Add a Little Drama

Cooler weather is upon us, and ideas for indoor fun can start to run low after a couple of weeks. One of our perennial favorites for serious merriment is the drama box.

Our drama box began with remnants of Halloween costumes, old dress shoes (cowboy boots and red sparkle heels!) and a forgotten black dress. From garage sales and closet cleanings, we added items as varied as tablecloths, napkins, sheets, old scarves, bandanas and fabric pieces. Add to this about 20 safety diaper pins. Voila! Let the wild rumpus begin.

Our first plays came from well-known children's stories, such as Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Using diaper pins to hold tucks and folds, fabric transformed into costumes. Daughters, cousins and neighborhood children became Max and the Wild Things. With the same materials, they metamorphosed into The Very Hungry Caterpillar from Eric Carles' book. Using a narrator, the children presented these plays, or they recited oft-heard lines from memory.

As drama fever grew, we visited the remnant bins at fabric and department stores to find special colors of material. A favorite find was a square yard each of shimmery cloth in blue, purple and silver, perfect for fairy costumes, insect wings and the occasional prince or angel. A yard of red became Little Red Riding Hood, Chicken Little, a fireman and Superman. Kings, queens and police officers used blue, while witches, wolves and Batman used the black swatches. We folded sheets of unprinted newspaper and paper sacks to make crowns, hats and scenery.

From creating plays straight from their storybooks, the children's imaginations fired to write their own plays and to search out other scripts. A retired teaching friend gave me a collection of short plays. The drama box and scripts followed me to school. The children loved presenting these short plays to each other. It was a fun and easy way to practice their reading, and their dramatic interpretations helped build their memory and comprehension skills.

As the students became more familiar with the structure of a play, six and seven-year-olds began writing their own plays, either adapting from books they had read, or creating original works. On my computer, I'd transform their handwritten scripts into standard spelling with easy-to-read fonts.

Using the drama box in our home and classroom, there never seemed to be a dull moment. With a little bit of imagination and a few dollars, a drama box can be yours. Shop garages sales and thrift stores for fun and funky items to create a dramatic wardrobe. We had a limit of $1.00 per item and had a good time trying to stay within our budgets.

Gather up a few theatrical props into a box. Our box was a big plastic tub, with a lid, that fit easily in the closet. Get out a few favorite short books and enjoy a wild rumpus.

Resources for Plays: The source for my original playbook is not available, but I have located the following books that you might find enjoyable. Check at your public library for books of plays or short children's books. The children's librarian can help you.

• 25 Just Right Plays for Emergent Readers by Carol Pugliano-Martin
• 12 Fabulously Funny Fairy Tale Plays by Justin McCory Martin
• You Read to Me, I'll Read to You by Mary Ann Hobelman

Break a leg!

Next week: Art Box

Kids Talk™ is a column dealing with early childhood development issues written by Maren Stark Schmidt. Mrs. Schmidt founded a Montessori school and holds a Masters of Education from Loyola College in Maryland.

She has over 25 years experience working with young children and holds teaching credentials from the Association Montessori Internationale. She is also Creative Director for a video-based reading series for children ages three to six, The Shining Light Reading Series. Contact her via e-mail at maren@shininglightreading.com.

Complete Collection of the Shining Light Reading Series Now Available on DVD
Visit www.shininglightreading.com for more information.

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©2006 KIDS TALK™
25877 East Bright Avenue
Welches, OR 97067
503.550.3143
maren@kidstalknews.com

Kids Talk is published in conjunction with Scribe Marketing

Lighten Up

Thank goodness for my mother-in-law. Her sense of humor has always been helpful.

Years ago, my in-laws came to stay with the girls, then four and five, for a few days while my husband and I headed off on a company-sponsored trip. This five-day trip was the first time we had been away more than overnight.

Upon our return home, the girls couldn't wait to tell me about their adventure making cookies with grandma.

''We dropped the flour canister,'' they laughed. ''Flour went everywhere. It was all over the floor. It was all over our clothes.''

The yellow plastic flour canister held ten pounds of flour, and I had filled it before I left. I gasped as I visualized the kitchen in an explosion of wheat dust.

My youngest daughter continued the saga, directed more to her dad. ''Momma would have gotten mad and said the beaver word.'' She turned and shook her finger at me. ''But Grandma just laughed and laughed and put flour on our noses. It was so funny!''

Oops! There it was. The truth as big as an elephant. Standing right there in my kitchen.

Maybe I was taking this ''clean house thing'' too seriously. Maybe I needed to see the humor in the mishaps. Maybe I needed a few lessons on how to make lemonade when you're handed a lemon.

In my kitchen that day I began to learn that you can take bad luck and turn it into a tragedy or a comedy. Life, no matter how you plan or try, is going to put a few messes in your way, throw you a few curve balls and put you on the sidelines when you want to be out playing the game.

Things aren't always going to go your way. Some folks might say, you're lucky if one thing out of a hundred goes your way.

In retrospect, ten pounds of spilled flour was one of the best things that ever happened to me. The incident allowed me to see myself from my children's point of view. Children truly are our best teachers. My daughters' snapshot of myself forced me to make a conscious effort to be more positive.

Some advantageous adages that I have collected since that day:

• Keep on the sunny side.
• There is a silver lining in every cloud.
• Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
• Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost.
• Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times.
• Those who wish to sing always find a song.
• There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist.
• Though we all have the seeds of fear and anger within us, we must learn not to water those seeds and instead nourish our positive qualities--those of compassion, understanding and loving kindness.
• Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly; but the bumblebee doesn't know it, so it goes on flying anyway.
• Let's put the ''fun'' back in dysfunctional.
• Few cases of eye strain have been developed by looking on the bright side of things.
• If you view all the things that happen to you, both good and bad, as opportunities, then you operate out of a higher level of consciousness.
• In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
• Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many--not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

These expressions hold wisdom. Listen to your children. They spotlight the truth. Laugh, and when life hands you a lemon, start squeezing. A smidge of flour on the nose might be in order, too.

Thanks, Sug.

Next week: Add a Little Drama

Kids Talk™ is a column dealing with early childhood development issues written by Maren Stark Schmidt. Mrs. Schmidt founded a Montessori school and holds a Masters of Education from Loyola College in Maryland.

She has over 25 years experience working with young children and holds teaching credentials from the Association Montessori Internationale. She is also Creative Director for a video-based reading series for children ages three to six, The Shining Light Reading Series. Contact her via e-mail at maren@shininglightreading.com.

Complete Collection of the Shining Light Reading Series Now Available on DVD
Visit www.shininglightreading.com for more information.

Ask your local newspaper to carry Kids Talk. Call, write or e-mail your local newspaper editor and recommend Kids Talk.

Would you like to send Kids Talk to friends and family or receive Kids Talk e-mail updates in your own inbox? Sign up for FREE here:
Click here for a free subscription.

©2006 KIDS TALK™
25877 East Bright Avenue
Welches, OR 97067
503.550.3143
maren@kidstalknews.com

Kids Talk is published in conjunction with Scribe Marketing

Dealing with Bullying

''Do you have any suggestions for me to share with a parent on how to help her child deal with a bully in school?'' asked Mary, a grandmother and teacher.

Bullying seems to be getting a lot of media time recently. Many schools and other organizations are creating programs to try to combat these mean-spirited behaviors.

How to deal with bullying depends on a lot of factors: a child's age, type of school the child attends, gender of the bully and the bullied and parent/parent relationships and school/parent relationships. After a bullying incident, a child needs to feel safe and empowered as quickly as possible.

The older the child, and more so if the child is a boy, the more the child will not want parents to interfere with the bully in fears, often justified, that threatening behaviors will increase. Boys are usually physical in their bullying. Girls are likely to be verbal in their bullying.

At our first-of-the-year meeting I told parents, "People say that teachers have eyes in the back of their heads. We don't. We can't see everything that is happening, and we depend on our students' parents to let us know when something is going on that needs to be addressed. Parents are the eyes in the back of our heads.''

Dealing effectively with bullying and other threatening behavior at school has to be a school-wide effort with not only training programs for staff and students but also effective communication among children, parents and staff.

To counteract behaviors whose intent is to inflict harm, either physically or verbally, parents should do three things almost simultaneously:

1. Communicate to your child that being bullied is wrong and the bully needs to be stopped. Ask your child: "If we saw someone hurting a person on the street, what would we do?" Try to elicit responses such as help the other person and call the police for help. Explain that the job of adults is to help children feel safe. Ask how you can help your child feel safe. Ask how your child's teacher and principal can help your child feel safe. Explain to your child the following process you are going to use to protect him or her, which will also help all the children at school.

2. Contact your child's teacher and explain the situation. Give the teacher the bullies' names, along with when and where the incidents have occurred. Ask if the school has an anti-bully policy and program. Mention that you will be contacting the school principal about the incidents as a matter of due process and will follow up with a note about your conversation. Remember the words of Sgt. Joe Friday, ''Just the facts, ma'am.''

3. Visit with the school principal. Again, explain the situation, giving pertinent information about the bullying incidents. Ask about the anti-bullying policy and training programs. If there are none, request that a school-wide policy be instituted. Ask the principal how they would like for your child to handle the bullying incidents and how the school will handle incidents. The principal should have a plan to contact and counsel the bully and his or her parents and a method to keep your child safe at school. Again, follow up your conversation with a letter.

Too many times adults do not protect children from bullying behaviors. By having clear expectations for behavior with well-defined and enforced consequences for hurtful actions, we can help. Children need to know if they go to an adult for assistance that they will be protected from retaliation. The child with aggressive behavior needs to know the effects of continued bullying. As adults, we must enforce those consequences.

The Boy Scout Oath says a lot about how to assist our children in protecting themselves from bullying behavior and how to guide ruffians:

Scout Oath (or Promise)
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight
By modeling being physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight, we can help all our children, no matter their behaviors, to do their best and become compassionate, understanding and kind individuals.

Next week: Lighten Up

Kids Talk™ is a column dealing with early childhood development issues written by Maren Stark Schmidt. Mrs. Schmidt founded a Montessori school and holds a Masters of Education from Loyola College in Maryland.

She has over 25 years experience working with young children and holds teaching credentials from the Association Montessori Internationale. She is also Creative Director for a video-based reading series for children ages three to six, The Shining Light Reading Series. Contact her via e-mail at maren@shininglightreading.com.

Complete Collection of the Shining Light Reading Series Now Available on DVD
Visit www.shininglightreading.com for more information.

Ask your local newspaper to carry Kids Talk. Call, write or e-mail your local newspaper editor and recommend Kids Talk.Would you like to send Kids Talk to friends and family or receive Kids Talk e-mail updates in your own inbox? Sign up for FREE here:Click here for a free subscription.

©2006 KIDS TALK™
25877 East Bright Avenue
Welches, OR 97067
503.550.3143
maren@kidstalknews.com

Kids Talk is published in conjunction with Scribe Marketing

The Rule of 150

The Rule of 150 states that the size of an effective social network is limited to 150 members. Social scientists theorize that 150 is the limit of the human ability to remember and respond to all the members in a group. The human mind seems unable to maintain a large number of distinct relationships.

As the number of members in a group approaches 150, certain dynamics begin to manifest themselves. Under 150 members, groups tend to be able to cooperate based on mutual trust, simple rules and easily understood management of resources. As the group approaches or exceeds 150 members, factions appear, and a leadership hierarchy emerges.

Military organizations, one of the oldest forms of working cohesive groups, know that people work best in groups limited to 150 or less, that is, platoons and squadrons. A platoon contains 30 to 40 people, comprised of smaller working units. A squadron or company consists of 60 to 250 members comprised of two to six platoons. Companies or squadrons are considered minor units, in contrast to the major units of battalions and regiments, which may contain two to 24 squadrons or 300 to 3,000 soldiers.

A 400-year-old religious group, the Hutterites, realized that the maximum size for a communal farm, or colony, was 150 people. As a colony approached 150 members, the Hutterites divided the colony into two separate groups in order to avoid the splintering of the group into clans. Today the Hutterites have around 350 colonies with over 35,000 members.

As a group goes over 150, social scientists have noted that it is easier for freeloaders, cheaters and liars to establish themselves in the community, introducing a divisive element to the group.

What does the Rule of 150 mean for our families and our children?

As we work in groups, we need to be aware of the dynamics that naturally develop. A friend described how her workplace disintegrated as the group grew larger. ''I remember,'' she said, ''exactly the day, time and place that my job went from 'us' to 'them.' From that day forward I watched the group splinter and our espirit de corps be lost forever.''

In our schools, we need to encourage the creation of working groups of less than 150 whenever possible. Communities tell of success in creating ''schools within a school'' programs or ''pods,'' where less than 150 students and teachers interact in a long-term learning community. Families and school staff report a sense of high satisfaction when working in these smaller school organizations using multi-year tracts.

In our churches, we need to be aware of how growth affects the community. Pastors report political and leadership challenges as congregations approach 150 members. Fellowship groups of six to eight families or couples create vital social cohesion and group satisfaction in larger churches.

In our sports organizations, we need to use the Rule of 150 to keep our leagues small enough to avoid damaging trust, loyalty and the objectives of sportsmanship.

As a group reaches its effective limits, people start to fall through the cracks of the social network. Complicated hierarchies of leadership emerge. Communication and feedback diminish among members.

As we all know, there are still problems with groups that are under 150 members. In smaller organizations, though, perhaps our children and our families can develop effective relationships and communications, helping to ensure the happiness and success of each member.

Next week: Bullying

Kids Talk™ is a column dealing with early childhood development issues written by Maren Stark Schmidt. Mrs. Schmidt founded a Montessori school and holds a Masters of Education from Loyola College in Maryland.

She has over 25 years experience working with young children and holds teaching credentials from the Association Montessori Internationale. She is also Creative Director for a video-based reading series for children ages three to six, The Shining Light Reading Series. Contact her via e-mail at maren@shininglightreading.com.

Complete Collection of the Shining Light Reading Series Now Available on DVD
Visit www.shininglightreading.com for more information.

Ask your local newspaper to carry Kids Talk. Call, write or e-mail your local newspaper editor and recommend Kids Talk.

Would you like to send Kids Talk to friends and family or receive Kids Talk e-mail updates in your own inbox? Sign up for FREE here:
Click here for a free subscription.

©2006 KIDS TALK™
25877 East Bright Avenue
Welches, OR 97067
503.550.3143
maren@kidstalknews.com

Kids Talk is published in conjunction with Scribe Marketing