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Docia Shares a Story - Responding to Children's Needs

by Docia Zavitkovsky
July/August 1999
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/docia-shares-a-story-responding-to-childrens-needs/5012819/

There is nothing more engaging than two year olds at play, especially when they are in an environment where caring, sensitive, knowledgeable staff provide opportunities for them to explore, test, experiment, and discover what their world is all about.

While I was observing at Linda Gordon's infant-toddler center in Santa Monica, two year old Tolan caught my attention. Oblivious to those around him, he stacked plastic dishes and tried to carry them to a nearby table. He never reached his destination, because each time he took a few steps the dishes fell to the floor. With an amazing amount of patience, he bent over, picked up the dishes, and tried again and again. After the fifth time, he evidently thought enough was enough. He looked down at the dishes, kicked them, and moved on to something else.

His teacher, who had been watching, went over to him and said, "Those dishes were hard to carry, I know. They were slippery. Let's take them to the table a few at a time. I'll help you." He took her hand; they went over to the dishes and together completed what he had set out to do. The words accomplishment and satisfaction may have meant little ...

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