CRAYON

  The CRAYON Project, an acronym for "Child Rearing Assist for Your Needs," provides customized support for child-rearing from an early childhood education perspective. Our mission is to assist all educators and parents involved in early childhood education, from birth to preschool age, in nurturing children's development. We aim to realize early childhood education where both children and educators and parents can thrive and find happiness.

At the heart of the CRAYON Project is the "CRAYON BOOK," a comprehensive tool designed to evaluate and enhance early childhood education practices. This resource is organized around three main perspectives: child development, the environment, and the involvement of educators and parents. These three perspectives are interrelated.By analyzing these elements, educators and parents can identify educational objectives and implement evidence-based strategies to support children's learning.

The CRAYON BOOK is divided into five domains, each focusing on critical aspects of early childhood development: 

Environment and Daily Life

The environment and daily life that influence children's concept formation are evaluated from four perspectives: Facility environment, Nutrition education, Sleep environment, and Play environment. 

Comprehension

We evaluate three aspects of educators/parents’ involvement in promoting children's concept formation: Stimulate knowledge/experience, Interact with children, and Convey information. 

Consent (Nattoku)

Educators/parents' involvement in promoting children's self-expression and behavior change is evaluated from three perspectives: Building relationship of trust, Respect for children's thinking, and Encourage behavioral change.

Concept Formation

We evaluate how children form concepts from five perspectives: Visual concept, Auditory concept, Experience concept, Language concept, and Number concept. 

Self-Expression

We evaluate how a child expresses himself/herself from five perspectives: Graphical expression, Musical expression, Physical expression, Language expression, and Number Expression, to discover the child's talents.

These domains are interconnected, allowing for a holistic assessment of a child's development and the factors that influence it. 

To effectively utilize the CRAYON BOOK, caregivers are encouraged to observe children through various lenses.

Recognizing the varying developmental stages in early childhood, the CRAYON BOOK offers tailored versions for different age groups: 

• 0-Year-Old Version

Designed for infants, focusing on interaction with the surrounding environment, basic trust in educators and parents, and foundational aspects of development. 

• 1-2-Year-Old Version

Caters to toddlers, the program assumes that children's senses will develop as they are influenced by the surrounding environment and educators/parents’ interactions, and that they will form abstract concepts such as words and numbers, as well as self-assertion and self-expression. 

• 3-5-Year-Old Version

Focuses on encouraging the formation of more advanced concepts in anticipation of entering elementary school and discovering children's talents through the characteristics of self-expression.

Each version is designed to encourage the development of the senses, language, and understanding of numbers for each age group, and the items themselves are designed to provide a perspective on environmental settings and educators/parents’ involvement.

The CRAYON Project offers a variety of content to support educators and parents: 

• Study Columns

Articles and resources that delve into early childhood education topics. 

• Research Reports

Research based on the CRAYON philosophy and results of studies on child development and educational practices using the CRAYON BOOK. 

• Introducing Schools and Companies

Case studies of facilities and companies that have adopted the CRAYON methodology, as well as links to their site pages. 

These resources aim to enhance understanding and application of effective child-rearing practices.

For inquiries or more information about the CRAYON Project, please reach out to us at:

• Address: 50-1 Shimotsukiyama-cho, Murasakino, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8222, Japan 

• Email: crayon.pjt@gmail.com

We welcome your questions and are eager to support your journey in early childhood education.