Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Today I was in a meeting ( well, a public hearing ) that was asking for public comment on the state plan for funding. My role there was to listen for and advocate for family child care providers . At the end of my meeting I received a text from Dallas that pretty much sums up the day at our home.
Not a bad day to be a kid ! We ” worked ” all day long/ From finding matching shapes to letters in the sun. Did you know that there is more than one verse to ” Twinkle , Twinkle Little Star ?”
We worked on some telescopes some could see the stars at night . We even danced like stars. Some songs were slow and some songs were really fast.
Outside we learned to balance, but only if we were sitting just right.
( Side note on this picture. ) Today in my meeting I was discussing my loose parts with a couple licensing specialists. I had another provider see my live feed on Facebook and see the kids balancing on the long board on top of the log. She wrote me ” My licensing specialist said we are not allowed to have a see saw. ” Well, I don’t have a see saw. I have a long board. I have logs. Sometimes the kids balance the board on the log and goes up and down much like a see saw motion. Sometimes they use it as a catapult Sometimes they see how many kids they can stack across it as it lays on the ground. Every day it is something different .. but it is never a see saw. It is a loose part. We supervise this area closely. One licensing specialist told me she was sure that her regional director would have a problem with it and tell me it had to be moved. — thankfully she isn’t MY specialist. I replied ” My children learn so much in this area. They learn cause and affect. They learn weight measurements when one child is heavier than the other and they have to adjust . They strengthen their arm muscles as they carry this board. Once those gross motor muscles are strong we will be ready to write and use our fine motor muscles. They work together and collaborate on what they will do with the board each day and talk it out. See, it is so much more than a see saw . It is a teaching aide. That board teaches my kiddos things that I may never teach them. Is there risk involved ? I guess… Someone may get bumped in the chin or fall off the board. Is it worth it ? You bet. I am not a rule breaker but I am a person that will stand by what I let my kids do or what I tell them they must not do. There is a reason. I am an intentional teacher and I intentionally have a board and a log on my playground that might be mistaken as a see saw on any given day. It depends on what the kids plan is for the day. )
On to Dallas’ text –
It was a GREAT DAY to be a kid ( or a preschool teacher . )
LOVE MY ” WORK”!!
As you can see , there is never a worry leaving Randy, Dallas and Holly in charge of our day. Blessed. I am very proud of the work we do when I receive pictures at the end of the day and can see the absolute joy on the kids faces as they are allowed to just be a kid.