RECLAIMING THE RHYTHM OF EARLY CHILDHOOD WITH ERIKA CHRISTAKIS
Do fewer projects and give sufficient time for process:
Help children to explore/investigate in stages, starting with planning (gathering ideas) and exploring materials before the construction phase.
Rethink adult expectations:
Does every child have to make the same project to take home? (Why? Are there alternatives?). Does the whole class have to gather in a circle at the start of each day? (What would an alternative community-building structure look like?).
Give children sufficient time to play or to explore new materials/ spaces/ideas:
Boredom is the friend of the imagination! Sometimes we think children’s attention spans can’t tolerate long stretches of play, but children express signs of “boredom” when they haven’t had time to dig deeply.
Go Outdoors!
Nature’s rhythm is usually slow. It forces us to slow down.