It’s a bird ... it’s a plane ... it’s Super Gan hero!

This summer, we’ve been discussing heroes and powers. Some of the questions we’ve asked are, What makes a hero? What is the difference between a hero and a superhero? What powers would you like to have?What powers do you already have?

These discussions have stimulated the children’s imaginations. They are moving away from taking on the identity of media-familiar superheroes and creating their own. To support this, we offered the children an enlarged copy of a photograph of themselves and encouraged them to transform the photograph into their own version of a superhero. In addition, the teachers looked for opportunities for the children to recognize their own powers in helping others, learning new tasks, etc. 

One may wonder what types of play and behaviors may occur when children are introduced to this type of curriculum. Would it lead to aggressive play? Would we be encouraging violence to solve problems? Would we be reinforcing media? What has transpired has been quite enlightening. Here are some of the things we have noticed:

Children are more confident in their physical abilities. For example, a child tries to move tires from one end of the yard to another. This child is not able to and asks a teacher for help. Another child hears this and says: “I’ll help you move those tires; my powers are strong” (while flexing muscles!).

Children are developing critical thinking skills. For example, two children notice the hoop attached to the monkey bars is stuck on top instead of hanging down. A teacher inquires as to whether they need help. One child states: "No, I can do it, ‘cause I'm the Tumbler.” Another child chimes in and says, “Yah, the painter will help!” After several attempts and discussions among themselves, they ask the teacher for a “long stick with hands.” So, the teacher hands them a stick, a rake and some tape. They attach the rake to the stick with tape and are able to bring the hoop down on their own. Success!

Children have developed the ability to be more aware and supportive of their peers. As they have played with blocks of ice in the water table, built ramps for cars in the block area and played in the yard in their homemade construction zone, we hear language like: “Good job solving that!” “How can we melt this?” “Maybe water will melt it?” and “You need to be safe and work together with us.”   

Hearing this language shows us that perhaps the superhero exploration has helped the children see themselves as capable superhero mensches! 

The new construction area in the yard. 

Water (and ice) table play. 

Summer is in full swing!

Throughout the year the children's play has included imagination, exploration, and heroism. They have fought fires, built restaurants, protected the school from "bad guys," created fairy houses, and so much more.  Over the summer we have been exploring these interests in meaningful ways. Eric Hoffman, the author of Magic, Capes, and Amazing Powers, describes this type of play as a way for children to test out their power and relate to the adults in their world. Children see adults as powerful figures that "take charge, make decisions, solve problems and think about adult problems such as power, wisdom, bravery, and fairness" (Hoffman, 2004). Children also engage in this type of play because it involves all areas of development: social, emotional, physical, and cognitive. Our role as educators is to help them navigate this world in a positive and successful way.

When faced with this topic, many children will first relate to familiar figures that they have seen in the media. However, we are asking the children to think beyond what they see and hear in the media. For example, we decided to define what it meant to be a hero. We asked the children to define a hero and their answer was "someone who fights the bad guys", "someone who wears a costume," and "someone you see in movies and books." Immediately following this discussion we read Lila and the Secret of the Rain by David Conway and Jude Daly. Lila is a child in an African village that is plagued by drought. In the end, she makes the rain come to her village, thereby saving her town. After we read this book, the children realized that Lila was a hero, even if she did not wear a costume or fight bad guys. 

We have also been encouraging the children to use their imagination and creativity to empower their dramatic play. One way we’ve been doing this is with the creation of the Green Zone area outside our door. In this area children are encouraged to use large body movements—running, jumping, hopping—as much as they want. Next to the Green Zone is the Creation Station, where children are encouraged to make props that they could use in the Green Zone. So far we have seen baseballs/bats, newspaper swords, and new inventions. In the past week we also brought out a large box which the children decided to turn into a hideout. They spent two days decorating the outside of the box and making the inside cozy. 

Mazel tov to our Kitah Gimmel Graduates!

You are such a caring, empathetic, and loving group of children who genuinely care about each other and the world around you. We know you will succeed in kindergarten and wish each one of you the best as you continue on your journey through life! 

Under the chuppah for a final nursery school blessing!

The well-earned graduation certificate. 

And, some end-of-year activities 

All year, Kitah Bet children explored their own similarities and differences. We capped off the year by having each child paint a self-portrait on a mirror. The process allowed the children to further explore their identity. They seem more at ease and comfortable talking about what makes us similar and different. There is not only an increased awareness of how we are all alike and different but also more confidence in who they are. Our hope is that this experience, along with the many other activities offered throughout the year, helped them begin to develop a positive self-identity, place a positive value on differences, and develop a genuine appreciation and respect for others. In that spirit, we have included a poem entitled “Human Family” by Maya Angelou. The poem really resonates with us and we thought you might appreciate it, as well!

Human Family

I note the obvious differences

in the human family.

Some of us are serious,

some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived

as true profundity,

and others claim they really live

the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones

can confuse, bemuse, delight,

brown and pink and beige and purple,

tan and blue and white.

I've sailed upon the seven seas

and stopped in every land,

I've seen the wonders of the world

not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women

called Jane and Mary Jane,

but I've not seen any two

who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different

although their features jibe,

and lovers think quite different thoughts

while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,

we weep on England's moors,

and laugh and moan in Guinea,

and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,

are born and die in Maine.

In minor ways we differ,

in major we're the same.

I note the obvious differences

between each sort and type,

but we are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

Face painting in Kitah Bet

We see lots of similarities here: messy faces. 

Celebrating Shavuot

A few weeks ago we celebrated the holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. 

Prior to our celebration, each class had ongoing discussions about the rules all of us must follow (such as obeying traffic signals). More difficult for the children to grasp are the Ten Commandments and the importance of these rules for everyone. Through books and conversations, we simplified the language of the Ten Commandments and then asked the children to come up with their own rules. The children then painted “tablets” with rules we have in our own lives, both at home and at school.

We also asked Gan Avraham children to bring fresh fruit (HaBikureem is Hebrew for the first fruit of the harvest) from home. In ancient times, Jews offered bikureem to God in thanks for God's bounty. We donated the collected fruit to a local community center serving residents in need. All of the Gan classes joined together in the sanctuary, which we decorated with flowers, for a celebration with Rabbi Bloom. We sang songs and had the opportunity to go on the bima and look inside the Torah. 

Shavuot highlights loyalty, helping others, kindness and tzedakah. At the Friday Shabbat circles in each classroom, we give tzedakah. This year we will donate our tzedakah money to Urban Adamah, an educational farm and community center in Berkeley that integrates the practices of Jewish tradition, sustainable agriculture, mindfulness and social action to build loving, just and sustainable communities.

Spring Continues. . .

Kitah Gimmel 

Just after Pesach break, we had some visitors: baby chicks that one Kitah Gimmel student and her family shared with the class. The student demonstrated how to hold a chick, and anyone who wanted was given a turn. Two by two they sat on the floor with a lap towel and she handed over a chick. Having pets come and visit is a great way for children to gain a better understanding of what “taking care” of a pet means.

We have some other visitors as well: monarch caterpillar larvae. We’ll be following and charting the change from day to day until they turn into butterflies. The children witnessed this metamorphosis last year in Kitah Bet. This is truly a miraculous event to see, no matter how many times you have seen it before. We will encourage the children to become scientists and make observations and hypotheses about the changes they see. Each day, a child will draw a small picture recording what they see. We will keep a time line to track how long it takes our larvae to grow larger and the metamorphosis into butterflies. We will encourage the children to ask questions about what they observe. They may have “homework” to help them find out the answers. We will also make some caterpillars of our own. When the metamorphosis is complete and we have (hopefully) some butterflies, we’ll have a release ceremony for the butterflies and the children who helped raise them.

Kitah Bet 

With Passover done we geared up for Yom Ha’atzmaut or Israel’s birthday. The curriculum around Yom Ha’atzmaut fits perfectly into our class’s world/diversity focus. We made an artistic rendition of the Israeli flag, as we have done with other countries we visited. There is also a wealth Israeli cuisine easily made by little hands: humus, falafel and Israeli salad are favorites. On the actual day of Yom Ha’atzmaut, we prepared and ate these Israeli foods for snack. The special thing about Israel’s birthday is that Israel is a place that has already been interwoven into the children's preschool experience. It is more familiar to the children than some other countries we have explored, yet also with a myriad of facets left to be discovered.

We also took a plane ride to Israel. After we “landed” in Israel, the children went through “customs” and stamped their passports. We continue to explore and discover the beauty of Israel, the diversity of the people, the Jewish history and the land. As we discussed the people of Israel, we discovered that, just like us, the people there are many different colors.

To continue building knowledge regarding diversity, we embarked on another project involving our skin tones. A few months ago, the children made outlines of their hands. Using skin tone colored crayons, they colored the inside of the hand with the color(s) that they felt best matched their skin. All the while, we engaged in discussions regarding our similarities and differences. This week, we had the children mix paint colors (white, yellow, brown, black and red) to find their skin tone and then made footprints with that color. The children have had some wonderful conversations as they tried to figure out the right mix of colors to match their own. One comment from a child, “Isn’t that funny, we all got the same colors in us!” And therein is the beauty of this project! We have a spectrum of colors and ethnicities in our community but we all do share many similarities as well.

The Kitah Bet children on the plane to Israel!

Stamping the passport upon arrival.

Mixing paint to find just the right skin color.

Kitah Alef 

The children have started telling jokes recently. This may sound like a small milestone of development, but there are so many nuances that go into humor that this is no small feat. When you first hear a joke, you need to understand what is being said and why it is funny. In order to tell a joke, you need to either remember one that you have already heard (and hopefully get the sequence correct) or improvise, sometimes working within the framework of an existing joke (i.e. knock, knock jokes).

Since the beginning of the school year, the children's language skills have improved tremendously. They are speaking in longer sentences, their speech clarity has improved, and their comprehension has grown by leaps and bounds. A college professor once told his linguistics class that you have to master a language first in order to then be able to flout the rules. Kitah Alef children are flouting the rules of joke telling left and right with varying degrees of success, but always to their own delight. Earlier this week, we started telling “jokes” at lunch one Tuesday. Here are a few:

“My joke is owls.” 

“I've got a joke about dinosaurs. Rawr!” 

“Why didn't the dolphin fly over the ocean? Because then it would be a bagel.” 

“Knock, knock. (Who's there?) Mr. Nobody!” 

“Knock, knock. (Who's there?) Banana. (Banana who?) Banana I didn't day orange!” 

These are not copyrighted, so feel free to borrow one or more to liven up your next cocktail party or board meeting.

On another note, the Kitah Alef children have been reaping the benefits of warmer weather by playing with water in the yard. Though it may look like the children are simply getting messy, they are in fact growing in every aspect of development. On particularly warm days, we fill up the barrel in the yard with water.  Once it is full, the children grab buckets, measuring cups and other containers and go get water themselves.  Walking with a bucket full of water not only increases physical development but also improves balance.  Eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills and hand grasp-skills needed for future writing are also facilitated by sand or water play. During water play, children investigate (“What happens when I put sand in water?”), observe (“I made mud!”), and problem solve (“Now I’m soaking wet. Better stand in the sun until I dry”).  They also explore cause and effect, understand measurement properties and use their imagination to create exciting new things. We have seen many mud cakes, mud cups of coffee, and mud ice cream. 

Throughout the year we have been talking about the benefits of water to our planet.  When the new trees were planted in the yard, we discussed how water helps them to grow.  At snack and lunch, we talk about how water helps our bodies to grow.  We have had many conversations about how we need to be careful with our water, especially in the middle of a severe drought, and that it is important not waste it.  

Passover 2015

The beautifully prepared Seder table in Kitah Gimmel. 

Kitah Gimmel 

As Kitah Gimmel prepared for Passover, one thing that stood out is how much the children—4- and 5-year-olds—are now capable of doing. They can follow multistep directions, focus for extended periods of time, and initiate their own activities. Such growth and maturity became evident in their various holiday-related activities, from painting Seder plates with thought and intention to designing and sewing their own pillows and engaging in our model Seder. One new activity we did this year was to act out the story of the Exodus. We introduced props, made costumes, and then acted out the story to the younger children in the Kitah Bet and Kitah Alef classes. Putting on a play was a real challenge, because it involved recalling the story, putting it into one’s own words, using one’s body to act it out, and interacting with the other players. Some children felt comfortable with speaking parts; others enjoyed presenting the action (including frogs jumping everywhere!). 

Kitah Bet

We introduced the holiday of Passover by asking, “What do you know about Passover?” Although it’s been a year since they were last exposed to the holiday and have since then learned about other holidays, the children remembered a lot about the story. 

In preparation for Passover, we learned new songs, new character names, and the story of Passover told in various ways. To bring part of the story to life, we painted pyramids, made some symbols of the ten plagues, and created a mural depicting the parting of the Red Sea. We munched on matzah and made charoset. We talked about hametz (bread or anything leavened) and cleaned our classroom in preparation for our model seder. The children also became more familiar with the Haggadah we use during our model seder (My Very Own Haggadah, which can be found at Berkeley’s Afikomen) and with the significance of the foods found on the seder plate. Each child also made a beautiful matzah cover.

Kitah Alef 

The class seder is such a wonderful tradition that we have here at Gan Avraham. It fosters a deep and meaningful connection to the holiday and enriches the children’s understanding of Jewish traditions. We set out a long table with place settings for each child and a chair(s) behind for their family members, as well as multiple seder plates and a plate with some samplings of food in front of each child. 

In preparation for the holiday, we focused on the vast traditions, rituals, and symbols of Passover. After some hands on learning experiences, like making frogs and matzah covers and practicing with the Haggadah, the children really started to grasp the major themes of the story.  

A Kitah Alef child setting up a play Seder plate. 

Some Goings-on in March... 

Kitah Bet: “The Color of Us” 

Although the Gan is a single faith-based preschool, we are aware of and pride ourselves on being a community that is home to children and parents of many different identities, backgrounds, and even faiths. At this age, children are curious about their own and others’ physical characteristics. As they gain a sense of themselves, they also begin to construct a sense of multiple social identities: racial, ethnic/cultural, gender and religious identities. It is also possible for children to develop pre-prejudice as they absorb negative attitudes, misinformation, and stereotypes about various aspects of human diversity. Our job is to help the children understand and appreciate differences and to help them develop the skills to navigate and thrive in our complex, diverse world.

We recently read Karen Katz’s The Color of Us, a book that delightfully explores skin tones. We invited the children to examine their skin tone by outlining their hand and asking them to pick a shade from skin tone color crayons and to color the inside of the hand. What ensued were some wonderful and illuminating discussions and a colorful mural of our hands (teachers included, of course!). “We are all shades of brown.” “I think you have a little of my shade in your shade.” “Nobody has paper color skin.” “My skin is toast.” “I’m peachy.” “I’m almond.” We then explored ways in which we are the same and different. During group time, we divided into groups according to certain characteristics, such as gender, hair color, and eye color. We are learning so much about these issues together! 

Kitah Alef: “Process versus Product” in Art

When we plan art activities, we try to expose the children to a wide variety of materials, including paint, crayons, chalk, glue, tape, stickers, and stamps. In explaining our approach to art, we use a phrase with which many of you may not be familiar (at least not in the early childhood setting). We talk about focusing on “process vs. product.” When each child in the class does an art project and they are all displayed on the bulletin board, do they all look the same? Were they given the freedom to express themselves creatively, or were they told/showed what to do and what the finished product should look like?

This definition of “process” is from an ECE website: "Process" means allowing children to explore art materials with freedom without the pressure to copy a model or stay in the lines. Process is experimenting with paints, mixing colors, and feeling the textures. Process is gluing various sizes, shapes, and colors of paper together to create a collage. Process is freedom to experiment and enjoy the feeling of creating without being concerned with the outcome or the product. 

At Gan Avraham, we focus on the process rather than on the finished product. If a child wants to fingerpaint for so long that she tears through the soggy paper and has nothing to take home, we view that as a success rather than a failure. Although the child may not have a finished product to send to Grandma, she got to use the materials as she chose and spend as long as she wanted at the project table. One child may glue one popsicle stick to the paper and then walk away, while another will stay at the project table all morning glueing on every material available and another will choose not to do project that day. All are valid. The teacher's role is to facilitate confidence and decision making, and to provide reassurance, not to model how it should turn out. The children spend much time during their school day following directions, and art experiences should not be one of these times.

Although Kitah Alef children have not yet begun to create (recognizable) representational art, art still provides a chance for them to express themselves creatively. Howard Gardiner, a well-known education theorist, writes that "artistic learning grows from children doing things: not just imitating but actually creating.”