Early Childhood Videos
Landlocked Films is currently producing a series of videos for the University of Colorado that explore vital issues in early childhood education. Using a character-based, documentary style, these films strive for lyrical windows on their subjects instead of taking a didactic, "instructional" approach. We believe that a well-told visual story teaches far more effectively than a set of bullets on a Powerpoint slide, and that information gained through the heart anchors more firmly than facts learned only via the mind.
Full
Circle:
Language and Literacy at Home and at School
Research shows that children learn to talk,
read, and write through social interactions at home and at school, in everyday
routines and activities. Full Circle:
Language and Literacy at Home and at School illustrates how all
children, regardless of special needs, linguistic or cultural background,
develop language and build literacy skills through interactions with teacher,
parents, and providers. We are introduced to four families, each of
whom draws from the strength of its heritage and addresses the needs and
challenges of its children. School environments, ranging from a high
school-based teen parent toddler program to private preschools to
community-based centers for children with special needs, reflect the myriad ways
that parents and schools can form partnerships that allow children to explore
and learn. Co-produced by the Early Learning Opportunities Act, the
University of Colorado, the City of Boulder's Division of Children, Youth, and
Families and Puentes Culturales. To order a copy of Full Circle,
click here.
"The Storybook Journey" video series.
Sue McCord, educator and former director of the University of Colorado’s
Child Learning Center, leads us through her magical approach to organizing
children’s learning around in-depth explorations of stories and all their
possibilities in two half-hour videos. By anchoring a curriculum in a single story over an extended
period, teachers can offer children opportunities to experiment, grow, and
overcome challenges in new and exciting ways.
Part 1, entitled "Into the Wind," follows the staff and
students of Friends 'n Fun Children’s Center in Lafayette through a six-week
exploration of Gilberto and the Wind. Click here for a
YouTube clip.
Part 2, entitled
"The Stories We Live," follows two different
preschools, one using many versions of the Three Little Pigs, the other using
Mem Fox's Tough Boris, as they integrate home/school experiences, help
children connect with each other, and even venture into life's greatest fears
and deepest mysteries Co-Produced by
The Price Initiatives
at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Click here for a
YouTube clip.
To order the Storybook Journey video series, click here.
The INREAL video series.
Landlocked Films has released two films that document the University of
Colorado's innovative approach to children's language development.
"The Dance of Conversation:
Strategies for Encouraging Children's Language Development,"
is a lyrical illustration of specific conversation strategies adults can use to
encourage authentic interactions with children that enhance their language and
learning.
A Companion User's Guide
describes the philosophy behind these strategies, suggests practical
exercises and activities to practice the strategies, and includes a bibliography
for further reading. For a YouTube clip
of the video,
click here
"Earning the Right: the Story of INREAL"
recounts how educators at CU helped spark a revolution in early childhood
education focused on speech and language. CU’s “INREAL” training program was instrumental in breaking out of
the confines of the behavior-modification regimens of the 1960s and into a more
child-centered, observation-based, humane teaching program. This video captures
the origins of INREAL through interviews with its founders, and examines how the
method has matured into a multi-disciplinary approach to educating young
children and training educators at CU’s Child Learning Center.
Click here for a YouTube
Clip.
Co-Produced by
The Price Initiatives at
the University of Colorado, Boulder.
To order the INREAL series, click here.
"Turning
3, from C to B:
Age Three Transitions for Kids with Special Needs."
For families who receive services for their kids with special needs, a child's third birthday is a time of change. The educational services that have been offered in the home will now be provided through a school. An Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) becomes an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This video explains the age 3 transition from Part C to Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Ecucation Act (IDEA). Interviews with families, providers, and school officials help demystify the process, ease concerns, and refocus on celebrating a child's entry into preschool. Co-produced by Kids Connections and Imagine! To order "Turning 3, From C to B," click here.
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