In previous blog post, Julie Cavanagh, principal of P.S. 15 in Brooklyn, said that children have made their hopes for returning to school very clear. She said that they are craving “play, play, play.” They need to play so that they can socially and emotionally heal from the isolation and fears of the past 15 pandemic months.
In this conversation, Richard Lewis and Kristin Eno make a second visit with me to talk about how observing our students at play allows us to pose questions that will build on their natural curiosity and take children on a journey of exploration, conversation, questioning and magical thinking. Richard and Kristin’s ideas will be so helpful for teachers and parents in creating a return to school this fall that will be filled with gentle joy and healing for children and for teachers.
For the past 5 years I have focused on and facilitated workshops and discussions on child engagement in play and learning. The key as an early childhood caregiver and educator is to observe and listen carefully and ask myself: “Do I need to step in here to promote engagement OR should I step back when I know that children are fully engaged?” In other words, “do no harm to high levels of engagement”, but yes, be ready to guiden children towards more complex play and learning when play gets repetitive and formulaic or disruptive.
Oh! This is a nugget of gold! So much in this!
I want to share widely.