Page 25 - NatureStart Network

and watch as children who were very frightened about
touching a leaf or a rock, now do so eagerly, and bring it
back with them to the classroom. Their enthusiasm and
willingness to reach beyond their comfort zones spills
over into the family,” explains Traci.
In Mary Crane classrooms, children talk about
what they like (e.g. trees, squirrels) and dislike (e.g.
spiders, worms) about nature. They slowly work toward
overcoming fears. “We won’t have a child hold a tarantula
right off the bat,” says Barbara with a laugh. “A child
might look at a photo of another child holding a spider.
They may hear stories about adorable and helpful spiders.
Maybe they’ll feel bold enough to touch a worm. Perhaps
instead of going to a museum for a field trip, children
will go to a park where they can run around and explore.”
El Valor, which is the Spanish word for courage, is
a multicultural, multipurpose organization that reaches
thousands of families throughout the Chicagoland region
and has strong historical roots in Chicago’s Hispanic
community. El Valor is the second-largest provider of
early childhood education in Chicago, with an emphasis
on family involvement, community partnerships,
and inclusion of children with special needs. El Valor
Head Start parent infant educators Josselin Cano and
Donna Jefferson work with families in the classroom
and in homes. They provide support to parents and
grandparents and help them to set and reach goals.
Before participating in NatureStart, the El Valor team
would bring heavy bags of plastic toys and games for
in-home play. Now, they carry a much smaller bag of
goodies from the natural world—pinecones, leaves,
rocks, and feathers. “We also encourage families just to
take a short walk outside, and we pay attention to the
sounds of nature,” explains Josselin. “Birds, the wind. We so she carefully explained what they could expect and
look on the ground, look at the sky. We support families
to make observations and collect data.”
El Valor Head Start teacher Karina Monroy explains
that when she works with three-to-five-year-olds in the
classroom, “they enjoy discussing what they might see
on a nature walk. When they actually take that walk, the
children become explorers reaching into trees, looking
under rocks. We write down what they see. Children use
natural materials to play house, to prepare ‘meals’ – they
use their creativity in much more expansive ways than
they would with a plastic toy kitchen set.”
— 23 —
In Conversation with Jill Bradley,
manager of parent and engagement training,
Illinois Action for Children
In addition to bringing together early childhood
educators and environmental educators, the NatureStart
Network has reached out to service organizations actively
working to strengthen families and communities. Child
advocates and family service providers help ensure
we are aware of the needs of families as well as the
inherent strength, dignity, value, and worth of family
in all its diverse forms, structures, and uniqueness.
One such organization is Illinois Action for Children,
the stated mission and vision of which includes the
phrase “supporting children by supporting families”
and describes itself as having a “strong families,
strong communities” approach to early childhood
programming. At our NatureStart Network symposium,
Illinois Action for Children’s Jill Bradley, manager of
parent and engagement training described how she
works to include fathers and father figures into children’s
learning. She laughs as she explains, “I’ve learned it’s
important for them to look cool and knowledgeable in
front of their children.” Nature is often a place outside
of their comfort zone, so she prepares them in advance
so they know what to expect and can be in control of the
situation. In her experience, fathers also love a program
with a catchy title. “Are Dads Really Necessary?” was
one that drew droves of attendees. Many of the young
moms with whom Jill works didn’t always come to
nature activities dressed for the weather and terrain,
what would be best to wear. In some cases, nature is a
tough sell, so she makes connections wherever she can.
“Peacock feathers are a nice inspiration for eyeshadow
colors and it’s fun to take selfies in our fishing catch and
release program.”