Giveaway: The Importance of Being Little

I recently had the chance to review THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING LITTLE: What Young Children Really Need from Grownups by Erika Christakis. This book was pretty much preaching to the choir for me - I know that play is very important, and it's part of the reason why I do part-time homeschool for my kids. I know they need free time, and time for play, and that there's a great deal of learning that goes along with just being kids.

The book separates learning from schooling in a way that is well-researched, yet easy to read. It's good for parents or for early childhood educators to read, to encourage a return to play, to learning in a setting that is structured but not too pedagogic, to finding the balance between student-led and teacher-led. 

There are specific recommendations in the book, some of which are easy to implement.

• The most important predictor of preschool effectiveness is the quality of the relationship between teacher and child. Valuing and promoting this relationship can drastically improve any early childhood education setting.
• Declutter the classroom! Children learn best in environments that are clean, open, and inviting. Taking down the lists of vocabulary words, busy decorative borders, and ubiquitous alphabet charts lets little kids engage more deeply with classroom activities.
• Focusing on the process of learning rather than the delivery system of curriculum leads to more engagement and better learning. For preschoolers, the environment is the curriculum.

I have a chance to give away a copy of the book. To enter to win, leave a comment about why you're most interested in the book. Deadline is March 5th.