Dear Parents,

The Importance of Being Little:  now there's a title of seeming paradox.  When MIchele started breezing through various books and leaving them on my desk with one exclamation or another, this book by Erika Christakis seemed to get the most enthusiastic comments from her, repeatedly.  So much so that one morning, I checked if the library had a copy and whisked myself down the block to pick it up from the new book section.

As I was reading it, I kept nodding my head and thinking: this book describes The Nest.  I thought of my recent presentation at the new parent orientation and this seemed an echo, perhaps a more articulate explanation of what I had tried to condense into twenty minutes.  

A recurring theme of mine is that young children need lots of conversation. "It's not the words themselves that are so important but, rather, the process by which children learn to think properly, through their use of words . . . in a high-quality program adults are building relationships with children and paying a lot of attention to children's thinking processes and, by extension, their communication.  They attend carefully to children's language and find ways to make them think-out-loud."

I read the description of "complex cognitive and interpersonal skills that are important for preschoolers to master.  These essential skills include, according to early childhood expert Ellen Galinsky and others: self-regulation and self-direction; perspective taking; communication; forming connections; critical thinking (the buzzword of the moment); and a willingness to try new challenges."  

This too describes the work and play of the children in The Nest, and teachers often discuss and reflect on how to develop children in these intellectual goals.  

This is a great book if you want to understand how preschools can develop students who are well-prepared to learn, and this learning goes beyond knowing the alphabet and numerals.  

As a parent you can gain some insight and learn how to support your child at school and home, but this is not a book on parenting. So, as good as it is, I think it may not be the best common read for the summer, but let's see what Michele thinks:

"I have rarely read a book that is so affirming and thought provoking as The Importance of Being Little! I was absolutely entranced as I read it, have brought up anecdotes in conversation and discussion with countless people, and have recommended it to all my colleagues.

This book describes the features of an outstanding, high quality early childhood education... and I feel as though the author has stepped into The Nest. Her stories and descriptions are real, humorous, and poignant. She understands young children, their teachers, and their parents!

But--and here is where I was both stricken and convicted--the author talks about how the very best early childhood education is not often-- or even rarely--available or accessible to all families and children.

She clearly names the huge challenges that families face as they balance work and home schedules, and she strongly states that families make choices based on many considerations. What she means is that excellent programs (such as ours) which do not offer a 7am to 6pm option (extended day, or before and after-care) are simply not meeting the needs of many families. 

This book will be food for thought and visioning in the Mustard Seed Community, but I agree with Shanna that The Importance of being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need from Grownups may not be our best choice for a parent read this summer. 

I have added it to the "choose to" parent summer reading list for your consideration, and you are welcome to borrow my book anytime! I am a huge fan of our local library, but this was a book that I wanted on my shelf."

Blessings,
Shanna