Skip to main content

Moments of interest...

There was a lot of productive play today as children explored a few new materials. We had two clear bins filled with gigantic multi- coloured  pom poms and two bowls. This new activity was captivating for many children and I sat back and watched Colin and Cash for quite a while as they interacted with the pom poms. They initially began their play by sorting the pom poms by colour. Then Cash started to count the pom poms but quickly moved onto hiding them underneath the big container. He then turned the container over and declared that he was "The pom pom delivery man." and walked towards Colin. Cash dumped them out and Colin exclaimed "The pom poms are jumping out." They continued to play with the idea of the pom poms "jumping" out for a long time, at times spilling them all over their heads and then frantically picking them up and putting them back into the container. Soon, the two of them were holding one lid on top of the other and hiding them. Then the idea of hiding took on a new form as they transferred the pom poms to the small bowl and again inverted one on top of the other. This action was done repeatedly and I wondered about what they think about the idea of concealing something. What it means to conceal something tangible, like a pom pom. Also, what it means to conceal something more abstruse, like information. I wonder if these concepts could be explored in class. Children, from a young age, enjoy the game of hiding objects so how can we build on this idea?

 








There were straws and connectors on the large carpet and this area was very busy with children coming and going. Many children played with making abstract designs while others made a shape of something they knew.

Bryn said  " I am making a sun. It has to be a circle and have spikes."

 


















Other things made:
Wayne: a fan
Zev: a helicopter ( he then said to me " Can you write that down?" Interesting that he wanted me to write it down- validation?)
Niko: a bicycle pedal
Cole: the letter "X"
Loreli: a rainbow stick





Emily


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

4 Year Old M/W/F Class – I Hear…I See…I Wonder…

We began one of our circle discussions with a question for the children, “What would you like to learn, wonder or hear about?” Here is what they said:    “Skateboarding, Soccer, Perches” (Connor) “Bikes” (Taylor) “Going outside to see if I left my toy” (Jun)  “The Sun” (Jack) “Rollerskating and Swimming” (Daniella)"Skating” (Noel) “Ball” (Sofie) “Scooter and Tricycle” (Masaki) “Shoes” (Ashlan) “When you put something under a pillow you can find it” (Tia) “Soccer” (Kyle) From my list I noticed quite a few of the children were interested in wheels, so at our next circle discussion we looked closely at a scooter and a pair of roller skates – as well as the wheels on a long board. The conversation brought up more questions and answers, which the children confidently discussed amongst themselves. One of the questions was “What makes this a scooter?” The conversation followed with “The scooter has a handle and a brake” and “I know how to ride a long board.” ...

Social Responsibility: Down to the Core

Social responsibility- a term that has now become quite common in the field of education and has the potential to lose its meaning if we are not careful. As an early childhood educator, I have always placed great importance on the need to develop this way of thinking in young children. It is for this reason that we engage in activities that benefit others, such as volunteering at our local food bank, adopting an owl, or raising money for Variety Club. With the recent catastrophe in the Philippines, my mind was suddenly thrown into its own typhoon. I found myself asking questions around social responsibility and what it really means. What does it mean to me? What does it mean to my preschoolers? How far does it extend into the world around us? Can four year old children grasp these deep and complex concepts? What can they understand about their world? How can we teach them about being socially responsible to: ones self; ones family; ones community; ones province; ones country; ones worl...

And We Begin

This week marks a new beginning for all of us. And, with all new beginnings, it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the past and think about what is to come. I have been going to yoga a lot this past while and one of the things the instructors mention at the onset of each class is to create an intention for your practice.  I thought a lot about this concept and decided that it would be interesting and important to apply it to my teaching on a deeper level than in the past. So, as I move into the year, I am hoping to set intentions, which I believe are different than goals. For me personally, goals are more structured and outcome driven. Intentions imply more of a journey. Balancing intentions with flexibility and openness will be the challenge.  I also want to explore the idea of children setting their own intentions. Can this work? Will they understand? Can we help support this idea without creating comparisons or pressure? I am really not sure. And so we begin...