Oakland Asian Cultural Center
I. Welcome - Suzanne Flint, CA State Library
II.Keynote - Dr. Joshua Sparrow, Brazleton Touchpoints Center
* Table reflection & Group Discusiion with Touchpoints staff
III. Children's Creativity - Bridget Alexander, Art Beast
* Table reflection & group discusion
IV. ELF News
V. Parental Expectations - Lisa Desrochers and Jackie Muniz, Brazelton Touchpoints Center
* Table reflection & group discussion
VI. Kodo Surprise / Closing
Travel to get to ELF started very early and was happily uneventful. We arrived at the Oakland Asian Cultural Arts Center.
The morning started with my Touchpoints Group meeting with our keynote presenter, Dr. Joshua Sparrow. He wanted to get more insight about the library community and how we thought others similar to ourselves might process and use information about Touchpoints.
Dr. Sparrow's presentation began with an introduction to himself - Touchpoints staff, Harvard physician, Dr. Brazleton's best friend.
He bagan by talking about the need for Touchpoints and why Dr. B created it in the first place. He was upset with how our society was shifting parenting and basically prioritizing babies and young children.
Dr. Sparrow said the purpose is try and restore babies and children to first priorities of communities and societies. Restore because that is how it has always been.
He gave a brief introduction to what Touchpoints is - a system of child development, a developmental model, an approach to being with families, approach to professional development, and an international learning community.
- workplace (work/life balance)
- change in structure / roles
- increased mobility / increased isolation
- stress on systems of education / health / social services
- erosion of traditions
Pediatricians time with children was now being measured in minutes per year.
They worked with the Houston Children's Museum on designing their early learning space. The museum struggled with wanting to let parents sit back and watch, designing services so that parents could take a break, relax, rest, have adult communication. Redesign physical space to allow site lines, parents to sit back and keep an eye on children.
We need to NORMALIZE development and specifically the "messiness" - regression, bursts, pauses. When children fall apart during these developmental stages, who else falls apart? Parents. Caregivers. and anyone in contact with these families.
We will be anxious, disorganized - it's OK and NECESSARY to fall apart and be put back together.
Caregivers will take advice or information if they DID NOT ASK for it, if we are judging, or it's a time when they just need support.
Ex. 4 1/2 months child's eyes beginning to develop a bit more so they can see a bit further. Feeding changes, child is distracted by all sights and sounds. What meaning will mother make of this? That child is not interested in her and feeding? Simple solution, turn down lights during feedings making it easier for baby to focus.
Ex. 9 months - speech and language burst, social reference, pincher grasp developing, and POINTING = cognitive as well as motor. Child's first form of speech is by pointing at something they are interested in and want you to look at it as well.
Touchpoints
Make room for confidence and competence of parents, strive for humility for yourslef.
- core values
- supporting parent / child relationship
- reinforcing parental competence
- focusing on parents strengths
Ex. Harlem Children's Zone
In Harlem, it is very important for the community to get a space in a special preschool program. For the few parents who won the lottery to be enrolled,t hey were required to take a 14 week child development program on three year olds.
Touchpoints knew the families did want to sit there and be lectured. They were the experts, they were all living with and taking care of three year olds.
The 14 weeks were spent asking the parents to share what they knew about their 3 year olds.They "wrote" the best "text book" on a three old's development ever. They were learning from themselves and each other.
One parent ended the program by saying how much they valued this time with other parent's that it was like there therapy, and another responded "I can't believe we'll all be raising each other's children over the next 12 years"
Next,around the room each table discussed what they really responded to about Touchpoints and what they thought was a stretch. My group seemed very responsive to Touchpoints. They didn't fully understand what it was, but from what little they knew they thought it sounded interesting and wanted to know more.
Then, our library Touchpoints Team (A.K.A. the guinea pigs)= Patrick Remer (Pleasant Hill? - Branch Manager now), Genevieve Feldman (San Fran - part time children's), Madeline Walton-Hadlock (San Jose - head of Early Learning for all SJ branches)all came up on stage to field a few questions from crowd.
Unfortunately two other members of our team were not able to join us -
Heather Tovey (Chico area - Early Literacy Specialist)and Edward Koetitz(San Jose - special needs storytimes.
The timing was off due to earlier technology troubles - only time for two questions -
1) How would Touchpoints approach handle parents not attending to children running around during storytime
A. Variety of responses - Expect it (development), basically plan your program around child's age (not sitting for 20-30 min) lots of movement, engage children through songs /movement & redirection, talk about expectations at beginning of program, have a conversation with parent if necessary focusing on child's behavior, parents strengths.
2) (Can't remember verbatim) Where does Touchpoints stand on storytime registration
A. I responded back about our library trying to offer as much as possible to our community and th balance of registered sessions and walk in sessions. Another Touchpoints team member responded back there library would rather only offer a few storytimes for a large age range and large groups. Pleasant Hill offers 5 weekly storytimes to 0-5 for hundreds (200 plus each time)each week.
Unfortunately, we were out of time after that.
Next segment was with Art Beast - who again due to time had to fly through her slides of hands on art programs at her space (that she charges for, but wants to share with libraries for free). Bottom line - she hates crafts, premade art projects. Art "should be" free form, little direction, no samples, just supplies and be about the process of creation. She showed photos of catapult painting, pendulum painting, hair dryer and crayons melted wax painting, magnet painting.
Sample art projects we got to try
- Sensory playdough (super cool - want for play and learn workshops)
Playdough that kids get to mix fresh herbs into (sage, parsley, etc.)
- "Aqua Beads"
- Marshmallow / spaghetti building
- Tile painting
- Play-dough circuits
Next segment was ELF news - a puppet skit updating on ELF resources such as
ELF Pinterest
and
ELF website
There was also a great you tube video (others on the channel and more coming)this one on using puppets -
ELF You Tube Channel
We also all go free monkey puppets! I got a few extra for being on the Touchpoints team - so we've got a "barrel full o' monkey puppets"!
The next segment moved into a sample Touchpoints training exercise with the consultants the are helping us to develop the library specific Touchpoints program - Lisa and Jackie. As tables we took on two discussions and reported back to the group -
1) What expectations do you have of the families at your library?
2) What expectations do they have of us (libraries)?
Really great discussions that opened the door to some serious feelings. It also set the stage for what the rest of Touchpoints is about, thinking about what families are feeling, thinking - and what YOU BRING to the interaction.
Final wrap up included a raffle - which Margaret won! I'll let her tell about our fabulous prize.
Final closing thoughts came from Suzanne. We have been invited for the first time ever as libraries to speak at the Headstart and First Five conferences (both in February). She might like to have some of us attend if able. She also mentioned the ELF Summit meetings and locations - including RC meeting in May.
We closed with a you tube video of a song - "Scare Away the Dark". There was no discussion about what meaning we were to make from the video. I felt like the vibe was anti technology, but others felt that it was rather a focus on love nature.
Nice to come away with feedback on how the attendees responded to Touchpoints, hands on art activity ideas, FREE stuff!
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