Was ist Kindergarten?

It has become increasingly clear to me over the past several months that there exists a baffling misconception about what takes place in a kindergarten classroom.

So, to help clarify false impressions perhaps it is necessary to answer the question "What is Kindergarten?"

Kindergarten (literally translated from German as "children's garden" which I like because it conjures the image of lovingly cultivating growth in children) is the first time many children are exposed to formal schooling.

Across America kindergarten programs vary in structure and philosophy. In some states kindergarten is mandatory while in others it is not.  In some classrooms children are taught to read while in others they are taught readiness skills.  However, in all kindergarten classrooms children are learning to interact with others in a social environment without the presence of a parent.  It is a time of burgeoning independence and surmountable challenges.

Kindergarten today is a far cry from the one we remember from our collective childhoods. Gone are the cozy blankets at nap-time, the four-hour days, the endless play.  These are replaced by rigorous curricula in reading, writing, word study, science, mathematics and social studies as well as classes in art, music, physical education and in our school American Sign Language.

Student progress is documented to show growth in all areas through anecdotal records, observations, formal assessments and portfolio collections. Conferences are held with each child, in each academic domain at least once a week.

Of course, there is time for exploration, imagination, enjoyment and that ever important element: play.  There is an expression we have adopted at our school based on the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. It is "nothing without joy".

Kindergarten may be more challenging for the "kinder" than I remember as a child but this quote keeps things in perspective and in balance.  If a child wakes up looking forward to school each day, I have done something right.

Top Ten 2010-2011

At the end of each school year I like to invite the children to think back on the books we read together and share their absolute favorites.  We create a long list and then vote on each one to come up with the top ten for the school year.

I enjoy this experience because the selections really represent the unique makeup of the class and tell the story of our time together.  The number one choice this year was Skeleton Meets the Mummy by Steve Metzger.  The story has just the right mix of humor and fright that the children craved at Halloween.  The fact that it was brought up for voting (and won!) 8 months after we read it is a pretty strong testament to how much they enjoyed it.

Humor and fright continued to be a winning combination with our kindergarten children. One would be hard-pressed to find a sillier, more amusing book than the number two choice, There's a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems. This Elephant and Piggie book, like all the others in the series, is a riot of laughs, double takes and pure fun.  If you enjoy the "I just flew in from Chicago and boy are my arms tired" style of humor (and let's face it, who doesn't?) then this one's for you.

The number three pick, Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousins ranked high due to the illustrations. Sweet Lucy Cousins is not shy about showing the wolf getting his head chopped off by the woodsman in Little Red Riding Hood or playing with the size and placement of her childlike, colorful artwork.  The ingenious thread that runs throughout the book is the fact that at some point something in each of these stories is Yummy.  It may be the porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the robbers meal in The Musicians of Bremen or even Little Red herself.

Another Perfect Day by Ross MacDonald slid into the number four position.  This is the story of an adventurer successfully battling all sorts of obstacles told through golden illustrations reminiscent of days long past.  The superhero quality of the lead character appealed to both the boys and the girls who stood up and cheered throughout our reading.  It turns out that the perfect day lives in the mind of a small boy with a clever imagination who is a bit of a superhero himself.

Alphabet books, a staple in kindergarten, ranked twice in the top ten. Alphabet Adventure by Bruce and Audrey Wood was number five while Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault came in at number eight.  Both books depict the alphabet as a group of feisty letters getting into mischief.  In Alphabet Adventure the dot on the lowercase i causes some trouble before coming to his senses while all the lowercase letters in Chicka Chicka Boom Boom need some looking after by the uppercase letters.  There are many alphabet books that I recommend and you can read more about them here.

One student single-handedly elevated The Rainbow Goblins by Ul Di Rico to number six.  This is a book that I had never heard of until she brought it in one day declaring that is was her favorite book and that she wanted to read it to the class.  It's a bizarre little tale but also very captivating.  I love when children introduce me to new books that they love.  What a pleasure.

Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail sailed in at number seven. I wrote a post dedicated to this book which you can read here.

Some old favorites and past Top Ten honorees made the final cut this year. In my eyes, no top ten would be complete without Curious George by H. A. Rey.  Although he hasn't always made the list, this year he charted at number nine.

And rounding out the top ten is It's Okay to be Different by Todd Parr.   Todd is certainly my favorite living children's book author and illustrator because his work carries a deeper message of acceptance, diversity and love while wrapped around bright, colorful illustrations. His latest, The I'm Not Scared Book comes out in August and I wouldn't be surprised to see it on the Top Ten next year.

Stay tuned...

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk is my favorite fairy tale.  Although I am a huge fan of Porky and should gravitate towards The Three Little Pigs, Jack holds a special place in me wee heart.

Our kindergarten children have been studying fairy tales (elements such as Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After), good and bad characters (Is Jack really good? Is the giant so bad? Arguments can be made for and against both perspectives), and the conflict/resolution dynamic.

Fairy tales capture our collective imaginations. The rich, diverse takes on these timeless stories only enhance our involvement.  Children's book illustrators such as Steven Kellogg, James Marshall and Paul O. Zelinsky have entertained our wide-eyed, excitable students time and time again.

We are also blessed with a handful of wonderful storytellers at our school who all said "yes" when we asked them to come and tell our students their favorite fairytale in American Sign Language.  Last year I posted Whitney's retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Now I would like to share Doug's retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. The video is without sound but since the story is probably very familiar I invite  you to view it and see if you can follow the story.  You might even learn a few signs.

Welcoming the Hummingbirds

Three summers ago I broke down crying, while sitting in my car at the end of the driveway, talking to my mom on the phone.  After weeks of "being strong" the emotions would no longer remain contained.

My father had just come out of surgery but I couldn't be with my family because someone I love at home was also in the hospital with a heart infection. The pain of not being with my parents and the worry of losing someone close overtook me.

As I blubbered to my dear mom, who was still holding it together, I looked out my car window and saw a hummingbird.

In that moment everything seemed to change.

I felt calmer.  I felt hopeful.  I felt that everything would work out and I would know peace again.  I grabbed my camera out of my messenger bag and took the photograph posted above.  (If you click on it to make it bigger you can see the hummingbird more clearly.)

Since that day I have been watching for hummingbirds every summer. And they appear with regularity.

Today I saw my first hummingbird of the summer.  According to my extensive research (I googled it) Hummingbirds are "considered to be symbols of peace, love and happiness. They teach about self-discovery and healing. Hummingbirds also serve as a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible and will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances".

How cool is that?

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

The school year is winding down (our last day is June 28th) and with that comes the call of the great outdoors. Blue skies and sunshine beckon our restless students to play tag between the trees, search for flowers, sit in the grass and blissfully enjoy being young.

To indulge them in this pursuit and to strike a balance between work and play (although to borrow from cognitive psychologist Jean Piaget, "play is a child's work") the end of the school year usually includes some fun excursions.

This year Lauren was offered tickets to take the class to see the Mets play at Citi Field - which replaced Shea Stadium in 2009 - and we couldn't resist.  Taking a group of kindergarten children to a crowded ball park does not come without stress.  But, we were able to invite several parents to accompany us which alleviated some of the worry.

We all boarded the subway to Flushing and arrived early enough to eat our lunch outside before finding our seats.  And what amazing seats they were!

At one point I was busy counting heads when the crowd suddenly let out a thunderous roar. Turning to the student on my left, I asked "what happened?" She excitedly informed me that "the guy on second tried to steal third but they got him out.  Lucky for the guy on first that he stayed put".  Color me impressed.  That is when I sent a text to her mother stating that her daughter sure knew a lot about baseball.

Our stay was brief. We could only watch about an hour of the game before we had to gather ourselves for the trip back to school. When we left it was the New York Mets 0, the Pittsburgh Pirates 6.  Had we hung around a bit longer we would have seen the third inning play that allowed the Mets to win the game 9-8.

On the way back we had a pleasant surprise from a clown who was riding the subway with us.  He got off at our stop and made balloon animals, swords and wands for all of the kids. We finished the day with a read aloud of Horray for Snail! by John Stadler.

I kept thinking that this may have been the first time - and the only time - some of these children have been to a ball game.  As the year comes to a close I wonder what they will take away from their time with me, what will they remember.  Maybe eating an ice cream cone while watching the Mets will be one of those memories.  Whatever their recollections, I just hope they leave with the feeling that learning is fun and continue to score home runs throughout their lives.