I thought of this question as the children and I moved through our day. Here are some things our group is learning:
We are learning our daily routine. The children have begun to anticipate the Morning Gathering, and now move toward the rug for our songs, activity and stories instead of wandering around to explore the school.
We are learning self-care, slowly. A large piece of this is about feeling comfortable enough to ask for help with runny noses or toileting or washing hands. The children are learning to trust that adults other than their immediate family can be depended upon to assist in a friendly way, and that I believe they can learn how to do new things, even ones which seem unfamiliar or daunting.
We are learning how to care for our friends by coughing and sneezing into our elbow. This takes a lot of practice!
We are learning that a good question deserves exploration. Today as we read "The Snowy Day" one child asked why Peter's snowball melted when he brought it into the warm house. We took an ice cube from the cold freezer and placed it in a bowl, then checked on it throughout the morning. Seeing the incremental melt gave the children some things to notice, and then we placed the bowl full of water back into the freezer. We'll check it again tomorrow to see what's happened.
We are learning that everyone has different levels of comfort in regard to personal space and that we need to ask before we hug someone. Not everyone wants a hug!
We are learning that there are no bugs to be found in the yard right now, aside from worms and slugs. Where did they go? It will be interesting to see if the children remember this in a few months, when the garden becomes more fertile and full of creepy-crawlies.
I'll be interested to visit with families in a month or so and find out what sorts of bits and pieces of our discussions your children are sharing with you at home.
Our schedule has become more fluid and settled. This is what our day is looking like:
9:30--Arrival at school
9:35-40-- Setting down to Morning Gathering
9:55ish--Free Play/Morning Activity offered
10:30--Cleaning up/Bathrooms/Handwashing
10:40- Snack
11:00--Head outdoors to play
11:45--Come back in; handwashing
12:00--Lunchtime
12:25-30--Free Play time with group games, puzzles, songs and stories woven into our playtime.
1:10--Cleanup time
1:15--End of Day gathering
1:25--Shoes and coats on, ready to go home!
I had originally designated specific times for group games, puzzles, journaling, etc. Watching the children, however, I came to two realizations. First, the times for these activities can happen more organically by watching the children at their play; when their interest starts to wane or wander, when they seem to be needing direction, it is much easier to introduce these activities than it would be to pull them from their natural inclination to play at something they are interested in. Second, as the children are required to be in a group several times during the day (esp. at gatherings and meals), it seems respectful to them that they have a choice in participating in the activities that pop up. Not every child wants to build a puzzle or sing a song, and giving the children room to join in when they are ready makes the newness and work of mornings at preschool easier to adjust to and, I believe, less tiring than a more heavily-scheduled day.
As for me, I'm looking forward to another fun, busy morning tomorrow!
