Archive for November 2005

By Jeanne W. Lepper, Director Mark your calendars, invite your friends, and plan to spend the day on Saturday, June 3, 2006, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Bing Nursery School. We will have a research symposium from 9 a.m. to noon in the Department of Psychology in Jordan Hall. Then, in the aft... [ Read More ]

By Laurie J. Vaughan, The Bing Times Copy Editor When most people walk to the Dish, they see the wonders of nature. But when Hazel Markus walks to the Dish, she sees human nature. Or nurture, as the case may be. Markus, an internationally renowned cultural psychologist, studies the subtle ways in wh... [ Read More ]

By Chia-wa Yeh, Research Coordinator and Head Teacher Bing Nursery School is the laboratory school for the psychology department at Stanford University. Since its inception in 1966, Bing has supported a robust body of scientific research on the development of young children. Sometimes parents ask wh... [ Read More ]

By Simon Firth, Writer and Bing Parent How long can you resist a tempting treat? The answer may help determine your success in life. Learning to delay gratification gives children an edge in coping with life’s challenges—an edge that lasts into adulthood. That was a key finding of a groundbreaki... [ Read More ]

By Adrienne Gelpi Lomangino, Head Teacher Most parents and teachers of preschool-age children have probably observed that just because children can repeat a rule does not mean they will act on that rule. For example, a 3-year-old runs in from outside and is asked, “What do you need to do inside?�... [ Read More ]

By Simon Firth, Writer and Bing Parent Spend time in any Bing classroom and you’ll notice the remarkable serenity that pervades the room.  A class can be bustling, full of laughter and song—even energetic hammering—and yet it remains fundamentally calm. Unlike at home, things hardly ever get ... [ Read More ]

By Nancy Howe, Head Teacher Center Room has its mulberry trees and a shady redwood grove. East and West have arbors of wisteria. And every fall, outside the Two’s classroom, the spreading zelkova seems to burst into flame. Trees are everywhere at Bing, a living legacy left nearly 40 years ago by E... [ Read More ]

By Parul Roy, Head Teacher “Genuine questions…mark the turning point when the act of teaching may become, simultaneously, an act of research.” —Steve Seidel, “The Question Cannot Be Satisfied with Waiting,” from Making Learning Visible Trees are not alive.” A short comment from a singl... [ Read More ]

By Sarah Wright, Head Teacher “Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.” —Chinese proverb Even 4-year-olds can resolve their own conflicts with the support of a skilled teacher or parent. A memorable case in point occurred at Bing when a play date turned sour and the children devised a ... [ Read More ]

By Adrienne Gelpi Lomangino, Head Teacher The first note delivered to the Blue Triangle Snack Table during the second week of school read: Dear Teacher Adrienne’s Table, Why are you writing? What are you doing? What are you eating? What are you writing? I love you. The message was signed (in varyi... [ Read More ]

By Peckie Peters, Head Teacher Everett says goodbye to his mom and heads out to the woodworking table. A teacher is in view but doesn’t move in too closely as Everett selects a piece of wood from the basket. He carefully inspects the assortment of nails and chooses one of medium length. At this po... [ Read More ]

By Beverley Hartman, Head Teacher I saw every red rock from here to Kansas!” exclaimed teacher Sue Gore on the first day of school last fall after returning from her summer road trip. Her newfound enthusiasm for rocks sparked a classroom journey that lasted all year. Gore had thoughtfully collect... [ Read More ]

By Kitti Pecka, Head Teacher, M/W and T/Th afternoon Two’s One of the most satisfying rewards of teaching 2-year-olds is witnessing their rapid growth. In addition to their physical and kinesthetic development, children’s verbal, social and musical abilities advance in the third year of life at ... [ Read More ]

By Tom Limbert, Head Teacher Arriving at school, 3-year-old Adam rushes out to the sand area, only to find that a younger child is playing with his favorite truck. He snatches the toy from the clenched hands of the now- crying child. Karin, age 2, sees a friend in a cart and joyfully shoves the cart... [ Read More ]

By Beth Wise, Head Teacher and Music Specialist Each year as spring approaches, teachers reflect upon the culture of their classroom and students, the individual needs of children and the philosophy of the school itself. On April 24, teachers attended a full day of workshops, which stimulated discus... [ Read More ]

By Andrea Hart Rees, Teacher The Bing teachers exchanged interesting information and dynamic conversation at Bing’s winter quarter Staff Development Day. The gathering provided opportunities to explore fresh ideas and methods and to discuss them as a group, as well as to reconnect with our history... [ Read More ]

By Annie Sung, Teacher How can teachers promote young children’s understanding of mathematics through playing games? This is just one of the many things I learned from the 2004 annual NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) conference in Anaheim, California last November. ... [ Read More ]

By Jennifer Winters, Assistant Director Visiting the acclaimed municipal preschool programs in Reggio Emilia, three colleagues and I were struck by fundamental parallels between the Italian school and Bing. On the October study tour of the municipal preschool system in the city of Reggio Emilia, Nan... [ Read More ]

By Rinna Sanchez-Baluyut, Teacher Is my child ready?” Parents often ask this question as their children near kindergarten age. Many worry not only about their child’s readiness, but also about their choice of school. Bing Nursery School annually hosts a Kindergarten Information Night for parents... [ Read More ]

By Jennifer Winters, Assistant Director An all-American extravaganza celebrating “Red, White and Bing” reaped more than $240,000 as last fall’s Harvest Moon auction marked the 16th annual benefit dedicated to the Bing Nursery School Scholarship Fund. Fresh flowers and floating balloons of red,... [ Read More ]