News, Articles, and Events
Publications
September 28, 2009: "What is Mature, Extended, Pretend Play - Exactly?"
Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. Bronson and Merryman's response to the New York Times Magazine story on Tools of the Mind.
September 27, 2009: “The Make-Believe Solution: Can imaginary play teach children to control their impulses – and be better students?” Paul Tough. The New York Times Magazine. Discusses the successes of Tools of the Mind in developing self regulation in young children. Drs. Elena Bodrova and Deborah Leong are extensively quoted.
September 2009: Nuture Shock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. New York: Twelve, Hatchett Book Group (2009). Chapter 8, "Can Self-Control be Taught?" discusses the effectiveness of the Tools of the Mind program.
September 2, 2009: USA TODAY Opinion section features an editorial by author Laura Vanderkam, member of USA TODAY's board of contributors, "The Secret to School Success," references Deborah Leong and self-regulation in the Tools of the Mind program.
August 2009: Council for Professional Recognition features an article "Making Dramatic Play an Enriching Experience" references the Tools of the Mind nine interventions that foster more mature levels of play.
May 4, 2009: Educational Psychologist and Director of Tools of the Mind program, Deborah J. Leong, was prominently highlighted in a blog from New America Foundation. To read, go to: http://www.newamerica.net/blog/comment/reply/11522
April 8, 2009: Tools of the Mind is featured in The Wall Street Journal article "Playing Nice: Teachers Learn to Help Kids Behave in School."
September 15, 2008: The New York Times publishes an article "Training Young Brains to Behave" on executive function in preschoolers which describes Tools of the Mind success in improving executive function. Dr. Deborah Leong is quoted.
February 28, 2008: National Public Radio airs a story entitled "Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control" describing the Tools of the Mind program as it used in a New Jersey preschool. Preschoolers are asked to make a written plan before they play, making them think in advance about what they are going to do and then follow the plan. Dr. Deborah Leong, one of the originators of Tools of the Mind, is interviewed.
February 21, 2008: National Public Radio airs a story entitled "Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills" describing the importance of imaginative play in building self-regualtion. Dr. Elena Bodrova, one of the originators of Tools of the Mind, is interviewed.
February 2008
Scholastic Parent & Child articles by Dr. Deborah J. Leong and Dr. Elena Bodrova for parents about play. "Building Language & Literacy Through Play", "Playing to Learn", and "Staff Workshop Teacher Handout: Self-Regulation in the Early Childhood Classroom".
Conferences / Workshops
November 18-21, 2009: NAEYC 2009 Annual Conference and Expo, Washington D.C.
Dr. Deborah Leong and Dr. Elena Bodrova will be presenting: "Executive Functions and School Readiness: Neuroscience Research and What it Tells us about Developing Self-Regulation in the Early Childhood Classroom."
November 12-13, 2009: School Readiness and School Success Conference,Montreal Quebec. Sponsored by the Strategic Knowledge Cluster on Early Child Development (SKC-ECD) and the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (CEECD)
Dr. Deborah Leong will be presenting "Tools of the Mind: Developing Self-Regulation by Developing Intentional Make-Believe Play. (French simultaneous translation available.) This workshop is based on 15 years of work in the Tools of the Mind program helping teachers learn to scaffold play and will discuss how preschool and kindergarten teachers can improve the make-believe play skills of their students.
November 5, 2009: Developing Critical Thinking Skills: From Preschool to Adolescence, Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Kane Hall 210 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Free and open to the public. This lecture is made possible by the Allen Edwards Endowed Lectureship in Psychology and is co-sponsored by The Evergreen School, Shoreline, WA.
Featuring Adele Diamond, PhD, Angela Duckworth, PhD, Deborah J. Leong, PhD.
October 30, 2009: National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) and Dr. Lisa Markman-Pithers at the Education Research Section of the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University have joined to co-sponsor a free curriculum conference for administrators, Preschool Curriculum Decision Making: "Exploring Key Curriculum Models and Reviewing the Evidence-Base." Princeton, NJ 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Dr. Deborah Leong and Amy Hornbeck will present on the "Preschool Curriculum Decision Making - Exploring Key Curriculum Models and Examining the Evidence."
Preschool Curriculum Decision Making Presentation Handout
New Jersey 09-10 school year Tools of the Mind training workshop schedule. Please contact Amy Hornbeck ahornbec@mscd.edu to schedulte your training.
June 14-17, 2009: NAEYC 18th National Institute of Early Childhood Professional Development, Charlotte, NC
Dr. Deborah Leong and Dr. Elena Bodrova presented: "The Link Between Intentional Make-Believe and the Development of Self-Regulation: What we know and what teachers can do about it." The presentation was selected as one of 15 sessions to be included in the conference DVD.
Other
Special Tools of the Mind DVD offer from Davidson Films:
Scaffolding Self-Regulated Learning in Primary Classrooms films: These films are not available at the special discount through the Davidson Films website, but only by email to dfi@davidsonfilms.com or fax 805-594-0532 or by calling Davidson Films toll-free 888-437-4200. |