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In the new revised edition of Caring Spaces, Learning Places, the original author, Jim Greenman, told the story of a child who was very confused by the difference in expectations between his home and early childhood program:

"Four-year-old Wole Oletunde’s parents were graduate students from Nigeria. At home he was expected to be an obedient, well-mannered child who looked after his two-year-old sister, and was formally respectful of his mother, father, and any other adult he encountered. At his child care center, in the four-year-old room, he was expected to be a free-spirited child, with very little responsibility, to address adults by their first name, and romp with them outside.

"His behavior at the center (subsequently observed in other children in the same situation) was 'center-inappropriate,' (in other words, weird): He was perceived to be sometimes 'spacey' – wandering around or daydreaming, and sometimes seemingly aggressive or defiant. He was thought to be the problem, when, in fact, the dissonance caused by the disparity between home and center expectations was literally blowing his mind as he worked through it.

"Homes are different; what is ‘normal’ behavior at home varies by culture, individual family differences, and situational contexts. Knowing the full context of the child’s life and his behavior in a range of settings is the first step in individualizing care and learning and respecting diversity."

The newest revision of Caring Spaces, Learning Places is a book of ideas, observations, problems, solutions, examples, resources, photographs, and poetry. Here you will find current thinking about children's environments to challenge, stimulate, and inspire you.

Enter coupon code CARING at checkout. May not be combined with any other offer. Offer expires April 6, 2022, at 11:59 pm PST.

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