twelve senses article, mailboxes

Dear Butterfly Families,

Martha, the school's copier, steadfastly refuses to produce copies of my colleague's article on supporting the development of our children's senses of touch, life, self-movement, and balance. In the meantime, it became clear to me that scanned pdfs are not so easy to read on the screen. This gave me the opportunity to read several online articles about sensory development, and this article from New Zealand contained new information for me as well as providing information about the senses of touch, life, self-movement, and balance. If you prefer to read from a book, there are multiple copies of Beyond the Rainbow Bridge in the Kathrine Dickerson Memorial Library upstairs, and, as I mentioned, the chapter on senses is quite accessible.

As most you have noticed, I have constructed more durable mailboxes for the children just inside the classroom door. Please try to check these and clear them out at the end of Wednesday, if not more frequently. To preserve your child's drawings and gifts, I will transfer the contents from the classroom mailbox to the basket above your child's cubby after class on Wednesday.
Many children have been drawing with crayons. Sometimes these are gifts, cards, and books children make for themselves or others (your child's mailbox does not necessarily contain drawings she or he has made). Children have also been drawing maps and signs to incorporate into their play scenarios.
In kindergarten, the teachers save children's drawings in a portfolio to discuss with parents at conference time. In the nursery years, I place more emphasis on the social aspects of this work--drawings as inter or intrapersonal means of discovery, drawings to foster the imagination, drawing as a form of security in a sometimes lively classroom away from mom or dad. That being said, the observation of young children's drawings yields great insights. Understanding Children's Drawings will arrive in our library soon, and I recommend reading the first chapter(s) of the book--they give insights into the drawings of children in the nursery and kindergarten years.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde