In a Childs Path Farm Preschool
We care when you're not there
The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article on the case for play. Here’s what they say:
“The emphasis on standardized testing, on attempting to constantly monitor, measure, and quantify what students learn, has forced teachers to spend more of the school day engaged in so-called direct instruction and has substantially reduced or eliminated opportunities that children have for exploring, interacting, and learning on their own.”
Read the full article about the case for play.
At In a Child’s Path we embrace the philosophy that children learn excellent lessons by playing outside. The article “Why Playing Outdoors Makes Children Smarter” by Stacey Loscalzo in Portland Family tells highlights the reasons we love outdoor play, including: It’s multi-sensory, stimulates creativity, is open-ended, promotes problem solving, and it’s fun!
Read more from the Loscalzo’s article!
When Richard Louv wrote Last Child in the Woods, he never knew that it would create a movement focused on natural learning. In The Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Nature in a Virtual Age, Louv examines the challenges faced by adults who also suffer from nature deficit disorder. He believes that if adults reconnect with nature, it could be the answer to many of their physical and emotional ailments.
In an interview with Ames Tribune, Louv answers five questions about the effects of nature deficit disorder. He recommends a number of habits that adults can embrace to cultivate an appreciation for nature and natural resource preservation:
We love the book called Owl Babies! The children have learned how to recite most of the book.
We decided to make owl puppets one day and we went on a hike down to the lower pasture to find stuff for our Owl Habitat. Oh now that was fun! We found everything from to logs to sticks with thick different colors of green! The children called it hay colored green, grass colored green, one child said it was the green lettuce color from our garden, another said it reminded her of the green tree that is in our yard and in the same breath said “oh but those leaves are yellow now!” I get a kick out of teaching colors to children! I love it when I get to honor what is authentic and real. No color posters here at this school!
Our owl habitat has Sarah, Percy, and Bill. Here’s a conversation starter around the dinner table: Ask your child what Bill the owl baby says!
You might enjoy this song too (to the tune of Frère Jacques):
Wise old owl, wise old owl
in a tree, in a tree
Whooo are you looking at? Whooo are you looking at?
Is it me? Is it me?
The children are also learning how to sign this song.
