In Mexico City last week I excitedly presented a 3-day Seminar to a group of 8 adults, parents and professionals, who wanted an immersion in the Educaring™ Approach. As one of the experiments in class, I used Stonework Play. The stones I found inside the home I was living in were gorgeous…three different types, sizes, textures and colors.

So I offered the possibility that is part of the RIE Foundations Course: giving them time to pick a few stones at first, bring them to their chosen space on the floor or table, get more as needed and begin creating. They had two pieces of paper, one to use as background and the other to draw a diagram of what they created and write interpretations about what they made. I let them create for about half an hour while I occasionally intervened with either criticism, empty praise or hovering attention. We came back together and had a lively discussion.

From Liz Memel, RIE Associate, regarding her training in Mexico