DAILY GALLERY

DAILY GALLERY

“On the motionless branches of some trees, autum

“On the motionless branches of some trees, autumn berries hung like clusters of coral beads, as in those fabled orchards where the fruits were jewels . . .”~Charles Dickens
These blackberries from our garden are waiting to be eaten!! #blackberries #growyourownfood #childrensgarden #reggioinspired #growingberries #antioxidants #naturelovers #naturebasedpreschool #naturebasedlearning #parenting #preschoolerslife

Children’s ideas about the Corona Virus: Today o

Children’s ideas about the Corona Virus:
Today on Zoom, I was conversing with a four year old child about his ideas on the Corona Virus! The conversation was quite fascinating and it gave us a perspective on how children might view this virus!
L- What is the corona virus look like?
O - It’s a gooey shape!
L- Where did this virus come from I wonder?
O - It’s a new predator that came to Los Angeles to look for new people. Some people have the corona; some don’t! The desert doesn’t have any corona because they can’t live there.
L - Can we make friends with the corona virus?
O - We can ask the corona on the floor! Hey corona virus can we make you something yummy to eat?
We can make it for them unless they say we only eat humans!
L - Do corona viruses have families?
O - Lots of corona are on the floor and they make new ones! That’s a family!
L- Are people scared of Corona?
O - You can’t be scared of corona because you can’t see it! Just try not to get affected by it! Coronas bite! I will tell you not to step outside because the corona is there! Give them cake if you have it and maybe they will go away!
L- Can the Corona virus speak English?
O - I saw one speak in a different language. But you need a microscopic microphone to speak with them.
L - Maybe the Corona virus is just looking for a place to live? Maybe we humans took all the spaces?
O - Some Coronas can move to the desert!
L - You mentioned earlier that the corona virus can’t live in the desert.
O - Well, some corona can move to the desert if they don’t want to make babies and they want their own space. Babies can’t live in the desert! And if other Coronas want something to eat then LET THEM EAT CAKE! “Too often we give our children answers to remember rather than problems to solve.” -Roger Lewin
“If your only tool is a hammer then every problem looks like a nail” -Abraham Maslow
#childrensideas #reflectionsoncovid19 #viruscoronavirus #preschool #parents #talkingtochildrenaboutcoronavirus #coronavirus #cake #pandamic #copingwithcovid #kids #children #childrensstories

We are very fortunate to see some bird nests at ey

We are very fortunate to see some bird nests at eye level in our outdoor preschool environment. This is the second year this particular type of bird has built its nest in our outdoor atelier’s shelving unit! Each year I get startled when I first open the drawer and find very tiny eggs and then chirping baby birds but then I am eager to observe the baby birds hatch, grow and take their first flight! This year the children are not at school to witness this beautiful journey. So, I’m sharing some videos! Btw, I believe these birds are from the Chickadee or Wren family? #outdoorclassroom #birds #birdnest #reggioinspired #southerncaliforniabirds #environmentasthirdteacher #learningfromnature #learningathome #learningfromhome #selflearner #birdwatching

At the beginning of the year, the children were ex

At the beginning of the year, the children were exploring many seeds, roots, and plants. These opportunities to observe in-depth and discuss in detail the wondrous plant life that they discovered in our garden and on our neighborhood walks sparked a longterm study of plants and the stewardship of the vegetable garden that we snack from. Simultaneously, the children were curious about the magic of potions. The teachers reflected on what provocations would support the children to further expand their relationship with plants. So, we invited the children to create a potion that is much needed in the world today! We wondered if they could use these fascinating, diverse, and essential plants that surrounded them.
Their ideas for potions included:
1.) a potion that gets dirt off the roads - K
2.) a potion that energizes things - S
3.) a potion that makes roses grow - M
4.) a potion that makes candy grow like seeds into candy plants to make the children happy - O
5.) a potion that helps buses go faster - B
6.) a potion that creates rainbows that make things go super fast - G
7.) a potion that produces bubbles from clouds for the children to enjoy - F
8.) a potion that makes sense of everything - S
9.) a potion that grows fruits and flowers everywhere - L
Once their potion ideas were formulated the children got to work and started searching for the plants with properties that would bring their potions to life!
The children carefully deconstructed plant parts using mortar and pestle and cutting tools to materialize their “plant powers” for their magic potions!
We learned that at the core of the children’s potion ideas was to make children in our world happy and to make our environment more beautiful and bountiful with more plant life!
Now the children have a new appreciation and respect for the diversity and power of plants in their environment and they feel hopeful that their potions will bring about positive change! “The right to hope is the most powerful human motivation I know.” ~ AKDN.org #plantbased #sustainableart #powerofplants #reggioinspired #homeschooling #hope #magic #makingtheworldbetter #seedsofchange #healingplants #outdoorclassroom #gardening

The children have been studying plants extensively

The children have been studying plants extensively this year. At one point they dug a very deep hole in the dirt and found many roots intertwined below the ground from all the trees, plants, bushes around them! During their study of plants, the children also engaged in detailed discussions of how plants grew and observational drawings of plant parts including roots. One day, Sebastian created an interesting structure of magna-tiles which was reinforced with geo-magnet rods that rooted the structure below the base so we asked Sebastian what was his idea. He said, “It’s totally tornado storm proof and it can stay in tornado storms!”
We asked Sebastian how that worked? He said, “That’s because it has roots like a tree that go all the way down under the ocean floor and the roots are super tight at the ocean floor!” “Prior knowledge acts as a lens through which we view and absorb new information. It is a composite of who we are, based on what we have learned and experienced....” (Kujawa and Huske, 1995) Transfer of learning deals with transferring one’s knowledge and skills from one problem-solving situation to another. #transferlearning #magnatiles #magnets #structuralengineering #buildingsafety #reggioinspired #childrensideas #childrensimagination #tornadoproof #earthquakeengineering #structuralengineer #structuralintegrity

A few weeks ago, the children were studying seeds:

A few weeks ago, the children were studying seeds: what were the parts of a seed and why were some seeds hollow inside. They also began predicting what would these seeds produce as they did not know about some of the seeds. Then the children decided to grow a variety of seeds they did know about, so they could have plenty of yummy fruits and vegetables in the coming months. They planned where to grow the seeds in the garden; next to which fruits and vegetables; and in which soil would these seeds thrive. They also created different green paints to match the greens in our garden and predict the variety of greens that would sprout in our garden beds so they could paint this beautiful budding garden landscape that was close to their heart! Now on our break the children are continuing to plant seeds in their home gardens and cultivate micro greens for their salads! They have taken “matters” into their own hands! We will have plenty to share! #growingfromseed #plantingseeds #gardeninglife #parenting #sustainability #thinkingahead #solvingproblems #reggioinspired #childrenoutdoors #news #organicmatter #childrensgarden #belair #belairhills #homeschooling #homebasedpreschool

Young children connecting to plants and seeds crea

Young children connecting to plants and seeds creating a reflective relationship is key to our future! “The ability of humans to manipulate the landscape and recognize the consequences of doing so puts us in a peculiar position. As a species we are assigned the duty to provide and proliferate. Our goal is to achieve stability for ourselves and our kin. However we also have an obligation to maintain the environment, as we depend on the resources and services it provides. The question then becomes: what is our role in nature?” ~ Richard Robinett
With this in mind, we worked with the children to closely observe and engage with the plants and seeds in our environment. As we explore in-depth, we wonder what the children’s detailed observations and ideas will be about nature that surrounds us! #naturelovers #ecofriendly #childrenoutdoors #childrenandnature #stewardsoftheearth #ecosystem #parenting #outdoorclassroom #forestschool #stewardsoftheland #seedlings #seeds #preschool

“Food is the ingredient that binds us together!” ~unknown. One day, teacher Laila was eating warm Persian food at the lunch table. The children smelled the delicious food and asked what it was and if they could try it. Teacher Laila suggested that they have a Persian Food Tasting at Lunch on Friday so all the children can try it! The children were so excited and decided to use inventive spelling based on sounds they hear to write signs/notes for parents to read and know that they don’t need to pack a lunch for school that Friday because they were going to try Persian food! That Friday the children ate all the koohbideh, rice, tomatoes, and salad with a dill yogurt dressing, laughed and chatted with friends, and rubbed their bellies saying YUM! Have we started something? What will the children want to try next week? Are they going to wish to visit the places/cultures these foods came from? Food for thought! #foodbindsustogether #loveoffood #persianfood #westwoodvillage #breakingbread #cooking #relationship #preschool #globalcitizen #loveforfood #culturaldiversity #pluralism #multicultural #thislandisyourland #preschool #inventivespelling #writing #differentbutthesame #empathy #culturalappreciation

The toddlers used clay to depict the story of the

The toddlers used clay to depict the story of the lizard. The lizard was all alone and she needed a mom. She also needed clothes. She needed yummy food like peas, banana, tea, pancakes, and Diet Coke 😂. The lizard wanted to go to the beach so the toddlers made the lizard a beach bag too and packed it with beach essentials! The lizard was now happy! #childrensstories #claywork #clay #hundredlanguagesofchildren #connectingthroughstories #storytelling #lizards #childrenart #childrensplay #learningtoplay #storytelling #empathy #perspectivetaking #beardeddragon #socialemotionaldevelopment #preschool

"If you truly believe in your idea, start building

"If you truly believe in your idea, start building – one brick at a time — and don’t stop until you’ve completed it." ~ Unknown. #tallestbuildingintheworld #tallstructures #blockbuilding #environmentasthirdteacher #outdoorclassroom #outdoorclimbing

Sending postcards... We invited the children to cr

Sending postcards... We invited the children to create postcards to send to their families. Some children wrote words like LOVE on the postcard to send to their families. Others drew a picture for their family. Giselle created a story of a whale to send to her mom. There is something beautiful about sending postcards, notes, letters, mail to our loved ones in lieu of the thousands of text messages we exchange in this digital era! #digitalage #postcard #familytime #writingletters #childrenart #expressinglove #childrensideas #childrensstories #nostalgia #mailart #loveletters #watercolor #atelierista #reggioemiliaapproach #reggioinspiredpreschool #reggioinspired #parenting #materialwork #synapseatelier

The two children age two and five work with focus

The two children age two and five work with focus to find where worms live. It seems they live in the dark soil in the garden bed and under wet tree stumps but not at the surface where dry dirt sits by the bushes! Why do the worms live here and not there? Questions lead to a search for answers and the spiral of learning begins! “Allowing young children to have a hand in molding their own learning yields confident learners who formulate and express their ideas.” ~Synapse Atelier #dirt #environmentisthethirdteacher #reggioinspired #childrenoutdoors #gardeningwithkids #worms #exploringnaturewithchildren #outdoorclassroom #synapseatelier

The Everything Market, of the children, by the chi

The Everything Market, of the children, by the children, for the children. The children wanted to create a market and we started off by discussing what would be in this market. The children had many specific ideas and in the end they decided that all the ideas were important. So they decided to have an everything market which they wanted to call Target! The teachers explained that Target had a little c with a circle around it near its name which meant that idea/name was taken and that others could not use it. The children said, “We will call it Everything Market” and they put a c with a circle next to the name. Next they discussed the layout. The children tried many shelving layouts for the market and they agreed on the L shaped layout which seemed roomier to the children. Finally we asked the children where they will get the goods for the market. They said we can get it from nature, other stores, or our homes. The first week children brought things from home. Plush unicorns, fruit, toys, coffee cups, and more! The next week the children went for a walk and found pine cones, lemons and more in nature and brought that back for the market! The Everything market was open for business and the children had various ideas about money! Some children said the goods should be free and others mentioned that customers needed to pay just like they would at real markets. We asked them what would happen if a customer didn’t have money? The children said they could get money from the bank or from a job or they could create their own money! One day we made corn bread to sell in the market and the children working in the market gave away the bread when customers didn’t have money and now they are wondering how do we get more corn bread mix from a real store? How do we get real money? Can we use fake money at a real store or at a bank? The children interviewed some grownups to get some ideas! The grownups suggested we sell lemonade from the ample lemons on our neighborhood citrus trees! The children loved this idea. Other grownups said they could do small chores/jobs at home and their parents could pay them real money! We wonder how these ideas will unfold! #market #economics

Last night the teachers attended a talk by Frank B

Last night the teachers attended a talk by Frank Bruni, Op-Ed NY Times. Frank spoke about choosing colleges that provide students with “new experiences” that “expand their perimeters and rattle their presumptions.” Seeking the same experiences and staying within our comfort zone narrow our vision and intellectual growth. He reminded us that digital media gives us “the daily me” leaving us validated in our own bubble. Seeking new experiences, starting a dialogue with new people that we typically would not do so, challenges us to listen and reflect on different perspectives. Thank you Bri and Willows Community School for this wonderful opportunity to hear Frank Bruni! #willowscommunityschool #frankbruni #newyorktimes #nytimes #multipleperspectives #progressiveeducation #reggioinspired #reggioemiliaapproach #bri_inspiration #nytimesoped #belair

Rain changes the way the ground feels! The way the

Rain changes the way the ground feels! The way the landscape looks! New possibilities! The children drive their trucks around in the mud and notice a large puddle! They move the water with various materials. Their curiosity growing! What will they do next? #mudpuddles #outdoorplay #naturelovers #environmentasthirdteacher #childreninnature #belair #synapseatelier

Group Hugs: communicating through touch! There ar

Group Hugs: communicating through touch! There are many ways for children to connect: verbal communication, gestures, touch, play, and through observing one another. Here we see three toddlers engaging in a group hug; expressing joy and friendship! “Skin contact, or physical touch such as hugging, is one of the most important stimulation required to grow a healthy brain and a strong body. ...a nurturing touch like gentle hugging can provide positive stimulation a young brain needs to grow healthily” ~ ParentforBrain So keep on hugging! 🤗❤️. #parenting #hugs #brainstimulation #toddlerparenting #braindevelopment #ece #synapseatelier

After hearing the Stone Soup story, we decided to

After hearing the Stone Soup story, we decided to try this idea for our Friday lunch. Every child from age two to five was asked to bring something to add to the stone soup. They brought onion, broccoli , carrots, sweet potato, potato, chicken, pasta, garlic, asparagus and more. We set up cutting boards with kid safe cutting tools and they began cutting their delightful contribution into bite size pieces! It was amazing for the children to experience how it felt to bring something to share for the greater good! The children were focused on prepping for the lunch they would have together! It’s important for children to have an understanding that their cumulative actions yield important outcomes. Children helping with family dinners and chores around the house also gives them an understanding about what it means to work together and how each person’s contribution matters. We invite you to make stone soup in your communities. ❤️🙏🏼 #stonesoup #cookingwithchildren #ece #buildingcommunity #reggioinspired #childrensgarden #preschoolteacher #parenting #synapseatelier

Cultivating Empathy "The baby seems to act like a

Cultivating Empathy
"The baby seems to act like a heart-softening magnet.” ~DAVID BORNSTEIN, NY times Reported speaking about the Roots of Empathy program. For our youngest preschool children age 2, the babies were a conduit for coming together and creating a culture of empathy. We observed how the children’s own prior experiences and experiences with babies as siblings supported their understandings and elicited empathy and problem solving. The children came together to offer support to the babies as families do feeding them and taking them for check ups and putting them down for naps and more! According to John Gloster-Smith, a life coach: “Empathy is described as being the ability to sense how another is feeling, to pick up on and respond to someone’s unspoken concerns or feelings, or to understand the issues or concerns behind another’s feelings. It requires self-awareness. It means being able to sense and understand one’s own emotional responses, a “feeling within.” Hence one can resonate with another, because one can sense it inside.”
We look forward to children’s further examinations of the self-awareness that promote a culture of empathy in our classroom. We wonder, what additional dramatic play materials and narratives might further illicit explorations of character? #babies #empathy #earlychildhoodeducator #earlychildhoodeducation #reggioinspired #dramaticplay #parenting #preschoolteacher #eq #emotionaldevelopment #socialemotionaldevelopment #synapseatelier

“Painting is a blind man's profession. He paints

“Painting is a blind man's profession. He paints not what he sees, but what he feels, what he tells himself about what he has seen." Pablo Picasso.
It was a lovely afternoon. We had some beautiful white paper, some line tools and mirrors. Teachers asked one question, “What do you see?” and then stepped back to watch what transpired! #selfportrait #childrensart #childrenpainting #preschoolteacher #parenting #childrensperspective #handsonlearning #portraits #watercolor #selfreflection #reggioinspired #artislife #earlychildhoodeducation #ece #watercolorpainting #watercolorportrait #developingthewholechild #observationaldrawing #watercolorartwork #childrenart #preschoolart #earlychildhoodeducator #synapseatelier #atelier #progressiveeducation #expressiveart #drawingportrait #visualart #reggioemiliaapproach #johndewey #synapseatelier

A group of children have been fascinated by creatu

A group of children have been fascinated by creatures such as Komodo dragons, bald eagles, unicorns, and more. They used clay to depict their ideas of the Komodo’s long mouth with disintegrating saliva and the bald eagles expansive wings, and the rainbow unicorns magical powers! Throughout time these creatures have been powerful symbols. The book of the beast exhibit at Getty Museum captures the story of these beasts and what they symbolized in the medieval period. “Animals tumble, soar, and race through the pages of the bestiary, a popular type of medieval book describing the beasts of the world. Abounding with vibrant and fascinating images, the bestiary brought real and fantastical creatures to life for readers. So cherished were these vividly imagined beasts, they often “escaped” from manuscripts to inhabit other art works made during the medieval period, and even up to the present day.” Quoted from https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/bestiary/ #gettymuseum #claywork #bookofbeasts #mythicalcreatures #childrensart #childsimagination #childrensbooks #childrensideas #synapseatelier #reggioinspired #belair

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