Using
Children’s Dreams in an Elementary School Classroom
Sara Ridberg teaches in a
multi-age classroom of five-, six- and seven-year olds at the
Wildwood School in Los Angeles, California. She received her
Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street
College in New York City. Her Master’s thesis, Dreamplay: the
Educational Value of Children’s Dreams, was awarded an
honorable mention in last year’s IASD Student Paper Competition.
Abstract
We will begin the workshop with a
brief group discussion of the rationale and the potential benefits
for incorporating children’s dreams into elementary school
curricula. Participants will draw on their own experience and
knowledge working with children, and we will explore the
developmental appropriateness of using dreams with a variety of
age children. I will also briefly touch on the connection between
dreams and play, leading us into the activities and experiences
that have so much potential richness in our classroom communities.
Dreams can be incorporated into the classroom in a number of ways;
as a series of activities that support literacy and imaginative
thinking, as a “Sleep and Dreams” unit of a social studies or
science curriculum, or as a supplement to an existing curriculum,
for example, that of a curriculum on Families or How Animals Care
for One Another. We will first explore some activities that will
be done either as a string of lessons, or as a single, individual
experience.
1. Dream Journals/Class
Dream Journal
Participants will make simple
journals that are “child friendly” for children as young as five
years old. We will also discuss how to make a “Class Dream
Journal” to be used by all of the children.
2. Creative Writing/Craft
Lessons Using Dreams
Participants will work with
dreams in various ways and for different ages; for example, we
will write Haiku poems, practice “rescripting” dreams with a
partner, create a “Collaborative Dream” by cutting and pasting
dreams together with a partner, make “Dreamtoons” (more
appropriate for younger children), supporting children’s growing
understanding of the concepts of Beginning, Middle and End.
3. Dreamer Biographies
Participants will discuss how we might research and perform a
biographical description of a “Famous” dreamer – a person who uses
dreams in their work or their art. Participants will choose a name
out of a hat with descriptions of how this person used his or her
dreams and will share this new work with the group.
Next, we will offer different
possible lessons in a “Sleep and Dreams” curriculum for young
children. Activities include:
1. What sleep is and Why
we need it/Observation of a Sleeper
We will explore a sample lesson
for children, charting a discussion and listing questions for
further inquiry. We will then workshop a lesson of “Observation of
a Sleeper” where participants will observe and chart observation
of a person “sleeping”.
2. Sleep Artifacts
Participants will be asked to
draw, describe or bring in a “Sleep Artifact” – a favorite animal,
story, or lullaby that has special meaning to then. We will then
discuss similarities and differences to those artifacts.
Finally, we will
discuss how we might incorporate work with dreams into an already
existing curriculum through writing, art and drawing. I will share
work samples of children and we will discuss what we notice about
those pieces. I will also share an extensive list of resources of
children’s literature related to sleep and dreams that can support
any curriculum, for any age.
We will also leave
time for questions and answers.
