First day back at the Gray School after a long break. It went really well. Here's what we worked on:
1. Imitation/Mimesis. A big part of our program involves building the Lark's capacity for imitation--both the spontaneous imitation that forms the basis of empathy and social connectedness, and the self-conscious imitation that forms the basis of play-acting, social rituals, and apprenticeship. First I introduced a new series of five dance-songs, all with an early spring theme. The Lark did a super job following along with the movements and singing bits of the songs, which (except for one) were all new to him. Throughout the morning we did other "Act-Out" activities. We acted out "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" in two ways, first with little frog figures and then playing the frogs ourselves. The Lark really enjoyed both versions and participated enthusiastically. After that, he initiated acting out "Ten in the Bed," and he even pushed me off the couch when it was my turn to roll over.

We also practiced imitation when I showed Marco a new way to use the abacus (vertically) and a new calendar activity (shading all the even boxes one color and all the odd boxed another color).

2. Narrative Comprehension. I introduced a much simplified version of Strega Nona today. (Actually I introduced the chant that Strega Nona uses on her magic pot the last time we made pasta, so the Lark was already familiar with that. He is also already familiar with witches and magic, and has actually shown some interest in the idea of magic recently.) We just looked at the pictures today and the Lark read a few lines here and there. We used mimesis by wiggling our fingers over a pretend pot as Strega Nona does in one of the pictures. All in all, the Lark seemed pretty open to the book, and I will try reading it through once tomorrow.

3. Mindfulness. We focused on mindfulness as our main objective during breakfast lunch, bathing, and dressing. The Lark knows how to perform his roles in these activities, but tends to lose focus and wander off in the middle of things. The scaffolding I provided was simply to use my body as a kind of corral to keep him from wandering off and then give him the time he needed. With this support, the Lark did really well. Here's an example of his mindfulness. He did a great job washing his face but forgot to wash his nose. He rinsed his hands off and was about to rinse his face when he realized what he'd forgotten to do. So, again without my saying anything, he got some more soap and finished the job.

Celebration. During a break, we jumped into the beanbags. The Lark sat on my lap, facing me, ready to play. I just smiled and waited. He thought for a minute, then initiated a clapping game. We played it several times, adding variations each time--some variations were his and some were mine.

Here's something I learned today. During dressing, I noticed more than ever how much choices can stress out the Lark. He seems to see them as a test, and he's afraid he's going to get the answer wrong. I'm going to try to model with my own clothing choices that we can use choices to express ourselves and that, within certain parameters, there are no wrong answers.