Edu-Chameleon

All early childhood educators know that play is an integral part of a child’s learning. But there is much more to the science of play than meets the eye.

This must-read book calls on teachers to focus more deeply on specific modes of play to promote concept formation from an early age.

As Kriegler explains, if children only ever free play, educators miss a vital chance to design engaging learning projects and scaffold students’ conceptual understanding of the world around them. In Edu-Chameleon, Kriegler offers ways to engage the minds and imaginations of young children at the level that is appropriate to their current ability, whilst simultaneously laying foundations for future success.

Written for educators of children aged three to nine years, including preschool assistants, teacher aides, degree qualified teachers, leaders and curriculum designers, this practical guide outlines how to identify and utilise the endless opportunities in the classroom to enhance concept-based understanding for learning all subjects including a solid foundation for STEM.

And to do it in a way that is absorbing and appealing to children. Over 30 years working with teachers across a variety of early education settings, Kriegler has deepened her understanding of knowledge. She explores knowledge at its atomic level of language and concept acquisition and explains that knowledge is static unless it is actively mobilised. She commences the book explaining the process of language and concept acquisition and later presents seven dynamic learning zones each with a different relationship between the educator and the child.

In some zones children have extensive freedom to follow their own actions and ideas, in others, their freedom is intentionally narrowed, but their learning is deepened through engaging provocations. Each zone has its own definition, methodology and structure. The seven learning zones are:·

• Free play
• Mediated play
• Embedded concepts
• Concept clarity
• Closed-ended mobilisation
• Open-ended mobilisation
• Auto-generative creativity

This book is designed to be an accessible companion for educators looking for ways to refine their knowledge about concept formation to augment the value, purpose and precision of everything that is already planned, assessed, said and done in the normal course of teaching practice. The best thing about the strategies found in Edu-Chameleon is that they don’t add time to educators’ already jam-packed schedules, they maximise the impact of that time.

In four well-structured parts, the book engages with current trends in the early years’ landscape, explores how concepts are formed and deployed in the learning curriculum, presents the seven learning zones with their unique characteristics and provides a handy collection of lists and resources to help educators in the classroom. Kriegler says, ‘There is little that intrigues and excites me more in my teaching role than seeing children in flow as they challenge themselves to learn, think, create and communicate.

Concepts, insights, thoughts, the mastery of techniques and skills – all inspire and interest me whether they are encountered in preschool, primary, secondary or tertiary settings. This is equally true in my consultancy when educators encounter ideas and gain insights that transform their practice’. After reading this book, educators will have the confidence to elevate their practice with every word they speak. Their competence will be amplified, and the learning dynamics in their classrooms will be positively realigned. Rather than seeing play as one-dimensional, educators will become agile Edu-Chameleons, leveraging the seven dynamic learning zones, to magnify the concept-based understanding and cognition of their students every day.

About the Author

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is a Melbourne-based education consultant and author of Edu-Chameleon . Lili-Ann’s primary specialisations are in early childhood education (birth-9 years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition.

Her current part-time role is as an education consultant at Independent Schools Victoria and she runs her own consultancy, Kriegler-Education.
Lili-Ann writes to share the wisdom she has acquired through her training and 30 years experience in education. She is a child, parent and family advocate who believes that education is a transformative force for humanity. The family is a highly influential social unit. Experience within the family impacts the quality of scholastic performance and life success. Her contnetion is that the quality of families, in all their infinite variety, determines the quality of society. Lili-Anns second book, ROOTS AND WINGs - A parents guide to learning and communication with children to forge a family with mettle, is in editing and will be published in the first quarter of 2022.

The central idea of the book is that the family is a mettle foundry where parents have the privilege of being able to guide their children on a journey of self-actualisation bu creating a positive family culture. As an author and consultant with experience at all levels of education, she provides consultancy in curriculum design, concept-based teaching, school transition for enhanced thinking and pedagogical leadership. She is a senior trainer for the Feuerstein Institute, the International Centre for Enhanced Cognitive Potential (ICELP). She has visited the Infant-Toddler centres and Preschools in Reggio Emilia and attended advanced study tours.

The pedagogy of the schools has greatly influenced her image of educators, teachers and families. Lili-Ann is an engaging speaker. In her presentations, whether to small workshop groups or auditoriums, her knowledge is peppered with stories and practical examples. She tailors presentations to the specific needs of schools and groups of educators. She also does one on one mentoring sessions for educators. Lili-Ann Kriegler is based in Melbourne, Australia. Through the pandemic she has harnessed the opportunities of the zoom platform to present workshops and seminars nationally and internationally in India and Israel.