About the Book
David Hawkins was a man of many dimensions—an educator and a deeply dedicated humanitarian, among others. He was married to Frances Hawkins, a creative and insightful kindergarten teacher, author and educator. Together they made a formidable team. They both had great respect for children’s innate curiosity, and believed that very young children could learn very complex things, if these concepts were presented in concrete and hands-on ways.
David was especially concerned about the way mathematics and science were taught in the elementary schools of his day – math as a boring, one-dimensional drill, and science as dry text. To Hawkins, mathematics and science were exciting and dynamic, math the language of nature itself – and both at the heart of exploration and discovery.
He also had innovative ideas about learning to read and write. He believed that the very roots of literacy lay in children’s own fresh observations and feelings about their world. They thrive on reading and writing their own stories, and sharing them.
David Hawkins and the Pond Study demonstrates, with teachers Jeanne Jacobson and Patti McKinnell, the kind of classroom and learning environment that the Hawkins worked to achieve. Here we witness how connecting with the natural world forms an exciting backdrop for learning basic skills.
Book Two, David and Frances Hawkins and the Mountain View Center for Environmental Education, shows the place at the University of Colorado that the Hawkins devised to foster the development of teachers who could create the kind of classroom shown in the Pond Study.
Filled with Kellogg’s beautiful action-packed photographs, and other authentic documents from the time, David Hawkins and the Pond Study celebrates the historic importance of the Hawkins’ success with their dynamic theories about early learning.