Posted by Chip on June 30, 2010
My granddaughter, Lily, loves to swim. Watching her in the water in the summertime is one of the most joyful experiences of this grandfather’s days. In her element, she challenges herself at the leading edge of learning and adventure. She now floats on her back long distances, swims underwater, treads water, and is beginning to [...]
Categories: Developmental Education, Developmental Needs, Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum, Importance of Play, Time to Learn |
Tags: Developmental Education, Developmental Needs, developmental teaching, Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum, importance of play, kindergarten, observing children, Time to Learn | 
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Posted by Chip on September 16, 2009
Our granddaughter, Lily, missed the kindergarten entrance cut-off date by ten days and has returned to her small and wonderful preschool where she has stepped up from the Morning Glories to the Fireflies, a fitting transition for her, a bright light of imagination, blinking on and off as she dances from one adventure to another.
Recently [...]
Categories: Developmental Needs, Time to Learn |
Tags: children's positive attributes, children's strengths, Developmental Needs, Time to Learn | 1 Comment »
Posted by Chip on September 11, 2009
Heard this term? I observed a striking example of this definition of our young people in action as I sat at the back of a group of nearly 100 fifth graders watching and listening to the President’s “First day of School” address September 8th (see previous blog entry).
The group was attentive and respectful, but when [...]
Categories: Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum |
Tags: children and technology, Developmental Needs, Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum, Lois Lowry, the distractible generation, The Giver, Thomas Merton, Time to Learn | 3 Comments »
Posted by Chip on September 1, 2009
By now you may have heard that President Obama will be addressing our students nationwide on September 8th at 1 p.m. EST. It should be exciting and inspiring!
Here’s the letter sent out to principals by his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan:
Dear Principal:
In a recent interview with student reporter Damon Weaver, President Obama announced that [...]
Categories: Schoolwide Initiatives, The School Year |
Tags: Arne Duncan, Arnold Gesell, Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum, Michael Gurian, President Obama, Race to the Top, Schoolwide Initiatives, The Mind of Boys, The School Year, Time to Learn | Post a Comment »
Posted by Chip on April 3, 2009
Good things come in small packages.
A small, new, groundbreaking book called simply Crisis in the Kindergarten—Why Children Need to Play in School is currently available in bookstores and on the web from Alliance for Childhood in College Park, Maryland. Every teacher, parent, and educational policy maker should read and forward a comment about it to [...]
Categories: Developmental Needs, Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum, Time to Learn |
Tags: Arne Duncan, Developmental Education, Developmental Needs, Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum, education refrom, Time to Learn | Post a Comment »
Posted by Chip on March 16, 2009
Well, last week, we did it again. Tinkered with time, moved our clocks forward a little earlier and fooled ourselves into thinking we can squeeze just a little more out of life by building in as much daylight as possible.
If you want to know what price we’re all paying for this, consider that we’re a week [...]
Categories: Developmental Needs, Managing Behavior, The School Year |
Tags: children's need for movement, children's need for sleep, Developmental Needs, John Ratey, Managing Behavior, The School Year, Time to Learn | Post a Comment »
Posted by Chip on January 8, 2009
As I promised in my last post, I want to identify for teachers what I consider the most significant time-related strategy to use with children in the classroom in these days of the “hurried curriculum.” We’re so busy doing one thing after another to accomplish all the lessons and assessments that must fit in the academic [...]
Categories: Developmental Needs, Time to Learn |
Tags: Developmental Needs, time for reflection, Time to Learn | 4 Comments »
Posted by Chip on July 10, 2008
A Book About Time
Time to Learn: How a New School Schedule Is Making Smarter Kids, Happier Parents, and Safer Neighborhoods. Chris Gabrieli and Warren Goldstein (2008, Jossey-Bass.)
As you might guess, this title got my attention, given my interest in the topic and the fact that there’s a book with a similar title over there in [...]
Categories: Books, Time to Learn |
Tags: Bob Katz, Chris Gabrieli, Deval Patrick, Elaine's Circle, The School Year, Time to Learn, Warren Goldstein | Post a Comment »
Posted by Chip on July 2, 2008
The children have gone home and the classrooms are empty. Many teachers have packed their rooms and are moving to new classrooms or schools this summer. In our district there are schools closing and consolidating. In other districts around the country there will be more new principals and new teachers in place when children return.
The [...]
Categories: The School Year, Time to Learn |
Tags: close of the school year, end of the school year, last days of school, leaving childhood behind, No Child Left Behind, The School Year, Time to Learn, whole child | Post a Comment »
Posted by Chip on November 28, 2007
The idea that children need more time in school to be more productive students and to achieve at a higher level seems intuitively sensible. The value of adding time to teacher’s schedules for teaching, planning, professional development and assessment also makes sense on the surface. The value of adding time to the school day and/or [...]
Categories: Developmental Education, The School Year, Time to Learn |
Tags: 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Developmental Designs, Developmental Education, Developmental Studies Center, Educators for Social Responsibility, High, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, Jacque Montangero, Jean Piaget, Open Circle, Responsive Classroom approach, The School Year, Time to Learn, Understanding Changes in Time | 2 Comments »
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