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Every day when my students enter our classroom they are given a menu of options from our "Soft Start" menu. Soft Starts is a concept from a book called Curious Classroom by Harvey Smokey Daniels. Daniels states, "When we begin handing out worksheets or spewing information the second kids walk through our door, are we contributing to what Stanford psychologist Emma Seppala calls “toxic stress”? It’s worth considering what is really the best way for kids to begin their school day." Daniels’ studies have shown that the first 15 minutes is an investment in the overall 7 hour outcome. He says that kids accomplish more “net learning” if they start their day in the driver’s seat. A Soft Start is not rigid, but gentle, individualized, and peaceful beginnings, driven by personal choice, not ordained by someone else’s agenda or requirements. I want to give my students valuable time in our classroom to explore purposeful play. Purposeful play is important for cognitive and social development in children and not just the young ones. A recent study comes from Peter Gray the author of Free to Learn. Gray reminds us that amongst most animals, including primates, free play is the norm. Play is a rehearsal for real-life activities like hunting and stalking, but also happens because the animals enjoy it. Gray also studied human hunter-gatherer tribes and found that in almost every such culture, the children were allowed the complete freedom to play.

About my class

Every day when my students enter our classroom they are given a menu of options from our "Soft Start" menu. Soft Starts is a concept from a book called Curious Classroom by Harvey Smokey Daniels. Daniels states, "When we begin handing out worksheets or spewing information the second kids walk through our door, are we contributing to what Stanford psychologist Emma Seppala calls “toxic stress”? It’s worth considering what is really the best way for kids to begin their school day." Daniels’ studies have shown that the first 15 minutes is an investment in the overall 7 hour outcome. He says that kids accomplish more “net learning” if they start their day in the driver’s seat. A Soft Start is not rigid, but gentle, individualized, and peaceful beginnings, driven by personal choice, not ordained by someone else’s agenda or requirements. I want to give my students valuable time in our classroom to explore purposeful play. Purposeful play is important for cognitive and social development in children and not just the young ones. A recent study comes from Peter Gray the author of Free to Learn. Gray reminds us that amongst most animals, including primates, free play is the norm. Play is a rehearsal for real-life activities like hunting and stalking, but also happens because the animals enjoy it. Gray also studied human hunter-gatherer tribes and found that in almost every such culture, the children were allowed the complete freedom to play.

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