CULTURE, LEARNING and TEACHING

Rohana Chase conducted an inquiry on the correlation between the risks that children took during their outdoor play and their intellectual and cognitive development. Here is a visual representation of her study along with a brief overview:

This research study analyzed the impact of unstructured, risky play outdoors on intellectual and cognitive development. I conducted observations at four different play sites that had varying "risky" environmental conditions and interviewed two experts on outdoor play and risk. My findings indicated a correlation between risky outdoor play and increased levels of independence, self-esteem, and confidence. This correlation also suggested that a sense of confidence and autonomy nurtured by frequent risky play supports intellectual and cognitive development that can be measured by academic performance.

Carolyn Brown focused her study on the nature of Block Play in her Prek classroom in the Bronx in New York City. Here is an image and a short outline of her project:

My Research Questions included:

a. What kinds of structures are children building in the blocks area?

b. What is the nature of children’s social interactions with each other while they construct in the blocks area?

c. How do children engage with the materials in the blocks area?

Findings: The children in my classroom constructed numerous structures found in their environment, such as houses, bridges, highways, skyscrapers, and ramps.

They supported each other as they built together, exchanging ideas, sharing materials, and comforting one another when their structures fell and they became emotional, and cried profusely.

The children were very focused and engaged as they built foundations of learning block by block. Every domain of learning is supported in the Block Area, from STEM subjects to social-emotional, cognitive, physical, language development, and the arts.

Barbara Noel's study focused on teachers' perceptions and beliefs around DAP. Here is a summary and a visual image she created to represent her study:

This study explores how early childhood educators—both lead and assistant teachers—perceive and implement Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) within a Head Start program. Motivated by my personal journey from an assistant teacher with limited knowledge of DAP to a confident lead teacher, I sought to understand whether perceptions of DAP vary by role and how educational background, school philosophy, and professional development influence practice.

Through interviews and observations of four educators at Little Learners Head Start, I found that while all participants shared a basic understanding of DAP, their implementation differed based on their philosophies, experiences, and education levels. Notably, teachers with higher degrees in early childhood education demonstrated more alignment between their beliefs and classroom practices. One participant, Jennifer, held a more traditional, academically structured philosophy—shaped by her upbringing and educational path—which sometimes conflicted with the progressive, play-based model of the school.

The study also highlighted the critical role of institutional support in shaping educators’ understanding and use of DAP. Little Learners Head Start fosters this through reflective practices, family engagement, ongoing professional development, and collaboration with specialists. However, it also made me reflect on the gaps in professional learning at my current workplace, especially for assistant teachers who often lack formal training.

Although limited by a small sample and observation window, this research sheds light on the complex factors that influence DAP implementation and underscores the need for continued support, training, and alignment among teaching teams. Future research should expand across diverse educational settings to better understand how DAP is interpreted and practiced in varying contexts.

This Spring semester I had the pleasure of teaching a Master's Thesis class at the CCNY School of Education as an adjunct. In short - I loved it! It was wonderful to be in the classroom again and teach graduate students in person after 5 years! The last time I was in a classroom with students was in March 2020 just before the Covid lock downs. Classes continued to be held remotely at City College until I retired in 2022. So going back to teaching in person this semester and interacting with graduate students face to face was an amazing, exciting and deeply satisfying experience.

The course I taught was Research in Education - focusing specifically on early childhood classroom curriculum and teaching practices. Each student picked a topic they wanted to learn more about and conducted a qualitative inquiry on it. The students in the class are working toward their Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education and for all of them this was their first structured comprehensive semester-long research project! We met for the final class of the semester and celebrated the completion of the course as they each presented a visual representation of their projects.

In the following few blogs I will share an image and brief summary of some of the research studies - but for now here is our group on the last day of class!!! Congratulations to each class member - I am so proud of them all!

I recently read an article in the New York Times by Darby Saxbe, a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California. Dr. Saxbe raises the question of whether today's parenting in "industrialized societies" is overdoing it with its over-protective approach, constant supervision, and tightly structured waking hours for children. She writes that "in the precious time when we’re not working, we place our children at the center of our attention, consciously engaging and entertaining them. We drive them around to sports practice and music lessons, where they are observed and monitored by adults, rather than the other way around." She compares this to children being raised in more traditional and hunter-gatherer societies where they "spend lots of time with their parents — they tag along throughout the day and often help with tasks like foraging — but they are rarely the main object of their parents’ attention. Sometimes bored, sometimes engaged, these kids spend much of their time observing adults doing adult things." 

Having said that it must be noted that the cultural contexts within which children in both kinds of societies are raised and educated are so different, each with a unique set of structural challenges and life goals. Children have to be equipped with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to thrive and succeed in each of their realities. I think back to how my children were raised during their early childhood days in India. They had more freedom and less supervision, more opportunity for free outdoor play, fewer commercial toys, way less screen time, they invented their own games, got together with neighborhood friends without grown-ups having to schedule play dates, were not reachable by cell phones or Apple watches, and couldn't wait to get their homework finished and rush to play outside in the park or any vacant plot of land that was available in our residential colony. Parents were often unaware of where their children were and I remember walking out into the neighborhood searching for them if I needed them to come home. In contrast, I see my young grand-children living a different kind of childhood in the US. Most striking is how screens have captivated them whether it is on a computer or a TV or a watch or an IPad - one has to implore them to go and play outside! Their parents are much more involved in scheduling their lives when they're not in school with carefully thought out play dates, sleep overs, car pools to sports and cultural activities, and hosting parties and get-togethers for their children's friends and their parents to hang out and socialize. 

But of course, the cultural and temporal contexts of the childhoods of my sons and grandsons couldn't be more different: India in the 1980s vs America in the 2020s. The societal pressures are completely different. However, I do think there is pause for thought in the concerns that Dr. Saxbe raises in this article. Should we, and can we, step back a little from the constant monitoring and give children a bit more freedom to "be"? And can that even be possible today in an urban and suburban world that is marked with so many more dangers?

I am sharing the link to the NY Times article referenced here which is titled Parents Should Ignore Their Children More Often by Darby Saxbe, published on September 15, 2024: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/15/opinion/parenting-helicopter-ignoring.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PU4.1aKI.bUnZz9KcEvXP&smid=url-share