NOVEMBER 2016
Welcome to November news from the Natural Start Alliance. If you have news you'd like to share with the early childhood environmental education community, let us know. |
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Reading the Landscape: Early Literacy in the Outdoor Classroom
"In our outdoor classroom at Fiddleheads Forest School in Seattle, 'walls' are interlacing cedar boughs rather than text-filled bulletin boards, and most winter days are too damp for paper and pencils," says educator Joanna Wright. Prospective parents consistently ask, "Will my child be ready for kindergarten?" when they tour the outdoor classroom. But where some might see challenges to teaching outdoors, Wright sees a source of unique opportunity to encourage early literacy. Read on. |
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In the News
Recent news from Natural Start and around the Web:
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Member Spotlight
Peter Dargatz's Nature Kindergarten at
Woodside Elementary
At Natural Start, we field many inquiries about two things: what comes after nature preschool when children enter elementary school, and whether public schools can offer nature-based programs. So we wanted to learn more about Peter Dargatz's nature kindergarten at Woodside Elementary in Wisconsin. Peter is leading an outdoor movement within the Hamilton School District. Read on. |
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Coming Soon!
Call for Proposals for the 2017 Nature-Based Preschool National Conference
Gather your thoughts and reach out to your networks. The call for proposals for the 2017 Nature-Based Preschool National Conference will be coming next month. We will be seeking proposals for tracks including Nature Preschool 101, Administration, Teaching, and Research. Join us in Seattle as we continue our annual tradition of bringing together leaders from across the nature-based education spectrum to advance our profession through networking, professional development, and our own play-based learning. Learn more. |
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