Counting Up

We did a bit of number work this week. Munchkin is pretty clued up on almost every Capital letter in the alphabet.  We haven't worried about lower case letters just yet as they are harder to recognise (so many variations on them!).  But numbers are a different story.  While he can count quite happily, he doesn't really know any numeral except 2.  As we had some time at home, and he seemed keen on doing cutters with the playdough, we got into it.

Numbers 1-9 were lined up and cut out one by one, lined up again, and then we had some fun randomly standing them all up (seen below).

We added zero...trying to remember that we need to do that!  I explain zero as being nothing, and that it goes before number 1 when we line up all our numbers.  Munchkin still usually calls it 'O for Oh No' though!

Then I rolled balls of playdough to sit beside each number, the idea being to help him understand that this figure in front of him represents a number, i.e. a QUANTITYof something.

I know that's a really important concept for kids to get, so I'm hoping our short 'lesson' helped a little.  The attention span is not great, and I'm not trying to instigate any learning he isn't ready for, so a ten minute game like this is great before we moved onto making playdough roads for his cars.

Counting how many balls we have put in front of the number 5.

How do you/did you teach numeral recognition?

Amy

Number Cards

After success with our Letter Cards, I decided to whip up some numbers ones.  These are very basic, just a written number and some shapes, drawn with yellow pen.  But then they don't need to win any artistry awards, do they?  Just as long as they help Munchkin learn to recognise his number names.  I mostly used shapes for the pictures, as we haven't  really covered any except circles so far.  May as well make them serve a double purpose!

Amy

Goodbye, Baby

Today I left my baby with strangers.
He was fine.
I was, ah, emotional. But okay. I had my little moment as I drove home, wondering if he’d be okay, wishing I didn’t have to leave him. But then I thanked God that he is nearly three, and a happy, well adjusted boy for all that. I am SO grateful that I wasn’t having to leave my six month old at daycare, that this moment came when he was ready for it. Ready. Not forced, even though it’s happened now because of my study needs. It still fits his needs and wants. He likes his preschool, and he’s going to have a great time. Reassuring when I can sometimes feel like this degree gives him the short end of the deal. I’m really, honestly, truly blown away at how this whole thing has been orchestrated. It certainly wasn’t by any of my doing. Being able to have last year off study was exactly what I and my family needed right at that time. But going back to study is also just the right thing for the right time now.
I’ve also figured out some of the emotions. The issue is not so much that I’m leaving my boy. It’s that I’ve had to leave him with people who really don’t know him yet. They don’t know what he likes or dislikes (even though I did write them a one-page tome on Munchkin’s personality!). They don’t know how to settle him when he is upset. I kind of feel like that’s my special place in his life. Mummy knows what word he is trying to say, Mummy has the right cuddles when he is upset, Mummy is there when needed. So today it was hard to relinquish some of that to his teachers. Wonderful, loving, talented teachers, but still comparative strangers. But of course, they won’t remain strangers. Give us a few weeks. That’s the thing, we’ve had to rush into this a bit more than I would naturally be inclined to. Study again. Sigh. But it’s okay. The boy is resilient and friendly. He will be okay. So will his mother (so I tell myself).
I’m definitely glad he will be staying for two full days, rather than having to do this every week day morning! Lots of travel, as our centre is fifteen-twenty minutes drive away. Now I realise that’s not far really, just further than many others we could have chosen (but didn’t ‘cos they aren’t nearly as good!). It just means I lose up to two hours each day in the drop off/pick up run between the driving, shoes, settling in, etc. I got an hour and fifty minutes to study while he was at kindy today. Got a good amount done, but will definitely be needing more next week.

The other thing I think has been making this all more glaringly obvious, this ‘losing my baby’ feeling, is that Munchkin is our only child. If we had another child at home, perhaps I wouldn’t notice quite so much that he is growing up far too quickly? I’m not sure, but maybe? There’d still be the baby cuddles, the cooing and bouncing, the learning to walk and talk. For us, that phase is now completely over. It’s been over for awhile, I just didn’t consciously realise and let it go. I’m doing that now. I’m realising that I now no longer have a baby. He’s not even a toddler really. He’s a preschooler. Oh my, my big preschooler!
I took photos. He sat, resigned. Tolerant. Yup, I’m already getting the tolerant look. He let me photograph, but was really just wanting to know what he was allowed to eat from his lunch on the way to kindy (Mummy having realised that morning tea at 10am is a LONG time to wait for a small boy who had breakfast between 6:30-7:30am).
He’s now sound asleep, wiped out from the day. And that was with a sleep at lunchtime. Ugh. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to next week when sleep might not be a happening thing with all the goings on and interesting stuff at kindy!
But I’m glad that we’ve done it. Glad that we chose well, glad that we were able to wait this long before he had to go to preschool (it is a complete miracle when you think of the study/work juggle the past couple of years and I am truly grateful).



Amy

Improvisation

We don’t have a sand pit.

My boy loves sand. Absolutely LOVES it. Give him a sand pit and leave him to it. For HOURS. Seriously, when this kid goes to kindy, you will know where to find him.  If there isn't any sand available, then dirt will do instead...

While we might not have a sandpit, we do have rice. A big, big bin full of it. And some food colouring. And an oven.  Coloured rice!
Oven tray, plastic mat, and the rest is up to him.
Hours and hours of entertainment.

Okay, so there was some rice in the carpet. Nothing a good vacuum won’t fix, and totally worth it for the wet day fun we’ve had.

We didn’t have a road mat either (Munchkin was given one this week. He carried it to the car. He carried it from the car into the house. I just wish you could’ve seen it! The mat is taller than he is, and there he was proudly carrying it between his arms, ends sticking out either side of him. Mummy helped him step up and down stairs seeing as he could hardly see!).
So we improvised. We did have a bit big of paper that had wrapped Mummy’s new pin board. And we have felt pens. Mummy drew some roads, an airport, a petrol station and such. Then we drove Munchkin’s cars around. And around. Then the request came for some flowers, snails, and assorted other pictures. Then more cars driving around, and planes taking off and landing. That bit of paper has been used over and over again. It’s had to be retired now, as it got pretty ripped in the end, but for what was just a bit of rubbish it has provided so much entertainment.

Munchkin didn’t have a car garage. I’ve been berating myself that we didn’t get him one for his birthday. Of all the things he spends time doing, playing with his car collection is number one, every single day. Reading books is number two, just in case you wanted to know. Going for walks is a close third. Playing with cars outside is probably fourth (but that’s still playing with cars!). We didn’t have quite enough money at the time and some other things we wanted to get him, so no garage. I’ve spent the intervening six months trying to save up for one. Finally got one yesterday! Wahoo!! Don’t know who is more excited, Munchkin or Mummy. Grin. He loves it, of course.

But back to the pre-wooden-car-garage days. Mummy found a couple of off-cuts of plywood from her building endeavours. We fished a few empty boxes out of Munchkin’s stash (for when he wants to sellotape and glue giraffes, etc!). And wah-lah. We had some ramps. This is really just a miniature copy of the big ramp Munchkin’s had for ages. It lives against the wall behind the couch until he asks for it. Then it sits tucked into the front of Mummy’s chair, and he drives cars down it. We originally got it to run his wooden kangaroos down, but anything that rolls is fair game!

What have you found yourself improvising with lately?

Isn’t it amazing how versatile kids can be, when we let their imaginations take flight. I am looking forward to seeing what ideas we come up with as Munchkin gets older.  After all, sometimes the best toys are the ones we make for ourselves, the things that require a little bit of imagination to really 'see' and use well.

Amy

Playdough

Munchkin and I made some more playdough last week.

Mummy's playdough (in the making):

Munchy's playdough (flour creation):

Loads of fun.  Munchkin loves playdough so much, he runs to the fridge as soon as I say the word!  The only downside?  Trying to prevent an under two year old from scoffing while playing.  All that salt is not so great for the littlies.  We made this batch a nice bright green and added a drop of peppermint oil.  Yummy.  Our favourite things to do with it (other than eat it!) are putting round balls into containers, and cutting out little shapes.  We have a dog, a cat, a heart, and a star.  Munchkin likes them all.


Amy

Shared Thinking

I wrote most of this months ago...so finally thought I should share it with you all!

I don’t talk much about my studies here. That’s not because I don’t enjoy them. I do. I guess I am usually just so busy studying, that by the time I am done I don’t feel like talking about it all over again. But I was thinking about my Early Years Degree this morning, going over some of the concepts we’ve been discussing in our online forum group. And I had a bit of a revelation. Concepts that I am learning in class do not just apply to teachers! Duh. You think?! The learning we look for as teachers, we can also look for as parents. I know I do. I utilise the things I am learning in my Degree often in my interactions with my son.


So I thought there might be a few parents out there who would be interested in what we’ve been learning in class.

Namely, shared and sustained thinking. In essence, what we’re finding is that children learn in relationship. They can certainly make connections on their own, and often do so. But they learn best and most through relationships with other people and things. They need it.

Daddy and Munchkin involved in a favourite past-time: reading the machines book together! 

Shared and sustained thinking is all about building a relationship of conversation with a child. Not just a quick, “Hi, how are you?” and moving on. Sustained. Allowing a bit of time and space for children to express their thoughts (when you have limited language at your disposal it can sometimes take awhile to get an idea out, you know!). It’s about providing space for them to return to an earlier topic, sometimes again and again.

Shared. Not one-way, or one-sided. Not just listening to them babble and saying “Ah-ha, yup.” (I know, we all do it at times…a very useful strategy when you really have NO idea what they are trying to say!). Not just talking and talking, giving instructions, telling them what to do or how to think. Nope. Shared. Mutually beneficial and mutually enjoyable. Really trying to connect with what the child is thinking and connect them with what you are thinking.

Shared, sustained thinking.

We highly value play as a means of learning in the early years in New Zealand. I totally agree: freely chosen play is essential. Kids need space to be themselves. Play gives them that. They can create, imagine, imitate, negotiate, and relate all in a safe setting that they have some control over…their own games. But alongside this, and equally important I believe, is the need for us to come alongside them and share their thinking. This is what extends their learning, takes it to the next dimension. It is all too easy to tell the kids to “Go off and play,” to get them out of our hair. Who hasn’t done that? There are multitudes of things that need to be done, and limited time in which to do them. The kids will be happy playing for awhile. True. But sometimes they’d gain so much more from playing with you. From having a conversation with you. Asking those hairy questions and just thinking through some answers with you.

I've been guilty of sending Munchy off to play already, and he's only 18 months old.  "I'm cooking dinner, go and find your book."  "Mummy has to hang out the washing."  So now that I'm thinking about it, I'm trying to find ways of involving him more in what I'm doing, in talking with him even when we are engaged in separate tasks, and in expecting him to respond and want to be with me.  This does get messy.  I have discovered that a plastic mat under the chair at the kitchen bench is very useful.  And that I need to remember he can reach almost the entire way across the bench to whip a mixing bowl out from under my fingers!  And sometimes (okay, a lot of the time!) I find it really tediously SLOW.  Oh my goodness, I had no idea how much a toddler's involvement could slow you down. Everything takes twice as long, at least!  But we share together.  Sometimes we play.  Sometimes we work.  Sometimes we do both together.

The breadmaker died (it has since been fixed, thanks Dad!) so Munchy helped with the kneading.

So cute!  Although throwing the tin of screws all over the floor then trying to eat them wasn't so cute.  Sometimes I wonder why I involve my son.  Then I remember how important he looked helping hold that hinge, and I just have to let him help me again. 

Shared, sustained thinking is just that. It is us sharing with our kids. Sharing our thoughts. Sharing their thoughts. Talking. Questioning. Thinking. It's an incredibly powerful tool in building that special bond between us. And, as a bonus, this shared thinking allows us to more accurately see what is going on inside our beloved little one’s head. It’s exciting, getting to share in new discoveries every day!

Cool playdough creations.  I just LOVE playdough!

This is what I wrote in class about shared thinking (remember, from the perspective of an early childhood teacher):

"I believe that in order for this sustained thinking to take place, I must actually BE INVOLVED in children's activities and games, not just a static observer. I like the idea of sustained themes being present for children, perhaps an area of the kindergarten set up that has things collected from last week's field trip, with new library books strategically added, a microscope, some paper, glue, pens, etc for any creating...children can then return to this as they please, teachers can add things to it as children and teachers come up with new angles on things they want to find out or do. (edited: this applies at home too – you could put the takeaway containers from last night’s dinner on the table, with chopsticks and menus and see what happens – you might end up invited to a restaurant for lunch, you might be asked why the containers aren’t coloured, the possibilities are endless!)

Talking with a child about what they are doing, why, what they are getting out of the activity. Adding a new thought, perhaps just one. I do this with my son. His favourite games involve spinning things or rolling things. So we frequently find him with the lid from a jar on his little table, trying to make it spin around. I have often done things like, "What if we try it up this way?" or given him a different object to try spinning, or spun something myself without even saying anything to him. Just extending on the activity he is already engaged in, using some language around it "round and round," enjoying his enjoyment, and sharing in it with him. By starting this now, we are already opening a dialogue that will continue as he grows."

This shared thinking doesn’t mean you have to be constantly involved. You can still pop in and out of games at times, while sorting the washing or tidying the bench. Shared thinking can take place even when we are involved in different activities. Munchkin plays around my feet while I am making soup in the kitchen. I talk to him while we are both busy doing our own thing. “What have you got there, can Mummy have a look?” He hands it to me. I comment on it and hand it back, and return to cutting carrots. I tell him about what is going in the soup. He might be too young still to understand all the words, but he will be taking it all in subconsciously, learning the rhythms and nuances of our language. We are engaging in a form of shared thought, even though we are involved in different activities!

What do you do when you are honestly too sick to move and yet have to look after a small boy (and it's raining!)?!  Set up water on the kitchen floor of course.  And watch from your armchair, hoping he heeds the instructions to 'keep it in the kitchen!'

So for all you parents, grandparents, extended family, friends and teachers out there: Have a meaningful conversation with a child today. Stop. Listen. Engage.  Pass on your knowledge.  Relive some of your youth.

I am passing on my tent-making skills to my son.  My own mother taught me well.  Tent making is an excellent diversion on a wet day, provided you aren't too fussy about your lounge for a few hours!

Then can you come back and share your secrets with me?  I'd love to know how you engage with your kids, your tips and tricks for meaningful conversation.

Amy