Buzz Words: Theory in Practice

Last week, I was lucky enough to spend the day in Early Years in a public primary school in The Hague. Het Startpunt is the first Dutch-speaking IB World School offering the PYP. It was inspiring to be immersed in a dynamic learning space, observe and engage in dialogue about children and how they learn. 

Here are a set of photographs I took on my visit (in the sequence I took them) and connections I made to some of the buzz words and big ideas in early education. It was insightful to see how theoretical underpinnings, beliefs and philosophy about young learners can play out in practice. 

Engagement - Children were actively engaged all day long. They showed motivation and confidence in their choices and reacted with such excitement, energy and curiosity in spontaneous explorations and discoveries. 

Outdoor space - Outdoor space was a routine part of the children's day and was viewed as a learning space - not a special treat or reward! The space allowed children to be adventurous and run, climb, hide and explore, but also to sit, relax, observe, converse and colour. Infinite possibilities!

Freedom - Children had a great deal of freedom in their play. They were in control of their own learning. Of course there were structures, safety considerations and routines, but children showed great imagination, independence and resilience in an environment where freedom was the norm. 

Trust - Children were trusted to use resources and learning spaces responsibly. It was crystal clear that the image of the child in this learning space was one of competence, capability and curiosity. The children also trusted the teachers, and teachers trusted one another in their decision making. With trust comes wonderful opportunities to flourish together. 

Conceptual - Young children's play actively uses all the senses and there is often a range of concrete materials for children to manipulate. These concrete experiences are opportunities for children to inquire into concepts. One resource has the potential to unlock creative and critical thinking about so many big ideas from a range of disciplines. Beading might trigger inquiries into concepts such as shape, colour, pattern, size, classification, coordination, aesthetics, beauty, design or creativity.

Social interaction - The ATLs (Approaches to Learning) are a toolkit of skills to support successful play and inquiry. Social skills are paramount as children play cooperatively, share resources, negotiate turn-taking, compromise, take on different roles and solve problems together. The organisation of the learning spaces and positioning of resources encouraged children to socialise in their play. 

Possibility - A culture of possibility requires more than just easy access to resources that are open-ended in nature and that have limitless potential. A mindset of openness and experimentation from adults models important dispositions beyond conventional ways of using resources to encourage children to play beyond adults' limitations. Instead of a culture of permission where children might be heard asking, "Can I...?", there is a sense of agency where children take ownership of their learning with an "I can..." and "What if...?" attitude. One child at the light table was investigating balance and structures, but I can only imagine how else it might be used at another time. Anne spoke about increasing the complexity of loose parts and areas over time so that children are able to revisit what is familiar but with new opportunities!

Symbolic code - The alphabetic and numerical codes were immersed in the children's play, routines and learning spaces. Children had access to magnetic and wooden letters, words as labels and their own names and those of friends. Learning spaces were language-rich with documentation of children's thinking, the big ideas of their inquiries, questions around the room and literature in different languages. Numbers were everywhere: ordered numbers on display in the hallway, car registration plates, moulds for play dough and as children counted, ordered and compared numbers of objects. One child was playing with cars and parked each car in its spot sequencing the numbers on the wood (hidden under the cars in the photo). 

Aesthetics - It was striking to see the colours, positioning, arrangement and overall aesthetic feel of resources and learning spaces to foster appreciation, respect, awe, wonder and curiosity. Beyond the obvious beauty, conversations about aesthetics revealed such intentionality, purpose and ongoing reflection. Modelling such attributes sets the norm of inviting learning spaces that children then co-construct and have ownership of. I felt the impact of these aesthetics on the effort, pride and quality showcased in the children's play. 

Theory building - Children's theories were often seen to fuel the children's inquiries. During a read aloud of Milo Imagines the World (in Dutch), the children were sharing their theories about why a character was in prison. In a sharing circle, children shared their theories in response to "Where does the world end?". This question was asked in a previous lesson by a child in connection with the current unit of inquiry. In their play, children naturally built theories, tested their ideas out and became more and more curious as they connected parts of tubing in different ways, wondering about air and sound. 

Play - Children were given uninterrupted time to make their own choices and play. They had access to different resources and were involved in a range of construction, design, reading, role play and experimenting. Children themselves were playful in their approach, making active use of their imaginations and playing with possibilities. Authentic learning and development of self-regulation!

Provocation - There was much intent about the time and place of provocations - whether these were physical objects or abstract ideas - to continuously intrigue, stir the mind and arouse curiosity. Provocations are often thought about in terms of adding or changing something, but here is an example of taking something away. The strap for this suspended wheel was removed. A group of children were quick to notice the change and found what was needed to hang the tyre back up and play. 

Language - I am still in awe that the children's day was in Dutch (a language I do not speak), and despite the language barrier, the children and I were able to communicate so well with one another. The children spoke Dutch and the English some of them knew, and we used body language and visuals. This was a powerful reminder of the 100 languages Reggio speak about and the universal language of play. Some of the families speak different languages at home, and this acceptance of and openness to different languages was so natural to the children. One girl chose several books in the Dikkie Dik series for us to read and enjoy together. Translanguaging in action!

Community - I am still struck by the community I was welcomed into. There was such a warm, positive community in the school itself, between staff members, between the children, between the children and the staff, and the interactions with families, too. These relationships have taken time to nurture. I was part of a day overflowing with smiles, gentle touches, cuddles, high 5's, soft voices, welcoming gestures, warm eyes and empathy. An upset child prompted such care and active responses from other children. Specific routines and rituals have helped to develop such a strong sense of community. Children sang songs together, listened to stories together, thought together as a class circle, ate together with lit candles, played together inside and out, and shared responsibility to tidy up together. (I also realised I need to curate my own collection of songs and rhymes for September!) 

The role of the adult - I can't help connect to Jan White describing the role of the adult as one who is fascinated by children and their ideas. Listening actively with interest and curiosity is paramount. Anne was a model inquirer and researcher, documenting in a notebook, recording audios and taking photographs. This pedagogical documentation fuels reflective dialogue and inspires new ideas, theories and wonderings in response to children's learning. 

Thank you to Anne for hosting me and all the staff and children for making me feel so welcome as I toured the school. (Anne sent me this child's drawing above - a child remembering my visit) This blog is no more than a reflection on observations and interactions from one school day, yet so much to ponder on! It is not an attempt to convey one school's or one educator's overall approach in its entirety! 

Reflection

Which buzz words from this post are most significant to you? 

What evidence might illustrate these theoretical terms in your context?

What other buzz words are important to you?

What if you could choose one buzz word to focus on and make a reality in the coming months, which one would you choose? Why?