four chirping birds,
three story maps,
two Play-Doh tools,
and a story under the tree!
Book Nook serves many purposes, but one of the most important is confidence building. We work with many of our little ones from the time they are 18 months old, and that means helping them through separating from their parents for the first time. This can be a slow process. It is daunting for children to have to say goodbye to their parents when they have never done so before – even if it is just for 90 minutes. We take our time and make sure each child feels safe and comfortable in our little tree house – and we have many tools that help us accomplish this task.
We introduce our students to every thing they meet as we walk from our living room to the classroom. Our hallway is filled with many whimsical trinkets from around the city or even around the world such as a cat reading a book, our ABCs, a fish in a bowl, and many types of birds. Out of all of the surprises our little ones find along the way, they love the birds the best. We have a bird that chirps and calms them, and birds that flew all the way from Russia to amaze them. By instilling these feelings of comfort and awe in each child, they begin to feel more at ease and confident in the classroom. When a child is confident, it helps them to feel excited and engaged as they complete their activities.
These birds, and our other naturalistic decor, act as soothing additions to our environment. And there’s always Ollie and Oscar – our two wise owls who help the teachers teach and the children learn.