NAEYC National Conference 2010

The preliminary program has just been posted on line for the NAEYC National Convention in November this year.
I will be presenting a workshop on emergent curriculum.

Become a polar explorer, feather a nest, and make it rain inside: Emergent curriculum is not only possible in preschool, it’s incredible!

http://www.naeyc.org/files/conference/file/2010/10_Prelim.pdf   on page 7

Come and see me in California and we'll talk about how to get this amazing kind of learning started in your early childhood classrooms.

Dana Gorman

Who Needs Paper?

I talk a lot about the importance of process over product with learning.  The experience and not the final outcome is what matters most.  I just read a disturbing report this morning.  IBM did a creativity report and found that American children's scores in creativity have been steadily declining since 1990.  We need to fuel the creative juices of our young minds.  Alright, off my soap box to show you a cool way to do that...

The importance of process is especially clear with the medium of finger paint.  Exploring the feel of the paint and the way it responds to movement as it glides across the painting surface is exciting.  Discovering how one can change the look of the painting by carving into the paint with one's hand, or fingers or various tools leaves endless possibilities.  This is incredible cause and effect interaction.

This can be done on finger paint paper, but another opportunity to explore this type of paint is on an acrylic easel.  With a large easel, the children were able to paint as a community effort.

The younger children were experiencing finger paint for the first time, while the older children were having fun writing their names in the paint and creating sea turtles and full scenes.  Then they decided to try and paint backwards and with one hand and standing on one leg.  With the sun shining behind the easel through the paint, it was a beautiful, creative experience.

Put trays of paint under the easel.
Let the children grab handfuls of paint and begin painting.
When they feel like they are finished,
they can wash the easel with large buckets of water
and car wash sponges.
Another great way to cool off in the summer!

 So get out those finger paints and start playing!!

What's in your paint bucket?

A wonderfully simple activity for young children on a hot day is to give them buckets of paint
and let them paint whatever they want!

No, I'm not crazy.  The "paint" is water!

You may think this would appear boring, but if you put it in buckets and pass out large paint brushes like professional house painters would use, it becomes an exciting material for discovery.




Then the children can enjoy watching the "paint" go on the objects they are painting and change as the sun dries it- a wonderful learning opportunity!  Of course, along the way, they are getting a bit splashed themselves and cooling off.

Give it a try.  We had 18 children ranging from 2-6 painting up a storm this week!