Over the last few weeks, I have been highlighting the learning that occurs within the different learning centers at FUMP.  In this age of academic pressures falling to younger children, we rely on the best practices of child development to create learning in a play based environment.  In each classroom, you will find a dramatic play learning center.  At times, parents will question the value of such play.  This week, I want to share some information from one of my favorite blogs, www.notjustcute.com about how dramatic play supports literacy development in early childhood.

I had a wonderful conversation with a parent recently. It started with her revealing to me that she had been thinking about moving her daughter to another preschool. Day after day, her neighbor‘s child was coming home from their preschool with elaborate craft projects and worksheets filled with shape drawings. Her thought was that she really liked FUMP, but her neighbor’s child was bringing home so many great things and perhaps her own child was missing out.

She reached out to a friend and blogger who is very knowledgeable about child development. Her friend began asking questions about FUMP. Do they send home scribbled art work? Do they have sensory tables in the classrooms and change the materials in them regularly? Do they have playdough on the tables? Are the teachers highly trained? Are they accredited? And more. The answers were all yes. Her friend said that FUMP was doing it right, focused on child-centered learning. The parent was so relieved. She knew that she loved FUMP from her first visit, but couldn‘t articulate why. A year later, she is so glad that she stayed, and of course, I am as well. As we continued our conversation, I knew she had tapped into something deeper.

What does it mean to be a child-centered program? After 30 years in early childhood, “child-centered” is a term I use frequently; however, some parents may not have the same grasp of it. For this week’s column, I will expound on child-centered art. It is a tangible, visible example of FUMP‘s unique philosophy that illustrates the concept. More posts and columns will be coming your way as our child-centered philosophy is the common thread that runs throughout our program, from the babies to prekindergarten, and makes FUMP such a unique experience for children.

As I mentioned at the parent orientation meeting in August, your child will inevitably come home from FUMP with a completely brown painting and be thrilled by it. It will be covered with layers of once-bright tempera paints that have now been swirled and mixed into a top-to-bottom, wall-to-wall landscape of dull brown. While as a parent, you may think, “Ugh, that’s not one I am putting on the refrigerator”, it greatly illuminates FUMP‘s philosophy. Let me walk you through the experience through our eyes.

A child at the easel faces a blank page, pots of colored paints, and endless opportunities for learning. Here is a quick list off of the top of my head about the learning that happens here: 1) Fine motor skills of manipulating the brushes, 2) Gross motor skill of painting on a vertical surface (easel) rather than a horizontal surface (table), 3) Creative expression as there are no graphics or focused adult-selected objectives, 4) Drawing/writing skills as they form lines, shapes, symbols, 5) Science processes as they observe changes as colors, textures and paints are mixed on the page, and 6) Language as the teachers may ask the child about what they have drawn and dictate their response. Just like that, multiple areas of children’s development are addressed in one single classroom activity.

Further, children learn through repetition. The easel will be in the classroom all year, and the teachers will vary the mediums for children‘s use. What happens if you add shaving cream to the paint? Or use watercolors instead? Or add glue into the paint and paint on foil? Or use spray bottles with colored water? Or add an extract to create scented paint? A peer might even join to do a “partner painting”, which adds a social component.

These variations extend learning (building on the list above) and support further opportunities to learn about the properties of liquids and solids, art mediums, and more. This list is quite impressive, when you stop and examine something as simple as a child’s easel painting.

This is called “process-art,” a hallmark of a child-centered program. At FUMP, we cherish and nurture the process of creating and expression, not the end product. Parents can feel almost disappointment to receive muddy brown paintings day after day. However, each one is a testament to discovery, expression, and exploration.

Well, what about those perfectly-constructed spider crafts that your neighbors are bringing home these days? The key is to remember THAT IS NOT ART; not process art, anyway. They are an excellent measure of OTHER skills: following an adult‘s multi-step directions, practicing fine motor skills to assemble the craft, learning pre-math directional terms (above, below, beside), learning science concepts (a spider has 8 legs), etc. “Product art” has its place in the early childhood setting, but it has an entirely different end goal. Just last week, I observed in a classroom and the children were building skeletons with glue and cotton swabs. The teacher listed the activity under “Fine Motor Skills”, not “Art Projects”. I was delighted to see an example of the distinction on her lesson plans.

In fact, we could have the children make crafts for you each day at FUMP, and we would receive rave reviews for it. Many, many, many schools take this approach and do so successfully. However, we seek out opportunities to create child-centered, process-focused experiences for children. We prioritize children’s authentic experiences over more product-based outcomes, and ultimately the children have a richer, multi-dimensional and more meaningful experience because of it. Perhaps now you can see why the teachers gush at pick up time about the amazing muddy brown painting your child did that day – through our lens of valuing the child-centered experience.

So the next time you see a child’s carefully-constructed preschool craft project, perhaps this column will echo in your mind.  Perhaps you will smile to yourself and think, ahhhh, that‘s not really art. And if you do, you will know that you are one of the precious few that recognizes the deeper value of a child-centered, developmental philosophy for young children.  Now go forth and proudly show all of those brown paintings to all your neighbors!

When your child is a preschooler, it is instinctive for parents to want to protect their children. Parents are bombarded almost daily with media warnings, cautionary tales, and new studies of threats to your children. Parents want to be vigilant, and anticipate any situation that could cause their child hurt or distress. Of course, this applies to your child‘s preschool experience as well. Parents want to be informed of their child’s daily experiences and interactions and seek to protect them.

I had a parent visit me in the office with a request. She mentioned that one of the goals for her child was that he become skilled at resolving conflict. She understood that his classroom dynamic was very harmonious and there were few opportunities for him for practice settling differences. He currently plays with a group of older neighborhood children and would be heading off to kindergarten next year, both situations required adeptness at negotiating play with peers. She went on to say that she felt like this was very important for him to learn this in the supportive environment of the preschool, with our teachers close by and present to coach him.

I thought wow, I have never heard a parent ask for MORE conflict in their preschool experience! Rather, it is usually a parent visiting me who wants us to end conflicts — and the sooner, the better. Upon further reflection, I was really struck by how insightful she was.

Our teachers here have consistent, fair, age-appropriate methods of resolving conflict in children. Our ratios are low, so that individual attention could be given to the children to assist with problem solving – while kindergarten ratios are now up to 1:22. I think she was right on target to see the value in conflict, rather than expecting to rescue him when he was faced with a tough situation.

The conversation gave me a new lens of viewing the role of conflict in the classroom, and I thought it might do the same for you.

December is here.  We are looking forward to spending time in the Capitol rotunda over the next few weeks.  Our teachers will be scheduling field trips for the children to enjoy some of the holiday events in the rotunda. We are excited to continue this long-standing tradition at FUMP.

Taking the children into the Capitol building is a wonder unto itself.  I know that several of our families have moved to Austin recently.  Our Capitol dome is larger than the U.S. Capitol.  I highly encourage you to walk over and visit our “neighbor.”  If you haven’t done so, I’d like to take you on a little tour, through the eyes of your children and our teachers as they enjoy this gem of Austin.

While our children regularly play on the lawns of the Capitol, it is a special treat for us to enter the building.  At the entrance, one cannot help but notice the attention to detail in the building, from the ornate doorknobs to the custom engraved hinges and more.  From there, we wander into the rotunda, which awes and inspires children and adults alike.  The scale of the dome and its decor compels us to pause and soak it in, gazing up at the interior dome.  Even the floor designs highlight portions of Texas history.  For most of our children, their enjoyment comes from being in such marvelous architecture.  Only our oldest prekindergarteners begin to grasp the concept of our legislature, yet the early exposure to the accessibility our government carries on for them, as reported by our “alumni” students.  We love that our program can provide this experience, right in our own backyard.

While we can tour the building at any time, the holidays provide a secondary enrichment opportunity for our children. Each day at noon, there is a musical performance, usually by high school, middle school or elementary students.  Sometimes is it chorale groups or instrumental arrangements performing holiday tunes. It is an excellent opportunity to expose your preschoolers to older children participating in fine arts, and varying types of music.  We have even reconnected with former students who are performing in the groups, as our teachers have such longevity in our program.  It is a joy to see them as performers.

When you pause and reflect on our holiday tradition, the value is larger than one might think.  We are so pleased to offer such a rich experience for your children. We would love for you to join us on our outing.  We look forward to seeing you under the dome.