RIBEIRÃO PRETO CONCEPT: SPOTLIGHT English

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EARLY YEARS RIBEIRÃO PRETO

escola CONCEPT

“STAND ASIDE FOR A WHILE AND LEAVE ROOM FOR LEARNING, OBSERVE CAREFULLY WHAT CHILDREN DO, AND THEN, IF YOU HAVE UNDERSTOOD WELL, PERHAPS TEACHING WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE.”

LORIS MALAGUZZI

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spot light

By Katherine Stravogiannis

Spotlight. We are proud and honored to have an entire focus on the Early Years division for the first edition of a publication that values our commitment to education and the greater community.

After all, Early Childhood Education represents an expansion of social, emotional, experiential, and cognitive connections. A special and of utmost importance period for consolidating indelible memories. Memories. Also in an uncertain period. With committed family members, caregivers, who look at this child with care, wishing to guarantee their space of belonging.

In quality education.

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5 This Publication also celebrates the child that inhabits Escola Concept: curious, investigative, genuine, with the freedom to be his/her best version, exploring times, spaces, and contexts.

Contexts. Times.

And, how about thinking of the child we were? What would this insightful child think of the adult we have become today? Celebrate what we teach our child today about values, resilience, coexistence? Perhaps less in words, and more in actions?

With so many transformations and influences, society is building a way of being a child, summoning us to the meaning of Early Childhood Education, studying children intimately, not in order to outline what they will become, but to accept who they are, to better understand their identity and established relationships.

And Escola Concept accompanies this need, articulating its pillars, its project, to the visibility of the multiple languages of this childhood culture, welcomed by educators who document, plan, articulate, debate, study, reflect and make history, because they know that children are also historical subjects, and not merely reproducers of content. And they are living a story. A unique moment, which we want to document here.

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Virtual School? Yes! Respecting the characteristics of the age group, each educator devoted many hours to plan opportunities which would allow greater independence for children, interventions and materials easily found at home. The maintenance of meaning, connection with the projects, interdisciplinarity, pedagogical objectives connected to BNCC, Fieldwork Education, but also represented by the Global Goals, Pillars, Habits of Mind which have made the experience challenging, but full of learning and enthusiasm.

With regards to Early Childhood Education, it is the school's responsibility to offer an additional opportunity for coexistence, and to broaden the view of the caregivers about the children's potential, supporting and maintaining them as qualified references of affection towards the child. Early Childhood Education, more than screen time or class hours, is all about how relationships should be celebrated, the cognitive processes being maintained, the significance and, in this case, the relationship of (re)discovery of the home itself, with proposals that can be easily mediated.

6 But ... a PAUSE is also important to experience processes, rediscover home, to enhance the relationships in person and in loco, in times of transition, facing the needs of children, which are unique and highly respected.

At Concept, we treat children with their due space and qualification, in times and particular circumstances, based on the greatest educational references in the world.

May the learning never cease!

Our eyes shine just by thinking about meeting and reuniting with each of our children. In the meantime, enjoy this publication, what has already happened, and what is about to come.

For this reason, children follow different paths from Lower School, and Grade 1 is proudly part of this Early Childhood division. On vacation?

Yes: now.

VACATION, BUT NOT A SETBACK. VACATION.

For a return at full strength and power, taking advantage of every possible minute, with an intentional and planned look. Let's rediscover the value of our group. We are together, and we can only thank you, the families, who give us the privilege of educating your children, even in uncertain times of physical, not social isolation. You have chosen us to educate in times of uncertainty, and we want to be the first to welcome your children back on campus when our gates re-open.

Katherine Stravogiannis is a principal for the Early Years Division and also coordinates the Early Years program for all 3 Escola Concept campuses in Brazil.

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8 Here's a timeline of how the school has been communicating with parents throughout COVID-19 crisis this far.

OUR JO

Crisis manageme

April 7th: communication anticipation of

March 23rd: school informs families that meal and after school fees are suspended for March and for the entire period the school will remain closed.

March 20th: launch of virtual school phase 1.

March 30th: launch of virtual school phase 2.

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OURNEY

ent during COVID-19

Before May 28th: update on academic plan for Early Years and Grade 1.

: first n about the f vacation.

April 18th: vacation toolkit with appropriate age level suggestions for children and families.

May 13th: 20% tuition reduction for Early Years and Grade 1 for the July tuition.

10% tuition reduction for Lower and Middle School for the July tuition.

April 24th: the school focused on the individual needs of each division. Early Years and Grade 1 remained on vacation to maximize on campus learning. Lower and Middle School Learners continued with virtual school on May 4th.

April 30th: launch of the donation campaign for the Escola Concept partners of the COLLAB network or choice of tuition reduction.

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ADAPT

CHANGE

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Early childhood education in times of

By Katherine Stravogiannis

TRANSITION

"The emergence of Coronavirus is violating our greatest freedoms, how to change or meet with others, but it can make us regain inner freedom that is equally important. Even for children. We will learn, or start over, to live every day."

(TEDESCHI , 2020, Reggio Emilia).

Early childhood education has its importance redefined throughout history. In the historical timeline of early years education, it can be noted that it was once seen as having an assistencial approach, then as recreational, and today, in more modern times, it faces the transition from the schooled, content driven approach, to a more critical reflective education model. At Escola Concept, this is how we approach teaching and learning, with the learner at the center.

A child is educated through his/her whole body, through provocations of curiosities and experiences. Children cannot be educated by imposing exercises and repetitions.

Times of transition present an opportunity to understand and influence the direction that these uncertain moments might call for. First and foremost the child must be seen as an individual that has rights and that is a full competent human being.

An Early Childhood Education in which working towards autonomy is celebrated through choices, debates, and co-participation!

A kindergarten where there are no "tias", but qualified educators who welcome and plan with intentionality!

An active participatory education.

Paper and pencil, exercises, and repetitive activities are not enough to educate because they do not articulate hypotheses that are actively elaborated by children who are in constant search for meaning. Questions, problems, discoveries, attempts, and relationships are foundations that constitute a qualified Early Childhood Education.

Children may be small in size, but they are able to develop empathy, experience and resolve conflicts, understand the meaning of peace and value coexistence.

EVEN DURING TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY, ESCOLA CONCEPT WILL VALUE:

"[...]the child must be seen as an individual that has rights and that is a full competent human being."

12 We are not frozen in a time when young learners only repeat letters, numbers, and colors. Such procedures represent pure repetition, transmitting arbitraryconventional knowledge accumulated by humanity, which is the basic role of any institution.

Today one must go further and know how to act upon knowledge. It’s about what you do with what you know and not knowledge itself. It’s important to understand purpose and relevance and it’s role and meaning within the context of the world we live in. Experiences, experimentation and exploration are valued, appreciated, and stimulated.

Learning is no longer seen as reproducing. Learning is using what is known in different situations. To connect and to reconnect!

BUT THEN ... HOW ARE CHILDREN DOING IN THE CONTEXT OF A PANDEMIC, WHEN THEY DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR PEERS AND FROM THEIR CLASSMATES? They must resize the space of their homes, explore new relationships, share actions to build their daily lives, become co-responsible for actions, and be part of the routines of the home, to live the daily life, to slow down, to prepare the environment. We encourage everyone to access the Vacation Toolkit (LINK) with proposals linked to these premises.

The essential learnings defined by the BNCC curriculum, by the rights of learning and development state the following: living together, playing, participating, exploring, expressing, getting to know oneself, are also important at home for children to experience challenges and build meanings about themselves, about others and about the world.

We are together in the journey of coresponsibility for the integral development of children. Count on us, always!

The school must value the family, and the latter must value the school.

Even when facing uncertainty it is important the we rediscover coexistence with those we love the most.

One thing we know: our little ones are developing their best version of themselves and developing the Habits of the Mind as they persist, apply past knowledge to new situations, and find humor, among other dispositions.

The school must value the family and the latter value the school, and, even in the face of uncertainty, rediscover coexistence with those we love most.

13 WE CHALLENGE FAMILIES, DURING THESE TIMES OF TRANSITION, THAT WILL BE FOREVER IMPRINTED IN THE MEMORIES OF YOUR CHILDREN TO CONSIDER: What can we learn from children on a daily basis?

How can we find out in which ways they communicate with us?

What discoveries were made in the house itself? How were the pillars of collaboration, digital fluency, entrepreneurship, and sustainability observed in everyday initiatives?

What are the discoveries or valuable information I want to share when we return to campus?

Appropriate conditions need to be provided for children to thrive! Their words and thought must be valued.

Children need to be challenged to make decisions, choices, and take responsibility for their actions. We need to provide the environment for them to do so.

This is the time to grant children the opportunity to rediscover. As adults, we must not allow our thoughts of academic regression or other anxieties to take over. The situation that we are going through is global and it is shared by everyone in the world today. Every early childhood learner is experiencing the same reality. We must consider and view this as an opportunity of growth.

The school has paused wisely, to soon resume with focus, quality, and a keen approach to teaching and learning.

Everyone lives a process, and learns from it; children do not step back, they react, observe, and learn. And we will learn from them, always!

To all families, our deepest feelings of gratitude go out. Education is based on trust and exchanges. We trust you, you trust us and together we trust the potential of our children to face the challenges of the times we are living and to transform each experience into meaningful moments of learning.

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Insights Fernanda Ferreira, Early Years educator shares her insights and experiences from setting up routines for the little ones to tips for parents.

15 SETTING UP A ROUTINE

"[...]a schedule will provide them a safe structure and a sense of comfort, letting the children know what is coming next"

With remote learning now part of our lives, one of the best ways to help children adjust to this reality is by establishing a daily routine. Having a schedule will provide them a safe structure and sense of comfort, letting the children know what is coming next and for how long it will last.

A suggestion is to create the day’s schedule together – younger children may help by drawing pictures, while the older ones can help by writing as well. Allow input from the children whenever it is possible, giving them a sense of autonomy. In addition, remember to allow flexibility and consider children’s ages and needs, since younger children may need more movement or sensory breaks.

THE BENEFITS OF READING TO CHILDREN Reading books and telling stories can be beneficial in several ways.

Not only does it develop children’s imagination but it also teaches about emotions and feelings, helping children make sense of the world around them. While reading, children improve their vocabulary and develop their language skills.

Therefore, a reading tip are the rhyming books, which will improve children’s phonological awareness besides their ability of recognizing rhythm.

SOME READING SUGGESTIONS Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archembault Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino Duck in the Truck, by Jez Alborough There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, by Dr. Seuss The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson and Ariel Scheffle Down by the Cool of the Pool by Tony Mitton Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty

16 WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORALITY? In this age group, a frequent question from families is related to the development of speech, as there are children who already speak more eloquently and others who are developing the first sentences. In this sense, it is essential to avoid comparisons, respect the different rhythms of learning and offer support for the child to continue developing orality. Several elements can be facilitators in this process. When narrating what is happening while interacting with the child, whether changing clothes, diapers or different moments of daily life, the child attributes meaning to speech, has his body respected and the opportunity to develop greater communicative intentionality.

In addition, the habits of reading, singing and playing together favor the development of orality, as they provide the child with grammatical elements, rhymes and cultural aspects of the language. In general, dialogue and constant conversation help and validate our boys and girls to verbalize opinions and feelings in the creation of their games.

"it is essential to avoid comparison, respect the different rhythms of learning and offer support for the child to continue developing orality"

WE ARE ON VACATION! SHOULD WE START THE POTTY TRAINING PROCESS? Potty training process is a crucial and very special moment in the development of children's independence, so it is essential to observe when the child shows that it is ready to say bye-bye to diapers. In general, the process starts when:

The child already verbalizes that he or she will pee or poop; Walks with autonomy and balance; Climb stairs alternating feet; Can jump with both feet simultaneously (not only hop); Keep the diaper dry for longer intervals; Shows interest and desire to use the toilet and is uncomfortable when the diaper is wet/soiled.

In addition, other elements can be facilitators, such as talking to the child about what will happen, avoiding changes in the child's routine during the process, inviting the child to go to the bathroom regularly, guiding when cleaning, and always remember to wash hands.

The last tip is, be patient when the child gets wet or soiled, as it is a unique and individual process that must respect the pace of each child.

(Excerpts from this text were written by Diana Cianelli and Denise Koga, adapted by LaĂ­s Pontes, from Concept SĂŁo Paulo.)

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A teacher's perspective Ariane Mantovani is an Early Years Educator.

She is having the opportunity to adapt and learn how to enjoy the new normal.

19 STAYING AT HOME IS AN OPPORTUNITY ... for you to talk to your children and let them express themselves. An opportunity for you to really get to know your child and find out their likes and dislikes, needs and wishes. And an opportunity for them to really get to know you, to hear you and be heard. This is an opportunity for them to “wait because mommy or daddy are in a meeting”. If we stop to think about it, we are all living a moment of frustration since we can no longer come and go from the places that were part of our routine or even places with emotional ties such as their grandparents’ home or even their cousins’. Therefore, this is also an opportunity for them to learn how to be more resilient.

WHAT I MISS MOST ABOUT SCHOOL IS ... as a toddlers’ teacher , I value the exploration of the senses: touch, smell, the exchange of glances, the spontaneous smiles. I know that the kids are involved during a project by the sparkle in their eyes, the expression of awe in their faces, the loud laughter and the unexpected hugs I receive. All of this, without a doubt, is what I miss the most.

AMONG THE ADVICE AND TIPS I RECEIVED FOR QUARANTINE, I ADVISE YOU TO ... the greatest advice I received in these last months is to be compassionate with myself.

We are going through a unique moment, a moment of uncertainties and fear. We do not need to add more weight to this whole situation. At the end of each day, we need to feel accomplished by the things we managed to do that day instead of focusing on the things we could not do. If not, we will always the have feeling of incompleteness: “I did this, but I could…” “I did that but I didn’t…” “I did it this way, but I should have…” Respect yourself and your wishes.

Anyway, I believe the word is empathy, to have empathy for yourself.

TO CREATE A ROUTINE AT HOME TO IMPROVE LEARNING WITH MOTIVATION I RECOMEND... build alongside your child. Certain moments, of course, are not optional but others can be more flexible and the child can make a few choices since they will be the one experiencing them. We, as parents, can teach them how to follow that routine so they will start having more autonomy and confidence.

Plan a routine with time for activity, shower, video game, TV, and reading. It will help build an environment of cooperation since everyone needs to help each other, working together as one big family.

I understand that the new normal will have the families even closer to the school. The exchange between teachers and parents has gained a new dimension, a new look.

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A mother's perspective Michelle is Lauren's mother, a 4-year-old girl. Just like everybody else, she is learning and discovering new things everyday during the COVID -19 crisis.

21 STAYING AT HOME IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ... taking a closer look at ourselves and our family. Being confined at home, necessarily, makes us look at the family and analyze what is good and what is not working, to improve family relationships.

THE QUALITIES THAT BEST DESCRIBE MY FAMILY ARE ... first of all: unity. Respect is also essential, because she is a child, we always make her understand the consequences of our choices. We respect the individual space and the way of being. And love. When we have love, it all becomes easy: respect, understand and stay together.

RECENTLY I LEARNED TO… be even more patient. I need to have a lot of patience to manage my time and keep working. We had to adapt and include Lauren in the activities so that she doesn't feel left out. I almost always do things quickly and now I had to relearn how to do it in her time.

I realized that this brings peace to her, accepting her time.

I DISCOVERED THAT MY DAUGHTER CAN ... identify in us the need to get closer to calm us down in moments when she felt that we were anxious about a situation.

She came to talk, to tell us to stay calm.

THE TASTE THAT IS EMBLEMATIC FOR THIS PERIOD IS… anxiety mixed with peace! The anxiety of wanting to return to the activities and at the same time peace, of knowing that I will wake up and be able to be with my family, doing the things we like, together and in no hurry.

WHAT I MISS MOST ABOUT SCHOOL IS ... the school brought me wonderful friends. I miss meeting them, talking quickly through the school corridors. The people who work at the school, what I miss most about the school are the people.

"I try to take advantage of these situation and we explore the opportunity to coexist. When we work together it gets easier."

AMONG THE ADVICE AND TIPS I RECEIVED FOR QUARANTINE, I ADVISE YOU TO .. mental health! For me is the most difficult, because I need people close to me. It's been very difficult to stay away from my parents and my sister and my friends. So, I started working on this internally, looking for the positive side in everything that was happening.

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Through the d l i gaze of a c h

Lauren is a kindergarten learner and she is just discovering new ways of enjoying life with her family. The new normal looks different every day!

23 STAYING AT HOME IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ... building Lego, playing with clay, swimming pool and lots of little things

RECENTLY, I LEARNED TO… cook together with my family. I made lemon pie, banana, and chocolate cake.

THE TASTE THAT MARKS THIS PERIOD IS… pasta with Bolognese sauce and strawberry ice cream.

WHAT I MISS MOST ABOUT SCHOOL IS ... the first thing I want to do is play with clay, go to the Forest and go back to ballet classes. The food and my friends!

THE BEST SIDE OF QUARANTINE...

I really enjoy being with my family, being able to play, swim and stay at home for many days!

"The first thing I want to do is play with clay, go to the Forest and go back to ballet classes".

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The Future of Play Defining the role and value of play in the 21st century LEGOÂŽ Learning Institute, April 2013

25 Play is at the heart of emotional wellbeing and mental health. Free play in particular is critical to the balanced development of children. It supports adapting and responding to both cultural change and the sheer quantity of information to which children are exposed from an early age.

To play is to engage. When we play, we pick up objects, ideas, or themes and turn them upside down, experiment with them, often arriving at something inspiring and amazing; yet we don’t play for the outcome, but for its own sake. For humans and some animals, play is a vital part of development.

In today’s societies, many children have less time for free exploratory play as they are hurried to adapt into adult roles and prepare for their future at earlier ages (Hardy et al., 1993; Rosenfeld and Wise, 2000; Elkind, 2001). Moreover, the field of early childhood education is undergoing a change towards more measurable standards and frequent testing, specifying what young children should know and be able to do in academic areas such as science, literacy, and mathematics.

Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.

Adults also play to break from conventions, to experiment, to shift from normality into a rich world of imagination or to push themselves in new ways.

As a result, children’s time is becoming increasingly structured and focused on explicit learning goals while, and time for free play is dwindling away. Without a profound understanding of its value and the ways of encouraging free play in children, we risk depriving them of the very dynamic that drives their development as learners and creatives.

Looking into the future it appears that significant societal changes in the coming decades will also affect the perception of the role and value of play globally Rapid economic development, increasing urbanisation and growing connectivity will all play their part in moving societies from culturally curtailed play towards accepted and eventually to culturally cultivated play.

To read in full, click here.

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Como as famílias podem apoiar a alfabetização? texto adaptado de Silvana Augusto* publicado em Guia da Família

27 Em nossa cultura, a escola está diretamente relacionada a essa transição que inaugura para a criança um novo ciclo de vida e um novo papel social. Na escola, a criança vira estudante e assume outro status, porque aprenderá coisas que só os iniciados nessa instituição aprendem.

Haverá um tempo determinado para um dos mais valorizados ensinamentos da escola: ler e escrever.

Os pais, ansiosos por um resultado, se apressam a cobrar a escola quando o assunto é alfabetização.

E não é para menos! Suas expectativas se justificam; afinal, ir para a escola significa assegurar um dos mais valiosos direitos de todo cidadão: expressar-se, ler, escrever e compreender o que é dito em sua própria língua. Mas, diante dos dados alarmantes de analfabetismo no Brasil, das tensões entre educadores sobre os melhores métodos de ensino, da publicidade de determinadas concepções de aprendizagem e da concorrência entre as escolas, é de se esperar que os pais fiquem preocupados: Será que meus filhos terão dificuldade em se alfabetizar?

Será que aprenderão sem muito sofrimento, ultrapassarão os desafios dessa jornada e se tornarão bons alunos ou, infortunadamente, apenas aumentarão os índices de crianças que não se alfabetizam na idade certa?

Quando os pais cobram da escola e dos professores que se expliquem com relação às suas escolhas metodológicas e que sejam mais rigorosos, na verdade estão expressando o desejo de que tudo dê certo. Eles querem ter a certeza de que seus filhos terão sucesso no primeiro ano da escola, quando aprenderão a ler e a escrever. Não há nenhum problema nisso: os pais querem que seus filhos aprendam e a escola, a seu modo e do seu lugar, quer ensinar a todos.

Mas o que, afinal, envolve aprender a ler e a escrever? Como os pais podem ajudar a escola e os próprios filhos?

O que eles precisam saber e assegurar para que as crianças tenham uma boa experiência nos primeiros anos que compreendem o ciclo de alfabetização?

28 A primeira coisa que é preciso reconhecer é que, apesar de todas as justificadas e legítimas expectativas, a criança continua sendo criança. Ela continua querendo ser amada e protegida e precisa de muito apoio para vencer mais essa etapa de sua jornada na escola – uma jornada que está apenas no início. É importante que a rotina em casa não sofra alterações radicais por causa do processo de alfabetização.

Ela precisa saber que não está perdendo nada; ao contrário, ganhará novas possibilidades. Será preciso ajudá-la a organizar os momentos de estudar, de ler e eventualmente fazer propostas de casa, mas também será preciso assegurar o tempo de brincar.

Brincar é uma das principais formas de elaboração do mundo, de compreensão dos papéis sociais, dos valores e das relações entre as pessoas.

Brincando as crianças podem ter o tempo de que necessitam para elaborar seu crescimento, seu novo papel social e suas possíveis inseguranças. Nesse sentido é que dizemos que brincar é também coisa séria.

Para ler na íntegra, clique aqui.

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Morning Bites

Getting to know Early Childhood Education one talk at a time.

Live on Youtube on the following Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:00 a.m.

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ADRIANA RAMOS

ANGELA SALOMON

MARCELO BUENO

How is the ethical coexistence and interpersonal relationships between parents and children in times of uncertainty?

Play and the Habits of Mind

The rebirth of early childhood education

Scan the QR code to access the link to the Youtube transmission.

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EARLY YEARS

ESCOLA CONCEPT