Happy Spring Break week! I'd hoped to get to this sooner, but we have been in sandbox land all week. At last, it's completed and I've got some time to sit and share with you.
During our last week at school we explored triangles. First, at our morning gatherings, we made a game of identifying triangles hidden in the pictures of Lois Ehlert's "Color Farm" as well as their new favorite, "Mouse Shapes". The children called out when they saw a triangle, or raised up a paper triangle over their heads to signal when they saw one. The paper triangles were cut in different sizes and arrangements so that the children could hold them up to each other to notice the differences in angles and the sameness of the three sides and three points. One child chose to cut bunches of tiny triangles to give to her friends in their mailboxes.
We also found triangles in the daffodils on the sharing table. Three daffodils of differing colors were in a vase to examine, and we could see that the petals really looked like triangles radiating out from the circle in the middle. I then gave the children triangles, circles and rectangles in yellow, white, orange and green and let them paste the shapes onto the paper in whichever way they chose. Interestingly, most children gravitated toward using circles first and then adding the other elements to their picture. While no one created a daffodil per se, we all got a chance to work with using glue and q-tips together, getting the glue onto the paper and getting the other pieces of paper to stick. Believe it or not, this is really a complex learning activity for some of our group-- not just where to put the glue, but also the fact that for the pieces to stick they must somehow be in the glue.
We also planted peas in little pots; the children scooped the potting soil in, poked a nice little hole and planted the peas of their choice. As of this writing, only two have sprouted, so the unsprouted peas will be removed and replanted this week. If you have a bigger pot or patch of dirt outdoors, these peas will just need something to climb up and vine around when they head home with the children.
Water play was a big hit in the large washtub. We included bubbles, marbles, funnels, the water mill and lots of colors. Before the week was over, we brought back the colored rice, and once again the children began making their cakes and smoothies in pans and bottles.
Other moments:
Digging for buried treasure in the sandbox--larger colored glass 'rocks' hidden everywhere to keep the kids busy looking in the corners of the garden, hopefully to find the other treasures like spiders, potato bugs and blossoms.
Making a 'big soup' together outside in a big pot or water. This activity gave a whole new meaning to the expression Stone Soup, as we had stones, pine cones, sand, bark chips and grass in our cauldron, stirred with a stick.
Coloring coffee filters with markers and spraying them with water to watch the colors run together and become softer. The spray bottles were their favorite part.
And we're to the end of my page of notes, so I'll see everyone in the coming days for more fun being together and learning about our world.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Pancakes and Planting Peas
Before I get started on this week's update, I wanted to share a rare opportunity with all of you.
The National Governors Association (NGA), in conjunction with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has unveiled its proposed Common Core Standards Initiative. These proposed standards would become the backbone for the Obama Administration's Race To the Top program (to replace No Child Left Behind) for establishing criteria for state school funding. From now until April 2, 2010, the NGA and CCSSO are accepting feedback from the public. You can find it at the link below:
http://www.corestandards.org/
No matter how you feel about the proposed changes and benchmarks, this is a great opportunity to chime in and express your opinions and concerns to the agencies which are currently shaping the educational future for many children in our country.
This week we welcomed our newest addition to the group and set about getting him a name necklace and mailbox. The other children had fun playing with the beads and revisiting the sticky paper (which we used for the mailboxes), dropping pinches of crayon shavings and sequins onto it before we chose a piece of colored paper for a backing. The pictures are now up on display in the housekeeping area and it's fascinating to see how different they are.
We had a bit of sharing time this week: one child brought an early reader magazine (Tessy and Tab) from home, so we read the story and then discussed how it came to him in the mail. Investigating, we could see the child's name and address on the back cover, and he showed us the games in the book as well. Another child brought an alpine strawberry plant to school to put into the ground. She chose a great spot right at the base of the Children's House in the backyard and we all helped to dig the hole, place the plant, and fill it in. I'm looking forward to enjoying the dainty white blossoms and tiny fruit.
Planting peas was one of our outdoor activities. I'd prepared the ground beforehand and the children were interested in planting a great many pea seeds. We've built a screen of bamboo stakes and bird block to grow the peas up onto. This screen, close to the Children's House, will also create more designated playspaces so that the House play isn't tumbling into the new sandbox once it's built. We noticed that the color of the seeds are dissimilar to the pictures on the packets and that one kind of seed had tiny spotted patterns on it. It will be interesting to see what comes up!
"Pancakes, Pancakes!" by Eric Carle is one book that the children absolutely love. We've been reading it at our Morning Gathering time and acting out the motions of the boy who wants a pancake. We pantomime cutting the wheat, threshing it, milking the cow and so much more. We also have felt pancakes in our housekeeping area to cook and enjoy. Discussing what we like on top of our pancakes, honey, blueberries and syrup were the most popular toppings.
A few other notes:
Two children sticking playdough to the tops of their fingers, creating 'people' which then spoke to each other.
Lots of drum play--yogurt containers, big pots and pans. Some children want to line them up, others like to heap and cluster them into a big pile and some added blocks to the percussion festival.
More cutting practice, with paper, crayons, stickers and scissors available.
Lots of puzzle work. I'm setting up puzzles at the large table as an alternative to storytimes and gatherings when children need quieter activities available to them.
We also have a new lacing activity which is delightful: a wooden tree filled with holes, laces and lots of leaf, bird and animal charms to lace onto the tree. Beautiful!
The kitchen play in the housekeeping is regularly being extended into the block area. A table was made, cups and teapot were brought over and a very lovely teatime was had.
Watercolor painting: children were asked to make a 'sunny day' or a 'rainy day' on paper, then given crayons to work with and finally watercolor to paint over it. While the wax resist effect didn't quite work, I was intrigued by the colors they chose.
Outdoors the children have invented a new game: standing on the big rock near the rain garden and counting that person to ten before they jump off and give the next person a turn. This simple activity lasted for a surprisingly long time.
We'll see you next week for more fun!
The National Governors Association (NGA), in conjunction with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has unveiled its proposed Common Core Standards Initiative. These proposed standards would become the backbone for the Obama Administration's Race To the Top program (to replace No Child Left Behind) for establishing criteria for state school funding. From now until April 2, 2010, the NGA and CCSSO are accepting feedback from the public. You can find it at the link below:
http://www.corestandards.org/
No matter how you feel about the proposed changes and benchmarks, this is a great opportunity to chime in and express your opinions and concerns to the agencies which are currently shaping the educational future for many children in our country.
This week we welcomed our newest addition to the group and set about getting him a name necklace and mailbox. The other children had fun playing with the beads and revisiting the sticky paper (which we used for the mailboxes), dropping pinches of crayon shavings and sequins onto it before we chose a piece of colored paper for a backing. The pictures are now up on display in the housekeeping area and it's fascinating to see how different they are.
We had a bit of sharing time this week: one child brought an early reader magazine (Tessy and Tab) from home, so we read the story and then discussed how it came to him in the mail. Investigating, we could see the child's name and address on the back cover, and he showed us the games in the book as well. Another child brought an alpine strawberry plant to school to put into the ground. She chose a great spot right at the base of the Children's House in the backyard and we all helped to dig the hole, place the plant, and fill it in. I'm looking forward to enjoying the dainty white blossoms and tiny fruit.
Planting peas was one of our outdoor activities. I'd prepared the ground beforehand and the children were interested in planting a great many pea seeds. We've built a screen of bamboo stakes and bird block to grow the peas up onto. This screen, close to the Children's House, will also create more designated playspaces so that the House play isn't tumbling into the new sandbox once it's built. We noticed that the color of the seeds are dissimilar to the pictures on the packets and that one kind of seed had tiny spotted patterns on it. It will be interesting to see what comes up!
"Pancakes, Pancakes!" by Eric Carle is one book that the children absolutely love. We've been reading it at our Morning Gathering time and acting out the motions of the boy who wants a pancake. We pantomime cutting the wheat, threshing it, milking the cow and so much more. We also have felt pancakes in our housekeeping area to cook and enjoy. Discussing what we like on top of our pancakes, honey, blueberries and syrup were the most popular toppings.
A few other notes:
Two children sticking playdough to the tops of their fingers, creating 'people' which then spoke to each other.
Lots of drum play--yogurt containers, big pots and pans. Some children want to line them up, others like to heap and cluster them into a big pile and some added blocks to the percussion festival.
More cutting practice, with paper, crayons, stickers and scissors available.
Lots of puzzle work. I'm setting up puzzles at the large table as an alternative to storytimes and gatherings when children need quieter activities available to them.
We also have a new lacing activity which is delightful: a wooden tree filled with holes, laces and lots of leaf, bird and animal charms to lace onto the tree. Beautiful!
The kitchen play in the housekeeping is regularly being extended into the block area. A table was made, cups and teapot were brought over and a very lovely teatime was had.
Watercolor painting: children were asked to make a 'sunny day' or a 'rainy day' on paper, then given crayons to work with and finally watercolor to paint over it. While the wax resist effect didn't quite work, I was intrigued by the colors they chose.
Outdoors the children have invented a new game: standing on the big rock near the rain garden and counting that person to ten before they jump off and give the next person a turn. This simple activity lasted for a surprisingly long time.
We'll see you next week for more fun!
Whatever Suits the Mood
Note: This writing is not our usual Weekly Activity update, but more supplemental in nature. Our usual Weekly Update will be posted shortly.
Usually I focus on our specific activities for the week, but today I wanted to share about our group and how we move through the day in regard to the social work of playing together. It's very clear to me that the children enjoy being around other children, but not all the time. How we work through tough moments at the beginning of our day may look very different from what our kids might need a couple of hours later. On my end, taking an attitude of "suiting the mood" in helping the children problem-solve is essential.
In the morning, addressing conflict can be more readily addressed as an open question to the group. A perfect example: on Wednesday morning, some of the children were gathered on the rug, using large yogurt containers as drums and hitting them with chopsticks, having a blast. Another child was making soup in the housekeeping area and wanted to extend her play, so she brought her pot of soup to the rug as well. The drummers began banging on the pot, which upset the young cook. I asked the children to take five. "Help me figure out what we can do. Young Cook brought the pot over and she was still using it, I could see that. Young Cook, did you bring it over for us to use for drums?" Everyone could hear and see the big NO on her face. "Would it be alright for me to bring out some other pans to bang on?" This seemed to be a good solution and the drummers were invited into the kitchen to bring the big pans out.
Other times, when we have to take turns, it's inevitable that someone might have to wait. Helping the children remember which words to use:"I'd like a turn when you are finished", or "I'm using it. You can have it when I'm done" gives them a script. What's more, when I'm checking in and helping children to organize how their turns will go, I'll sometimes ask "Does that feel good for you?" In life, not everything is fair, but we have a lot of opportunities to figure out compromises that feel okay for everyone. When two children can come to agreement and be content with it, I know that it's less likely we're going to revisit that conflict in the next few minutes. Sometimes our children aren't happy with having to wait for a turn or having to regulate themselves in some way, but asking this question gives me better information and allows me to offer empathy and alternatives instead of just leaving a child to sit there unhappy.
Toward the end of the day it's great to be outside. By this time, some days, the children need more space for independent play and may need more assertiveness on my part. An afternoon scene between two playmates illustrates this well: one was using a bucket and a piece of raffia together, wrapping the ribbon around the bucket's handle to fashion a new way of holding it; the other child wanted to load sand into the bucket. Both tired, the children weren't in the mood to process this together and so I stepped in, noticing what was happening and pointing the second child toward an unused bucket. Yet another turn of events ensued: now that this second bucket was being filled with sand, the first child wanted to help with the scooping and filling. This was just too much for the second child: she'd been pushed away to find her own bucket and now this one was her's. The children needed direction and time away from this situation, so I invited the first child to play with another child, whose game was to fill up scoops with water from the trickle of the downspouts. Everyone was content.
Knowing when to bring the children into the negotiation process, and when they just need someone else to be observant, responsive and in charge is a balancing act. What I've also noticed, though, is that the children are really using the scripts we've been practicing. Our small table in the puzzle area is a designated space for one child to work on their own, unless they are open to having company. I now hear children asking each other at the table "Do you want to be alone?" and "Can I do puzzles with you?" before they join each other. Likewise, when someone is working at something, we are using phrases like "Do you want help?" before jumping into someone else's activity. This is helpful when the children are working from their imaginations to create something or when they are needing a break from being in the company of others.
All of this is very important work for our youngsters. We can support this at home, too, by modeling what we would like them to do and by just noticing what's happening during times of potential conflict. ("Oh, you want to use this whole table for playdough and I need some space to do my work. What could we do to have space for both of us?") When we involve children in problem-solving for these minor situations, we help them practice these skills in a way that helps to reinforce them and builds confidence because they are an active part of the resolution.
Lastly, for what it's worth, I'm of the belief that conflict isn't necessarily a bad thing, most especially when we can use these differences of need or opinion to guide the children to finding common ground. The more comfortable our children become now, in preschool, with sharing their feelings and ideas and even their sense of what's right and feels good, the better prepared they will be for a larger preschool or kindergarten group.
Usually I focus on our specific activities for the week, but today I wanted to share about our group and how we move through the day in regard to the social work of playing together. It's very clear to me that the children enjoy being around other children, but not all the time. How we work through tough moments at the beginning of our day may look very different from what our kids might need a couple of hours later. On my end, taking an attitude of "suiting the mood" in helping the children problem-solve is essential.
In the morning, addressing conflict can be more readily addressed as an open question to the group. A perfect example: on Wednesday morning, some of the children were gathered on the rug, using large yogurt containers as drums and hitting them with chopsticks, having a blast. Another child was making soup in the housekeeping area and wanted to extend her play, so she brought her pot of soup to the rug as well. The drummers began banging on the pot, which upset the young cook. I asked the children to take five. "Help me figure out what we can do. Young Cook brought the pot over and she was still using it, I could see that. Young Cook, did you bring it over for us to use for drums?" Everyone could hear and see the big NO on her face. "Would it be alright for me to bring out some other pans to bang on?" This seemed to be a good solution and the drummers were invited into the kitchen to bring the big pans out.
Other times, when we have to take turns, it's inevitable that someone might have to wait. Helping the children remember which words to use:"I'd like a turn when you are finished", or "I'm using it. You can have it when I'm done" gives them a script. What's more, when I'm checking in and helping children to organize how their turns will go, I'll sometimes ask "Does that feel good for you?" In life, not everything is fair, but we have a lot of opportunities to figure out compromises that feel okay for everyone. When two children can come to agreement and be content with it, I know that it's less likely we're going to revisit that conflict in the next few minutes. Sometimes our children aren't happy with having to wait for a turn or having to regulate themselves in some way, but asking this question gives me better information and allows me to offer empathy and alternatives instead of just leaving a child to sit there unhappy.
Toward the end of the day it's great to be outside. By this time, some days, the children need more space for independent play and may need more assertiveness on my part. An afternoon scene between two playmates illustrates this well: one was using a bucket and a piece of raffia together, wrapping the ribbon around the bucket's handle to fashion a new way of holding it; the other child wanted to load sand into the bucket. Both tired, the children weren't in the mood to process this together and so I stepped in, noticing what was happening and pointing the second child toward an unused bucket. Yet another turn of events ensued: now that this second bucket was being filled with sand, the first child wanted to help with the scooping and filling. This was just too much for the second child: she'd been pushed away to find her own bucket and now this one was her's. The children needed direction and time away from this situation, so I invited the first child to play with another child, whose game was to fill up scoops with water from the trickle of the downspouts. Everyone was content.
Knowing when to bring the children into the negotiation process, and when they just need someone else to be observant, responsive and in charge is a balancing act. What I've also noticed, though, is that the children are really using the scripts we've been practicing. Our small table in the puzzle area is a designated space for one child to work on their own, unless they are open to having company. I now hear children asking each other at the table "Do you want to be alone?" and "Can I do puzzles with you?" before they join each other. Likewise, when someone is working at something, we are using phrases like "Do you want help?" before jumping into someone else's activity. This is helpful when the children are working from their imaginations to create something or when they are needing a break from being in the company of others.
All of this is very important work for our youngsters. We can support this at home, too, by modeling what we would like them to do and by just noticing what's happening during times of potential conflict. ("Oh, you want to use this whole table for playdough and I need some space to do my work. What could we do to have space for both of us?") When we involve children in problem-solving for these minor situations, we help them practice these skills in a way that helps to reinforce them and builds confidence because they are an active part of the resolution.
Lastly, for what it's worth, I'm of the belief that conflict isn't necessarily a bad thing, most especially when we can use these differences of need or opinion to guide the children to finding common ground. The more comfortable our children become now, in preschool, with sharing their feelings and ideas and even their sense of what's right and feels good, the better prepared they will be for a larger preschool or kindergarten group.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Water/Color
Last week we tried our hand at wet-on-wet watercolor painting for the first time. This technique allows children to explore not only the process of painting, but the feeling each color evokes. I'm just beginning my journey of discovery in this process, and am excited to learn about new, fun ways to engage the children in their artwork. This particular method introduces our color friends--red, yellow and blue--as characters in stories which encourage the children to use their imaginations and paintbrushes to express their ideas about what the colors do and how they interact (are blue and yellow feeling timid, in their separate places on the paper, or are they rolling and playing together to unite and make green?). I'll be interested to see how the children interpret the stories and, more to the point, if this is an activity they are interested in continuing to do.
Outdoors we learned a new way to play with color: by pounding spent flower petals onto paper with rocks. The children were visibly curious and delighted to see the bright colors of our primroses transferred onto the plain, white paper. It will be interesting to explore which flowers will give their color up as our garden fills in over the next months, and it's an activity I hope that we can come back to.
We also explored color in the large washtub. This is the evolution of our play on some days: we first filled the tub with some warm, soapy water; once the bubbles diminished (we got very quiet and put our heads close by to listen for the soft sound of those teeny bubbles popping), we added a bit of food color and voila!- blue water. Not content with one color, red was added and naturally, the color changed to a very pink purple. "That's red" said one child. Time to introduce the correct information! I filled a container with water separate from the tub and then we added the red, observing the brighter, truer color, and then added this to the water in the tub. So, too, went yellow. Instead of turning brown, once the yellow was blended into the mix, it turned a very lovely golden color. The children moved onto using the water mill and experimenting with marbles to see if they could slow the water moving through the hole at the top, where the water is poured in. One child invented a game in which she placed a marble in a mill wheel, then tried to catch it in a measuring cup. So, color, science and fine motor skills all got a great workout around the tub.
Outdoors, too, water seems to be the best toy ever. We spent a lot of time hauling watering cans all over the yard, making a nice patch of mud and ensuring our flowers are getting enough to drink. The seeds we planted the week before are sprouting, and the children were excited to see the evidence of life in the planter; the sprouts are a variety of green. The differences of each sprout will be more easy to observe as they grow.
More moments from our week:
Little sparks of dramatic play: the children once again made "smoothies" in the rice bin; held a tea party complete with dancing and wearing necklaces; long blocks were used as vacuums during our clean-up time; and we had three trains chug-a-choochooing through the rooms.
Pom-poms were created especially for scissors practice. These yarn loops are a challenge to cut, so after a bit the children went back to cutting paper and coloring the scraps.
We tried "chalk-dip" artwork; colored chalk is dipped into white paint and then the child can draw on dark paper with it. We had a range of results; one child loved the paint so much that the chalk color was all but invisible. At one point, the children came up with the idea of "writing" in the paint (on the paper) with chopsticks, so these were supplied. They also enjoyed dumping a little paint on the paper and making thumbprints.
On Thursday we took a neighborhood walk, admiring the crocuses and collecting sweet gum pods in our pockets.
Have you ever heard an opera about raspberries? Well, our kids sang a very short one, all of a minute, in sweet little operatic voices. The lovely "Raahhhss-berrieees!" were exulted in trilling voices. A short celebration, but a celebration indeed!
See you soon
Outdoors we learned a new way to play with color: by pounding spent flower petals onto paper with rocks. The children were visibly curious and delighted to see the bright colors of our primroses transferred onto the plain, white paper. It will be interesting to explore which flowers will give their color up as our garden fills in over the next months, and it's an activity I hope that we can come back to.
We also explored color in the large washtub. This is the evolution of our play on some days: we first filled the tub with some warm, soapy water; once the bubbles diminished (we got very quiet and put our heads close by to listen for the soft sound of those teeny bubbles popping), we added a bit of food color and voila!- blue water. Not content with one color, red was added and naturally, the color changed to a very pink purple. "That's red" said one child. Time to introduce the correct information! I filled a container with water separate from the tub and then we added the red, observing the brighter, truer color, and then added this to the water in the tub. So, too, went yellow. Instead of turning brown, once the yellow was blended into the mix, it turned a very lovely golden color. The children moved onto using the water mill and experimenting with marbles to see if they could slow the water moving through the hole at the top, where the water is poured in. One child invented a game in which she placed a marble in a mill wheel, then tried to catch it in a measuring cup. So, color, science and fine motor skills all got a great workout around the tub.
Outdoors, too, water seems to be the best toy ever. We spent a lot of time hauling watering cans all over the yard, making a nice patch of mud and ensuring our flowers are getting enough to drink. The seeds we planted the week before are sprouting, and the children were excited to see the evidence of life in the planter; the sprouts are a variety of green. The differences of each sprout will be more easy to observe as they grow.
More moments from our week:
Little sparks of dramatic play: the children once again made "smoothies" in the rice bin; held a tea party complete with dancing and wearing necklaces; long blocks were used as vacuums during our clean-up time; and we had three trains chug-a-choochooing through the rooms.
Pom-poms were created especially for scissors practice. These yarn loops are a challenge to cut, so after a bit the children went back to cutting paper and coloring the scraps.
We tried "chalk-dip" artwork; colored chalk is dipped into white paint and then the child can draw on dark paper with it. We had a range of results; one child loved the paint so much that the chalk color was all but invisible. At one point, the children came up with the idea of "writing" in the paint (on the paper) with chopsticks, so these were supplied. They also enjoyed dumping a little paint on the paper and making thumbprints.
On Thursday we took a neighborhood walk, admiring the crocuses and collecting sweet gum pods in our pockets.
Have you ever heard an opera about raspberries? Well, our kids sang a very short one, all of a minute, in sweet little operatic voices. The lovely "Raahhhss-berrieees!" were exulted in trilling voices. A short celebration, but a celebration indeed!
See you soon
Monday, March 1, 2010
Puzzles and Pixies
"I sort of did it the wrong way", one child told another as she pondered a new puzzle. She'd taken the puzzle apart and was becoming discouraged at returning it to its whole state. But it's nice to have friends at school, and her buddy nearby helped her reassemble it. It was returned to the shelf next to some of the other new materials that encourage sorting, stacking in sequential orders, and thinking about fractions in a very tangible way. The puzzles were a huge draw this last week, partly due to their novelty, and partly because they are just so engaging.
I love puzzles because they offer children a very concrete opportunity to work toward mastery all on their own. I notice that the fraction board puzzle is put away in a variety of "right ways", especially when the one of the halves is combined with two of the quarters to make a circle or square. Our narrow-to-wide puzzle is a challenge, because it requires some trial and error to get all the pieces in their correct spots, and the children really have to look at what they are doing to understand where each piece needs to go.
Our rice play went smaller: our larger bowls are gone and now we have a few larger water bottles and a glass vanilla bottle with a tiny neck; these props ask the children to exercise some fine motor skills in order to fill them up. We also have a muffin tin and egg carton to fill, but their favorite thing to make is still 'smoothies'; in fact, we added a beaker-shaped container to the housekeeping kitchen so that the children had a 'blender' to pile the wooden fruit and nuts into. Apparently, everything in the little kitchen goes into a smoothie, including some very tasty vegetables.
One of the most exciting moments of my time in the school last week was initiated by one child's interest in playing with the cars. I suggested that perhaps a road could be built with the blocks and the idea took off from there. The long blocks became a couple of main streets, from which smaller blocks extended, creating side roads. Not content to just drive the cars along the blocks, one child decided they needed a stop sign, so we took a minute to find a red piece of paper, which she then cut out and wrote "STOP" onto in her own writing. Once it was taped onto an intersection of her choosing, the play was abandoned. Nonetheless, the Stop Sign is still around, taped to the front of the block shelves and waiting to be used again. And, interestingly enough, the children all know that it's a stop sign, despite its dissimilarity from the real-life item.
It's moments like these that make writing and learning words interesting and relevant for our children. These are the sparks that keep children curious and help to empower them in their journey of learning.
One very important thing that we are learning at school is that the work of others needs to be respected and left alone unless we ask. As a playdough creation was crushed in a little hand, the creator let out a protest and the owner of the little hand declared that they didn't like what was being made. This was a great opportunity to learn about asking before we change someone else's work. We discussed how we could tell the creator was still using the playdough (because their hands were on it) and that when someone is making something, it is important to them. I avoid asking the children "How would you feel if...?" and instead focus on how the other person is feeling in that moment. The moment was resolved when the creator remade their work, then told the other child "you can do it now, I'm done" while handing the playdough over willingly.
Another phrase we are learning is to ask a friend if they need help before taking over an activity. Some children like a buddy to help them fill up a bottle with rice or to build a chair/bed out of blocks, while others have their own ideas on how to go about their play and want to work alone while in the group. Nonetheless, I've been encouraging the children to help each other with coats and boots or other daily tasks; I feel that this gives the children a chance to perceive each other as friendly helpers. When children are so busy learning how to take turns and share what's around, it's easy for them to perceive other children as potential competition. Helping each other provides balance by giving the children a chance to work together and enjoy each other for mutual benefit.
Because you don't want to spend an hour reading this, here are a few snapshots from our week:
The children digging carefully in the sandbox. The elves had hidden some treasure there and the children were very curious as to what it could be; a while later they'd uncovered the treasure (blue glass 'gems') and were discovering that the elves had scattered gems in other areas around the back garden as well, as a way of saying Thank You for the sweet flowers and seeds we've planted--Elves are great appreciators of natural beauty.
Children squeezing glitter glue onto foil with great intensity. "Look! I made a One!" said a child, pointing to a bright single line.
We brought out our new wax block crayons and created our first journal pages. A delight to hear their descriptions, rooted in such imagination!
Train play. We read Donald Crews "Freight Train" and this inspired the children to build a train by lining the stools up in a row. The following conversation ensued:
Child: I want to go to the table factory.
Friend:Where do you want to go next?
Child: The track factory.
Friend: I have this one factory here.The rice play.
(Children switch who's driving.)
Child:Here's some cheese. Where would you like to go?"
Friend: OMSI
We read "Growing a Rainbow", then examined the colorful seed packets of the vegetables we'll be planting. Yellow podded peas, blue podded shelling peas, orange carrots...yum!
We filled a planter of potting soil and scattered seeds from a children's flower mix. We'll be watching to see them sprout.
Pretending to be seeds; the children decided to be coconuts, so there we were, lying on the beach, when we began to sprout, put down roots, and grow up, up, up into tall trees, which made more coconuts...
The whole group sitting at the table, stomping their feet loudly and laughing, having a grand time.
Isn't that what preschool's for? See you soon!
I love puzzles because they offer children a very concrete opportunity to work toward mastery all on their own. I notice that the fraction board puzzle is put away in a variety of "right ways", especially when the one of the halves is combined with two of the quarters to make a circle or square. Our narrow-to-wide puzzle is a challenge, because it requires some trial and error to get all the pieces in their correct spots, and the children really have to look at what they are doing to understand where each piece needs to go.
Our rice play went smaller: our larger bowls are gone and now we have a few larger water bottles and a glass vanilla bottle with a tiny neck; these props ask the children to exercise some fine motor skills in order to fill them up. We also have a muffin tin and egg carton to fill, but their favorite thing to make is still 'smoothies'; in fact, we added a beaker-shaped container to the housekeeping kitchen so that the children had a 'blender' to pile the wooden fruit and nuts into. Apparently, everything in the little kitchen goes into a smoothie, including some very tasty vegetables.
One of the most exciting moments of my time in the school last week was initiated by one child's interest in playing with the cars. I suggested that perhaps a road could be built with the blocks and the idea took off from there. The long blocks became a couple of main streets, from which smaller blocks extended, creating side roads. Not content to just drive the cars along the blocks, one child decided they needed a stop sign, so we took a minute to find a red piece of paper, which she then cut out and wrote "STOP" onto in her own writing. Once it was taped onto an intersection of her choosing, the play was abandoned. Nonetheless, the Stop Sign is still around, taped to the front of the block shelves and waiting to be used again. And, interestingly enough, the children all know that it's a stop sign, despite its dissimilarity from the real-life item.
It's moments like these that make writing and learning words interesting and relevant for our children. These are the sparks that keep children curious and help to empower them in their journey of learning.
One very important thing that we are learning at school is that the work of others needs to be respected and left alone unless we ask. As a playdough creation was crushed in a little hand, the creator let out a protest and the owner of the little hand declared that they didn't like what was being made. This was a great opportunity to learn about asking before we change someone else's work. We discussed how we could tell the creator was still using the playdough (because their hands were on it) and that when someone is making something, it is important to them. I avoid asking the children "How would you feel if...?" and instead focus on how the other person is feeling in that moment. The moment was resolved when the creator remade their work, then told the other child "you can do it now, I'm done" while handing the playdough over willingly.
Another phrase we are learning is to ask a friend if they need help before taking over an activity. Some children like a buddy to help them fill up a bottle with rice or to build a chair/bed out of blocks, while others have their own ideas on how to go about their play and want to work alone while in the group. Nonetheless, I've been encouraging the children to help each other with coats and boots or other daily tasks; I feel that this gives the children a chance to perceive each other as friendly helpers. When children are so busy learning how to take turns and share what's around, it's easy for them to perceive other children as potential competition. Helping each other provides balance by giving the children a chance to work together and enjoy each other for mutual benefit.
Because you don't want to spend an hour reading this, here are a few snapshots from our week:
The children digging carefully in the sandbox. The elves had hidden some treasure there and the children were very curious as to what it could be; a while later they'd uncovered the treasure (blue glass 'gems') and were discovering that the elves had scattered gems in other areas around the back garden as well, as a way of saying Thank You for the sweet flowers and seeds we've planted--Elves are great appreciators of natural beauty.
Children squeezing glitter glue onto foil with great intensity. "Look! I made a One!" said a child, pointing to a bright single line.
We brought out our new wax block crayons and created our first journal pages. A delight to hear their descriptions, rooted in such imagination!
Train play. We read Donald Crews "Freight Train" and this inspired the children to build a train by lining the stools up in a row. The following conversation ensued:
Child: I want to go to the table factory.
Friend:Where do you want to go next?
Child: The track factory.
Friend: I have this one factory here.The rice play.
(Children switch who's driving.)
Child:Here's some cheese. Where would you like to go?"
Friend: OMSI
We read "Growing a Rainbow", then examined the colorful seed packets of the vegetables we'll be planting. Yellow podded peas, blue podded shelling peas, orange carrots...yum!
We filled a planter of potting soil and scattered seeds from a children's flower mix. We'll be watching to see them sprout.
Pretending to be seeds; the children decided to be coconuts, so there we were, lying on the beach, when we began to sprout, put down roots, and grow up, up, up into tall trees, which made more coconuts...
The whole group sitting at the table, stomping their feet loudly and laughing, having a grand time.
Isn't that what preschool's for? See you soon!
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