School/Life Readiness, Forest Schools and Rainbow Scarabs: Foundations of Regenerative Learning

Why "Below the Tip of the Iceberg" Skills Matter More Than Surface Compliance

With my first blog post, I want to illuminate the deeper regenerative learning pedagogy I practice with ages 3-18 and in adult workshops. People often wonder whether children will be "school or life ready" after attending Outdoor Nature-Based Preschools, Forest Schools, or what adult Wildcraft workshops offer for the "real world."

This question deserves a sophisticated answer rooted in both research and lived experience. While I focus on early childhood here, the same principles apply to adult learning—a theme I'll explore in future posts. This understanding connects to my ongoing journey since 2016's "Pilgrimage for Hope," where I learned that true preparation for life requires moving beyond surface compliance toward deeper capacity building.

Play as Method, Learning as Outcome

This concept receives wholehearted support from educators and play advocates Teacher Tom and Peter Gray: PLAY IS WHAT WE DO AND LEARNING IS THE OUTCOME.

Early childhood research suggests that after attending play-based programs, by third grade, sixth grade, ninth grade and beyond, the imprinting from these early years creates "readiness" in crucial "below the tip of the iceberg" skills: broad vocabulary, language interest, curiosity, persistence, attentiveness, incidental learning, drive to learn, predictability, memory, and self-control.

This represents what I call both/and thinking—we can honor children's natural development processes AND prepare them for academic success. We don't have to choose between joy and rigor, play and learning, individual growth and collective preparation.

Rethinking School Readiness: The Iceberg Model

The challenges of facilitating "play" while meeting kindergarten readiness expectations are illuminated by Dr. Dale Farran's groundbreaking 2022 ten-year longitudinal study on preschool education. Her research, backed by 50 years of early childhood investigation, suggests we must completely rethink typical preschool approaches.

Her findings document how "school readiness," as currently measured by typical K-12 institutions, proves short-sighted with effects diminishing by kindergarten's end. This connects to my understanding that educational systems prioritizing compliance over curiosity ultimately fail both individual children and collective wellbeing.

Dr. Farran's "Iceberg Model of Early Developmental Competencies" reveals that when schools, programs, and communities focus solely on letters, numbers, and sounds, deeper skills below the surface are lost:

"The tip of the iceberg skills no longer symbolize those under the surface. They are no longer the visible and measurable aspects of more important competencies. Only when the deeper skills are enhanced should we expect continued progress based on early experiences."

The Neuroscience of Deep Learning

Dr. Farran emphasizes that the developmental period between four and six years is critical, with neuroscience confirming this period's importance for prefrontal cortex development—involved in many "below the surface" skills.

Reflecting on indoor preschools focused on "kindergarten preparation" through pencil holding, letter recitation, and number recognition, she observes:

"This content focus and the teaching strategies, I argue, result in a detachment of the tip of the iceberg from the deeper skills under the surface. Thus, children can score well on school readiness skills at the end of pre-k—especially those related to literacy—but not maintain any advantage by the end of kindergarten when all children attain these skills with or without pre-k experience."

This research validates what I've experienced: surface-level compliance training actually undermines the deeper capacities children need for lifelong success and meaningful contribution to collective wellbeing.

Mycelium Cooperative's Approach: Inherently Below the Surface

At Mycelium Cooperative and other Outdoor Nature-Based (ONB) preschools, learning inherently and explicitly develops "below the tip of the iceberg skills"—areas producing lifelong success while letters, numbers, and sounds emerge naturally within that deeper learning.

Our typical schedules include significant blocks for "play," specifically Nature Play following dynamic, complex facilitation by trained teachers using the Nature Play Cycle. This approach embodies what Dr. Farran identifies as crucial:

"Many nursery schools, high-end childcare centers and special programs like Montessori, Waldorf and outdoor or 'nature' preschools, among others, provide young children with positive, enhancing experiences."

Professional Development and Peer Learning

I constantly reflect, learn, and train with our peer-to-peer steering committee network at the Colorado Collective for Nature Based Early Education. As one of many leaders developing promising practices, we continue emphasizing learning focused on "below the tip of the iceberg skills" while maintaining accountability to children's holistic development.

This peer-to-peer approach reflects my commitment to both individual professional growth and collective advancement of justice-oriented education—recognizing that our liberation as educators is bound up with creating accessible, transformative learning opportunities for all families.

The Dynamic Nature Play Cycle

Dynamic and complex facilitation by trained teachers is beautifully articulated in "The Ludic Process and Nature Play Cycle Webinar." This approach requires sophisticated understanding of child development, ecological systems, and facilitation skills that honor both individual children's authentic interests and collective learning goals.

Through Mycelium Cooperative's Pay What You Can culture, we're experimenting with making this high-quality, research-based education accessible across economic divisions while maintaining the small ratios and individualized attention that support deep learning.

But What About Rainbow Scarabs?

I understand how Nature-Based Play supports lifelong success and genuine "school readiness"—BUT WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH RAINBOW SCARABS?

Over the coming months, I'll weave numerous metaphors connecting Regenerative Learning Ecologies, including Buffalo and Rainbow Scarabs within Short Grass Prairie ecosystems. In essence, we focus on lifelong health, wellness, and long-term success based on current research while recognizing that human development cannot be separated from ecological health and justice.

Rainbow Scarabs, like the children in our programs, play crucial roles in ecosystem regeneration—breaking down organic matter, aerating soil, and creating conditions for new growth. Similarly, children engaged in deep, play-based learning develop capacities for breaking down complex problems, creating space for new ideas, and contributing to community regeneration.

From Individual Readiness to Collective Regeneration

This foundational understanding connects to broader themes I'll explore: how individual children's development in nature-based settings contributes to collective capacity for addressing challenges like climate change, social inequality, and educational access.

When we honor children's authentic development processes while maintaining accountability to their learning, we model the both/and thinking essential for creating just, sustainable communities. We demonstrate that individual flourishing and collective wellbeing strengthen each other.

Building the Tangled Bank

My blog posts serve diverse audiences—families, guardians, parents, practitioners, graduate students, and community adults—covering the "Tangled Bank" (Darwin's enduring metaphor) of interests, initiatives, and networks weaving together when we center justice, relationships, and regeneration.

Through Outdoor Nature-Based Preschools, K-8 Forest Schools, and Emergent Strategy Wildcraft Workshops for Adults, we explore perception, observation, interpretation, and reciprocity from human and more-than-human perspectives. Central to all age groups remains this understanding: Early Childhood is "not just cute, but powerful and incredibly important."