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Power of Conversations
November 13, 2015
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
-Albert Einstein
-Albert Einstein
"We know that play is a critical component of healthy development in children. Yet, we still see gaps in access to quality, safe play spaces and learning experiences; we still have not closed the persistent 30 million word gap; and we still need to find new ways to reinforce the importance of playful early learning experiences." This is the preamble on the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's web presentation of the third installment of their "Conversations on Early Learning" series. This conversation explored the vital connections between play and learning.
In part of this conversation, Roberta Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, research psychologists and experts in playful learning, identified the power of engaged conversation — no matter where it occurs, noting it is not just the quantity of words kids hear that makes a difference in language acquisition, it is the quality of the conversation as well.
"In a recent study, Golinkoff and Hirsh revealed how easily the supermarket can become an opportunity for learning. By posting simple signs asking fun questions about the items for sale throughout grocery stores, they found they could increase interaction between parents and children by inviting organic, meaningful conversation. So the next time you are running errands with your children, strike up a conversation in the produce aisle and see where their questions and thoughts take you."
Beginnings Workshop Books
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With Beginnings Workshop Books you'll have the hottest curriculum topics down cold. Every issue of  Exchange magazine includes a hands-on staff development guide that provides a wealth of practical ideas on specific curriculum topics from leading authorities in the field of early care and education. Each Beginnings Workshop book is a comprehensive collection of these articles on a particular topic.
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Comments (1)
Displaying 1 CommentPennsylvania, United States
I couldn't agree more----natural, organic conversation is what it's all about. Generations of children were raised by their parents following this exact principle. So many of the children in my class just want to talk to the teachers--and what they have to say is important. Others benefit from listening in on the conversations. We talk about so many topics in the course of the day, I could never plan for it all---it's spontaneous! As teachers, we need to spend less time worrying about whether we covered the lesson plan, and more time being fully engaged in what the children have to say. Again, I reference the book The Great Disconnect in Early Childhood Education What We Know vs. What We Do by Michael Gramling---conversation is critical!
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