At the Beginning

Amanda Janquart“The children enter school not even knowing names, yet ready to step into each other’s dreams.” Vivian Paley, a much lauded early childhood educator and author. Our staff had the great fortune of meeting with Vivian in Chicago last year, thanks in large part to Sarah Sivright’s personal and professional relationship with her. She is a hero in our field of early childhood education.The start of a school year is filled with newness. For a preschooler at All Seasons, the initial conference before day one helps to eliminate some aspects of the unknown. They have seen their room, and what the teacher knows is past the starting line, having had time to discuss children’s backgrounds with parents. But what each child faces is still daunting – from new peers to meeting seniors, from hiking in the woods to figuring out the soap dispenser, and from working as a community to communicating individual needs.In the midst of all the new experiences and expectations, teachers are observing closely. We are looking for strengths and paths to provide guidance. We are watching to learn each child’s comfort level, so we know when to gently nudge them past it. We are taking notes to record where they are developmentally, which in turn become records of growth. You may be wondering what exactly we are looking for and what we are writing down. Well, for now we are simply writing a narrative of what we see and hear.“In play children talk the most to each other. I learn the most about a child by watching.”  - Vivian PaleyWe meet each child where they are when they come, and as our notes and observations grow, the next step is to look for patterns. At the Fall Conference, we will again talk with parents to discuss hopes for the year and potential concerns, as well as actions needed to address them. We will share what we’ve noted, with a focus on the child’s social and emotional development, their approach to discovery and their physical and motor skills. The emphasis at this age is on social and emotional growth. It is through our observation of their play that we can gain the fullest understanding of where they are and what they need next.“The children know enough about play to begin a curriculum of play. To study play is to study the theatre of young children.” - Vivian Paley