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AC PhMnIx, December 1991, Page 5
LITTLE PHOENIX PEOPLE’S VOICES: you wZ moluorchSasr
Thermal! Greene
"...ajeep..."
Brittany Wilson
"...a 'go-go' doll..."
Christopher Imes
..a toy red van like my
daddy's
big one..."
Stephen Walker
"...a Turtle tape..."
Clifton Davis
"...a jump car..."
Peyton Switzer
"...a big water gun like my
cousin's..."
By Patricia Smith-Deerlng
Phoenix Managing Editor
These foor-year-olds have that Continuing, she a^Ms, “Young chil
gleam in their eyes that most chil
dren get this time of year. Sanu or
his designated representative is on
his way to make their fondest
wishes come true. Recently, they
took a teief timeout from their ac
tivities at the Winston-Salem State
University Early Childhood Center
to share their Christmas lists.
The rest of the time, they spend
their days with other children, ages
3-5, at the Center in what can best
be described as “creative play.”
Actually, their activities are part of
what Center Director, Barbara
Richardson, calls a “develop-
mentally- or age-appropriate cur
riculum.” In explaining how
activities that seem like play can be
instrumental in building feelings or
self-esteem and skills lik? risk-tak
ing, she believes strongly that what
children usually get at the pre
school level does not foster those
traits.
“The ‘pushdown curriculum’
(from public schools) is inappro
priate,” Dr. Richardson says.
dren do not learn like older children
or adults. They can’t sit that long.”
So, what the staff of three teachers
and four teacher’s aides concentrate
on is creative “play” which is
spmfically designed to include ac
tivities that are based on the chil
dren’s own life experiences.
When you look around the
Center, located in the basement of
what was the Infirmary on the
WSSU campus, you can see vari
ous activity areas where children
can learn the “three-R” fundamen
tals as they follow their artistic bent,
using art, blocks, toys, and other
materials. Dr. Richardson points
out the multiple uses that ordinary
things can have, when placed in the
hands of a child and his or her
imagination with a little help from
the teacher. For example, you can
do all kinds of things with an empty
toilet paper roll, according to Dr.
Richardson. Putting a child’s
imagination to weak proves that
The WSSU Early Childhood
Continued on Page 23
Garrison McCormick
"...a Care Bear..."
Sharee Posey
"..A Barbie Sound House..."
Tiffaney Walker
"...a dollhouse..."
Rahni Sumler
"...a Big Bird..."
Emeka Udezulu
"...a red Jeep..."
Justin Henderson
"...some blocks..."