This class is designed to engage young children in diverse explorations of literacy skills while providing ongoing opportunities to socialize with peers. Inspired by my professional and academic background as a Reggio-inspired Educator, it is a class that upholds the image of the child as capable and competent, honors the Hundred Languages of Children, and intentionally invites mixed-age groupings.

In this class we’ll explore skills including collaboration, listening, speaking, story sequencing, comprehension and vocabulary. Class experiences will support learners in their awareness of the sounds and letters of the English language, and the relationship between letters and sounds. In addition to skills related to reading, writing and story comprehension, classes will support learners in developing skills related to social-emotional and visual literacies.

Class structure (45 minute class):
-Opening greetings & brief explanation of class protocol *apx. 5 minutes*
-Story Inspiration Activities- "story time", games, brainstorming, listening activities, etc. *apx. 15 minutes*
-Constructing Stories *apx. 20 minutes* (during this part of class I’ll act as facilitator/ note-taker, at times I will try to type everything the learner's share, but I will mostly use notes to inform the group's memory of the story )
-Closing *apx. 5 minutes*

*Session topics will be learner-directed, and learners can expect to experience and create stories as indicated in the class structure above in each class. No supplies are necessary from week to week, but learners are welcome to bring paper and writing/drawing tools if they are interested. 

My teaching style is informed by Social Constructivism and Reggio-inspired practices; these are rooted in responsive listening, group learning, observation and documentation. Activities will be presented as an “invitation to explore” all skills, rather than a “drill” type of experience. This style of teaching is meant to support learners in their individual learning and honors their unique abilities and contributions to the group.

Learners have the opportunity to interact with all participants during the process of sharing ideas, creating, experiencing and discussing stories. I use the guided discussion technique to support learners in discussions; guided discussion is an active learning technique that encourages students to reflect on their own experiences, explore alternative ways of thinking, connect to a topic, and improve analytical skills.

This class is informed by the Hundred Languages of Children and supports learners in all of their ways of expressing and exploring stories. The hundred languages is a key principle of the Reggio-inspired approach.  It refers to communication and emphasizes the importance of providing children with one hundred ways to share their thinking of the world around them. No required experience or knowledge is needed for this class.

Please let me know if you have any questions!