Dear Purple Room Families,

Something exciting is happening in the Purple Room! Every day for the past week, we have entered a “state of flow” in our classroom. “State of flow” is a term coined by the pioneering Hungararian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This is a sense of concentration and engagement that a person feels when completing a self-chosen task which is challenging but not overwhelming. When a person enters a state of flow, they feel focus, enjoyment, and a general sense of well-being. Have you ever felt this way when doing an enjoyable but difficult task, with elements of creativity, curiosity, and challenge?

In early childhood education, creating an environment that encourages a state of flow is paramount. Children who are able to choose their learning work, set their own challenges, and work until they have completed a self-set task, develop internal motivation and are more likely to succeed academically in the future. They connect learning with a sense of joy and calm. When you enter a classroom that is in a state of flow, there is a buzz of activity and purpose as children work and talk to each other and their morahs. There is a sense of joy and involvement. In the Purple Room, we have been observing children’s interests and abilities, adapting the materials available in the classroom, and extending the time they have to work. The children have learned to make choices, follow their interests, and extend their learning with guidance from the morahs. 

In the Purple Room, a state of flow can look like...

...working together to measure and compare lengths of classroom objects

...using an alphabet chart and talking to a morah to compose a letter, discussing letter sounds and shapes

...returning each day to the art center to build and expand a dollhouse made out of found materials, measuring and planning each step

...spending almost an hour(!) working together to build a block house for Turtle, testing construction ideas as they go

...building a bridge out of the outdoor construction blocks, conferring and adjusting until it is just right

...carefully arranging a beautiful table in the dramatic play area, discussing with a morah how to invite guests to a party, and then hosting a dinner party!

This is such a special time in the development of our classroom, as the students learn to trust and test their own ideas. It is such a joy to be able to guide them in this journey!

Thank you so much for joining us this week in Parent Teacher Conferences. Please remember that you can always reach us by Brightwheel if you have any questions about our class!

Shabbat shalom,

Morah Shoshi and Morah Shaina