“I found GOLD!” squeals Laura. Four little friends are quick to join her in the latest gold rush in the sandbox. In the wee hours of the morning, often when the sun is barely above the horizon and the coffee is still being brewed, gold will magically appear in our sandbox. Spray-painted rocks that will give our young friends hours of digging, collecting, hoarding and, hopefully, sharing.

Once upon a time back in 1886, the first sand garden was created in the yard of the Children’s Mission on Permenter Street on the North End of Boston. In the late 1800s, sand gardens were viewed as safe places for immigrant children to play in during the summer months while their parents worked in factories. Today, these early sand gardens are often referred to as America’s “first playgrounds.” As we reimagine education during the pandemic, perhaps we should harken back to a simpler time and create sand gardens for our young learners!

A sandbox seems so simple, but it is truly a blank canvas—inviting curiosity and creativity, exploration and investigation. It offers a soothing sensory experience and an opportunity to experience natural textures while experiencing the peace and simple pleasures of sand play. Peer pressure will entice wary friends to strip off their shoes and tentatively join in the fun. Placing a big “Shoe Basket” near your sandbox is essential for your own mental health. It will save you hours of searching for socks and shoes. When we add loose parts to our sand, we create opportunities for counting, collecting and designing. We can explore symmetry and patterns. By adding baking tools, we can explore measurement and estimation. Opportunities abound for vocabulary growth and lessons about location and position.

“Joseph, can you get the trucks to drive under our castle?” The children have been busy building and decorating large mounds of sand. Now they have moved on to cautiously digging out tunnels. Tunnel digging builds engineering knowledge as the children predict, problem-solve and collaborate with friends—all while spending long periods of time engaging in what appears to be play. Are you documenting this? Check those early math and science learning standards off of your list!

We can encourage children to mix sand with water to see how adding water changes the physical properties of the sand. This sand play allows the children to create models of their own making. What they imagine, they can create. They create plans, make observations and experiment with ideas. This is science!

As educators and parents, we often miss the opportunities and possibilities that sand play presents. It took me years to figure out that if I took three minutes to rake the sand and make it more inviting, my effort would be rewarded as more children engaged in hours of deep learning and exploration every single day. Consider preparing your sandbox as essential as prepping any other area of your classroom. If the sandbox is full of leaves, too many loose parts from yesterday’s play or any other undesirables, it won’t be, well…desirable! Make sure your sandbox is inviting, and you will “invite” the children to explore math and science concepts with a soothing blank canvas. Unless, of course, there is a major construction project underway. On those days, I gently place a tarp over the sandbox to protect the project until our pint-sized “construction crew” returns the following morning.

If sand is a new adventure for you, recognize and remove any obstacles early on. One important tip is that you must have a water source nearby to make the sand packable. A garden hose, gallon buckets of water or nearby rain barrels will open up a treasure trove of opportunities that are not possible with dry sand. Shade is another important element to consider. You can create shade with a large umbrella if you do not have a tree to shade your sandbox. Or you can use parachutes from the gym, which can be strategically placed with a little bit of ingenuity to create shade.

I know educators who are allergic to sand in the same way that they are allergic to playdough. Ha! I know who you are! But, in this year of uncertainty, let’s allow our students to enjoy the serenity, sensory pleasures and myriad possibilities of outdoor sand play.

I promise you, it will buy you hours of calm, hands-on learning. If you build it, they will come. Just do it!

Last week I wrote about the importance of impartial and accurate observations of children.  Teachers of young children need to systematically use observation as a part of their daily practice in order to plan for appropriate and engaging learning opportunities, to set up the environment so it is both challenging and safe, to collaborate with other professionals, and to communicate accurately with families.

Today, I want to look at the video above and consider ways in which to support this child as he actively investigates the ramps.  Let’s tease apart the ways he is already exploring early mathematical competencies and ways we can further support his play so he can go deeper. During free choice time, this particular child came over to the large rug, where a long rubber track was placed along with a few wooden balls of various sizes.  He began exploring the track but before long (a minute or two) he went to the corner of the room and pulled out some wooden ramps and large block.  What you see in the video is what happens next.

Before we begin to analyze his play we need to accurately and objectively observe his play. What do you see? What is he doing?

At first, the child lays down three tracks of the same length from a large wooden block and then adds tunnels to the ends of the tracks.   He rolls a ball down each ramp, one-by-one, smiles and collects the balls to start over. He then uses his hands to hold three balls at the same time, and then places them all simultaneously at the tops of the ramps and releases them at the same time. He runs to where the balls have stopped, collects them and repeats the same action. Holding the balls in his hands, he goes back to the ramp box and takes out one more ramp and tunnel and sets them up next to the original three. He asks his teacher to help hold a ball and then asks me (while I was recording) to hold the last ball.  He indicates what he wants us to do by verbalizing and nonverbal cues, and we all release the balls at the same time.

He goes back and collects eight more ramps and sets them up.  The ramps are in sets of similar lengths and in descending length order. He places them side by side and when he gets to the last one, he puts it off on the end of the block but then moves it and makes room for it with the others. He collects the balls and hands them to his teacher.  He goes and finds a small car and places it at the top of a ramp.  He then uses one of the balls to push the car down the ramp and through the tunnel. 

I LOVE this clip.  There is so much going on during these three minutes there is no way we could possibly discuss it all. But, let’s give it a go.

Where is the math?

1.  Spatial Reasoning – Notice how he places the ramps, makes room for the last ramp, lines up the tunnels at the end of the ramps.
2. One-to-One Correspondence- As he places one ball at the top of each ramp, you can actual see him making this assessment and adjusts his actions to each ramp has one ball.
3. Sorting and Grouping- We don’t know from this observation whether he purposefully sorted the ramps by length and then grouped the like lengths together, but we do see the ramps end up like this.
4. Problem-Solving – He tries to roll the car down the ramp on its own (you don’t see this bit in the video) but it won’t move on its own.  He uses the ball to push the car down.

We could spend more time analyzing the video, but this is enough for now.

The next step is to consider ways to support his explorations and scaffold his understandings.  If you were his teacher teacher, what would you do to plan for this child?

I am going to offer a few suggestions.  They may seem obvious, but often I find that they are not.  I am only offering a few so there is room for readers to offer their own ideas.

1. Bring the ramps and balls out again – In my experience, I have found teachers set up learning activities for one day and then switch them up the next.  Children need many opportunities to explore the same materials over time.  I would even reassure him that the ramps and balls will be out so he can continue playing with them as he might think of other things he wants to add to the play.
2. Add one more element – It may be interesting to add another element to the activity.  Maybe a few more cars of various types and sizes or a ball of yarn (I’ll let you consider ways yarn may enhance the activity).  Don’t add more than one at a time, unless the child asks or comes with the idea himself.
3. Talk about the ramps and balls at group time – Tell the other children about the ramps and balls or better yet, let the child describe what he was doing with the ramps and balls to the other children.  This may pique their interest and some may join him, or he may explain in his own words, what he was doing, what he was thinking, and why.  This could be very enlightening.

Those are my three ideas to further support his play.  What would you do?

So, for the month of June, I will be the guest blogger.

Since the blog debuted on July 1, 2012 there have been 795 posts and over 100,000 readers.  Those are really impressive numbers even when you factor in that we are a small, very-focused, niche blog.  The writers have written about so many aspects of young children and math: teaching young children math, supporting math competencies in the adults who work with children, math learning standards, STEM and STEAM, the list goes on and on. It is clear from the data we collect about the Early Math Counts site, and from conferences where we speak about the site, that there are people all over the country who regularly use and count on the resources provided.

Using Video Observations of Children at Play

This month I wanted to look at ways to support teachers of young children using video clips of children at play.  Even though at first glance, it may not look like the children are focusing on math-related activities, or that their engagement might lead to experiences in early math exploration, but they do. This idea came about when I recently attended a statewide meeting where one of the speakers presented a new way of supporting student teachers – through virtual interactions with young children (the children are avatars.)  It got me thinking about how successful I have been using real video clips of real children to look deeply at play and to consider ways to support it.

I am still very much dedicated to the notion that young children learn through their play and that play should make up the vast majority of a child’s day in school, whether in an Infant/Toddler program, a preschool or during the early grades. I believe that his gift of childhood must be protected at all costs.  One way we can do this is to look at play with educators’ eyes, a focus on development, and through the lens of “play is still (and will always be) the most appropriate way for young children to make sense of the world around them.”  The battle between “learning” and “play” is not real.  Learning and play are one and the same, and it is up to us to educate parents, other teachers, administrators, and funders that young children who are allowed to play freely will be well prepared for school and life.

In the AAS program at Harold Washington College, students practice the skill of “observation of young children” followed by interpretation and reflection in all ten of their early childhood courses.  These are skills that take years to hone and are usually complicated to complete simply because their observations take place in the real world, with no two students looking at the same thing at the same time.  Fortunately for me, I have been the field instructor in the student teaching practicum for many years, and I have been able to videotape children at play throughout that time.  I now have a library of over 200 videos of children at various ages and stages of development, in diverse and interesting settings, and engaging with a variety of other children, adults, and materials.  I use these videos as a teaching resource so that we can observe children at play together and through a series of prompts and questions, students can work on these skills in a controlled setting.

Personal Bias

https://news.yale.edu/2016/09/27/implicit-bias-may-explain-high-preschool-expulsion-rates-black-children

In August, 2017 the Governor of Illinois finally signed a bill that makes it illegal to expel a young child from school or child care. Data from 2005, showed that three times as many Illinoisan preschoolers are expelled than their K-12 counterparts and of those expelled, African-American boys are most likely to receive this ultimate punishment.¹

Personal bias is real and should be addressed as such in teacher education programs and through professional development opportunities.  One way to begin mitigating the negative affects of personal bias is by encouraging teachers to confront their own biases as well as their own “triggers.”  Once they become aware of their own issues, they are better able to recognize them and adjust themselves accordingly.  Last semester, one of my students told me that she has an issue with children who say, “No.”  She was in a toddler classroom, so this was an exceptionally difficult trigger for her to overcome.  After we discussed this, she realized that she was raised in a home where it was unacceptable for children to challenge the adults in any way.  Her experiences, over many, many years, were a very powerful instructor. She believed that children who say, “No” are bad children.

After revealing personal biases, we work on objectivity.  This takes practice and does not happen overnight.  Teachers need copious opportunities to simply observe.  They also need opportunities to write down what they “see” in accurate and factual ways, free from subjectivity and opinion. This is a lifelong process.  Even people who do this well can slip up once in a while or slide backward over time.

Over the next three weeks, I am going to post some videos of children at play so we can practice observing and looking for opportunities to support children’s early math skills.  But, first things first….

What do you see?  Be as factual and objective as possible.

¹http://abc7chicago.com/education/rauner-signs-bill-preventing-expulsion-in-preschool-early-childhood-programs-/2307628/

Listen to what the family has to say about concerns about their children’s learning.  Understand that their hopes and dreams for their children are deeply rooted in their own personal cultural context. Because of this they may be more focused on one area of development than you are.  This is to be expected.   Try and communicate with them about their children in their language of origin.  Help them understand that children are a “work in progress” and although some assessments may reveal information that is a cause for a pause, most children under 5 will excel in some ways and lag behind in others.

Two weeks ago I wrote about “looking for progress in children’s development.” Help parents understand that they can do this as well.  Encourage them to see the small steps their children are taking as small and consistent  successes.  Rather than focusing on the speed of skill attainment, help them focus on skill development.  Remind them how one word answers become two words answers.  Two words answers become complete sentences.  Walking turns into running.  Running is the precursor to jumping.  Jumping later becomes hopping and hopping turns into a full game of “Hopscotch” and Skipping Rope.

Try using language like, “We are a strengths-based program.”  Rather than focusing on deficiencies, focus on strengths.  All children have them- sometimes we have to look a little harder to see them, but they are there. Once parents are sure that you have their children’s best interests at heart, they will better be able to handle negative information when it comes along.

No matter where you work, you will feel some pressure to prove what you are doing is working for children.  Your funders have expectations, your licensing bodies have expectations, your director has expectations, your accrediting body has expectations, and you, yourself have expectations.  Oftentimes, these expectations are in direct contradiction with each other.  That is why if we need to find ways to prioritize the child at the center of our work, no matter what else is asked of us.  As long as we keep true to this focus, in a family-centered practice, we won’t stray too far afield.

Although many of the aforementioned groups will also expect you to regularly assess children’s learning, as long as you are using your assessment results to improve the teaching and learning in your program, you are doing just fine.

Building curriculum around children’s interests and learning needs is a good place to start.  You know how this works.  You set out a basket of scissors and paper and then observe as children attempt to use the scissors to cut the paper.  You keep a clipboard with a list of the children’s names nearby and you make notes about their attempts.  You may even keep scissors and paper out on the art table for a few weeks and make a chart with dates so you can observe the children over time.

At the end of the two weeks, you look at your data.  Who can use the scissors unassisted?  Who uses the scissors but struggles with cutting?  Who puts the wrong fingers in the holes?  Who, when assisted to put the correct fingers in the scissor holes, uses the scissors correctly?  Examine your results and think of ways to encourage scissor use in the future.  This will require observations about what the children are interested in so the draw to the scissors is child-initiated.  This is how we build curriculum using assessment data.

This past week I observed a group of young 3 year-olds as they listened to stories being read aloud by their teacher. She picked a book and then when they wanted another book, she chose another.  I asked her why she didn’t use this as an opportunity to let the children vote to choose the book.  She said that they children were unable to vote; that when asked to vote, they voted for every book, and it didn’t work.

It got me thinking about how the process is developmental and the only way children learn how to vote is by voting.  Over time and through experience, children learn.  I encouraged that teacher to use the children’s name cards and the books to vote for one choice.  It is simple.  Lay each book (yes, I would have the children vote between two choices before they vote for 3) on the rug and have the children one-by-one come up with their name cards and choose which story they want to vote for.  Once they lay their card on their choice, they are finished.  Some children will want to change their vote later, but telling them that they can vote again another day will reassure them that they can choose something different another day.

This method teaches the children about voting.  It also provides a visual representation of “how many” votes each book received.  Once they master this, they can use their hands to vote, one child can count the votes, another one can write the numbers down, other children can figure out which has more, and then voting becomes a regular part of your group’s curriculum.

Observe who does what, how they do it, and who struggles.  Keep accurate data and then consider ways to build opportunities into your curriculum that will support the children’s learning.  Be sure to continue the observation process.  This will provide all the fuel you need in order answer to each of the stakeholders who want you to prove what you are doing is good for children.

Chapter 2 begins with a quote by Lisa Delpit, author of Other People’s Children.

We do not really see through our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs.  To put our beliefs on hold is to cease to exist as ourselves for a moment.

Think for a moment about a time when you observed a child do or say something that excited you, annoyed you, enthralled you, or worried you.  Consider why you reacted as you did.  Was it because the behavior was undesirable or desirable?  Where do these desires come from? Generally, what we want from children coincides with our own value systems and our own desires for our own children.  If a young child shows interest in reading, and early reading is a coveted skill in your culture, you will be thrilled by this.  You may even make a “big deal” out of this desirable quality.  However, if a young child is far more interested in playing Power Rangers, complete with karate chopping and knocking things over, as you observe this play you may not appreciate it as a valuable vehicle for social development for those children because it doesn’t coincide with your personal attitudes and beliefs about the role of play.

Now take both of these scenarios and consider how the act of observation is affected by your personal feelings.  We teach that all observations should be purely objective – but even if the words that are written down are as objective as possible, the interpretation of the observations will be slanted toward your personal feelings about those observations.  Becoming aware of our own biases, slants, desires, hopes and dreams for children will help neutralize some of these inconsistencies in observation.  That, in turn, will provide the backdrop for more fair and less biased assessments of children.