Rachel A. Larimore - Preschool Beyond Walls: Blending Early Learning Childhood Education and Nature-Based Learning

Contents

p r es ch o o l

Bl ending Early Childhood Education and Nature-Based Learning

R ac h el A . La r imo r e

Lewisville, NC

Copyright

2019 Rachel Larimore

Published by Gryphon House, Inc.

P. O. Box 10, Lewisville, NC 27023

800.638.0928; 877.638.7576 [fax]

Visit us on the web at www.gryphonhouse.com.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or technical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States. Every effort has been made to locate copyright and permission information.

Cover images used under license from Shutterstock.com and courtesy of the author.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The cataloging-in-publication data is registered with the Library of Congress for ISBN 978-0-87659-794-1.

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Disclaimer

Gryphon House, Inc., cannot be held responsible for damage, mishap, or injury incurred during the use of or because of activities in this book. Appropriate and reasonable caution and adult supervision of children involved in activities and corresponding to the age and capability of each child involved are recommended at all times. Do not leave children unattended at any time. Observe safety and caution at all times.

Dedication

To all the pocketknife kids in my life, and to Stuartthe tradition lives on.

Foreword

By Claire Warden

This comprehensive book, written by an experienced, deeply reflective colleague, will support you in increasing the profile of the natural world in your early childhood setting. It creates a thought-provoking journey not only for people who are new to the field, but also for those who have been in this field for some time.

We know that children flourish in the natural world. There is more than enough research to justify nature-based encounters for play and learning within our buildings, in outdoor play areas, and in wilder spaces beyond them. When we work in rhythm with nature and the weather, we open up so many opportunities for children to learn. As the nature-based early childhood education movement grows, we create a professional network through reflective practice and wider reading. This book is based on extensive experience and research in an American context, but it also has a wider relevance to people in this field all over the world.

Part I starts by creating a clear foundation to raise awareness

and understanding of nature-based preschools. These chapters examine the philosophical and pedagogical values that drive and guide the practice in these settings and the impact those values have on operational aspects. This section of the book also acknowledges that the natural world increases the complexity of our spaces, and various sections discuss risk management and hazard minimization.

The whole of part II explores the three classroom areas of inside, outside, and beyond. Each space has a unique way of shaping the relationship between the child and the environment. Rachel guides the reader clearly through the steps required to create nature-based spaces that explore opportunities for all the developmental domains.

Collaborationbetween teachers and children, between members of teaching teams, and between teachers and familiessupports the connection between childrens experiences at school and their leisure time. It is fitting that Rachel places this section last, as she practices her belief that we need to set both children and families up for success in nature-based preschools.

Rachels voice comes clearly through this wonderful book, which gave me a sense of being with her on the journey to increase the time our youngest children spend in the natural world. I thoroughly recommend this book to you and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have.

Claire Warden

Acknowledgments

I believe we learn and create by interacting with others. This book is no exception. The content is the result of years of interactions with other educators, and the book itself is the result of assistance from a talented group of editors, colleagues, friends, and family. Im incredibly grateful for the support of each and every one of these people.

First and foremost, thank you to Gryphon House for stepping beyond the traditional bounds of early childhood education and agreeing to publish this manuscript. I am particularly grateful for the editorial support of Stephanie Roselli and Candice Bellows. They knew just how to smooth out the rough edges without losing the spirit of the wordsor bringing me to tears.

Second, I owe a huge thank-you to those in the nature-based early childhood education community who have taught me a great deal about this approach to teaching young children. I continue to learn from these amazing educators who, through their own great work, challenge and help refine my thinking. Thank you to the Chippewa Nature Center, the Dodge Nature Center, Ferntop Preschool, Fiddleheads Forest School, and the Schlitz Nature Center for sharing photos and stories for this book.

This is not only an amazing community of colleagues, but many of them have become close friends as well. There are a few colleagues for whom I am particularly grateful in the writing of this book. The many teachers and staff of the Chippewa Nature Centers Nature Preschool have been instrumental in my journey in nature-based early childhood education. They have inspired, challenged, and supported me every step of the way. My good friend Claire Warden not only wrote the foreword but also received late-night texts requesting feedback or thoughts (hey, theres a time difference between the States and Scotland!). Im grateful for the many conversations weve shared about nature-based approaches, yet Im most grateful for all the laughter weve shared over the years. Thanks to Dave Catlin for being the kind of business partner and friend who knows just when to ask the tough questions to help me refine my thinking. I am also incredibly grateful for the leadership, mentorship, and friendship of nature-based education guru Dr. Patti Bailie.

We all need people in our lives to remind us to lighten up, have fun, and not take ourselves too seriously. Im incredibly fortunate to have a crazy crew of people like this. Additional thanks to Danielle, Dennis, Shelley, Jessica, Herb, Gary, Deb M., Tracey, Mike, and Emily for always responding to stress-filled phone calls and texts; knowing when to keep me humble by reminding me of ridiculous things Ive done over the years (there are only one or two things, tops!); knowing when to be my cheerleaders; and knowing when I need live music and a stiff drink. Thanks, Hank, for the unconditional love and humor you constantly provide.