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Through play and daily life, young children become socially adept and physically competent; they become able to lead and follow, make friends, lose friends, and restore friends. They come to know others and build the being of others. In natural ways they become able to initiate actions for their own betterment, the betterment of others, and the betterment of the community. They inquire, investigate, and represent in paint, and blocks, and clay. They come to love.

I am an emeritus educator of children and adults and a student of both. Now that I am retired I have time to create the kind of site I wish I had encountered long ago – one that had practical ideas with nothing to market. Over the years since 1970 when I started learning about schools for young children, I developed resources for early childhood educators and families. I am making available as much as I can for anyone to take forward in the way they wish. 143 pages of stuff here to explore—all aimed at what we can do to create conditions for young children in the years before common school age.

I’d like to make an important distinction, right now, on this first page.

I am interested in performance enhancement, actually helping people change their habits and be different—be more effective educators and leaders of young children. And get those hugs and accolades that make this work so satisfying.

I want to help you get better in what you do and do it in a way that lets you decide how you want to be and move in the direction you choose.

I don’t know of any other place on the internet, around the world, that is dedicated to your growth, your personal betterment. This is a radically different approach to educating adults to better educate children in the way the children find joyous and affirming.

That means you change what you do and practice new behaviors. Rather than spend money for a traditional education program, I invite you to spend your time and courageously try changing yourself on the path you choose.

To take this journey, you have to move your body, not just your eyes. It’s out of the bleachers and down on the field where people learn to play.

Of all the pages here, I have been told that the single course that most changed people’s lives and relationships in the classroom and relationships at home was Cultivating Conversations, a full three month intensive course.

Like most things one learns in life, it is challenging to learn something alone. People need people, especially people working on learning the same thing.

It’s so much better if you explore this site with at least two others. We flourish in learning communities of love and support. That’s where we play, take risks, and have fun.

If we aren’t laughing, something is amiss.


A note to navigation: Troubling Behavior, Mathematics and Design, and Connecting to Children consist of many nested pages opening up other pages beyond what is visible in the menus.