The Boy in the Garden

Another wonderful entry from my regular guest blogger Ellen Duthie. Sharing how The Boy in the Garden highlights the divide beetween the adult and child's code and language - see other entries from Ellen too.

http://tracyseed.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/were-going-on-bear-hunt.htm

http://tracyseed.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/we-read-it-like-this.html

Ellen also writes an extremely interesting blog on the essential role philosophy can play in education from an early age - watch this space! or take a look yourself http://storyphilosophy.blogspot.co.uk

The Boy in the Garden, written and illustrated by Allen Say. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010  

Click on the cover to listen how we read The Boy in the Garden by Allen Say. 

The Boy in the Garden is one of my son's absolute favourite books. He went through a phase, lasting around two solid months, when he had to have it every single night. He's grown out of that now, but it still remains one of his favourites. Although in terms of reading age, it's probably best suited to children from around 4 up to 8 or so, there's something about it that attracted my son's attention -and kept it!- from the age of approximately 22 months. I think it manages to convey a sense of mystery beyond the words and the pictures, and to provide an immersion into a child's retreat away from an adult world and code that can sometimes seem puzzling, even mean.

There is perhaps something about this retreat into a private mental life, portrayed here as ultimately positive, even liberating, that seems to resonate even with kids as young as that. We like it!

The Story takes as its background (and includes as a preface -also read in our recording, even though we don't include it every time we read the book) the traditional Japanese tale of The Grateful Crane, where a crane repays a man who rescues it from a trap by turning into a woman and marrying him, and then withdraws the repayment when the man breaks his vow not to look while she is weaving beautiful cloth for them to sell and survive, turning back into a crane and flying away.

In The Boy in the Garden The Grateful Crane is presented as "The story that Mama read to Jiro". The Boy in the Garden itself is the story of Jiro and his father paying a New Year's visit to one Mr. Ozu, whose garden is very famous and whose house is full of treasures, Jiro is warned, in a "don't touch" fashion. After saying hello and accepting Mr. Ozu's New Year's gift it very soon becomes clear that this is all an adults' affair and Jiro wonders off, eventually into the garden, where he is drawn to a crane standing in the distance. He slowly creeps up to it, holding his breath, listening to the stones crunching under his feet, and is about to reach out when his father abruptly interrupts his solitary adventure with loud laughter from the house, pointing out that it's only a statue. Mr. Ozu joins in the laughter. "How charming", he says. Embarrased, Jiro runs off and retreats into what initially seems like a daydream and ends up as an actual dream involving the crane woman of his Mama's story, a kimono just his size, him acting "just like Papa" and going out to search for firewood and him promising not to peek when the woman announces she's going to do some weaving.

Stop! he shouts, until he hears a door opening, then voices and eventually his father and Mr. Ozu saying he's had a bad dream. "A charming boy", Mr. Ozu laughs again. The father chuckles too. When they are leaving the garden, Jiro can't take his eyes away from the crane statue, and his father makes an attempt at an apology, now that no other adults are about: "You know, son, for a moment that crane looked real". But Jiro answers: "It's just a statue, Papa". The last scene shows a crane flying in the light of the moon above Mr. Ozu's garden, with Jiro, we are told, fast asleep in his own bed.

The Illustrations (Apologies for the appalling photographs, but there are practically none to be found online and all I could do was take snaps with my phone. I will eventually do my best to put this right.) There is something about Caldecott Medalist Allen Say's pencil and watercolour illustrations in The Boy in the Garden that draws you in quietly but surely. The first time I saw them I wasn't particularly taken by them. Yes, technically they are very good, exquisitely executed and rather sophisticated, but not really my style. However, reading the book to my son and watching what caught his attention it struck me that there was something rather special about the illustrations. Say makes Jiro and his perspective lead the illustrations. It's almost like watching a warped perspective, which just happens to be perfectly straight. We are shown the story through the child's mind, and get to feel the excitement, the sense of divide between adult and child code and language, and ultimately, the unique combination of fear and thrill, disappointment and excitement  of a child learning about the world. The technique is impeccable and the result is complex. Here are a few of our favourite illustrations of The Boy in the Garden:

Jiro peeping out at the crane in the distance

Jiro about to touch the crane, with his father and Mr. Ozu laughing in the distance

Jiro embarrassed

Jiro finds the woodcutter's cottage

Aren't you supposed to be lost in the snowstorm?

No, I'll never peek. Never!

By the time the moon rose above the garden of Mr. Ozu, Jiro was fast asleep in his own bed.

Reading it Aloud As I have said at the start, this book is probably best suited to the 4-8 age group (give or take). However, this book has what I call the "early interest factor". Some books are enjoyable from a much younger age than their official target audience. What younger children enjoy about it will almost certainly be very different from what older children who understand all the story and all the nuances will get out of it, but that does not mean they will not enjoy it (in my son's case, it's true love!). And its fascinating to watch how what they enjoy about it gradually shifts as their understanding of the actual story increases. The Boy in the Garden is a gentle book to read aloud, with just the right dose of tension and suspense, perfect for bedtime. I'm talking here of reading it to a two year old (obviously reading it to an older kid will be rather different). For a two year old then, the "high points" of the book read aloud are: -The laughter of the father interrupting Jiro's private expedition to touch the crane: Ha, ha, ha!, bursts of laughter rang out. -The moment when Jiro spots a small cottage: "It's the woodcutter's house! he said excitedly. And he forgot to close the door". (I think this is one of my son's favourite parts), -The rustling sound outside the cottage and finding out it's not a woodcutter, but "a tall woman": Welcome, Jiro-san", she said and bowed.  The boy stared. How did you know my name?   -Jiro going off to gather firewood, looking back and waving to the woman: "I'm like Papa going to work in the morning, he thought. I'm the woodcutter.".  -Where Jiro promises not to peek: No, I'll never peek. Never! But don't go!  -And my son always liked, and now repeats, Mr Ozu's comment when Jiro wakes  up: "A charming boy, Mr. Ozu laughed. Naps in the teahouse like a cat. Like a cat! says my son.   The illustrations provide a lot of nice detail to point to and talk about too. It's a very enjoyable book to share. More on Allen Say Allen Say won the Caldecott Medal in 1994 for Grandfather's Journey. We haven't read that one. Must get it. Read a nice interview with Allen Say here: http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2010/11/portland_author_and_artist_all.html

(c) of all the illustrations in this post: Allen Say, 2010

Music is all around us all we have to do is listen

Music is all around us all have to do is listen

We sing before we talk, we dance before we walk”  P. Grendrad

I thought that you might be interested in a (just launched) video that Marjorie Ouvry just send to me. She helped to produce it.

It is part of a series of videos on U-tube by the London Early Years Music Network funded by Youth Music and it shows the basic stages of supporting and extending young children’s innate musicality. Their intention is that it will be the starting point, helping staff to be more aware of children’s innate musicality and to give music more prominence in the early years curriculum.

If you enjoy watching it please do pass it on. 

 " I am more and more convinced that if practitioners promote music and movement in our early years curriculum all the other things would fall into place!" Marjorie Ouvry

I totally agree how about you ? 

 

A Child Care Pledge to Inspire Creativity

In the midst of all the politics, proposals and changes, I am remembering a few weeks ago in one London Borough as part of a series of EYFS workshops a group of inspired child care professional exploring their work with children focussing on the Prime area of Physical Development and Creative and Expressive Arts.

"Nothing changes until something moves" - Einstein

 

Through movement, dance, art work, music and song we explored our own creativity and natural capacity for fun, connection and freedom of expression and we discussed how limiting beliefs become installed during childhood. 

 “I cant’sing”

“I cant draw”

“I can’t dance”

“I am no good at sport”

 Learning does not only take place at a cognitive level. There is also learning on the affective, emotional, and visceral level." - Rolando Toro

When early childhood professionals explore their own potential and have fun learning together, they return to their work with young children full of enthusiasm which is infectious. 

We played games, engaged in a magical adventure and moved with flexibility, force, agility, fluidity through space and time, balance, coordination, increasing mobility, muscle tone and strength - personal empowerment and freedom in a unique expression of ourselves. 

"We can sing"

 "We can draw"

 "We can dance"

 "We can .......".

And we are the people that provide the early years environments that help to realise these potentials in young children.   Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – Pablo Picasso

 

 

 

Genius is nothing more or less than childhood clearly formulated, newly endowed with virile and powerful means of self-expression.''— Charles Pierre Baudelaire

Both hands together clapping with joy, gazing into your eyes, meeting for a moment in complete connection, such pleasure of human connection –  energy of heart and soul.

 

“Movement is what we are, not something we do” – Emilie Conrad

 

“We sing before we talk, we dance before we walk” –
P. Grendrad

 

 

Lets always remember to have fun with movement and sound, make up stories and take on characters. Laugh and sing nursery rhymes and poetry, children love this and so do adults too.

 

 

Move and shake, jump high and low

Take a friends hand and move very slow

Now in a circle altogether found

Turning around and around and around 

Sitting on the floor now lying down

Crawling on your tummy not making a sound

 

Wriggling along like a snake in the grass

Up on all fours like a dog running fast

Now like a monkey climbing up a tree

And become a bird flying over the sea

Landing on the water

Swimming to the shore

Back to the land where the rain starts to pour

Hiding in the bushes until it stops

Back home for tea now and some lolly pops.
 

“Learning begins from birth, and high quality early education and care has the potential to make an important and positive impact on the learning, development and wellbeing of babies and young children, in their daily lives and the longer term’. Professor Cathy Nutbrown

 

See shaking the foundations of quality a very important read

 

 

Stretched to our Limits

What will it take to lead Early Years Services during these times of rapid change?

According to John Kotter in his points of view: Leading in the 21^st Century (2000). Leaders will need to help people tap into their hopes and dreams in order to unlock their talent and energy.

I think this advice is for everyone not only those who are in professional leadership roles: stepping up to leadership and tapping into our own hopes and dreams at work and in our lives is a potential for us all, using the highest executive funtions of the mind to also exceed logic and to play with ideas, allowing our imaginations to invent new ways of working and living together. 

Here are some of the competencies we can develop that will support us to find creative ways forward, may be you can think of others too.

Creativity and Vitality;  being able to think outside of the box and to have the energy, motivation and a sense of wellbeing to sustain ourselves and to be mindful in our roles.

Flexibility and Adaptability; to see the doors that open when others close; finding positive outcomes, the learning’s, through problems and difficulties - taking advantage of serendipity;

Self control, discipline, determination and persistence; to know when we are putting out fires and when we are working for prevention, evolution and progress; seeing tasks through to completion; being able to manage our emotions and our relationships in whatever context we find ourselves. 

Stretched to our limits means finding news of working - to let go of what doesnt serve us anymore and step on to new ground; sometimes unfamiliar to us and this requires a level of patience and a williness to discover new potentials and to nurture new shoots, that may grow in ways we have never seen before, all colours and forms and as we nurture these andwe support them in their natural way trusting nature itself to weave in a way that will connect to others in joined up ways of working and of of being together in collaboration; pooling resources and sharing ideas, contributing to each other and to the wider communities around us, communicating, negotiating and trusting each other. 

 

I so appreciate all of you working directly in children and family services, I see such resilience and determination to offer the very best to children and their families with whatever you have to give.

 

 

This is What I Did in Nursery Today?

My previous blog focused on a teacher's view on Democracy and Freedom in their Early Years setting in Gothenberg, Sweden.

http://tracyseed.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/democracy-and-freedom-in-early-years.html

This entry continues with reporting the views and practises of Maria (teacher of 4 and 5 years old from the pre-school in Gothenberg). She tells me about effective teaching and learning, use of technology and assessment:supporting children's project ideas; share this learning with family and friends.

"We always follow the children ideas for projects and the process of their learning is documented almost immediately. Evidence is uploaded to a platform on the internet, which is shared with parents via a secure  log in. This means that the children can so easily show what they did during the day with family members and friends when they are at home.  

 "Every school in the (local authority) is required to use this  system. We also upload the same work to a screen that is live in the reception of the nursery. This means that the parents who don't use the interenet so readily, can see what has been happening during the day too. 

 “this system is not for proving that we are doing things right or making ourselves look good , the parents know that we do our jobs”, it is for the children and families to share the experience together “

The Space Project
" Last week, the children completed a project about space, it lasted for two hours" she said, "it was so intense. It began when the children were using pastel crayons and one of them said “ this looks like a stars falling”. It seems that this comment from one child ignited interest in the children and their ideas developed, they discussed stars, space, planets, they created picture of planets, looked at books about space and made up stories too…"

 “My role is to step back...not saying no to anything until I understand what they are meaning (they can do anything , unless of course it is dangerous.) sometimes when you hear their ideas you think oh no but when they explain what they want to do and when, and what they want me to do…the projects are brilliant most of the time and often they take care of the documentation too, they take photos of their work and we upload them, tell me their stories and sometimes I type them

"We believe in using the computer and digital techniques as early as possible with the children. We as a group together with the children believe in democracy. What we are allowed to use, they too are allowed to use. We want digital techniques to be as common as traditional crafts in inspiring children"

EYFS - UK
Following the childrens lead, supporting learning, ideas, solving problems  and recording their learning seems so easy in this setting...I guess if we adopted this approach in our pre-schools too it would mean that the following standards might be met quite naturally, without any effort at all...

Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage - UK 2012
Setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five

"In planning and guiding children’s activities, practitioners must reflect on the different ways that children learn and reflect these in their practice.

Three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:

• playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’;
• active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements; and
• creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things."
"In their interactions with children, practitioners should respond to their own day-to-day observations about children’s progress, and observations that parents and carers share.
Assessment should not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children, nor require excessive paperwork. Paperwork should be limited to that which is absolutely necessary to promote children’s successful learning and development. Parents and/or carers should be kept up-to-date with their child’s progress and development. "

"Technology: children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. They select and use technology for particular purposes."

If you would like to join me on a trip to Sweden sometime or speak to me about a workshop at your nursery, please like this page on face book and correspond with me directly

http://www.facebook.com/LeadinginEducationandFamilies

Follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/tracyseed

Visit my website http://www.tracyseedassociates.co.uk/

I Belong Here

This is how one Swedish  Pre-School in Stockholm ( committed to Reggio Emilia and NVC) supports childrens unique identity and fosters a sense of belonging to the community. http://www.angbybarnensforskolor.se/
It is one of five preschools who have been awarded recognition for their outstanding practice a number of times.

We enter a room where they have painted the whole of the floor with a map of their neighbourhood, it has the roads clearly marked.  The children have made models of their own houses.They have been working on this project for many months.

The teacher tells me that it all started with a series of outings. The whole class visited each others houses and they took photographs of each of them:photographs of them all outside each of their homes..
When they returned to the pres-school, they decided to paint the floor with a map and the project evolved ..they made their houses and their interest and imaginations grew......they added furniture, people, gardens, animals etc "they play in this room regularly, still adding to their creations" the teacher told me..

They were also, each given an opportunity of take home a camera for a day and they took photographs of what ever they wanted to, at home and in the surrounding areas. This led to more sharing..the emergence of stories, poetry, paintings, drawings and they making books about their lives. One evening,, their  parents came to the nursery too see their work and they made some clay models of themselves which are in the display cabinet here:

The nursery documented this project from its start and they put together an exhibition for the local community at a centre close to the nursery. Photographs of this work was displayed for a number of weeks for all to see.

And these things happen naturally, without any effort at all....:)

Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2012
Setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five

"People and communities - Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. They know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions. "

"The world- Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. They make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes. "

"Assessment should not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children, nor require excessive paperwork. Paperwork should be limited to that which is absolutely necessary to promote children’s successful learning and development. Parents and/or carers should be kept up-to-date with their child’s progress and development"

If you would like to know more and maybe even join me on a trip to Sweden sometime or speak to me about a workshop at your nursery, please correspond with me directly via email or one of the links below.

http://www.facebook.com/LeadinginEducationandFamilies

http://twitter.com/#!/tracyseed

http://www.tracyseedassociates.co.uk/

Creativity in children's early years is vital for the country's future economic growth

Nursery World article summary by Catherine Gaunt 11 November http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1040568/Creativity-children-protected-new-political-climate/  and various other articles published in the press recently, all express concern over early year’s practices returning to outdated beliefs about learning.
A key report published argues why creativity in children's early years is vital for the country's future economic growth http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/born-creative-
‘We must not be tempted to narrow the curriculum and return to the outdated belief that concentrating only on literacy, numeracy and behaviour will strengthen early years practice.’ Bernadette Duffy
Although the coalition government express a commitment to the EYFS it is not clear that they have grasped the importance of the double role of creativity in the early years. The emphasis is very much a commitment to a “focus on basics”. Concern is not over this emphasis, but over how these basics will be delivered. This Rose primary curriculum due for implementation in 2011 was to ensure implementation of the primary curriculum with the holistic EYFS. This was cancelled by June 2010. See an earlier blog entry of mine to read my thoughts about introducing formal school too early http://tracyseed.blogspot.com/2010/07/eyfs-is-hugely-important.html
As I read the essays and articles and reflect on my own thoughts about this too, I enjoy what I read about creativity and at the same time I too feel a deep concern, because the government is not supporting the Rose primary curriculum and also over the implications of the spending review for the early years sector and how this might effect training and support for settings.
I have no doubt whatsoever that creative expression in education and particularly during the early years is essential to the country’s social and economic growth.
Why?
Because it is essential to our health, mental, social, intellectual and emotional wellbeing as individuals and together as a nation.
Creativity is necessary for innovation, collaboration, harmony and for peace.
Creativity is the process of chaos through to a new order whatever that new order might be.
Creativity is the source of life. If this natural force is suppressed it can show itself in various ways which may be destructive instead constructive.
Creativity is often seen only as an expression of art and of course it is this and it so much more too.
I agree with Michel Rosen in his forward to the report http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/born-creative- when he says:
“It is essential for the advance of humankind. We are beset with massive problems concerning at the very least questions of climate, poverty, disease and war. We will never escape from this cycle through top-down instruction. Of course, it is possible to be creative about destruction – the twentieth century was particularly clever in this respect. In other words, creativity for the benefit of the human race has to be inclusive and cooperative. October 2010
I recognise that I am deeply committed to fostering creativity in my work with early year’s practitioners and through my personal development practices: coaching, mentoring, mediating, facilitating, training in early years, and through my involvement in collaborative leadership and management of projects, organisations and services.
This means understanding creativity and how when we nurture, support, facilitate and develop this through the early years we lay foundations for collaboration, innovation and for peace.
I consider creativity as a force that is motivated by our need to contribute, explore, invent, build, destroy, play, communicate, and express ourselves and much more.
Creativity is dynamic and unfolding. Young children expand their perception when they are able to move from viewing things literally, to using their imaginations, to make up stories, role play and pretend: then a comb becomes a car; we become a prince, a princess, our mum, dad, a police officer, a fireperson. A bowlful of stones becomes food; a row of bricks become a bridge, a combination of sounds becomes a tune, moving to music becomes a dance. A conflict becomes an opportunity for evolution.
In early years when we enable the expression of children’s natural creativity, they build and dig, paint, sing and make up rhymes, experiment and discover, apply first hand experiences and build on these in ways to create something brand new and unique to them. This is how connections are made and their very own map of the world is created, through curiosity, inquisitiveness, risk and challenge, on their own and with others, for the good or destruction of ourselves and others.
Some of the questions the report explores are:
• Can training really make early years professional more creative?
• Does the curriculum foster creativity?
Michel Rosen says to himself:
“Are these people investigating, discovering, inventing and cooperating?
They don’t have to be doing all four all the time, but is this event, this process, this ‘workshop’ involving at least one of these?
In an ideal moment, it’ll be all four.
What can I do to increase the amount of whichever one of the four is not happening here?
In my experience, things start to happen when all four take place in a group of people.”
I like these questions, they help me to reflect on my own trainings and consider how I foster these things too.
I am very grateful to David Weikart High Scope Head Start pioneer for his contribution to early years and for my training with them in the late 1980’s . High Scope clearly places creativity at the very heart of its practice.

Every aspect of the curriculum is considered from the premise that children learn actively through engagement with others, with materials and through their own intrinsic motivation. They learn in their own way through their personal expression and with the support of the adults around them. Adults who understand how children learn!
 I am also grateful to Dr Marshall Rosenberg for his work in life enriching education, nonviolent communication and for the work of Gerard Endenburg on dynamic governance/Sociocracy. These approaches offer the sector ways of communicating and decision making processes to enable collaborative working and I am grateful to many others too, including the work of Rolando Toro in offering opportunities for free expression of our creativity through music and movement.
More on these later………
Key messages in this entry are that CREATIVITY IS IMPORTANT both as an area of the EYFS and central to learning culture of early years settings.
 

Circle Time and more in Greece

I arrived here at the Kalikalos Centre in Greece 23rd July to take part in a dynamic governance (sociocracy) training event with Emile Van Dantzig and I found myself gaining a deeper understanding of this organisational model and in a small community of people of all ages in the mountains of Pelion, a very short walk from the beautiful traditional village of Kissos.

Immediately on arrival, I was welcomed and had a sense of connection with the place and the people. During the opening circle of the whole community, which included our group, another group and those staying here for community experience, we took time to say a little about ourselves and if we would like to share our talents with the group during our stay.

Indian Head Massage, Languages and Guitar tutoring were offered. I offered phobia cures and to lead a community dance session.

I received an overwhelming response from everyone that they would love to dance and also many spoke to me individually about their anxieties about expressing themselves freely in dance.

I felt excited and anxious:excited at offering this wonderful way of expressing ourselves and coming together as a community group in the celebration of life and anxious as the group was large, over 25 people of all ages and abilities.

I was taken to Spiti ton Kentavron which is the other centre here in Pelion to see the wonderful open airy space for dance and movement. I plugged in my ipod and the music filled the space beautifully. I just needed to plan it now and I did!

I sensed a need for fun, creativity, playfulness, coming together with sensitivity, with openness and engagement.

For around two hours on Wednesday evening in the space at Spiti ton Kentavron we danced energetically, vibrantly, expressively, softly, creatively, uniquely, responsively.

Having the opportunity to lead this community dance event was wonderful for me. I observed moments when the movements of individuals and the group touched me deeply. During one dance with hands. I observed two mothers with their daughters united through the sensitive, fluid and creative movement of their hands and it was as if there was a reverence radiating from their small group formation.
Another dance that touched me deeply was between a mother and her young daughter of just 7 years where with just one finger connecting them they moved together in absolute connection to the soft harmonies. I also enjoyed seeing two teenage girls who at times had seemed a little self conscious, now moving sensitively, with ease together in melodic unity.

I left the centre on 30th July to stay with my partner Michael and his family just a few miles away in Tsagarada. My experience of leading the dance, learning more about living together in an ecologically sustainable community and engaging in workshops daily to learn more about the theory of sociocracy was really interesting. I feel very enthusiastic about sharing this organisational model and more with leaders in early years. I will write more about the principles and practices of sociocracy when I return to the UK.

Right now I am enjoying walking in the mountains and relaxing on the beach. Today, I received a request to return to the communities to lead another session of music and movement, this time for the family groups that are staying there now, all nationalities, all ages, mainly single mothers with and their sons. I accepted the request and am looking forward to sharing in another joyous celebration of the dance of life, with others, here in the mountains of Pelion.

I’m thinking that maybe I will return next year myself to lead an event for a week …if you think you might like to join me do let me know and I will keep you posted about the details of what I will offer.