Can dramatic play teach self-control?

I have been reading the very recently published NurtureShock: New Thinking about Children. I just made it through the chapter discussing self-control in preschool children and the implementation of Tools of the Mind. Current studies indicate that self-regulation skills predict academic achievement more reliably than I.Q. tests. The program aims to increase cognitive self-control through complex dramatic play.

I first read about this in this New York Times article, which well summarizes the new findings. It is something I am currently reflecting on. We've already started implementing some of these ideas (see previous blog entry on Doctor imaginative play).

Sean, Sahil, and I are further researching the Tools of the Mind program  to see what it provides to our curriculum at Windsor.

If you're interested in learning more, please read the article linked above.

-SS

Emergent Curriculum: Doctor Dramatic Play

Dr. H in the middle of a check-up

We started dramatic play with our various medical kits and dress up uniforms.  We took turns being doctor, nurse, and patient. We learned how to take blood pressure and check our reflexes.  When the first two childen put on their doctor and nurse costumes, the children had a good giggle--they were thoroughly enjoying themselves!

The childrens current interest in doctors and the medical setting, likely brought on by their recent flu shots, inspired our role play.  Furthermore, we have a child who will soon be undergoing minor surgery and this dramatic role play will hopefully ease her fears.

This is part of our emerging curriculum in which ideas for curriculum emerge from the interaction of all classroom participants: both children and adults.  Emergent curriculum comes from the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy.

We will be continuing and extending this theme for the next week or so.

"I need to open this and get my mustache." (medicine)  -Samantha
"I want a band-aid." (right after getting one on his left hand)  -Neil
"I need to get some blood pressure."  -Nishita
"I'm sorry, but I'll need to give you one more flu shot."  -Ellie
"It's really beeping!" (hearing Mr. Sean's heartbeat with a real stethoscope)  -Alayjah
"Do you need a band-aid?"  -Therese

-Sean 

Party Feedback from the Children

"Um... um... My favorite part was BARNEY! I danced with him. The music came out of his mouth. He had little dots in his mouth and the music came out from there."

"I saw the five little pumpkin puppet show."

"Neil's mom had a scary costume!"

"Neil's mom had a mask. It covered her face... I was scared of her!"

"I made an Ariel cupcake... a little one."

"I was Minnie. My baby sister Emimy (Emily) was Minnie. Mommy was Minnie too. Chocha was Minnie. Daddy was Mickey."

"Miss Shanam and Siona were pennnnguins!"

"Mr. Sean dressed up like a hippo." (he was dressed as a Doctor)

"My mama dressed up like a fairy godmother!!! A fairy godmother is a type of fairy."

-SS

Fall Party Pictures

After the puppet show, everyone gets cozy for a fall-themed story

It was lovely seeing you at the Fall Party today!

Here are more the photos that Miss Dana took:
http://picasaweb.google.com/windsorparents/FallParty2009PhotograhyByDana#

-SS

Welcome our new teacher, Mr. Sean!!

Greetings to all!!

I am Sean and I am the newest addition to the Windsor Preschool Academy family! I have worked with children of all ages for over 15 years in a variety of places. Be it drama, summer day or science camps, after-school day care, babysitting or directing K-6th graders in fully staged musicals. I love the energy and wonder that children bring to everything in life. To see their faces light up at a performance well done or a math problem correctly solved is an amazing thing to see.

I look forward to getting to know and working with all of the children and parents at Windsor!

-Sean

Five Little Pumpkins

We have been doing creative, imaginative fall-themed activities. Today
we are sending home the classic children's poem, Five Little Pumpkins.

We have introduced this poem to the children as both fingerplay and
dramatic play. We suggest you post it on your refrigerator. Talk about
the different emotions the pumpkins must feel (i.e. the third pumpkin
is feeling grumpy/cranky, etc.). Children enjoy learning ordinal
numbers while they characterize each of the pumpkins, so emphasize
this. Role play with your child to stimulate his or her imagination
and increase self-regulation. Have fun with it!

Skills: comprehension, story sense, interest in reading, dramatic play, listening, communicating, ordinal numbers

-SS

Happy Deepavali!

With a fairly diverse group of children, and living in the Bay Area, we make efforts to celebrate major holidays of all the cultures the children belong to. Tomorrow is Deepavali or Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.

We started the day by pulling out our classroom globe and identifying where India is on it. We talked about how Deepavali is celebrated there, and that we were going to celebrate it too.

We then decorated the front of our school with "rangoli" art in groups of two or three. Rangoli, a popular artform in India, is a sandpainting decoration that uses ground up powder and colors. It is a sign of welcome. We used giant sidewalk chalk, wetting it first with water.

The children also made red sparkly lanterns. We carried these on a Diwali parade around the school. Naturally, the younger ones didn't form a line, but they did follow along in a little clump at the end of the line. :-) While parading around with our lanterns, we sang (to the tune of London bridge is falling down):


Little Lamps are burning bright,
burning bright, burning bright.
Little lamps are burning bright, It's Diwali!

See them lighting up the night,
up the night, up the night,
see them lighting up the night, It's Diwali!

We ended our Diwali party with some sweets-- delicious cookies from Miss Aida.

Happy Diwali!

-SS