The Wonder Studio LLC
Owner and Teacher:
Shannon Booth Lipan
Welcome!
My name is Shannon Booth Lipan. I am from Winter Park, Florida by way of
Ashland, Kentucky. I went to school at
University of Florida and graduated with a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education.
I began teaching Junior Kindergarten (4 and 5 year olds) at Shorecrest
Preparatory School in
2001. I left Shorecrest in 2007 to
become a Stay at home Mom to my now 9 year old daughter and six year old son.
After my daughter was
born, I saw a need for Appropriate high quality Arts/Science programs for young
children and decided to start one myself.
The Wonder Studio is my own small (teeny tiny) business and I rent the
space from Shorecrest.
Inspirations
The
Wonder Studio classes are based on a deep respect for children and believing strongly
in their ability to learn through play.
As well
as:
The
Pre-primary schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Here’s a
quick reference:
Experiences
The
Wonder Studio provides experiences for children that will:
1.
Have a variety of possibilities for exploration
2.
Invite creativity
3.
Encourage learning together in a group
4.
Honor the individual
5.
Develop fine motor, gross motor, social/emotional,
Logical/mathematical, language, cognitive, and self-help domains
6.
Provoke emotions and meaning making
7.
Arouse the senses
The Wonder Studio provides parents/caregivers with
opportunities to:
1.
Offer his/her child time without distractions
2.
Model curiosity and joy in the learning process
3.
Observe his/her own child as well as other
children
4.
Learn about the stages of growth in a young
child’s development
5.
Consult with a professional teacher regarding
early childhood issues
6.
Learn With and From your child
7.
Be inspired
What To
Do
1.
Arrive On Time
Class
is one hour and it flies by, don’t miss a minute!
2.
Sit Down As much as possible
Adults
are big and you can be overwhelming.
Please don’t stand around in groups or individually gawking at the
children. Grab a chair and enjoy
observing what interests your child or get down on your child’s eye level and
explore along with him/her!
3.
Keep adult conversation to a MINIMUM
Believe
me, I know you want to make friends too (so do I ;), BUT it really distracts
the children. Please use the class list
names and numbers to plan Gab time before or after class. Many of my Past groups have arranged regular
play groups at parks or homes after studio time.
4.
Don’t Judge!!
The
Wonder Studio is a Judge-Free Environment!!
Don’t judge your child, someone else’s child, yourself, or another
(including the teacher!). We are all
trying to do the best we can in the best way we know how. Please take a look at my blog regarding this
issue:
5.
WAIT
Give your child (and the others)
time before you intervene. Hold your
hands behind your back or look the other way…whatever it takes to allow your
child the time they need to initiate, navigate, create, and socialize without
your guidance. This is his/her
opportunity to develop those skills in an environment where all the parents are
on the same page.
6.
Don’t Force your child to Share
Weird,
I know. Give me a chance here to
explain…
Developmentally
speaking we know a 2 year old doesn’t yet have the ability to cross the street
by himself so we don’t insist that they do it.
Developmentally,
we also know that a 2 year old (and often 3-5 year olds) doesn’t yet have the
capability to share BUT most parents still insist that their child do it.
Please
, please read this blog entry regarding Sharing… I hope it will change your
perspective!
7.
Kill The TV!
I
know this is another unpopular and maybe even unwelcome directive. BUT…give it a chance. Your child will need time after class to
process what happened. If you go home
and turn on the tube, they will lose all that inspiration! Give them the day (Or even longer) to go home
and play out all that they need to extend their learning.
I don’t
say this lightly, if you are looking for the HOW to not turn on the TV, I am
happy to send some good resources your way!
What should my child and I wear during
class?
Class
is messy! I repeat class is Very Very
messy (this is somewhat dependent on your child’s willingness and/or interest
in sensory experiences, but be aware that another child will often give you a
hug or a pat on the back with his/her paint covered hands!)! I do not provide smocks and frankly I don’t
believe in them! Worrying about getting
their clothes dirty greatly inhibits the creative process in children. Generally speaking, smocks are uncomfortable
and restrict children’s arm movements.
Please,
have your child (and yourself) wear something comfortable and that can be
STAINED. Bring extra clothes (for you
both) to change into as well as a towel to help with clean up.
Your
stained paint covered shirts/pants can be your Wonder Studio uniform!! J And Please go to the grocery store
right after class, it’s a great marketing tool for me!! ;)
Why does
Shannon take pictures during class?
I take
many pictures during the class time in order to document our experiences on the
blog: http://thewonderstudio.blogspot.com
Documentation
is a key resource for all of us (children included) to reflect upon our time at
The Wonder Studio.
“Documentation
offers the protagonist a unique opportunity to listen again, see again, and
therefore revisit the learning experience.”
“Documentation
gives parents the parents the possibility to know not only what their child is
doing, but also how and why, to see not only the products but also the
processes. In this way parents become
aware of the meaning that the child gives to what he or she does, and the
shared meanings that children have with other children.”
“The Hundred Languages of Children ,
Edwards, Gandini, Forman”
**Please Email/Contact me if you do not wish me to share your
child’s pictures on the blog or facebook.**
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