Appraising the Quality of Formal Experiences – The predicted value of each formal experience can be determined by asking these questions:

• Is it designed to match specific strength expectations of the community?
• Will its timing match the attention spans of the community?
• Does it include opportunities for Selection, Action, & Application?
• Does it include something a young child can Reflect on immediately or at a later time to reinforce learning?
• Is it PROCESS, not PRODUCT oriented?
• Will it be enjoyable?
• Can it be successfully carried out in an atmosphere of both warmth and wonder, relaxation and stimulation, and challenge without frustration?

Before – Think about this. Will it be:          

• Right – Does it match up with the learning objectives of my program?
• Reasonable – Is it “doable”? Is it practical?
• Real – Are the children going to be moving, active, and hands-on?
• Relatable – Is it relevant to these children and their families?
• Repeatable – Can the children practice the skills learned in it over and over?
• Relaxing – Can it be offered in a safe, organized way?
• Recreational – Is it going to be fun?
• Riggable – Can it be modified easily if it doesn’t work?

And After – Was the experience Righteous? Was there Primary, Secondary, and/or Spontaneous Learning?

PJ Day!

Once I visited a program on Pajama Day. This was a program-wide event but teachers could plan for it individually, depending on the needs of their children. The teachers who understood and believed in DAP and knew how to use this learning experience in the best, most creative, and wonderful way, did this:

Made PJ Day a purposeful learning event by ‘assigning’ it these concepts and skills:

• Intelligence – opposites: day and night, dark and light, soft and loud
• Language-Literacy – reading Stella Luna and Good Night, Moon
• Math – counting stars and counting sheep
• Science – nocturnal animals and sun, moon, and stars
• Social Studies – kinds of beds – for people and dolls and animals
• Expression – sun and moon art, dark and light colors, black paper and gold stars, stripes and dots and pajama colors
• Gross Motor – Pajama Parades and Tiptoe Walks
• Spanish Enrichment – ‘dia’ y ‘noche’, ‘blanco’ y ‘negro’
• Music Enrichment – lullabies and soft songs
• Journal/Dictation – “Once I Had a Dream About. . .”
• Home Connection – Take a nighttime flashlight walk with Mom and Dad!

Talked about Pajama Day at Circle Time and Home Connection on the previous day       

Staged their learning centers with materials that matched the strength expectations

Read books and talked about the theme at Circle Time

Made Word Walls that said things like, NIGHT, OWLS, MOON, SLEEPING BAGS, BIG BOY BED, MONSTERS, NO MONSTERS, BLANKIES, PACIFIERS, NOISES, and SHHHH

Brought cocoa and marshmallows for Snack Time

WORE THEIR PAJAMAS!!!!!!                

Pretended to fall asleep, made snoring noises, laughed, and had a great day!

This is how Formal Learning Experiences work.

Next Blog: Informal Learning Experiences