Ashley Read '05, Head of Early Childhood

March 8, 2024

 

Dear Families,

This week, students have been exploring the concept that listening is an active skill. We use attentive listening through our entire body—keeping our eyes on the speaker, maintaining stillness, and turning on our listening ears. Sometimes a child actively choosing not to listen can be a way for them to assert their power. So, how do you handle a situation when your child refuses to listen?

• Get on their level (lower yourself down and look them in their eyes to verify that they see and hear you)

• Do away with “don’t” where you can (Instead of, “Don’t hit your brother,” try, “Use gentle hands when touching your brother.”)

• Say yes (Instead of, “No we cannot go to the park today,” try “The weather is nice for the park! We can try again a little bit later after dinner.”)

• Ensure they understand your direction (Have your child repeat your expectations to you. It’s even more fun to have them show you what to do, what not to do and then finish with what to do. For example, have your child show you how they should sit at the dinner table, how they should not sit at the dinner table and end on how they should sit. This helps clarify expectations.) 

The Importance of Play: Melissa Rawisza, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker from Reilly Counseling presented “Trauma Impact: A Look at Each Developmental Stage and Tools to Help,” during our ECC 1st Tuesday meeting. She emphasized the significance of play as a child's language. This reminded me of a quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau:

“Play is a very misused adult word. To a child it is a way of life. To an adult it often means unimportant recreational things we do when we are not working.” 

This quote underscores the reasoning behind our ECC schedules, providing ample time for children to learn through play in both the classroom and on the playground. As you approach Spring Break, I encourage you to "let them be little." Take the time to encourage your child to observe, tinker, and build, whether it's constructing a ship out of materials or engaging in other creative activities. And, most importantly, join them in playing.

Summer Camp: It is not too early to start thinking about your child’s summer plans. “Summer at the Ridge” offerings are live and ready for enrollment. Click here to view our amazing, vast and unique summer camps being offered this summer for students ages 3 and up. We encourage you to invite your other Oakridge and non-Oakridge family members, neighbors and friends to enroll, too.   

Sincerely,

Ashley Read, Oakridge Class of 2005 

Head of Early Childhood