THE BING TIMES - Bing Nursery School - Stanford University

GUEST SPEAKERSimply Following Rules Isn’t So SimpleBy Adrienne Gelpi Lomangino, Head TeacherMost parents andteachers ofpreschool-age childrenhave probablyobserved that justbecause children canrepeat a rule does notmean they will act onthat rule. For example,a 3-year-old runs infrom outside and isProfessorNatasha Kirkhamasked, “What do you need to do inside?”After replying, “Walk,” the child thenruns down the hallway. Children’s understandingof rules, and their ability to acton these rules, are central to the researchof psychology professor Natasha Kirkham.Ki r k h a m ’s efforts to uncover children’sunderstanding of rules have focused ontheir actions during two sorting activities.One task, the Dimensional Change CardSort, is a game in which participants sortcards by shape or by color into two boxes.Each card displays one of two shapes(e.g. a truck or a star), and the shape canbe either of two colors (e.g. blue or red).The children are asked to play either the“color game” or the “shape game,” sortingthe cards into separate bins accordingto color or shape.After sorting about six cards, she asksthe child to switch games. So, if childrenhave been playing the “color game”she tells them that now they are going toplay the “shape game” and that all thecards should be sorted by shape. Whenasked where the trucks go and where thestars go, children point to the correctbins, showing they know the rules for thenew game. However, once children arepresented with an actual card to sort, theyreveal that saying a rule and acting on itare different things. Although they knowthe rules have changed, younger childrencontinue sorting by the previous rule. Itdoesn’t matter whether they played the“color game” or the “shape game” first;3-year-olds continue to sort by the firstdimension while playing the secondgame. Studies repeatedly reveal a clearshift over the preschool years in children’scapacity to adapt to this change in rules.While 3-year-olds typically continue tosort by the first rule, 5-year-olds canmake the cognitive shift and use thecurrent rule.What causes the 3-year-olds so muchdifficulty with this task? One possibilityis that they cannot keep two sets of rulesin mind at the same time. Variations ofthe task reveal that under different circumstances,they can handle rules thatinvolve two different dimensions. Forexample, if children sort by color (e.g.red and blue) and then are asked to sortby shape, but these shapes are entirelynew colors (e.g. yellow and green), thenyoung preschoolers can successfullyswitch from sorting by color to shape.However, if the shape changes but thecolors remain the same, they continue tosort by color.Kirkham proposes that perhaps thedemands on attentional control, ratherthan memory, lead to children’s difficultieswith the sorting task. Once 3-yearoldsfocus on a particular aspect of thecard, their attention gets stuck there, aphenomena she describes as attentionalinertia.A second task Kirkham has used foryears in her research is called the Day-Night Stroop task. This involves twotypes of cards: one is black with a pictureof a moon; the other is white with apicture of a sun. The researcher showsthe participant each card and instructsthe child to say “day” in response to thecard with the moon and “night” whenshown the card with the sun. While childrenages 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 find this taskvery difficult, children ages 6 to 7 findit quite easy.Through manipulations of this task,Kirkham has similarly demonstrated thatchildren’s difficulties using rules toguide their actions are not immutable.Follow-up studies by Kirkham and colleaguessupport the idea that young children’sdifficulties lie in shifting attentionfrom a characteristic of the image thatwas initially relevant and refocusing on anewly relevant characteristic.In a variation of the Day-NightStroop task, the researcher sang a briefditty—“Think about the answer, don’t tellme”—before the child placed the card ina sorting bin. The ditty was intended toencourage the child to take more timebefore responding. Four-year-olds performedbetter with the ditty than without it.Four-year-olds also performed well ifthey were asked to say a word unrelatedto the picture on the card. That is, whenKirkham and colleagues instructed childrento say “pig” when shown the moonand “dog” when shown the sun, theyperformed better than when asked to say“day” when shown the moon and “night”when shown the sun.In most of these studies, children’sresponses are either right or wrong: eitherthey put the card in the correct bin, orthey do not. Kirkham notes that thisdichotomous view of children’s responsesdoes not provide insight into children’sprocess of developing inhibitory controland overcoming attentional inertia.In ongoing analyses, Kirkham and hercolleagues are taking a closer look at thetransition in children’s sorting performance.They are examining eye movementsand response times for indicationsof children’s thinking. Do children immediatelyplace the card in a particular bin?Do they look back and forth betweenbins before selecting one? Do they takelonger to choose, as though deliberating,before they start consistently sorting thecards correctly? Such detailed examinationsof children’s actions will help usunderstand how children shift fromknowing the rules to actually acting ontheir knowledge.This is a spider web. –Max J.,3 years 5 months8The Bing Ti m e s l n s November 2005

Bing Renovation ProjectThe extensive three-year renovation of Bing Nursery School is near completion.With generous support from Helen and Peter Bing, the renovation—first in 40years—began in the summer of 2001. The project started with the restorationof all the gardens and play yards throughout the school and then moved on tothe patio, kitchen, bathroom, classrooms and research rooms.The most recent renovations have been to the offices, the teacher workroomand the hallway to the Two’s class. Most notable is the Eric Carle hallway, whichleads to the Two’s room. Carle’s colorful prints are a warm welcome for childrenand adults who travel this hall daily.Above: Helen Bing, right, and Jennifer Winters, assistantdirector, admire the art in the Eric Carle hallway.From far left, clockwise: Director Jeanne Lepper in hernewly renovated office. N a n cy Ve r d t z a b e l l a , l e f t , B i n gl i b r a r i a n / t e a c h e r, and teacher Meghan Olsen discussbooks in the teacher workroom. Bing parent, Linda Lee,looks at an Eric Carle print by the Two’s door with sonJackson. Below: Office staff in the beautifully renovatedmain office.November 2005 l n s T h e B i n g Ti m e s9

BING PARENT SEMINAR SERIESHow to Talk to Children: Bing Teachers Offer Tips and HintsBy Simon Firth, Writer and Bing ParentSpend time in any Bing classroom andyou’ll notice the remarkable serenitythat pervades the room. A class can bebustling, full of laughter and song—evenenergetic hammering—and yet it remainsfundamentally calm.Unlike at home, things hardly everget out of control at Bing. Arguments andtantrums are fleeting and few. Teacherskeep children focused on the myriadpossibilities of learning through play.Spend a little more time in the classand you’ll discover a key reason for thisatmosphere: the very particular and deliberateways in which Bing teachers communicatewith their students. Their methodsfor engaging with children, encouragingplay and inviting children to explore theworld with each other often differ f r o mthe default tendencies of many parents.This spring, Bing parents learnedmore about these methods and thephilosophies behind them at a seminartitled “How to Talk to Children: Tips andHints from Bing Teachers in SupportingYour Child’s Development.” Several staffoffered ideas for promoting effectivecommunication, talking about feelings,solving social problems and talking withchildren about the child’s work.Listening FirstThe April seminar, repeatedin early May with a slightlydifferent roster of teachers,began with a look atsome basic techniques forimproving parent-childcommunication.Karen RobinetteCenter AM teacher Karen Robinettespoke first about the value of listening.Children need to feel listened to, shesaid, and need time to formulate responsesin a conversation. They also benefittremendously from regular “floor time,”when a parent gets down on their level,makes eye contact and converses aboutwhat they’re interested in, not what theparent wants to say. “Try to let your childtake the lead,” said Robinette.Children just starting to speak benefitfrom having their actions simply narratedback to them as they play. Robinetteconvincingly illustrated this with a videoclip of Two’s teacher Quan Ho narratingas a boy progressed across a climbingstructure. At the end, the boy joyfullyadded his own narration: “Down we go!”Although parents shouldn’t correct ayoung child’s grammatical mistakes,they can model the correct phraseology,Robinette added. They can also modelpolite behavior, such as saying hello andgoodbye to people throughout the day.Parents need to watch how theyformulate their own statements, too.Children respond better, for instance,to positive guidance than to a litany ofthings they can’t do. At the same time,limits need to be well articulated. “Don’toffer a choice when there isn’t one!”Robinette advised.Speaking about FeelingsHead Teacher Parul Roy,also from Center AM,spoke next about talkingwith children aboutfeelings.“Behind every behavioris a feeling,” explained Parul RoyRoy. “So when you are responding to anaction you need to understand the feelingbehind it.”By separating feeling from behavior,parents can also get children to behaveappropriately and still be emotionallysupportive, Roy suggested. “We shouldaccept all feelings, but not all behaviors,”she argued.Children need to know that it’s okayto be angry or anxious, for example, butthey also need parents to be clear abouthow they can and can’t express thoseemotions (i.e. not by biting or hitting).Knowing your child very well,and thus anticipating his or her moodchanges as they get hungry or tired, cango a long way toward ameliorating anintense emotional situation, said Roy.However, she argued that parents alsoneed to accept and respect their child’sfeelings and give them plenty of roomfor (appropriate) expression.Parents also need to beware ofplacing an adult agenda on what a childsays, Roy added. If a child doesn’t wantto go and play at a friend’s house, don’tmake assumptions about why that’s so.It may be nothing to be concerned about,and it’s not worth trying to force them tocome up with a reason that you see asvalid. “Give it some time before youjump in,” Roy suggested.Parents can help younger childrenarticulate and define feelings the childrenmay not have words for. And all parentsneed to remember that when it comes toresponding to feelings, no child is goingto be able to respond as a parent wouldwish every time—and parents may notalways respond in a way that is best fortheir child.It’s important, Roy said, to rememberyou can always revisit an incident andtalk about how you both might deal witha similar situation next time.NandiniBhattacharjyaPeckie PetersTalking Through ProblemsProblematic social situationsare among thehardest for preschoolersto deal with, and alsoamong the hardest foradults to know how toresolve. For instance,when disputes break outbetween children, it’seasy for an adult to takesides or to come up withsolutions that only seemto make things worse.Knowing the rightthings to say in such situationscan make things a lot better, arguedWest AM teacher Nandini Bhattacharjya(whose place was taken by Peckie Peters,Head Teacher of West AM, the followingweek).Bhattacharjya advised parents thatthey can stop a lot of problems beforethey ever happen by anticipating a problem.“Suggest that your child put theirmost precious toys away before a playdate,for example,” she said.She also explained the value of10The Bing Ti m e s l n s November 2005

talking with children in order to set clear,consistent limits and expectations forboth their social interactions and theirbehavior in general. If a child is expectedto wash her hands before a meal, saidBhattacharjya, she should always beexpected to do it.Young children aren’t always readyto problem solve, so they may need help,Bhattacharjya added. They may needsuggestions for how best to resolve adispute, for example. And while adultsshould always acknowledge a child’sfeelings (“I know you really want to gooutside in the rain with no shoes”), attimes the best solution is simply to redirecttheir attention to something else.Problem Solving in ActionIn a remarkable piece ofvideo, teacher BetsyKoning of East AM wascaptured putting some ofthese ideas into action.Two girls in Eastroom had come to her Meghan Olsento complain about thebehavior of three boys inthe playhouse. Koningimmediately defused thesituation by kneelingdown to their level andTom Limbertasking all of the childrenfor their point of view. When they had allmade their opinions clear, she was firmabout what behavior was acceptable ornot, and then canvassed the children forhow best to resolve the dispute.It turned out that there were twoproblems to resolve. The boys were playshootingat the girls, which they quicklyagreed to stop when the girls made itclear they didn’t want to be a part of thatgame. Then the three boys had a disputeamong themselves about who could playin the house. Teacher Koning helpedthem come up with a play situation thatwould include all three.After the video was shown, MeghanOlsen from East AM walked the audiencethrough the stages of Koning’s intervention(a role that West PM Head TeacherTom Limbert took over at the secondmeeting).Olsen pointed out how Koning hadused a clear and confident voice but hadnot been judgmental. She had firstdefused the situation, then had quicklyidentified the issue and drawn all thechildren into a search for a solution.She’d also focused on the behavior andnot the child. After the solution had beenagreed upon, Koning had stuck aroundto support the new play and make sureeverything was happening as all thechildren had agreed it would.Talking About ArtWhen parents pick uptheir children at Bingand collect a piece of art,their most commonresponse is: “That’sbeautiful; what is it?”In the seminar’s finalpresentation, HeadAdrienne GelpiLomanginoTeacher Adrienne Lomangino suggestedthat such comments, however well intentioned,are not the best way to talk tochildren about their work.While it’s wonderful to be authenticallyinterested in your child’s work,Lomangino argued, parents need tounderstand that the child may not havebeen trying to do anything particularlyrepresentational. At this age they get alot of pleasure simply from exploringthe qualities of the medium (paint, orcollage, or clay, for example) ratherthan from trying to create anything inparticular.“Acknowledge their effort, and helpthem see the connection between theireffort and their accomplishment. But tryto avoid judgments and labeling,” sheadvised. “Focus on the process ratherthan the product.”Responding to everything a childmakes as “beautiful” is not only to riskdevaluing the meaning of praise for them,but can also be beside the point. “Theirpurpose may not have been to createsomething beautiful,” Lomangino said.A better way to talk with a child abouttheir art, she suggested, is to ask openended questions such as: “Tell me aboutyour painting.”If you want to be specific, saidLomangino, “talk in the language of art.Ask about the colors, materials and toolsthey used. If it’s a painting, talk abouttexture, color, balance and movement.”“If a painting is labeled as something,you can use that as a starting point for aconversation,” she said. “But take yourcues from them.”Parent QuestionsAfter the teacher presentations, there wastime on both nights for questions.One parent asked what to do whenyou need a child to do something important,such as act in a safe way, but theyaren’t receptive. The suggested answer:acknowledge how they are feeling andthen deflect the intensity (perhaps saying,“Do you need a hug?”) and then talkabout how they can help do what youneed them to do.Several people wanted to know howto deal with a child who’s said she’d liketo learn a skill, such as swimming, butthen stops wanting to go to the lessons.The response: try acknowledging that itis hard to learn something new, thenrecall with them how they’ve felt thesame way before and remember how thatfeeling changed once they mastered thenew skill. Parents should also be carefulnot to over-schedule children with activities,the teachers felt. It may be that thissort of reluctance comes from a childwho needs to have more down time tojust be by himself.Another parent asked what to do ifyou try to engage your child after schooland they don’t want to talk. One idea wasto let them get some rest and then tryagain later. Another suggestion was totry different phrasing. Rather than asking,“I see you went in the sand today,” whichdoesn’t invite much more than a “yes”response, try: “How did you get yourpants so dirty!” That invites the child totell as much of a story as they feel likesharing.And what if your child tells you thatthey know something for a fact that youknow is not true, such as, “I knowbroccoli is not good for you!”? For thisa fellow parent in the audience had theanswer. They’d had the same problemand had turned the family dispute intoan opportunity to learn about research.The parent found a handy reference bookon nutrition and read the child broccoli’shighly complimentary entry.The Bing Parent Seminar Series is madepossible through the generosity of Bingparents Violet and Evan Brooks.November 2005 l n s T h e B i n g Ti m e s 11

C L A S S R O O M C U R R I C U L U M AThe Tree Project: A Center Room CollaborationBy Nancy Howe, Head TeacherCenter Room has itsmulberry trees anda shady redwood grove.East and West havearbors of wisteria. Andevery fall, outside theTwo’s classroom, thespreading zelkova seemsto burst into flame.Trees are everywhereat Bing, a living legacyleft nearly 40 years agoby Edith Dowley, theschool’s founding director.Dowley understoodthe importance of bringingchildren into contactwith the natural world.She thoughtfullydesigned the expansiveplay yards to include rolling hills, spacioussand pools and a mix of e v e rg r e e n sand deciduous trees. Determined to plant“one tree for each child,” she chose specimensthat would brighten or blossom atdifferent times of year so that childrencould witness the subtle changes ofCalifornia seasons.Last autumn, to honor our trees, thechildren, parents and teachers of CenterAM and PM collaborated on an investigationof trees called The Tree Project.Weaving the study of trees into all areasof the fall-quarter curriculum, teachersfollowed the children’s interests, offeringsupport and inspiration along the way.Autumn naturally brings with it adramatic awareness of trees. The childrennoticed the first leaves falling from themulberry trees standing sentry along thepatio in Center Room. They collectedthe yellow mulberry leaves, as well aspinecones from the redwoods and seedpodsfrom the liquid-amber trees. In theredwood grove, they raked pine needlesinto piles and climbed ladders to lookcarefully under bark for bugs.As their interest grew, children proposedtheories about trees. Teachersrecorded their theories (“Roots help sotrees won’t fall down,” “Trees don’t sleepbecause they don’t have eyes”) andChildren sing to a redwood tree in the yard of Center Room.brought in books to answer questionsand expand their knowledge. Jana Dilleyof Canopy Trees for Palo Alto andStanford grounds supervisor Steve Kaupascame to share their knowledge of trees.Children, too, began to share what theylearned—identifying, for instance, the treesin their yards at home.Teachers developed tree-related activitiesin every area of the curriculum frommath to music.Mathematical awareness was enhanced,for instance, with the counting andmapping of trees. Children also playedgames matching leaves with trees andsorted leaves, pine cones and twigs byshape and size. They weighed pinecones,measured tree circumferences and guessedat tree height. They visited other classroomsto observe different trees and toidentify and collect leaves.Incorporating trees into dramatic playin the sand area, children baked fallenornamental apples into their sand cakesand created pretend apple trees by plantinggathered sticks. They built a life-size treewith the help of Bing resident carpenterWilhelm Grotheer, stuffing its framewith dried leaves and pine needles andcovering it with paper which they paintedbrown. Beth Wise, Bing’s musicteacher, introduced songs about trees,then led the childrenon musical parades allaround the school to singto their favorite trees.The children becameaware that wooden musicalinstruments weremade from trees. Someeven made their ownguitars at the woodworkingtable using scrapwood and rubber bands.For snack time, thechildren prepared treatsfrom tree products—fruits, spices, bark andsap—including cinnamonand maple syrup!Parents participated bybringing in homegrownpersimmons from their persimmon treesto make persimmon cookies, as well as ababy olive tree to accompany breaddipped in olive oil.Story time featured books, songs,finger plays and action rhymes with treesas their focus. In the art area, childrenpainted pinecones, made leaf rubbingsand constructed their own paintbrushesout of dried pine needles. They took clipboards,paper and pencils outdoors todraw trees they observed, and paintedfantasy trees from their imagination.By winter quarter, the trees hadlost most of their leaves. The childrencommented on the transformation. “Theleaves grow back on branches, but nottoday,” one child wistfully observed.But spring comes early to California!In mid-February, the children noticed thefirst buds appearing on the mulberrytrees. Teachers ordered silkworm eggs tobe hatched and raised in the classroom.Before long, children were feeding freshmulberry leaves to tiny silkworms andwatching them grow, spin their cocoonsand emerge as white moths.Now, as the mulberry leaves in CenterRoom are yellowing once again, EdithDowley’s vision for the children of BingNursery Schol is evident and deeplyappreciated.12The Bing Ti m e s l n s November 2005

Alive with CuriosityBy Parul Roy, Head Teacher‘‘“Genuine questions…mark the turning pointwhen the act of teaching may become,simultaneously, an act of research.”—Steve Seidel, “The Question CannotBe Satisfied with Waiting,” from MakingLearning VisibleTrees are not alive.” A short comment from asingle child sparked a wealth of imaginativespeculation during snack time one day in the midst oflast fall’s Tree Project. (See facing page.) Teacher RinnaS a n c h e z - B a l u y u t was reading the group a book calledA Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry when 4-year-oldBrandt made his assertion.Sanchez-Baluyut stopped and asked, “Why do youthink trees are not alive?” The ensuing dialogue wasfull of inquiry and reflection.BRANDT: Because they’re stuck on the ground.MILES: Yeah, they don’t move.GEORGIA: Yes, they do … they sprout.VERA GRACE: No, they’re not alive.MAGGIE: They’re alive because the leaves are falling off them.Sanchez-Baluyut then asked, “What do you think is alive?Are people alive?”BRANDT: Yes, because we move and we have eyes and legs.MILES: Yes, people are alive. They have feet to walk.“ Are cars alive?” asked Sanchez-Baluyut. “They move.”BRANDT: Mmmm…no, because they don’t walk—they drive.The teacher tossed out another challenge: “Are tables alive?Tables have legs.”BRANDT: No, because they don’t have feet to walk on the bottom.Next she said, “Are dogs alive?”MILES: Yes, because they have feet to walk on the grass.And then she asked, “Is the grass alive?”MILES: No, because they’re stuck on the ground.BRANDT: Sharks are alive. Whales are alive. They can go out ofthe water and get air. Letters aren’t alive, because they don’thave fins.MILES: Or eyes, and ears and nose.• • •Later, additional children shared their theories.MEI-MEI: Trees are alive because they grow.JASMINE: No, trees are not alive because they’re trees and treesare never alive.BRIANA: They’re not alive because they don’t have a mouth.They don’t talk … maybe they died.JUSTIN P.: No, they’re not alive because they can’t move.MICHAEL S.: Yes, they are alive because they’re real.NICHOLAS G.: Yes, they’re alive because they have roots. Theroots help it hold.DANIEL: I think that trees are alive because they grow and theygrow things. It’s alive because only things that live are born.The episode was an exciting revelation ofchildren’s ability to formulate ideas, articulatetheir points of view and consider the theoriesof their classmates. The children used words topaint pictures that captured the essence of theirthinking. This verbal imagery illuminated thefamiliar experiences from which they constructedtheir theories.The conversations were rich in child-to-childcommunication, yet the teacher was hardly passive.From the start, Sanchez-Balayut recognizedthe potential of an “ordinary” momentand provided room for dialogue, appreciatingthe complexity of the children’s thinking. Sheventured guesses about their questions andprompted further exploration. She helped themzero in on key ideas by raising questions thatshifted the focus back to earlier points.“If a child asks a why question and you[merely] turn it back to the child, you have a goodchance of reducing the number of why questionsthat child will ask in the future,” writes early childhood educatorAlise Shafer in Teaching and Learning: CollaborativeExploration of the Reggio Emilia Approach (Fu, Victoria,Stremmel, Andrew, and Hill, Lynn. Prentice Hall, 2002). “Afterall, he did ask a question and wants some level of help. A childmight enter a wondering phase with you, but he does not wantto do it all by himself.”The tree dialogue exemplified fruitful collaboration betweena teacher and her students. By posing well-chosen questions,subtly steering the dialogue and later researching the topic withher class, Sanchez-Baluyut spurred the children to reflect ontheir assumptions and respond to each other’s theories, stretchingtheir thinking and expanding their knowledge.Apple Tree. –Leanna L.,3 years 7 monthsJacob and Luc play a matching game withpictures of the trees in Center yard.November 2005 l n s T h e B i n g Ti m e s 13

We Can Solve This!By Sarah Wright, Head Teacher“Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.”—Chinese proverbEven 4-year-olds can resolve their own conflicts with thesupport of a skilled teacher or parent. A memorable case inpoint occurred at Bing when a play date turned sour and thechildren devised a creative solution, putting a fresh twist on thenotion of “acting out.”The altercation arose in the park one morning before school.Two girls, ages 4 and 5, couldn’t agree on a game to playtogether, and their play date ended abruptly as one of themwalked away. The younger girl felt rejected. When she enteredthe classroom a few hours later, she was anxious to describe theincident to a trusted teacher. The teacher listened respectfully,then called a meeting of both parties to discuss what had happened.Each child presented her side of the story, as well as thefeelings involved. The teacher recapped the problem aloud,validated each girl’s feelings, and urged them to use this newinformation and insight to come up with a mutually acceptablesolution. She mediated as the children discussed and rejected anumber of different solutions.Finally, the 4-year-old exclaimed, “I know—we can writea play!”The teacher wasn’t sure how that would solve the problem,but she went along with it, jotting down a script dictated by thechild. Once the play—titled “The Girl That No One Wanted toPlay With”—was written, the young author specifically invitedher companion from that morning to take part in the performance.With the teacher facilitating and serving as narrator, they andseveral others enacted the play before a group of interested peers.• • •The Girl That No One Wanted to Play WithNARRATOR: Once upon a time, three queens were playing in thecastle. Then a dragon came. The dragon put the castle on acloud. The queens were blowing [being blown across the sky]with the castle.LONELY GIRL: Can I play?QUEEN 1: No, because we are blowing on a cloud way, way upto the moon.NARRATOR: Lonely Girl felt sad, and she felt angry, and she feltlike she had a little owie in her heart. Then the fairies cameand solved the problem.FAIRY 1: Why don’t you find something else to do and ignoreit? That means try to forget about it.LONELY GIRL: Thank you, I don’t like that idea. That doesn’tm a k e me feel better.FAIRY 2: Maybe you should say “no” to the queens next timethey ask to play with you.FAIRY 1: I don’t think that will work, because they might do itback to you and keep doing it.FAIRY 2: I learned something important. Do to others what youwill want them to do to you. I know—let’s invite Lonely Girlto play with us.NARRATOR: Then the queens wanted to play too, and the fairiessaid yes. So everyone went off to play together. Then thefairies started to like the girl that no one wanted to play with,so they gave her a flower.LONELY GIRL: I am feeling happy now.• • •Top: Teacher Sarah Wright narrates the play “The Girl That No One Wantedto Play With,” dictated by a child. Above: Several children act out the playtogether.When the performance was over, the two girls who hada rgued that morning went off to play in the sand area—together.In everyone’s eyes, the problem was solved.Clearly, this imaginative exercise offered much more thanjust a chance to perform. It defined the problem in a formatthat both girls could accept. It also gave the children a safecontext in which to express a possible solution. Perhaps mostimportant, it allowed the girls to experience each other’s rolesin the conflict. Interestingly, the one who took the part of the14The Bing Ti m e s l n s November 2005

problem-solving mediator, Fairy 2, was the 4-year-old who hadfelt rejected in that morning. The role reversal gave her achance to feel in control, while her playmate, who chose thepart of Lonely Girl, experienced how it felt to be excluded.As teachers and parents seeking to develop socially adjustedhuman beings, our own role is to develop strategies thatencourage children to communicate positively and effectively.The Bing environment is set up to promote social experiences,and the conflicts that inevitably arise offer rich opportunitiesfor children to become adept at social problem-solving. Thecurriculum encourages children to discuss alternative solutions,show empathy toward others and build coping skills to workthrough frustrating interpersonal conflicts.Our ability, as teachers and parents, to verbalize in a positivemanner supports our children as theythink through—and talk through—socialproblems. For this reason, all social problem-solvingat Bing involves teacherinput via verbal modeling. Teachers givechildren the opportunity and time to discussthe issue, propose ideas that willhelp them work through the problem, listento and consider each other’s point ofview, and carry out agreed-upon solutions.To explore social problems verbally,children must build a vocabulary thatenables them to participate effectively insuch discussions. First-time visitors to theBing classrooms may, in fact, be struckby the amount of verbalization betweenchildren and teachers. To a casual observer,the mode of communication mayappear to be a general “chit-chat,” but tothe sensitive ear it is a focused dialoguethat engages both parties in the thinkingprocess.In verbally modeling appropriate problem-solving for children,teachers and parents have four crucial components to cons i d e r.The central role of the adult is to create overall awareness, clarifyingconflict situations among children by (1) using specificv o c a b u l a r y, (2) developing children’s empathy, (3) timing actionsstrategically, and (4) listening to and validating feelings.SpecificsLike/don’t like…and/or…now/later…same/different…first/next…maybe/maybe not…is/isn’t. Many young children are justbeginning to understand some of these verbal distinctionsand may have little experience using them as tools in socialproblem-solving. Adults can help by reinforcing specifics:“ Would you l i k e Adam to help you, o r can you do it by yourself?”“Did you tell her she could use the truck later, after you’redone?” “Would you like to paint a picture with Anna now?”“It sounds like he has the same idea as you. How can you worktogether to put the blocks away?” “Jeffrey has a different idea.Let’s try it next.” “Is Ben driving and navigating?” “Maybethere could be two daddies living in the house.”Teachers listen patiently and respectfully tochildren as they facilitate social problem-solving.EmpathyIn order to empathize with others, children need to recognize,think about and discuss their own feelings. Initially, they mayneed help in labeling their feelings. Adults can assist with clarifyingobservations: “It looks like you are mad right now.” “I getfrustrated, too, when that happens.” “Sometimes I cry when Iam sad.” “When you scream like that, I know you are angry.”“I smile when I feel happy.”TimingTalking about a feeling in the heat of the moment helps childrento become aware of their emotions, but too much informationcan make a child more frustrated. Clearly labeling the behavior,then redirecting the focus, helps children develop self-regulatingskills. “I get frustrated, too, when Ican’t fit the small Lego pieces together—how can I help you?” “Sometimes I crywhen I am sad—how can I help you feelbetter?” “When you scream like that, Iknow you are angry. Next time you feellike this, you can tell me you are angry,rather than scream.”ValidatingListening patiently and respectfully, withoutneedless interruption, is a challengefor many adults, but every child in asocial conflict needs and deserves to beheard. Afterward, strategic questioningcan validate and clarify children’s needsand feelings, as well as hint at solutions.“Why do you think she hit you?” “Howdo you feel when she hits you?” “Howdoes that make you feel?” “How do youthink that makes him/her feel?” “Howwould you feel if that happened to you?”“Are you okay?” “Can you ask her if sheis okay?” “What happened when you both pulled the doll?”“What do you think will happen if you stack the blocks anyhigher?” “What happened last time the blocks fell down?”Helping children recognize and verbalize feelings, empathizewith peers and understand the consequences of their actions isat the heart of the Bing philosophy.The cart that we push in the yard. We pushfast. –Joshua C., 3 years 6 monthsNovember 2005 l n s T h e B i n g Ti m e s 15

Passing Notes and Signing Words at Snack TimeBy Adrienne Gelpi Lomangino, Head TeacherThe first notedelivered to theBlue Triangle SnackTable during thesecond week ofschool read:Dear TeacherAdrienne’s Table,Why are you writ -ing? What are youdoing? What areyou eating? Whatare you writing? I love you.The message was signed (in varyingforms of writing) by everyone at thePurple Diamond Snack Table.Children at the Blue Triangle Tablewere making pencil drawings before havingsnack. This caught the attention ofthe children at the Purple Diamond Table,prompting teacher Christina Davis tosuggest that they write a letter to askabout it.An exchange of notes ensued, ofteninvolving requests for food. Danny, forinstance, asked for some pear, noting thatthe tray at the Purple Diamond Table didnot include this favorite snack of his.When teacher Adrienne Lomangino readthe note aloud, her group gathered uptheir few remaining pear slices, and achild delivered them to Danny’s table.All the notes carried authenticinquiries prompted by genuine questions.Children could have simply called outtheir questions, but the teachers hadpointed out that the other group might bein the middle of talking about somethingelse, and that a note would allow themto respond when the opportunity aroseinstead of interrupting their snack conversation.In this way, the messages reinforcedsocial awareness. The exchangesalso drew attention to literacy by givingteachers a natural opportunity to modelwriting and by encouraging the childrenthemselves to write (each table memberwanted to sign the note).Words can take many different forms,the children soon discovered. In furthersnack-time conversations, Davis deftlyintroduced her table to some signFrom left to right: Cameron signs “sit”; Sydney signs “bear”; Noah signs “apple”; the children at the Blue Triangle Snack Tableread the book of sign language they made.language, using the hand gestures formilk, water and apple. Lomangino, too,modeled the signs for milk and water.The children immediately picked up thesign for milk: closing the fist as if milkinga cow. The sign for water was morechallenging: touching the thumb to thesmallest fingertip while extending themiddle three fingers to make a W nextto the signer’s mouth.Cognitively, discussing and tryingout signs expanded the children’s experienceswith symbolic representation.Physically, signing promoted their finemotor control and manipulation skills,while providing an outlet for their energ ywhile sitting at the snack table. Notingthese benefits, the teachers decided toincorporate signs into the snack timeroutine as long as the children remainedinterested.As soon as Lomangino wonderedaloud what else they might want to sign,her table suggested words from theimmediate environment and from theirexperiences. Some guessed at the s i g n i n ggestures as well—saying, for instance,“I think this is the sign for jumping.” Asnew inquiries arose, she first tried to findthe answers in a children’s sign languagedictionary. Although the pictures sparkedinterest learning even more words, theywere difficult to interpret. Examiningone instructional image, Scott announced,“You need three hands!”When the dictionary proved insufficient,the children suggested askingDavis instead:Dear Purple Diamond Table,How do you sign banana? What’s thesign for graham crackers? What’s thesign for cubby?From the Blue Triangle Table (withnames signed below)Someone from the Purple DiamondTable delivered the following response:Dear Blue Triangle Table,Navya and Danny and Matthew can showyou how to sign banana. Natalie andTaerim and Maliyah can show you howto sign graham cracker. TeacherChristina has a book with a lot of signsin it in her cubby. You guys can borrowit. We don’t know the sign for cubby.From the Purple Diamond Table (withnames signed below)Difficulties interpreting the signingdictionary, and the fact that it did notinclude many school-related words suchas cubby, spurred the class to make itsown dictionary. The intent here was notso much to teach signing as to engagechildren to think about alternative waysof expressing themselves during snacktime. The class created a book withpictures of children signing and writtendescriptions of the hand positions. Asboth children and teachers expanded theirsigning skills, they added new pages tothe book, building up from single termslike “apple” to sentences like “Pleasepass apple.”Attempts to make requests usinglimited signing vocabulary soon led toopportunities for humor through wordplay,as phrases like “Please pass pear”became “Please pass baby bear” and“Please pass red shoes.” Who knew thebenefits of signing would include suchcomic value?16T h e B i n g Ti m e s l n s November 2005

math skills as they become familiarwith different attributes of the materials(hard/soft, long/short, rough/smooth, rounded/flat). Woodworkingprovides an opportunity for problemsolving and inventiveness. When anail hammered into a thin piece ofwood causes it to split, childrengrasp the concept of cause and effect.Sponges, being softly supportive, areeffective for holding nails in placeand are easy to hammer into wood.Wood pieces with flat edges areeasier to connect than angled ones,but children learn to position evenangled pieces so they connect moreeasily, sometimes by cutting themwith a saw. When Arun, for example,decided to create a flying train, hecarefully selected pieces to connectin a particular configuration.The social-emotional componentof woodworking is equally significant.Children learn skills by watching,listening and interacting withothers. They begin to perceivethemselves as “teachers” when theyare able to help another child accomplisha task. Social problem solvingis common during woodworking.When Ben wanted to connect severalpieces to create a train, other childrensuggested possible techniques.Children who feel angry or frustratedcan work through those emotions ina safe context, channeling them intophysical and mental tasks whilecreating something that bringspersonal satisfaction. Being able todirect their own learning and toinvent can be a very empoweringexperience for children, helping themdevelop self-esteem. And trips to getwood from the shed of Wilhelm, ourresident carpenter, give children achance to move outside the familiarboundaries of the classroom.There are many advantages toexposing young children to real toolsas they embark on authentic woodworkingprojects. The experiencegives them opportunities for creativity,social problem solving, languagedevelopment, and strategizing andcarrying out a plan of their own design.So let the hammering and sawingbegin!‘‘Discovering RocksBy Beverley Hartman, Head TeacherIsaw every red rockfrom here to Kansas!”exclaimed teacher SueGore on the first day ofschool last fall afterreturning from hersummer road trip. Hernewfound enthusiasm forrocks sparked a classroomjourney that lasted all year.Gore had thoughtfully collected avariety of rocks and brought in a children’sbook with engaging prose and beautifulphotographs, If You Find a Rock byPeggy Christian. The East AM teamdecided to set up a “provocation” at thediscovery table with interesting rocks,images and books for the children toinspect. The children noticed the rocksright away, holding them and commentingon colors, patterns, shapes, weightsand sizes. Picking up on the children’sfascination, the team brainstormed ideasfor presenting this natural material as acurriculum topic. After identifying opportunitiesfor innovation as well as forexpanding ongoing activities, East AMstarted their journey: discovering rocks.The discovery began with a two-tierederosion table designed by teacher QuanHo and built by carpenter WilhelmGrotheer. The table was positioned on ahillside in the sand so that the childrencould build a landscape with pebbles,stones, rocks and sand. Water pushedthe materials, and the children observed,changed elements and experimented withMatthew, Lauren, and Ashlyn examine rocks while watercauses erosion. The two-tiered table brings the materials toa new level and encourages the experimentation.the process of erosion.Creating their ownscientific method, theymade predictions,described changes inthe environment anddrew conclusions basedon their investigations.Statements by the childrenover a several-week period indicatetheir engagement and level of thinking:ANDREW Z.: The river tumbles rocks tothe ocean and knocks the edges off.ASHLYN: It [a white pebble] looks like atooth.BEN: Water is melting the mountains…it’s making a dam.Another innovation, sparked by onechild’s interest in rock climbing, was aspecial rock wall for the children toclimb. With authentic hand and footholds, Ho set up a board in the yard forour own mini climbing wall. Andrew Z.’sfather, Jared, demonstrated climbing gearand assisted children with a child-sizeharness. Our in-depth study was taking usto new heights.Experimentation continued as weembarked on a long-term project polishingrocks. Children were eager to find outwhether we could change regular rocksinto the smooth and shiny ones that theyadmire. The rock tumbling machine—with its motor, moving parts, and rumblingsound—kept their attention as theyhelped replace the water, soap, and grit.Observing the subtle changes over time,the children expressed theirtheories about rocks.OLIVIA D.: Rocks come from thebeach and ocean. Water crashesinto them and makes themmedium and then small.TALIA: Rocks wash down theriver. They roll and get smaller.ANDREW T.: Rocks come from allrivers, lakes, streams, andoceans. Sometimes it looks likea snail, but it is really a rockthat looks like a snail.VIJAY: Hot lava exploded out ofthe volcano. Then the hot lava18The Bing Ti m e s l n s November 2005

uns down the mountain. There was apuddle of hot lava and then it turnedinto a rock.Teachers wondered if this topiccould lead to spontaneous play. Whenteacher Betsy Koning set up atable with tubes, pebbles, andwater, the children engineeredtheir version of a rock machine,so we knew that the theme wasbecoming their own.Engineering a Rock-WaterMachineMAC: I’m connecting up all thetubes into a machine.ANDY: Yeah, it’s a water machine.BRANDON M.: It’s a rock cleaner.ANDREW Z.: It’s also a water cleaner. It’sa filter. We’re cleaning dust out of thewater.JAKE: Then you should take the rocksout so you can put water in.BRANDON M.: No, the rocks need to stayin too. They go in this pipe and watercan go in the other.ANDREW Z.: Actually, you can put bothbecause the water isn’t solid so it canfit down in the little cracks between ther o c k s .ARI: It’s cleaning water for sea turtles.They need clean water to live.ALEX: I need rocks in my cup,but I can’t see them.ANDREW Z.: It’s because thewater is cloudy from rockdust and that’s whywe need to clean itout.ANDREW G.: We cleanout the rocks so theyd o n ’t have dust.Rocks in literatureserve as a strongbase for learning anddramatic play.Teachers introduced songs and storiessuch as Stone Soup, retold by HeatherForest; Sylvester and the Magic Pebble,by William Steig; The Salamander Room,by Ann Mazer; and Tillie and the Wall,by Leo Lionni. The children incorporatedthe storylines into their dramatic play.Stone soup is always delicious, whethercooked in the sand or as a wonderful realvegetable soup.The children continue to fine-tunetheir ability to investigate rocks throughextensions of conventional curriculum.Teacher Meghan Olsen scanned samplesfrom the polished rock collection to createa matching game. Matching the actualHot lava exploded out of the volcano.Then the hot lava runsdown the mountain. There was apuddle of hot lava and then itturned into rock. –Vijay S., 4years 7 monthsrock to the life-size scanned image wasdifficult at times and required differentiationbeyond what we had anticipated. Thechildren looked closely for the attributesthat distinguished the rocks from eachother and developed their own schemafor categorization. In other activities, thechildren created rock designs, conductedscience experiments, and went on rockhunts. To extend the Discovering Rocksproject to the children’s homes, an activityguide was developed to assist familymembers in creating their own rock hunt.East AM has enjoyed this adventureof innovation and extending the curriculum.We invite you to look closely innature and find a stone to start your ownjourney discovering rocks!Claire scales theminiature rock wall.This act requiresphysical strengthand balance as wellas a cognitive planfor negotiating thestructure. As Daisyput it, “My foot goeson this rock and myhand fits here. I’mvery strong to goover the top.”Two-Year-Olds Grow with MusicBy Kitti Pecka, Head Teacher, M/W and T/Th afternoon Two’sOne of the most satisfying rewards of teaching 2-yearoldsis witnessing their rapid growth. In addition to theirphysical and kinesthetic development, children’s verbal, socialand musical abilities advance in the third year of life at adizzying speed. Keeping pace with this growth is a challengefor parents and teachers, especially since not all childrenadvance at the same rate. Music offers a solution to thischallenge because it can foster each individual child’s verbal,kinesthetic and social skills without overwhelming him or her.Music is part of our curriculum with young children becauseit is one of the earliest “intelligences” activated in the d e v e l-oping brain. We can attract children’s attention and help themfocus through the use of musical accompaniment. Puttingmusic to the important words we want to convey helps a childretain the words and the context. For example, the “MulberryBush” song has been used by mothers and caregivers to letchildren know that “this is the way” we do an activity.Music also helps children adjust to a large group activity.With one voice, the children can express themselves in joyfulThe bells. –Jake O., 4years 7 monthssong and movement that trulyrealizes the feeling of community.Both the vociferous, activechild and the quiet one “singing” thewords silently feel a sense of accomplishment,increase their vocabulary, and absorb the musicalquality of the activity.The musical qualities we emphasize in this age group aremelody, rhythm and the feelings imparted by the words andmusic. Therefore, the goals are for the children to “think” thetunes (to silently go through the melodies in their heads), feelthe rhythms and appreciate the emotional impact of the music.In addition, musical activities in a group setting impart acommon culture. Even children as young as 2 develop arepertoire of songs they love to share with family and friends.Often these songs become a part of their private play,consolidating vocabulary and melodies. Children extendthat play to other areas of the brain, and are better able tocalm themselves and focus in a way that promotes learning.November 2005 l n s T h e B i n g Ti m e s 19

Ego to Empathy: A Developmental JourneyBy Tom Limbert, Head TeacherArriving at school, 3-year-old Adamrushes out to the sand area, only tofind that a younger child is playing withhis favorite truck. He snatches the toyfrom the clenched hands of the nowcryingchild.Karin, age 2, sees a friend in a cartand joyfully shoves the cart forward. Thefriend is startled and enraged.Very young children act on impulse,not insight. Although the will to playcomes naturally at this age, empathy andsocial give-and-take do not. The youngestpreschoolers, propelled entirely by innerdrives, are in fact oblivious to the perspectivesof others.Watching hundreds of children atplay, Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget(1896-1980) devised a theory of developmentexplaining how they perceive theworld differently at different stages andshowing why, to a young child, “unproductive”social behaviors may makeperfect sense. Children between 2 and 4are beginning what Piaget called thepre-operational stage, focused on motorskills and objects—things they can touchand see. Pondering other children’s feelingsand reactions is very difficult, saidPiaget, because they haven’t yet masteredthe logical thinking needed to appreciatesomeone else’s point of view. More timewill be needed before they can grasp thatothers have ideas different from theirs, letalone the fact that others’ perspectives areas valid as their own.The journey from egocentricityto empathy isimportant in cognitive aswell as social development,Piaget noted. As childrenspend time under the warmguidance of adults in a carefullysupervised, play-basedenvironment, they acquirethe kind of knowledge thathelps them to consider theirpeers and to respect othermembers of their community.Teachers at Bing thusview social conflicts asteachable moments. They observe playclosely, trying to anticipate conflicts anddebates. Then, rather than focus on whatanyone is doing wrong, they help childrenunravel the origins of the clash and resolveit in a thoughtful way.For instance, a teacher observing thetussle over the truck might say to the twochildren, “Adam, I can see that you wantthe same truck as she does. You can askher for a turn by saying, ‘Can I have aturn?’” The teacher might then explainto the other child that she can chooseto respond with either “Yes” or “WhenI’m finished.”With Karin, the teacher might pointout that the friend did not know he wassuddenly going to get pushed and mightnot have wanted to be pushed at all. Theteacher might also point out to the friendthat Karin just wanted to play together,Teacher Tom Limbert narrates what Jack and Mezi are doing toheighten their awareness of one another.rather than to startle or upset him.Once children begin to understandthat other people have separate ideas,teachers can help them to communicateabout conflict with constructive vocabularyand vocal tone, and to devise solutionsof their own. (See We Can SolveThis! on page 14.)It takes a lot of practice and repeatedexperience, and sometimes many, manyreminders, for young children to growinto social beings and learn to be part ofthe community. Nurturing this processtakes an adult who’s skilled, attentiveand above all, gentle. As developmentalspecialist Elinor Fitch Griffin wrote inher 1982 classic, Island of Childhood,“The aim is to teach children a way toresolve conflict…not to discover who isin the right or wrong or to make otherj u d g m e n t s . ”Apple Tree. –Joonsung H.,4 years 7 monthsMy mommy and my daddy.–Sofia J., 3 years 5 monthsElijah, Zoe, Devon and Hallie at the beach in the water.–Zoe B., 4 years 5 months20The Bing Ti m e s l n s November 2005

S TAFF DEVELOPMENTaTeachers as Learners: Spring Staff Development DayBy Beth Wise, Head Teacher and Music SpecialistEach year as spring approaches, teachersreflect upon the culture of theirclassroom and students, the individualneeds of children and the philosophy ofthe school itself. On April 24, teachersattended a full day of workshops, whichstimulated discussion, provided concreteinformation and aided them in thisprocess of reflection.The day began with a presentationby Ronald Mah, a licensed Marriageand Family therapist. Mah’s workshop,“Multi-culturalism and Diversity,” stimulateda lively discussion and dispelledmany common misconceptions aboutwhat culture is and how to strive to createa multi-cultural environment. This ledus to examine some of the founding principlesof our school, such as our commitmentto diversity, our belief in the abilitiesof all children and our respect for eachchild as an individual. In his discussionof how to create successful cross-culturalrelationships, Mah reviewed the foundationsof respect, understanding, empathyand connection. This led to a continuationof discussions throughout the followingmonths and provided a stepping-stone fordeeper reflection.As a laboratory school, Bing is committedto supporting ongoing research inthe field of child development. Theresearchers become part of the culture ofthe school and the teachers welcome thechance to hear an in-depth explanation ofthe research process. The followingstudies were examined: The Role OfInhibition in Perspective Taking, ThePreciseness of Children’s Imitations,The Absence of Shape Bias in Children’sWord Learning, and Individual Diff e r e n c e sand Cognitive Flexibility in PreschoolChildren. Researchers Jamie Leach,Becky Williamson, Andrei Cimpian andLisa Smythe each described the protocolsthey used in the game rooms, theresponses they have received from childrenthus far, and how these results related totheir original hypotheses.The afternoon sessions focused onproviding specific training in the area ofspeech and language development. Oneof the West Room parents, Mayra LeonCramer, a pediatric speech and languagepathologist, led an outstanding sessionaimed at helping teachers better understandthe speech and language patternsof young children. She dispelled commonmisconceptions regarding speechproduction and communication, outlinedtypical speech development for childrenage 6 months to 3 years, and discussedhow visual, motor, communication,social and play skills are closely connectedwith language development and learning.Furthermore, Cramer described the signsthat may indicate problems such as hearingloss, social-emotional disorders orpost-traumatic stress disorder, all ofwhich could also result in speech issues.The day ended with a choice of twomusic workshops by Bing teachers:Beginning Ukelele Instruction withKitti Pecka and Exploring New MusicResource Materials with Beth Wise. Thestaff preparing to present for the upcomingBing Parent Seminar Series met for abrainstorming session.An airplane go up, an airplane go up, anairplane go down, an airplane go down.–Dariush S., 3 years 6 monthsVisitors from AbroadLeft: Seventeen early childhood educators and administrators from Taiwan visit Bing Nursery School in November 2004. Right: Twelve educators fromSingapore visit Bing in December 2004. Both groups shared their observations and exchanged ideas and educational practices with Bing teachers.November 2005 l n s T h e B i n g Ti m e s21

Teachers Share, Learn and Reconnect: Winter Staff Development DayBy Andrea Hart Rees, TeacherThe Bing teachers exchanged interestinginformation and dynamic conversationat Bing’s winter quarter StaffDevelopment Day. The gathering providedopportunities to explore fresh ideas andmethods and to discuss them as a group,as well as to reconnect with our history,with our classrooms, and with one anotheras teachers.Italian Inspiration The morning began witha video documentary, Not Just Anyplace,showing the evolution of a renownedmunicipal nursery school in the NorthernItalian city of Reggio Emilia. (See I m p r e s -sions of Reggio on page 24.) It all startedwith a group of parents building apreschool for their children after WorldWar II. Under the leadership of LorisMalagucci, parents and teachers cametogether to discuss and debate the bestway to satisfy the interests of parents andchildren. They posited that all childrenhave the right to an exemplary educationalexperience beginning at a young age,and that the families with the greatestneeds should be given the highest priorityfor placement in these schools. The communitywould be involved in major decisionsand would support the schools. Tofulfill these principles, the schools hiredwell-educated teachers who viewed childrenas strong, capable learners in needof guidance. To this day, the Reggioschools uphold the same high standards,and citizens do their best to fulfill theIt’s a picture of Bing Nursery School. These arethe swings. And this is the grass, and this is thesand area, and this is where you come into BingNursery School [through the double doors]. Thisis the climbing area. This is how you get to thesand. –Samuel M., 4 years 3 monthsneeds and rights of children and families.Our Own Origins After the documentary,discussion of the 40-year history ofReggio Emilia quickly turned to Bing’sown 40-year history and how it affectswhat we are today. Teachers who counttheir time at Bing in decades sharedthoughts about the school’s history withthose who count their years at Bing onone hand.One historical difference betweenBing and Reggio is that Bing was builtin part as a laboratory school forStanford’s psychology department andwas created to serve children of thefaculty, staff and students as well as thegeneral public. To make the schoolaccessible for all families regardless offinancial means, it also serves an outreachpopulation. One of the school’s missionsis to meet all of the physical, emotional,cognitive, social and communicativeneeds of young children. The schoolalso offers training for undergraduateand graduate students. It was launchedthrough support of many sources,including a grant from the NationalScience Foundation and a matching fundfrom Peter Bing and his mother AnnaBing Arnold.Like the Reggio schools, Bingremains true to its roots, continuing toserve as a laboratory for research andstudent education, while providingexcellent education to as many youngchildren as possible in the Stanfordcommunity and beyond. It has alsomaintained its original educationalapproach, which resembles Reggio’s in anumber of ways. Both programs employcaring, educated teachers who believethat children come to understand theworld around them by perceiving andexploring their environment. As educators,we view ourselves as guides helpingchildren to observe and understandthe world, as well as one another. We areconstantly learning better ways to helpchildren tap into the resources aroundthem and to understand one another.We are also constantly observing children,trying to perceive the unique qualitiesof each, then sharing our observationswith parents.Although the staff conversation aboutour identity as a nursery school wascalled to conclusion when lunch hadarrived, the feeling that we are stillvery much connected to the proud foundationset 40 years ago stayed with usmuch longer.Breakout Time The day later provided anopportunity to examine compelling topicsin early childhood education when teachersbroke into small groups to discussarticles we had all read as background.Topics ranged from documentation ofchildren’s experiences to the magic ofeveryday moments to the special rightsof children with different needs. Teacherssat clustered around the staff’s patiotable, around the children’s patio tables,even on the carpet of the story time areas,engrossed in intense but respectful debate.When we came back together, we tookturns recapping our group discussions withthe staff as a whole.Teachers Quan Ho and Neely Zangenehzadehwork on classroom documentation in the newlyrenovated workroom.Show and Tell We finished the day bysharing current developments fromindividual classes. Teachers showedphotographs of their children engaged inactivities, copies of stories told by children,and documents shared with parents aboutclassroom events. After a day spentthinking about method, practice and theory,it was nice to return our focus to thechildren we know and love.22The Bing Ti m e s l n s November 2005

Impressions of Reggio: Viva la Similarity!By Jennifer Winters, Assistant DirectorVisiting the acclaimed municipalpreschool programs in Reggio Emilia,three colleagues and I were struck byfundamental parallels between the Italianschool and Bing.On the October study tour of themunicipal preschool system in the cityof Reggio Emilia, Nandini Bhattacharjya,Andrea Hart Rees, Sarah Wright, and Ijoined 200 early childhood educatorsfrom around the world to listen to theItalian educators describe their historyand approach. We visited five of the 33affiliated nursery schools: one for infanttoddlers(asili nido) and four for 3- to 6-year-olds (scuole dell’infanzia).Reggio Emilia is a small, affluent citythat launched a municipal nursery schoolsystem 40 years ago in response to apostwar sociopolitical movement to raisethe standards of early childhood care andeducation. Today, the innovative systemis widely regarded as one of the finest inthe world.Six concepts guide its philosophy:• The child as protagonist, collaboratorand communicator• The teacher as partner, nurturer, guideand researcher• Cooperation as the foundation of theeducational system• The environment as the “third teacher”• The parent as partner• Documentation as communicationStudy group discussions and lecturesshed light on this philosophy, but it wasseeing the actual schools—above all, theinteractions among teachers, children andparents—that really crystallized ourunderstanding of the pedagogy.Core similarities between Reggio andBing were unmistakable. Launched concurrently,both schools were influencedby the same trio of educational thinkers:John Dewey, Jean Piaget and LevVygotsky. Respect for children and theirideas is paramount in both programs,with teachers viewed as co-constructorsof knowledge. At Bing, we believe in“treating the child as an honored guest,”while in Reggio, it is said that “the childis worthy of being listened to.”Both schools also share a thoughtfullyset-up and aesthetically pleasing environment.The physical space of Bing wasdesigned by renowned local architectBirge Clark (1893-1989), who workedclosely with founding director EdithDowley. Indoors and outdoors, the settingwelcomes children to becomeengaged. Teachers think carefully aboutclassroom materials: what to select, howto display it and how to create a provocation.Nature is woven seamlessly intothe classrooms, with children movingfreely between inside and out. Eachclassroom yard features a variety of treesand shrubs, carefully selected so thatsomething is blooming all year long (seeThe Tree Project on page 12), and hillsfor rolling have been built to helpe n h a n c e the child’s physical self.In Reggio, the environmental settingfunctions as a “third teacher,” designedto encourage encounters, communicationand relationships. Class materials andequipment have a fundamental order.Nature is integrated with the schools soFrom left: Bing Assistant Director JenniferWinters with teachers Andrea Hart Rees, SarahWright and Nandini Bhattacharjya on a study tourto Reggio Emilia in October 2004.that children can appreciate the physicalenvironment. Classrooms are full of light,openness and transparency, as well asenticing smells wafting from the kitchen.The essential element of time is centralto both schools’ philosophies. Both believethat children need time to focus on anactivity at a deep level. “We want to giveback to children what modern society hastaken away,” Dowley once said of Bing.In Reggio, the children we saw neverseemed to be in a hurry. There, time isseen as a gift we need to give all children.After many years of attending earlychildhood conferences and roundt a b l e sthat discussed and examined the ReggioEmilia philosophy and culture, it was anopportunity of a lifetime to see and hearfirsthand what makes the program sooutstanding. I was inspired by its aestheticsand its commitment to children andfamilies—and was constantly remindedthat there are far more similarities thandifferences between our two cultures.Tom Hunter Concert at BingBing Nursery School hosted a family concert featuringfolk singer and song writer Tom Hunter on September24, 2004. Picnicking on the hill of the Center yard,Bing children and families enjoyed a lively concert.24The Bing Ti m e s l n s November 2005