An offering for the children and families of Room 5 from Resident Teacher Maria L.
Maria shared that prior to the school's closure, the teachers of Room 5 had been documenting, through videos, photos, and notes, the ways the children in their class interacted with baby dolls. Questions that were guiding their work included:
- How do baby dolls impact the children's play?
- How did the children demonstrate gentleness, kindness, and caring to the baby dolls?
- How are teacher actions and parents actions contributing to the way they treat baby dolls?
- Do they provide a model for the children when they sing to the babies, hug them, and feed them?
- How do children's empathetic and prosocial behaviors with baby dolls impact their relationships with their families peers, and teachers?
Possibilities to guide play at home:
- Include a baby doll (or stuffie or other lovie) in daily routines
- Ask your child what book baby or stuffie might like to read
- Take photos of baby throughout the day and talk about the day with your child (and baby)
- Set up a "surprise" (baby dolls or stuffies having a party or eating lunch) for your child to discover