Planning Thoughtful Environments and Materials that meet up with Children’s Lively Minds, Active Bodies and Tender Hearts

Children come to our programs with avid curiosity, determination, bigheartedness and delight in engaging with people and the world around them. Yet most environments focus mostly on health and safety and are filled with commercial plastic toys and materials, offering limited possibilities for exploration and creativity. We will review the amazing learning capacities of children during this special time of life and consider environments and materials that support and enhance their lively minds, active bodies and big hearts. We will also hear stories of the Earth Protectors, children and teachers who are working to ensure their environments are earth and climate friendly.

Overview of our time together

Consider stories and research that reflect children’s natural skills and abilities for learning through exploration, active play and relationships with others.
Assess your own environment for elements that support children’s natural skills and abilities.
Study examples of environments and materials that support children’s natural learning abilities.
Consider earth and climate friendly approaches for organizing and equipping your environment.

Presenters: Deb Curtis, MA and Nadia Jaboneta

Nadia lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and 3 children. She is a program coordinator and classroom teacher at Pacific Primary preschool in San Francisco, California. She has 22 years of experience in early childhood education, teaching young children, training teachers, consulting and facilitating workshops. She is passionate about social justice and is proud to have immigrant parents from Lima, Peru. Nadia attended San Francisco State University for both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. She has written numerous articles for the magazine Teaching Young Children, focused on the anti-bias education practices she uses in her classroom. She also is the author of two popular books, one entitled You Can’t Celebrate That: Navigating the Deep Waters of Social Justice teaching, and Children’s Lively Minds: Schema Theory Made Visible.

Deb is a passionate advocate for children and childhood. She has spent many, many years working with children and teachers in early childhood programs, observing and studying children and child development. Her experiences have led her to a deep respect for children and their abilities, and a strong commitment to work in their behalf. She is a strong advocate for social justice and anti-bias, anti-racist education for children and adults.

Along with teaching children, Deb works with teachers in child care programs, college settings, seminars and institutes all over North America, New Zealand and Australia. Currently she spends her time with children at Interlaken Child Care Center in Seattle, Washington.

Deb is the co-author of many articles and books related to working with young children. Her most recent book is Children’s Lively Minds written with Nadia Jaboneta. You can learn more about these resources at readleafpress.org

Zoom links will be sent on the day of the workshop; please contact our office if you do not receive one.