What Do Children Learn At RCNS?
Ellen Mitchell
Former Director and former teacher of the 2 and 3-Year-Old Class

This question is frequently thought about or asked by parents wanting assurances, that in this high-pressured society, their children are being given the best opportunities to develop and maximize their potential. Parents are constantly bombarded by claims that they need this or that to make their child a better or smarter human being. This makes it harder than ever for parents to sort through all the "hype" when searching for the right nursery school. Here's why, we think, RCNS is the best place for your child.

In our setting, it is sometimes unclear what kind of "learning" is actually taking place because the setting is loosely structured and the children seem to be having so much fun! The participating adults at RCNS are encouraged to be available to help in a variety of ways, as opposed to organizing or participating in an activity during free play - usually a period of 1 to 1½ hours. So, how can there be learning if the adults aren't teaching?

A great deal of thought goes into deciding what will be available to the children each day. They are encouraged to decide for themselves what activities they are going to participate in. Often, in the beginning, the children, who are so used to adult direction, need to get comfortable making choices. Sometimes, we deliberately omit an activity to see if they request it, reinforcing the fact that their choices will be respected when possible. If not, we make a point of explaining why that activity is unavailable at that time.

Throughout the school day, the process of acting and reacting to the environment and to other children is an important part of the experience. Learning to function in a group and dealing with assorted personalities and types of behavior is the most valuable experience nursery school can provide. In a sheltered environment the children can test out different roles and experiment with ways of solving problems and conflicts. They are encouraged to express their feelings and find acceptable ways of handling frustration and anger. They are not chastised or punished for their feelings but rather guided to express them in ways not harmful to themselves or others. The skills developed through ''play'' in this type of environment are carried with them throughout life as they come in contact with all types of people in all type of situations. While this function is a primary one at RCNS; a great deal of learning goes on through other activities as well.

Physical equipment is sometimes set up for easy, comfortable climbing. At other times, the climbing equipment functions to stretch a child's physical capabilities, helping their confidence grow as they master new physical skills. Here, the adults need to be alert in order to prevent accidents, and available to help a child only as necessary.

Art projects are always available to the children during free play. These activities encourage their creativity and give them experience using a variety of materials and techniques with which they can experiment. There is no right way in art which is why we try not to use models (there are some exceptions) because then they are only trying to imitate, not create. As a result, they can become frustrated because often their perceptual skills are not at the point where they can copy an adult's work accurately. For example, most 3 year olds cannot make a face with the correct placement of features. This skill often develops closer to age 4 or 5. Rather than asking a child what he or she is making, one might talk about the colors, shapes, or size of things they are using. Or we can just step back and watch in awe at the concentrated effort some children apply to their work.

The play dough area provides an imaginative sensory experience. It is wonderful for children to become comfortable using their hands, feeling different textures, getting messy and creating different forms that they incorporate into their play. This area is also a great spot for encouraging cooperation as they help each other by passing things and redistributing play dough as a new friend appears. (Note: Often adults cannot resist getting into the play dough themselves. This is OK occasionally for short periods, but then the adult should try to withdraw from such active participation, particularly with 3 and 4-year-olds. When this type of active participation occurs frequently, the activity may then become too adult centered where the children want the adult to make things for them, thus changing the nature of the play.

Throughout the day, teachers and parents are in the role of facilitator, always helping rather than doing. This allows the children to learn how to follow directions on their own. For example, instead of getting a toy for them, we may direct them to the toy or ask another child to assist them (i.e. dry hands on the towel and put it in the white garbage pail; throw away their snack plate when they're finished, etc.). Gradually, they become more adept at following more and more complicated auditory directions.

In addition, we help expand the children's vocabulary through constant verbal communication. For example, they may not understand the word "collision" initially but, as it is used when they "play crash" together, it becomes familiar, understood and then used in the proper context. Many of our songs deal with concepts such as numbers, sequencing (as in days of the week), opposites like high & low, loud & soft, fast & slow, etc. In addition, concepts like these are taught through singing, body movements and finger plays. As we explain things, we provide lots of information some of which is absorbed by some and stored, and ignored by others as appropriate to each individual child.

Respect for living things is communicated by the way we examine bugs or care for our pets. On occasion, we have even learned about death from these animal friends.

Circle Time is less for ''information'' and more to help children learn to listen to each other and develop confidence to participate (or not) in a group discussion. Sometimes it is a time to reflect on what's been done in the classroom and find out what's to come.

On an ''easy day'' when the children are actively playing with a minimum of conflict and seem not to need the adults, we might start to question if they are getting enough or if we are giving enough. What role should the adults play? At RCNS, through car pooling and parent participation, we allow our children to safely expand their world and grow to trust and depend on a variety of other adults. In addition, a parent may be called upon to be with a child who is having a particularly difficult day or help another child who is having trouble separating. We are there to tune in to the needs of the children. A gentle hand or a special word from an adult can often turn a volatile situation into a benign one. And, of course, there is also time in the classroom for parents to share special skills and talents with the children. More importantly, it is a special time for a parent to be with their child.

Learning through play and discovery occurs in every area in the classroom and during any given period of the day. The basic idea is to encourage inquisitiveness and problem-solving. Educators have found this approach to be one of the most effective learning techniques for both children and adults. The bottom line is that, without labeling each step or achievement in the learning process, there is still a great deal of "learning" going on at RCNS.

For our 2's, 3's and 4's classes, their play is very hard work indeed!

Ellen Mitchell
Director and Teacher of the 2 and 3-Year-Old Class

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