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Hi Friends! I’m so happy you let me into your brain space today and I’m going to be mindful of your time because you are the (grown-up) people I respect more than anyone on this planet! Those who take care of our youngest deserve more than respect, actually, but I’ll save that rant for another day.
We have the power to treat violence before it takes root when we touch the lives of very young children. In the first few years of life, they’re developing over one million new brain connections every second. (Harvard Center for the Developing Brain)
We can teach alternatives to blame, bias and bullying during that time. Kids will be able to use the words and skills we take the time to teach throughout their lifespans. And, research shows us over and over again that it’s much more expensive to treat all kinds of issues if we wait. ( Perry Preschool Project, Washington Center For Equitable Growth)
There are many things lacking in early childhood education today but here’s something we can do to help.
Uniting parents, providers, and administrators is the first step toward creating a just system. There is both safety and strength in numbers.
Please, please, please share this link with any administrators, providers, and/or parents who believe that providing kids with the right attitudes and tools early on can help create a more peaceful and just world to live in. You'll find many free tools here!
And if you happen to live in Wisconsin anywhere near Madison, WI it’s worth the effort to see Junko Yamauchi at the Madison Childrens Museum on Friday mornings. Here is a link to her Facebook page. If you like inclusive fun, music, and laughter, you’ll love this!
Last week, Junko and I presented at the WECA conference on antibias musical activities and I'm including a list/blog of many fun early childhood activities for you to try here.
Nanci J Bradley is an early childhood and family educator, author, teacher, family aerobics instructor, and an all-around fun-loving person. She believes in the power of sleep, healthy eating, lifelong learning, and most of all, PLAY! She studied early childhood ed at Triton College and received her BS in education in 1986 from NIU. She received her MA in human dev from Pacific Oaks College in 2011. She lives and teaches in Madison WI and is the founder of early childhood rocks, a non-profit org dedicated to creating change through early childhood education.
citations
Anti-Bias Curriculum for the Preschool Classroom. Redleaf Press, 2021.
“Highscope Perry Preschool Study.” The SAGE Encyclopedia of Contemporary Early Childhood Education, 2016, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483340333.n189.
Washington Center For Equitable Growth