***What do we do all day?***

***PLAY?***

PLAY, PLAY AND MORE PLAY. Yes, all we do is child led play. I have a schedule that guides us, but SFCC is led by the children’s interest.  I expose them to a variety of toys, games, and songs. Then I see what they pick and then we start to explore.

I have a wonderful story to tell you. I have a 3 year old girl in SFCC and through PLAY she has learned how to write her name. What did I do? No work sheets, No letter sheets, No formal books or specific curriculum followed. WE PLAYED. At three I gave her parents a bucket of supplies so we could work together in helping her child develop. Between the parents Playing at home and her Playing at SFCC she learned how to write her name.

I wrote her name on her daily drinking cup. We talked in general about letters, our names. We scribbled with chalk on the deck. Colored in coloring books and on paper. We would sing silly made up songs with the names of the children in. Singing the letters of their names. I would occasionally point out in her scribble the letters she is forming in her PLAY. Then one day while chalking on the deck, she wrote her name all by herself. Nothing preceded her doing it. She was just chalking on the deck with the other kids and she said, "Look Nana, I wrote my name." Sure enough she did. Through everyday PLAY and a partnership with the parents the child  learn how to write her name.

Resource: PLAY TO TALK By James MacDonald Ph.D. & Pam Stoika Ph.D.