Links For July 28, 2014
Let ‘Em Out! The Many Benefits of Outdoor Play In Kindergarten
That is exactly the kind of learning going on in the Swiss Waldkindergartens, or forest kindergartens, where children ages four to seven spend all of their school days playing outdoors, no matter the weather. With no explicit math or literacy taught until first grade, the Swiss have no set goals for kindergartners beyond a few measurements, like using scissors and writing one’s own name. They instead have chosen to focus on the social interaction and emotional well-being found in free play.
Wise Forest Preschool – Nature immersion pre-K in Golden Gate Park
We Stink at Playing with Our Kids: Thinking Differently About Playing Together
I’m not suggesting that co-play between parents and their children can never happen. It absolutely can. But play can’t happen on the parents’ terms. We have to recognize that as parents, we are realistic, risk-averse, predictable and goal-oriented control freaks. You can’t expect the unexpected from us, but take away the unexpected from play and you have little left.
Kindergartners’ Skills at School Entry Report and Sesame Street Framework for School Readiness
The report shows wide differences in school readiness persist with 44% of children entering school with one or more risk factors that impact their success in school. The analysis examined four risk factors that have been associated with children’s development and school achievement: single parent households, mothers with less than a high school education, households with incomes below the federal poverty line and non-English speaking households.
Playground basketball is dying
There is no single cause. The best players, young and old, want to be inside instead of out; they want organized games to showcase their skills, not pickup games to earn street cred. Violence has chased people off playgrounds and out of parks, and NBA and NCAA rules limit when and where guys can play in the offseason.... High school players in search of scholarships and exposure spend May, June and July in indoor, showcase tournaments and AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) events, not parks.
We have installed our own art at the same location as the DevArt exhibition. Don’t worry, we didn’t do any physical breaking and entering. We have placed a geofence around the Barbican and installed a virtual exhibition. You can visit our exhibition by surfing to this website if you are inside the geofence.