At Corlears School, the Early Childhood division follows a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach to education. Central to this multi-pronged pedagogical philosophy is a focus on self-directed learning through the creation of intentional, interactive classroom spaces and experiences that inspire wonder, awe, and inquiry in our youngest students.
Anything that a young child is drawn to or curious about can become a tool for learning, and it is this emphasis on wonder in early childhood that led Colleen Goddard, Ph.D., and Jacqueline Shannon, Ph.D., to create the Art of Play and Wonderment Conference — a yearly opportunity for students, educators, and other early childhood professionals to gather, reflect, and share tips for implementing Reggio-inspired classrooms that use play, wonder, and inquiry as a framework to demonstrate the learning process in early childhood.
On April 13, 2024, Corlears School welcomed nearly 150 students, educators, and other professionals for the 5th annual conference centered on the theme Fostering Belonging. "The conference is an opportunity for early child educators, artists, professors, and even puppeteers to gather in support of the potentiality of play as the intergenerational and cross-cultural language of all children interpreted through music, movement, poetry, games, and even the power of peek-a-boo,” explains Colleen, the Early Childhood Division Director at Corlears School and an adjunct professor at Brooklyn College. "To play is to imagine, enlighten, and enliven wonderment in our classrooms, and it is through this collaborative work between teacher and child that we can educate and empower young children while fostering a sense of being, becoming, and belonging that becomes foundational to their educational trajectory."
The Art of Play and Wonderment Conference first took place in 2019 at Brooklyn College through the Early Childhood Education and Art Education Department, which is chaired by Jacqueline. In 2023, the conference was held at Corlears School for the first time, in continued partnership with Brooklyn College.
Reflecting on this year's theme, Associate Head of School Mansi Vasa noted in her welcoming remarks that "belonging" is one of Corlears School's six Core Values because "experiencing belonging — knowing where and with whom you belong — is integral to human existence." In that same vein, one of the main goals of our Early Childhood Division is to support the social, emotional, and relational framework defined as the "transfer of trust", whereby our young students learn to trust that grown-ups outside the family unit, specifically their teachers, can meet their needs in healthy and responsive ways. This transfer of trust is partially achieved by fostering a sense of belonging, which Mansi noted is "is central to being and becoming, in that it shapes who children are and who they can become. A sense of belonging doesn't just happen; it takes time and effort to grow."
The conference's keynote address was delivered by play theorist and essayist Dr. Scott G. Eberle, formerly the Vice President of The Strong Museum of Play; editor of the American Journal of Play; author of Classic Toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame; and co-editor of The Handbook of Study of Play. Scott's address highlighted the social and emotional benefits of play that instill a sense of belonging. "Play first stirs in mutual exchanges between mother and infant," he shared with conference attendees in Corlears School's multipurpose gym, adding: "Playing sensitizes us to the intentions of others, and play also hones our sense of fairness. Mutual understanding cannot occur fully without play, and it deepens as children learn to play together. [...] Playing deliberately rearranges our relationships and so enhances our social wit. At play we learn to read others intentions, too. And by playing we learn to deflect and defuse conflict."
Following the keynote address, the Wonderment conference kicked off in earnest with four jam-packed breakout sessions throughout the day that offered between six and seven workshops for attendees to choose from. Topics included play therapy, playworlds, rough-and-tumble play, the importance of connecting with nature, how to create a sense of belonging in schools, sensory learning, floortime, developmentally appropriate math practice, and much more.
In addition to the conference's mission of connecting the early childhood professional community, The Art of Play and Wonderment Conference is also an Aspire Registry-certified opportunity for students and educators to earn professional development hours that contribute to the 15 hours required by the Department of Health every two years for all early childhood educators.
Closing remarks were delivered by Silvia Juarez-Marazzo, LCSW, NCPSYA, the co-executive director of Chances for Children NY, while our guests enjoyed refreshments and each other's company.
We are honored to have been joined by so many knowledgeable and joyful professionals in the early childhood space, including representatives from Corlears School, Brooklyn College, Beginnings Nursery School, Barrow Street Nursery School, the William Alanson White Institute, The Touchstone Center for Children, Embodied Learning, ReimaginED Teaching, Brooklyn Schoolhouse, Churchill School and Center, Downtown Little School, Grant Street Settlement, Puppetry in Practice, Chances for Children, and the Montessori Day School of Brooklyn. We thank you all for sharing your expertise with the early childhood professional community, and we look forward to hosting The Art of Play and Wonderment Conference in 2025.
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