Winter Week III

Winter Week III literally went out with a bang in two important ways!  First, as we accumulated some serious snow fall and finally had an opportunity to get out doors for winter play! 

Secondly, as we "banged" away at our Piñatas, and broke them open!  

Ice painting was also a highlight of the week!

Looking Deeper:  Exploration and Learning through Play.

Let's take a closer look at making a Pinata.

As the photos illustrate, breaking the Piñata was lots of fun.  Making the Piñata was fun as well, and the process was a valuable learning experience for the children on many levels.  Making things with children teaches them how those things come to be, a fact that may be obvious to grown-ups but is often a mystery to children.  Additionally, it illustrates that the process has sequential components that happen over time.  If the Piñata is to be strong and durable, no step can be missed and the process cannot be rushed.  That in and of itself is a great lesson to teach as it is an important metaphor for life!  

Including the children in the Piñata making process not only educates, it empowers them and honors their capabilities.  We seize every opportunity possible to reinforce the children's understanding that they are not only helpful, they are important, and their participation is essential to the classroom community!

Yes, making the Piñata was fun for the children, however, it may be one of the few times when destroying their creation was as much fun, if not more, than making it!!!

Have a fun and restful Holiday Season!

Winter Week II

Winter Week II brought continued "snow production" both outdoors and at our art table!  

We continued to read and discuss Winter story books, and "snowman" songs were sung daily! 

We began the process of making a piñata for our Piñata Party.

We also began rehearsing for our Peace Assembly performance! 

Looking Deeper:  Exploration and Learning through Play

Let's take a closer look at Story Time.

Over the past two weeks we have read many winter related story books, with "snowmen" being a recurring theme.  While all of the "snowmen" books have been fictional, they were none the less a wonderful vehicle for teaching Science!  Each book dramatically described the enthusiastic building of a snow-person, and the inevitable thawing, melting and transformation of the "snowy friend" into a puddle!  Ultimately and happily new snow fell, and the beloved "snow person" was built anew!

The children have loved hearing multiple readings of Bob the Snowman by Sylvia Loretan, Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright, The Snow Child, by Freya Littledale, and Sadie and the Snowman by Allen Morgan!  During the readings we talked about why snow people melt.  "Because it gets hot!"  We talked about why puddles disappear.  "Because the water goes up into the clouds!"  We talked about why it snows again. "Because it gets cold and the water turns back into snow and falls to the ground"!  After several such discussions, I introduced the words, "precipitation", "evaporation" and "condensation".  I then routinely used these words in subsequent discussions.  By week's end, some of the children were able to use these words appropriately, and nearly all of the children were able to tell me which word meant snow falling down, water going back into the sky, and water turning back into snow.

These fictional story books were not only the source of great factual information, they were the catalyst for our doing a little "experimenting" of our own.  On Thursday, we observed an ice cube and some snow in the classroom.  Over the course of the day, we observed and discussed the melting process, until ultimately, all we saw was water.  Then we predicted whether all the water would evaporate by Friday morning, leaving our purple dishes dry.  The children could not wait to have a look at the dishes upon their arrival and were very excited to see that they were indeed dry!

A closer look at Story Time reveals the ease and importance of integrating subject matter (fictional literature and Science) for the children , and of course the excitement of experiential learning!

Have a fun and restful weekend!

Winter Week I

Winter Week I witnessed the children's seamless return to our classroom routines after a four day Thanksgiving break.  Our wall had been stripped of its Fall art work, so the children set to work creating new "Winter" art work!  We choose cool winter-like colors and used a different printing implement each day to create beautiful "snowflakes."  As in nature, at Parker no two pieces of "snowflake art" look alike!  In addition, we read lots of winter books and learned several winter songs! 

The block area bustled all week as the children continued to explore, construct and create with the Waffle Blocks that we moved into the room the Friday before the Harvest Feast.  From all appearance it was quite apparent that everyone was happy to be back at school!

Looking Deeper:  Exploration and Learning through Play

Let's take a closer look at Waffle Block play.

Children are naturally drawn to Waffle Blocks because they are large and colorful.  Building with Waffle Blocks takes the children far beyond the initial stages of stacking and layering.  Constructing with these blocks necessitates utilizing sophisticated mathematical discernment and skill, given the two prong into three prong building block design.  Initially, the teachers, (especially Ann) model and mentor construction for and with the children.

Driven by their great interest and desire, the children are quick to master this technique and elaborate floor designs begin to appear all over the rug! 

In no time at all our young "contractors" master the technique for building walls, and their structures become three dimensional. 

Dramatic play and block play always go hand in hand, so the children quickly inhabit their "open-air structures," engaging in play that is limited only by the extent and direction of their imaginations. 

Their sense of design never cease to amaze us as the children create practical uses for their creations as well!

Before week's end they have installed roofs, created community dwellings and are enjoying one another's company in their cozy little houses!  

Waffle Block play engages and extends skills in all developmental areas.  One has only to "look deeper" at these photos to observe the ways in which the children have engaged their cognitive skills (thinking, imagining, mathematical planning),  their speech and language skills (collaborating, role playing), their social/emotional skills (empowering, interacting, pride, joy and delight in their structures), their fine and gross motor skills (lifting, connecting and putting away the blocks).  It is a joy and privilege to facilitate and witness the children's growth and achievements through play!

Have a fun and restful weekend!