fox, cat.” Ms. Karen says, “You’re both right. Those animals are nocturnal. So, which animal do you want to write about?” Richard says, “I think I want to write about a bat.” Miles agrees and says, “Bats are awesome!” Ms. Karen tells them, “I think your bat project will be interesting! I can’t wait to see your drawing and read your sentences.” Soon enough, Richard and Miles finish their work and show their project to Ms. Karen and their friends.
Low self-esteem is the result of many different factors throughout a child’s life, including, but not limited to, lack of praise, lack of interest, rejection, neglect, bereavement, bullying, and various forms of abuse (Fennell, 2005). An unhappy childhood in which adults have been negative or critical can have lasting negative repercussions on self-competence, worth, and control. Teachers, along with other significant adults, play an important role in developing self-esteem in young children, facilitating growth by teaching strategies to build positive selfesteem. Ms. Judy models respect in her classroom through many different examples. She addresses her students by their names while modeling appropriate attentive listening skills, and making eye contact with the speaker. She also uses words such as “please” and “thank you” as signs of appreciation, and asks how or why questions to allow her students to think and speak freely. Ms. Judy encourages her students to voice their opinions and limits use of questions with only one correct answer. She finds what her students do best and cultivates their abilities and talents. After Johnny has made a remark about how he thinks he is stupid, Ms. Judy says, “Johnny, I don’t think you are stupid. Remember how you built your jet with the blocks yesterday?” Johnny responds, not looking at Ms. Judy, “Uh . . . yes.” Ms. Judy continues by saying, “That was awesome, nobody else made a jet like you did. I want you to teach me how to make it and then maybe you can teach your friends, too.” Later that day, he confidently shows Ms. Judy and his friends how to make a jet with the blocks. Ms. Judy works hard to find something that Johnny is good at and asks him to share his expertise in class to help him feel confident and special.
In the classroom, the manner in which a teacher delivers instruction and heightens engagement shows children how competent she is with her role as the teacher. This includes putting time and effort into well-developed lessons and activities for the children, while modeling competence through interactions with students. Meaningfully planned activities in the classroom encourage leadership and decisionmaking for boosting self-esteem, as shown in the story above. Ms. Karen exhibits competence in her work by providing the right amount of support while allowing students to make decisions for themselves. She is also helping students build competence by making sure they are accomplishing their task through hard work, perseverance, and determination to achieve their goal. Worth. Worth is how much a child likes himself and if he believes others like him, too. Every child needs to know they are valued, important, and special. How worthy a child feels in life can contribute to their overall
Components of Healthy Self-Esteem Competence. Competence is the ability to accomplish goals, which grows over time through constant effort. “Young children with social competence difficulties are at risk for maladjustment and social problems into adolescences and adulthood” (Kemple, 2017, p. 626). Competence grows through determination and perseverance, which must be instilled in young children by teachers, parents, and more competent others. To instill competence, one must model it through personal actions and development of appropriate learning goals.
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Early Years Bulletin In Mr. Wood’s kindergarten class, he allows the children to take charge of easy activities and make simple decisions, and supports them as they take ownership of the consequences of their actions and choices. For example, during center time, a group of children working with building blocks are having a conversation about moving the tower they made from the block area to the other end of the rug. The children decide to move the tower by lifting it and assign two children to hold opposite ends of the tower. After several steps, the tower falls apart and the blocks land on the floor. The children immediately look at the teacher, who simply gives them a nod. The simple gesture reassures the children that he trusts they are in control of and can handle the situation. The children discuss what to do and decide to put the blocks in the bucket to transport all the pieces to the other end of the carpet. Soon, the children are building another tower.
feelings about success. Examining one’s worth can include an internal and external evaluation of one’s self. Internal assessment of one’s worth means considering what is inside the mind and how that relates to ideas, beliefs, practices, or behaviors. External assessment can involve thoughts like: How do I look? How do I feel about my family and where I live? Why don’t I have a lot of friends? Mary, a pre-K student, was struggling to work a puzzle. Her teacher, realizing that Mary was struggling, did not criticize or shame the child, but instead redirected her and provided support. The teacher offered a less-challenging puzzle to boost the child’s confidence, which allowed for completion of a task. This made a puzzle activity achievable and helped promote Mary’s competent self-worth. When the teacher saw Mary successfully complete the puzzle, she encouraged her in an elaborated positive way by saying, “You worked really hard completing this 25-piece puzzle. I think you are ready for a 30-piece one.” Charles Cooley, American sociologist, explains selfworth through the idea of the looking-glass-self, which means our feelings about ourselves are affected by how others see us. Therefore, people are products of interactions within society. As teachers, we need to remember the importance of being models for our students through our daily interactions. This includes the language we use and our reactions to them, as this has an enormous impact on their self-esteem. Control. Control as it relates to self-esteem can be seen as “the degree to which a child thinks that he is responsible for how things turn out” (Marion, 2011, p. 174), or self-regulation as it relates to self-determination (Erwin, McGrath, & Harney, 2017). Children need to feel responsible. Developmental psychologist Erik Erikson believed that children will become more independent when parents establish a supportive atmosphere that helps children develop a sense of self-control without a loss of self-esteem (Miller, 2011). In society, some children have opportunities to do things on their own and have some control, which allows for a positive healthy view of control. Other children are rigidly dominated by the adults in their lives, which results in children having limited or no experiences with decision-making, resulting in negative self-esteem and a negative effect on selfworth, control, and competence.
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Strategies That Help Children Foster Healthy SelfEsteem Teachers and parents can help children build positive, healthy, and high self-esteem (Brooks, 2016; Marion, 2015) by: • Using positive statements, encouragement, and appreciation, and avoiding empty praise. Examples of positive statements are: “You are working so well with your friends” or “I appreciate you helping me clean the art table.” These are specific statements of encouragement that have meaning behind the praise. • Acknowledging both pleasant and unpleasant feelings. Adults should acknowledge all types of feelings as normal and discuss them. Children sometimes do not know how to express their feelings and need support from an adult to express and understand the value and worth of all types of feelings. • Expressing genuine interest in children and their activities. Teachers should make an effort to show children that they truly care for them and are concerned about their well-being. Teachers also should be mindful of the way they react to children through body language. Positive reactions, such as smiling, getting on eye level with a child, sharing high fives, and giving hugs, all promote acceptance, affection, and concern for the child (Marion, 2011).
Early Years Bulletin • Teaching and promoting social acceptance. Teachers must always promote social acceptance for all children, so they feel completely valued in accomplishing the goals set forth. They should teach children real-life skills to help them develop positive social experiences with others. • Giving meaningful feedback to children. Teachers can boost competence by helping children learn to recognize and gracefully get credit for the things they do well. They also can help children accept their flaws and offer guidance for improvement through meaningful and timely feedback. • Teaching and modeling problem-solving skills. It is important that teachers not only teach but also model the skills necessary to solve problems. Children must realize that even teachers are faced with difficult situations and that they can successfully overcome them. Teaching and modeling problem-solving skills strengthen children’s competence and help them develop positive self-esteem. • Having children take part in decision-making. Being in charge of some important choices and decisions in their lives and the lives of others helps children build self-worth and control. Teachers should allow children to make choices and own their decisions. Multiple opportunities also should be provided for children to exercise their leadership and contribute their time and talents to others. • Assuring children that it is OK to make mistakes. Teachers should explain that everybody makes mistakes and teach children to have a positive attitude about making mistakes. Teachers must model the value of perseverance and patience, while encouraging children not to quit when activities or situations become difficult. Conclusion Instilling in young children the value of worth, competence, and control is critical for children’s healthy development. These dimensions are the building blocks for a child’s self-esteem and positive development. Teachers play a vital role in making sure that young children develop positive self-esteem (Martinez, 2011). References Brooks, R. (20016, March 16). How can teachers foster self-esteem in children? Teachers play an important
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Winter 2017 role in nurturing a student’s sense of dignity and selfworth. Retrieved on June 14, 2017 from http://www. greatschools.org/gk/articles/teachers-foster-selfesteem-in-children/ Erwin, E. J., Robinson, K. A., McGrath, G. S., & Harney, C. J. (2017). “It’s like breathing in blue skies and breathing out stormy clouds.” Mindfulness practices in early childhood. Young Exceptional Children, 20(2), 69-85. Fennel, M. J. (2005). Low self-esteem. In A. Freeman, S. H. Felgoise, C. M. Nezu, A. M. Nezu, & M. A. Reinecke (Eds.), Encyclopedia of cognitive behavior therapy (pp. 236-240). Boston, MA: Springer. Kemple, K. M. (2017). Social studies, social competence and citizenship in early childhood education: Developmental principles guide appropriate practice. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(5), 621-627. Maltese, A., Alesi, M., & Alù, A. G. (2012). Self-esteem, defensive strategies and social intelligence in the adolescence. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 69, 2054-2060. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.12.164 Marion, M. (2011). Guidance of young children. Myeducationlab. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson. Marion, M. (2015). Guidance of young children. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson. Martinez, K. (2011 May 17). Teachers and childcare providers’ impact on a child’s self-esteem. StressFreeKids. Retrieved on October 25, 2017, from https:// stressfreekids.com/6974/teachers-childs-self-esteem/ Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Self-esteem. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfesteem Miller, P. H. (2011). Theories of developmental psychology. New York, NY: Worth. Self: Looking glass concept. (2004). In W. E. Craighead & C. B. Nemeroff (Eds.), The concise Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved from http://libezp. lib.lsu.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference. com/content/entry/wileypsych/self_looking_glass_ concept/0?institutionId=463 Signs of low self-esteem. (2015). Retrieved June 07, 2017, from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/agesstages/gradeschool/Pages/Signs-of-Low-Self-Esteem. aspx What is self-esteem? (2017). Retrieved on October 25, 2017, from http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/about-selfesteem.html.
Winter 2017
Early Years Bulletin
Focus on Infants & Toddlers
editor: Nur Tanyel
Helping Adolescent Parents Understand the Importance of Play With Their Infants and Toddlers By Cathy Sparks, University of South Carolina Upstate
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n a recent assignment for a college education class, students were asked to observe a parent and child in a public place, such as a park or playground, and take notes about the interactions they observed. Out of all the families the students observed, only two parents were actively playing and interacting with their children. Other parents told the children to “go play,” while they talked with other adults or used their cell phones. One father expressed his irritation with his child for interrupting an important call. One mother never looked up from her phone, even when the child seemed to be experiencing some distress. The first three years are extremely important in the life of a child and can have a great influence on growth and development. During this time, play is the predominant activity for young children. Play is important for brain development and is a factor in the child’s physical, mental, and social development. It is children’s fundamental language and playing together is an important bonding activity for parent and child. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016) calculate that approximately 230,000 babies were born to mothers between the ages of 15 and 19 in the United States in the year 2015. According to the American Association of Pediatrics (2008), these adolescent mothers are less likely to vocalize to, touch, or smile at their infants. They are less sensitive to, and accepting of, their infants’ and toddlers’ behaviors, as compared to older mothers. They also have less realistic expectations regarding their children’s developmental capabilities. One of the primary developmental tasks for children 0 to 3 is development of an attachment relationship (Bowlby, 1969). Children without secure attachments are more at risk for developing emotional, cognitive,
and social problems. Children of adolescent parents are more likely to have academic and behavioral problems than children of older mothers (Berlin, Brady-Smith, & Brooks-Gunn, 2002). The children also perform less well than their peers on preschool measures of cognitive competence (Luster, Bates, Vanderbelt, & Neivar, 2004). This could be due, in part, to adolescent parents’ lack of knowledge about child development, appropriate parenting strategies, and the importance of play.
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” —Old English proverb
Adolescence is a period of growth and change. The role of being a parent may complicate this time, and place increased pressure on the adolescent. Adolescents are often egocentric, which is in direct conflict with the requirements of being a parent (Meese, 2002). Children require a lot of attention, and adolescent parents may not be able to separate these needs from their own. They may see playing with their child as a waste of time. One young mother of twins was instructed by a preschool educator to talk more to her infant sons. Her reply was, “Why? They can’t understand what I am saying.” In a 2010 study on adolescent mothers’ acceptance and empathy (Sparks, 2010), none of the mothers in the parenting group expressed empathic responses to their children when observed by parent educators.
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Early Years Bulletin According to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN, 2008), strong evidence suggests that many of the negative outcomes associated with adolescent parenting can be diminished by strong social support and schoolbased programs that provide health care and parent education. It has been found that equipping adolescent mothers with knowledge about parenting and child development improves their ability to parent effectively (Byers, 2000). Early education teachers can be a positive support to adolescent parents in providing information about the importance of play, as well as effective ways to play with their child.
Winter 2017 and home. Yet, children need time with their parents to form a secure attachment. Playing with your child can be a way of developing the strong bond that is so important for both child and parent. When children play with their parents, they learn skills that are necessary and helpful in learning to successfully play with their peers (Haight & Miller, 1992). This learning begins in infancy, with simple games such as peek-a-boo, and progresses as the child ages to games such as tag and building with blocks. It continues to develop into pretend play, which helps in developing the whole child (Vygotsky, 1978). As children participate in pretend play, they increase their language skills and learn to control impulses and behavior, regulate their emotions, and use creative problem solving. Shine and Acosta (2000) suggested that many parents need guidance on appropriate ways to play with their children. Parents are more likely to use the time together to teach, ask questions, or direct the activities. However, young children benefit from child-directed play, in which the child makes the decision of what to play and how to play. In child-directed play, the child leads and the parents follow that lead by reflecting what they see the child doing and what they hear the child saying. Infants and toddlers need parents who are warm, responsive, and supportive. Through child-centered play, parents learn to respond to their child with empathy and encourage their child’s self-direction.
Ten Suggestions for Explaining the Importance of Play to Adolescent Parents 1. When children are playing, they are learning about their world. 2. When children are involved in pretend play, they are preparing themselves for the challenges of the adult world. 3. When children are playing, they are learning problem-solving skills. 4. When children are playing, they are increasing their fine motor and gross motor skills. 5. When children are playing with others, they are developing interpersonal skills such as sharing, taking turns, and caring about their peers. 6. When children are playing, they have an outlet for expressing emotions such as stress, anger, fear, frustration, or anxiety. 7. When children are playing, they practice and reinforce their learning in cognitive skills, physical skills, and social skills. 8. When children are playing, they develop their own talents and creativity. 9. When children are playing, they learn to make decisions on their own. 10. When children are playing with the parent, they develop a bond that will last forever.
Parenting Programs Several excellent parenting programs offer information and support for parenting young children. Offering these programs at child care centers is a cost-efficient way to provide helpful services to adolescent parents and their children who might not otherwise be able to afford these services. Many adolescent parents feel ill-equipped to meet the demands of parenting and can benefit from parent training that focuses on child development, the benefits of play, and parenting techniques (Sparks, 2010). A small-group format provides emotional support from other adolescent parents. When they participate in such groups, they realize they are not alone in their parenting struggles. This support may serve as a deterrent to harmful or inappropriate parenting practices. Listed below are programs that teach skills to help the parent feel more confident in their role as a parent:
Playing With Your Child In the middle of a play therapy session, the young child turned to the therapist and said, “I wish that my mommy would play with me like this.� She then returned to her play. Many parents report that they do not have time to play with their child due to other responsibilities at work
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Early Years Bulletin
1. Systematic Training for Effective Parenting of Children Under Six (STEP) by Dinkmeyer, McKay, Dinkmeyer, Dinkmeyer, and McKay (1997). This is a seven-week program that provides information on how children act, think, and feel. It emphasizes skills that will help increase the enjoyment and effectiveness of parenting. It also teaches the importance of offering encouragement to build self-esteem as well as guidance about how to listen and talk to young children. 2. Parents as Teachers (Parents as Teachers National Center, 2017). This program focuses on parental strengths, suggesting activities for parents and children to explore their interactions. It has been shown to promote greater success in school. 3. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Kids Will Talk (Faber & Mazlish, 1980). This program gives information on practical ways to build relationships with children, engage in cooperation, and deal with feelings and conflict. 4. Filial Therapy (Guerney & Guerney, 1964). Filial therapy is a unique form of parent training that trains the parent in child-centered play. The skills help the parent improve the parent-child relationship and connect with their child in a positive way. The parent plays with the child under supervision of the instructor as they learn the skills. Ten weeks of parent group sessions provide feedback and support to the parents as they learn the skills. Parents learn to use reflective listening, build children’s self-esteem, and set limits while playing with their child. They learn how to create a nonjudgmental, understanding, and accepting environment (Landreth, 2002). Filial training uses play as a fun and developmentally appropriate way to encourage parent-child interaction. Adolescent parents may have many doubts about their adequacy as a parent. This may, in turn, have an effect on the development of the child. Equipping parents through programs such as these in our child care centers may promote optimal outcomes for the parents and children by improving their ability to parent more effectively.
References American Association of Pediatrics (2008). Retrieved October 30, 2017, from www.aappolicy. aappublications.org.
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Berlin, L. J., Brady-Smith, C., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2002). Links between childbearing age and observed maternal behaviors with 14-month olds in the Early Head Start research and evaluation project. Infant Mental Health Journal, 23(1-2), 104-129. Bowlby, (1969). Attachment and loss, vol. 1. Attachment. New York, NY: Basic. Byers, K. (2005). Factors that contribute to positive parenting outcomes for adolescent mothers. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Chicago College of Arts and Sciences, Chicago, Illinois. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Retrieved Oct. 30, 2017 from www.cdc.gov. Dinkmeyer, D., McKay, G., Dinkmeyer, J., Dinkmeyer, D., & McKay, J. (1997). Parenting young children. Tampa, FL: STEP Publishers. Faber, A., & Mazlish, E. (1980). How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk. New York, NY: Scribner. Guerney, B. (1964). Filial therapy: Description and rationale. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 28(4), 303310. Haight, W., & Miller, P. (1992). The development of everyday pretend play: A longitudinal study of mothers’ participation. Merrill-Palmer-Quarterly, 38, 331-349. Luster, T., Bates, L., Vandenbelt, M., & Neivar, M. (2004). Family advocates’ perspectives on the early academic success of children born to low-income adolescent mothers. Family Relations, 53, 68-78. Meese, J. (2002). Child and adolescent development for educators. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. National Association of Nurses. (2008). The role of the school nurse in supporting adolescent parents. Retrieved October 30, 2017, from www.nasn.org Parents as Teachers National Center. (2017). Retrieved October 30, 2017, from https://parentsasteachers/org Shaeffer, C. (2008). Play therapy for preschool children. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Shine, S., & Acosta, T. Y. (2000). Parent-child social play in a children’s museum. Family Relations, 49(1), 45-52. Sparks, C. (2010). Filial therapy with adolescent parents: The effect on parental empathy, acceptance, and stress. Doctoral dissertation. Liberty University, Virginia. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Early Years Bulletin
Winter 2017
Activities for the Classroom editors: Patricia A. Crawford and April A. Mattix Foster
Blocks: Freedom and Structure of Learning, for Both Young Children and Their Teachers The following “Activities for the Classroom” column was submitted by Barbara Kimes Myers, Professor Emeritus of Early Childhood Education at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, with thanks to Mary Beth McCulloch and the staff, children, and parents at the University of Pittsburgh’s University Child Development Center.
At the “Caring Place” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Steve Woods and his colleagues work with grieving children and their families, many of the children build big square buildings with blocks that are easily identified as hospitals. One little boy, however, built a taller and thinner structure right next to the larger building. “What’s this?” wondered Steve, as he looked at the child’s additional construction. It was a parking garage. Here was a child who had visited the hospital with his family time after time to spend time with a dying loved one. And the young child had ridden around and around the parking ramp to park the family car.
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eaningfulness for the young child is not always what a grown-up might expect. This becomes evident during block play in well-organized areas with adequate space for movement. As adults invite young children to use blocks for the children’s own development tasks, observation and reflection are key to the surprises that might emerge. Just as Steve Woods and his colleagues gained insight into the meanings play might hold for the young children in their care, early childhood teachers can learn much about how young children understand the world through observation of their individual and group play. Erik H. Erikson, the child development theorist who taught about the whole child in a whole world, put it this way: “You see a child play, and it is so close to seeing an artist paint, for in play he [sic] says things without uttering a word.”
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Sammy’s preschool teacher considered this as she watched the 3-year-old sprawled out in the block corner of the preschool room, carefully placing unit blocks around his “an-e-mals” to completely enclose the toy animals in a fence-like structure. As she observed, the teacher remembered how Sammy used to blow about the classroom like a small cyclone knocking into other children or anything else in his path on the way to where he wanted to be. If not whirling about from place to place, he would sit almost unmovable on the sidelines of other children’s activities. Both she and Sammy had learned a great deal as she helped him move into the block corner, and gradually select blocks from the carefully arranged unit block shelves. Eventually, he incorporated into his play the zoo animals available in the selection of accessories available to stimulate dramatic play. While the teachers periodically changed and rearranged such accessories, rotating in and out wooden or plastic human figure, cars, trucks, planes, or rocks and other found things children brought inside from the playground, Sammy’s teacher decided that the animals should remain available, given Sammy’s use of them. Perhaps some domestic animals could be added as well. While Sammy was presently a solitary builder, his teacher was considering ways to facilitate his block play with other children. Structures young children build together can become quite complex, with blocks balanced in challenging
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Early Years Bulletin
ways and creative additions of found materials such as rocks carried back from a recent neighborhood walk. It would be a while before Sammy would enter into such cooperative block paly.
Today, a variety of blocks are appropriate for early childhood programs and can be found in catalogues such as Community Play Things and Creative Play. Sometimes, new block-building opportunities grow out of innovative ideas from teachers and communities. For example, one school placed large rectangular bales of hay on a kindergarten playground for children’s creative play and active exploration. Appropriate Time, Places, and Uses Children may need more time to build beyond the time scheduled for their self-selected play and other activities. Also, they may need more room for construction than is available in the official block area. In the hallway outside one kindergarten, several buildings were being constructed; on one, a sign was carefully fastened with masking tape that communicated, “keep, not finched.” The kindergarten children were learning to write words with important meanings. Learning how to spell “finished” would come much later for them.
Blocks, Blocks, and More Blocks When unit blocks, primarily used with 3- to 6-year-olds, are carefully arranged on open shelves, children can choose which blocks they want for their buildings and then think through where to place each block when they return them to the shelves. As much planning, decision making, and cooperation goes into clean-up time as it does in the process of building. Science and mathematics are foundational concepts developed during children’s overall experiences with well-crafted blocks that are units of each other. In the late 1890s, Caroline Pratt explored manual arts training to find something that would support more serious teaching and learning. While she appreciated the Patty Hill Blocks at Teachers College and their use in free play, she wanted to design something that could invite and support more intentional planning on the part of teachers. Pratt’s unit blocks were carefully designed, crafted, and sanded to meet the more complex developmental and educational uses in early childhood programs.
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Early Years Bulletin
Winter 2017
The playground offered blocks of another type to be explored and plenty of room for movement. In a 4-year-olds’ room, Katelyn had spent a lot of time building with large, hollow blocks that were light enough for her to lift and move them to where she wanted to be. At snack time, she sat on a seat she had thoughtfully and carefully built using the large, hollow blocks. She looked quite competent eating her snack of graham crackers and apple juice that she had carefully placed on a table in front of her that she had also constructed from the blocks. When she had asked her teacher if she could use her constructions when having her snack, the teacher had thought, “Hmmm, I wonder how that will work with the other kids? Will they all want to eat in the block area?” He decided to take a bit of risk. Katelyn ate her snack perched on her block chair and using her block table. The other children contentedly had their snack as usual. Teachers’ Important Role Teachers explore various ways of setting up environments that encourage block play. One teacher worked to support a hesitant child who did not yet use blocks by being quietly present in the block area, observing with interest, making a relevant suggestion, and wondering out loud, “What if?” Some basic rules that provide for safety must be established in the block area, but these can be flexible and reflect the children’s specific needs. Most important in the facilitation of block play are the teachers’ attitudes and felt presence, knowledge
of children’s experiences, and a firm belief that young children and teachers alike can learn. Recommended Resource: A resource that belongs in every library of those working with young children is The Block Book (3rd edition), published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Early Years Bulletin is published quarterly by the Association for Childhood Education International, 1200 18th St., N.W., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036.
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Articles do not necessarily reflect positions taken by the Association for Childhood Education International. Copyright © 2017 Association for Childhood Education International
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