Kidsfirst Kindergartens Bush Street Centre of Innovation - 2006-08

Chapter 5 Emerging theories about learning for children and adults

Elaine grouping ideas as we brainstormed.

In order to bring together our experiences and writing about children’s learning through the use of a central character, we brainstormed our ideas about what children were learning in the broadest sense, within their social, environmental and historical contexts.  We wrote our ideas on scraps of paper so that they would be easy to sort (see the photograph).

The six groupings that came from our analysis are reported in this chapter. These groupings fit with Schrag’s (1997) model of the self after postmodernity (Insert 5.1). Schrag’s four aspects have helped us develop our insights from Chapter 4 into our emerging theories. These groupings are consistent with the sociocultural philosophies that underpin Te Whāriki.

Through this process we came to realise the importance we place on learning for parents so that they can support children’s learning. We see learning as being socially based as opposed to only an individual experience for children and adults.  Nevertheless, as we will show in this chapter, it is helpful to think about the various aspects of the self as a learner.

Insert 5.1: Our use of Schrag’s (1997) four aspects of the self after postmodernity Schrag (1997) has described four aspects of the self as the self in discourse, action, community, and transcendence. We have found it helpful to use Schrag’s model of the “self” in but have adapted it to form six aspects. Language and conversation (5.1). This corresponds to Schrag’s notion of the self in discourse: a person is enabled within conversations and communications only if he or she has the language and skills to speak, listen, take part in discussions and share ideas. Action (5.2) Schrag’s notion of the self in action refers to the ways that people behave and to their physical abilities and the things they choose to do. Relationships (5.3) and community (5.4) This corresponds to Schrag’s notion of the self in community: this is so important in our work that we have divided this domain in two, one for building relationships and one for supporting and developing and coming to understand communities and how they work Collective curiosity (5.5) - moving on and learning from experience. We have adapted Schrag’s notion of transcendence which is to do with going beyond current understandings and beliefs to exploring, learning to learn and, in a sense, children researching their environment. We added Curriculum (5.6) as we found that this was the best descriptor of the material which was closely linked to Te Whāriki.

5.1 Language and conversation

Central character stories give us a framework for our programme, and a special place for shared conversations to take place in addition to countless individual conversations. Everyone’s story can be heard by the group when and where it is appropriate to do so. We can all absorb what is going on around us – children and adults together - living it and being part of it. The central character storyteller can shift focus from a serious to a non-serious storyline, familiar to unfamiliar, contentious to non-contentious, real to not real, through language. Within the story conversations, the group can explore different words and worlds and ways of saying and doing things. Central character storylines can also support the language of silence and body gesture.

Weaving together many stories from different people requires skilled facilitationof conversations and interactions to satisfy a variety of objectives. We are always asking ourselves “whose story will be heard and why?” We are aware of how important it is to develop the skill and wisdom of listening beyond the words to hear that which is being left unsaid (things as emotions, feelings, stress and excitement) so that the teacher can make decisions about how to enable later conversations to flow.

Adults need to manage the interactions, alongside children who are also doing the same. We recognise intuitively the appropriateness of time and place and understand that language at home might be very different from language at kindergarten. We acknowledge that for some children there may not be a place at home where they are heard.

We see story as food for the soul (Canfield, Hansen & Welanetz, 1993; Zukav, 2000).

Central characters are playful: they promote play, remind us of earlier stories children have used in their play and often lead to fresh ideas. Through play, oral communication skills develop and self-confidence can soar. Play in all its forms (and being playful in the story process) gives teachers the opportunity to connect with the child within themselves and to place themselves where they know what it feels like to have their story heard or not heard. This role-modelling stimulates important conversations and helps teach the skills to speak and listen.

5.2 Action

We use action to describe the learning that comes from actively doing and behaving as distinct from that of language and conversation. The central character learns through doing the same things the children do and therefore the play equipment already in the kindergarten can be used within storylines. The strategic use of props in a central character storyline enables a simple object to become a really important part of the action, and the storyteller can respond to the moment and connect to children’s expressed interests. For example, a piece of rope was an important prop in the Term 2, 2008 central character story of Rata and Harrison. The rope became a starting point, or link, for children’s personal stories through the central character. Because of this prop a variety of stories and conversations surfaced, from climbing, fishing, skipping, and worms to towing the car when it broke down. The central character story takes its cue from the personal story unfolding, with the props providing the impetus.

By using resources within the kindergarten during story sessions, the children are able to see and experience more diverse uses of these things. The paints and collage equipment can help create a backdrop or mural for a story; big boxes may represent a mountain or cave; pieces of blue fabric can represent the river or sea and planks can be used for bridges. Children may have been using these resources prior to story time and the central character simply supports the child into a leadership role of showing what they were doing – it may be that we all have a go, or not. Children may expand their skills by taking the props used in the central character story sessions and continuing to act out their versions of the storyline or their creations.

Through central character we can re-enact situations. Whether we call this drama, improvisation or re-enactment, the label is not as important as the process, and the reasons behind it. Central character enactments involve listening and learning, with children guiding the way alongside teachers and any adults keen to do things this way.

5.3 Building relationships

Personal stories enable rich and diverse learning between home and kindergarten and between people, places and things. This is a key way Bush Street teachers build relationships and partnerships in learning. We use people as a primary resource – following the principle of listening to and sharing stories from the people involved in the community. Our teaching practice honours the story within us all – children, families, teachers, visitors. We want people to feel they belong. We know that sometimes stories do not surface in the group because the time is not ripe for them to do so. Having a story meaningfully listened to gives a child a connection to the place and the people in it. Central character is the tool we use to deepen connections and relationships.

Building relationships around personal stories and central character develops the self as an individual, as well as the self within the collective group of others. This happens for children and adults.

As we build on children’s interests through the use of a central character, we are able to shape the learning by moving the discussion - using a relationship, or a value based question.

The teachers also come to know each other better as their stories are shared in the story times – even the really simple things about food and clothing we like, activities, family, pets and places we go on holiday. We can also share stories about things we are learning to do, like playing the guitar. Complementary stories may surface which can be used for discussion, or not. The children and families come to see the teachers as real people doing things beyond the boundaries of the kindergarten through these stories.

Little snippets of a personal story may be introduced through a central character story which can lead to later conversations among children and between children and adults – even if the connections are not made instantly. The use of a central character gives us a place to revisit prior learning and to see and hear the real connections happening.

This example also highlights the role of reciprocal relationships that promote the art of both listening and contributing. When a story is shared through the central character, the ownership of the story is shared by the group as everyone’s stories have helped shape and develop the central character. Past stories are easy to recall as the children can look at the photos of these story lines to help them remember. When teachers and children look, together, at earlier photographs and a teacher says “I wonder what [name of central character] was doing here,” it stimulates great discussions and exposes thinking and imagination.

5.4 Community

To be part of a community is to know about it – the people, the places and the things in it. We get to know people by listening to their stories and sharing stories within our communities. We recognise that personal stories often expose accounts of places and things in our community or further afield, so are a good starting point for relationship and community building. As we listen, and share of ourselves, we learn the art of hospitality. We get to know names of others and contexts in which they live and play. To be part of a community is to contribute, and in order to get to know about the other members in the community, there is a need to listen. Listening well entails gauging when it is appropriate to be quiet and when it is appropriate to speak. Central Character story sessions give us the place and the time to assist young children with developing their identities as part of a community.

Central character stories help us, and the children and their families, understand and build our community as we enjoy our shared creativity around the stories. Our understanding of our particular community expands as we listen to personal stories and contribute to shared public stories. Developing storylines involves us moving beyond the kindergarten where we can experience the reality of the socio-historical stories we have enacted at kindergarten. The details of this are given in chapter 4. When we go on excursions we invite families to join us so they get to experience the stories as well. Trips always involve story in a relevant context. Trips help to consolidate the kindergarten child’s learning as they weave learning contexts together meaningfully.

Pictures from the trip to the beach to gather harakeke

All our central character stories provide a framework to build on children’s, families’ and teachers’ stories. We extend the story line by going into the community to experience the reality of their stories and for teachers to role model ways of being together which involve fun, appreciation and learning. It is all about simple things – but really important ones in today’s complex, busy world.

As the awareness of self and others increases through central character stories, more complex stories can be explored - learning that people have different beliefs and viewpoints and that it is important to respect difference. For example, people have different beliefs about Christmas, Ramadan, 9/11 and ANZAC Day, to name a few. During story times we are able to demonstrate a respect for difference and not shy away from discussing things that some people find hard to talk about – acknowledging the humanity and the complexity of these situations. Through story we are able to bring these things into a familiar context and make them meaningful and relevant for children. It is a way to bring complex situations into our shared reality.

5.5 Collective curiosity

Thinking matters. Time for thinking is honoured and silences do not need to be filled. Mark’s story, Episode 1 provides an illustration of the importance of silence in providing space for personal stories to emerge. To be curious and questioning provides limitless opportunities and that is why central character, personal stories, emergent curriculum and programme planning go hand in hand.

Inquiry and questioning can be fostered so that they contribute to good relationships. Intriguing storylines can trigger questions at home about what the central character did that day as the story shifts the pressure from a child to remember what he or she did at kindergarten during the day to something the central character did. Family members can learn about the central characters. They can support children’s memory, recall and linking of stories with experience. The processes foster curiosity when conversations at home begin to complement a central character story. Children start asking questions supported by teachers who are encouraging them to do so. Sometimes when the children recall central character stories the photos or pages of the written records of a story are used as a prompt. At times, teachers encourage the children to brainstorm the things they know about a central character – this encourages collective knowledge construction as new ideas emerge alongside old ones.

At other times, teachers facilitate investigations into unknown territory. In investigations, we are comfortable, indeed pleased about not being sure where things are going. We use and learn from whatever occurs naturally in the environment. Carlina Rinaldi at Reggio Emilia, has a similar view. She says learning “is constructed through contemporaneous advances, standstill and “retreats” that take many directions” (Rinaldi, 2006, p. 131)

5.6 Links to curriculum

As we analysed what children were learning via central character stories, we realised we were creating our own story curriculum, appropriate for the socio-cultural and historical context of Rangiora, using the framework provided by Te Whāriki. Within this document the term curriculum is defined as:

Our story curriculum fosters learning in relation to people, places and things, and the threads of learning that give environment and historical perspectives. It integrates social learning and children learning to listen, talk, ponder new ideas and join in. Many of these elements are common practice. The use of central character story is not. An analysis of the John and Jane story in 2006 showed clear links to all the strands and principles of Te Whāriki. We also identified some core values which underpin our teaching practice and some threads of learning. Later analyses showed that these are part of all central character stories. Central character story processes provide for complex learning through seemingly simple daily events.

We came to realise that we are creating a living environment that supports children and adults to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes through central character stories.

5.7 Summary

In this chapter we have shown that central character stories sit comfortably within the framework of Te Whāriki alongside Schrag’s understandings about the nature of the self.  The chapter has highlighted, yet again, how the teaching innovation of character story supports the growth of children’s learning within the kindergarten and also within families and the community.

The examples in this chapter show how great a focus this centre puts on the learning of families and their engagement together, with each other, together, in community. By sharing stories about trips to the sand hills, gathering harakeke and inviting a mother to share her interest in sewing, teachers have shown in this chapter how the kindergarten fosters children’s learning through parental involvement.