Sage Learning Center

We are very disappointed to announce that we will be putting this project on the shelf. We received an update from our location that they want to wait until building renovations have been completed in 1.5-2 years. Thank you for everyone's support!

Some affirmations for the child who thrives on your words -- and for any child, really.

Credit for the image to Respectful Mom

Little people and big people too.

Let The Children Play
Bev Bos sets out eleven conditions for healthy human growth, and play provides the possibility of obtaining all eleven conditions:
1. 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 - feeling that you are a part of something bigger than yourself
2. 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 - going outside of what’s comfortable, physically, emotionally, socially
3. 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 - learning what your special gifts are
4. 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 - feeling a sense of autonomy or control over your experiences
5. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 - creating or producing something that wasn’t there before
6. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 - learning how to give and receive help
7. 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 - having the chance to have some time to yourself
8. 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗿 - enjoying Life and laughing at it’s absurdities
9. 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 - waiting to get what you want
10. 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 & 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 - knowing that you can look toward others for guidance on how to handle situations and learning that you can be that person for others
11. 𝗥𝗲-𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 - learning how to give back to others or to your community
(list via Richard Cohen's 'Zen and the Art of Early Childhood Education')

Play Podcast: Sarah Aiono of Longworth Education interviewed me for my take on the importance of play in children's lives, and the importance of play in the outdoors. If you are interested, here's the link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/09Ofqx4gDGn3ZEt7DSVquq?si=0NWzMt-gQHWb_3_J726l1g&nd=1

The way this craft was “supposed” to look: It started with a piece of paper with a printed tree trunk on it. The children were supposed to color in the tree trunk brown, dip a hand in the green paint, and then make a single handprint on the tree trunk for the leaves. Then they could use the stickers to decorate it.

Instead, my child traced the outline of the tree trunk very carefully. Then they explored the texture of the paint on both their hands. They made a single handprint on the page, then noticed the way the paint smeared and spread and began spreading it around with both hands. They tried to peel off a single sticker, but something about the way the stickers were attached made a whole line of them come off the sheet (they’re attached by a clear adhesive). On their second try, they managed to take only 2, and on their third try they had successfully increased their fine motor skill to take only 1 sticker.

It doesn’t look like a handy, completed, finished product to give to a parent. But because I observed them completing the process, I know what the exploration and learning all looked like and how valuable it was!

“Process art”, as opposed to “product art” where the emphasis is on the final product, is so valuable for children. But by its very nature, it can be hard to see the value if you’re only looking at the final thing instead of getting to watch them go through it. (Which many parents would, necessarily, have to be if their child is bringing home work from school.) As an example in this picture, I would have no idea that my child spent so much time painstakingly tracing the outline of the tree trunk with a brown marker, because it got totally covered up by the green paint — but they did, and that was part of the process and a valuable chance to practice fine motor control.

Still, I think if parents felt or expressed enjoyment in their children’s process art — and if (especially preschool) teachers felt a lack of pressure to produce “products” with their kids but felt appreciated and successful sending home “process” — I think that the way kids learn through free exploration of materials would be much more valuable.

[Image description: A hand holding up a piece of paper, on which is a green paint blob that has 3 rows of stickers on it: a set of two, a line of six, and then a single sticker. They are vaguely arranged like flowers on a bush, if the green blob were a bush. Underneath it is a caption which reads “No matter how tall we grow, we’ll always look up to you. We love you, Daddy!” as this was originally a Father’s Day craft. End description.]

❤️❤️ Grace To Parent

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via Upbility.net