Extraordinary Classroom

The Power of Documentation Lies In The Picture

2012-01-24T03:43:00.000-08:00

A good picture lends power to documentation. Even before I look at the document that accompanies an experience, I turn to the picture to tell me the story, to identify the learning, to make the connection, to show the child's emotions, interests and expressed theories.

Capturing those perfect moments and the complexity of learning, requires an attentive teacher. One who is actively engaged in the process of contructing knowledge.

While documenting bear in mind that the pictures are just as important as the accompanying discourse and comments. For the parents of the children, the pictures may be more meaningful because most often they observe the pictures rather than read lengthy explanations. Thus, good pictures are crucial to effective documentation.

It is the thinking that you are seeking, that powerful moment when the child makes a connection. Effective pictures tell what the child is learning, thinking or intending to do not just only what he/she is actually doing. Especially with younger children, when language is limited, your pictures are the most powerful documentation tool. Ensure good visibility to the child’s face.Facial expressions will tell their story.

Digital cameras allow you to take many photos so snap away. When you have a qiet moment you can select the ones that demonstrate the process best.

Group pictures are esqually as important in the constructing and deconstrucitong of theories. This is especially true with older children where much happens in group discourse and work.

Embedded in the Wings of A Butterfly What did We See?

2012-01-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

A chance encounter with a monarch butterfly led to the making of this exceptional mosaic.

As the children looked at the wing span of the butterfly they thought they saw a human face. Was that the case? At the same time new loose materials arrived at the school and the teachers asked the children if they would like to design their own "human face" butterfly using some of the intriguing materials. How would they design it? Suggestions were made to use google image to find the ideal model. Although the first recommendation from the teacher was for the children to make their own drawings they were far too excited when they discovered this exceptional image.

Have a look at the city in motion project and take a stroll in the country!

Click the link on the right of the page-enjoy!

The Nutcracker- A SK Holiday Favorite!

2012-01-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

It’s a cozy Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum’s house. Their house is decorated with Christmas ornaments, wreaths, stockings, mistletoe and in the center of it all, a majestic Christmas tree. As the Stahlbaum’s prepare for their annual Christmas party, their children, Fritz and Clara, wait anxiously for their family and friends to arrive. When the guests finally appear, the party picks up with dancing and celebration. A mysterious guest arrives dressed in dark clothing, nearly frightening Fritz, but not Clara. Clara knows he is Godfather Drosselmeyer, the toymaker. His surprise arrival is warmly accepted and all the children dance and carry on with laughter. The celebration is interrupted again when Drosselmeyer reveals to the children that he has brought them gifts. The girls receive beautiful china dolls and the boys receive bugles. Fritz is given a beautiful drum, but Clara is given the best gift of all, the Nutcracker. Fritz grows jealous, snatches the Nutcracker from Clara and plays a game of toss with the other boys. It isn't long until the Nutcracker breaks. Clara is upset, but Drosselmeyer fixes it with a handkerchief. Drosselmeyer’s nephew offers Clara a small make-shift bed under the Christmas tree for her injured Nutcracker.

The party grows late and the children become sleepy. Everyone generously thanks the Stahlbaum’s before they leave. As Clara’s family retires to bed, she checks on her Nutcracker one last time and ends up falling asleep under the Christmas tree with the Nutcracker in her arms. At the stroke of midnight Clara wakes up to a frightening scene. The house, the tree and the toys seem to be getting larger. Is she shrinking? Out of nowhere large mice dressed in army uniforms, lead by the Mouse King, begin to circle the room while the toys and Christmas tree come to life. Clara’s Nutcracker groups the soldier toys into battle formation and fights the mouse army. The Mouse King traps the Nutcracker in the corner, but the Nutcracker can’t overcome the Mouse King’s strength. Clara makes a desperate move to save her Nutcracker from defeat and throws her slipper at the Mouse King. She hits him directly in the head! The Nutcracker is able to overcome the stunned Mouse King and claims victory. The mice army quickly carries away their King.

Clara falls onto the Nutcracker’s bed, over-whelmed by the moment. As angels and delightful music hover over their heads, the bed turns into a magical sleigh, floating higher and higher. The Nutcracker is transformed into a human prince (who looks strikingly similar to Drosselmeyer’s nephew). He gets on Clara’s sleigh and drives through a snowy forest where the snowflakes turn into dancing maidens.

After their magical journey through the snow forest, they come to their destination in the Land of Sweets. Clara can’t believe her eyes; ladyfinger mountains topped with whipped cream whiter than snow, sweetly glazed flowers and butter-cream frosting everywhere she looks. Upon their arrival, they are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy. As they reenact the night’s events, the Sugar Plum Fairy becomes impressed with Clara’s bravery and the Nutcracker’s heroism. In their honor, the Sugar Plum Fairy takes them inside the Candy Castle and throws a lavish festival. They are treated like royalty and presented with every imaginable sweet. Shortly thereafter, the dancing begins.

Hot coco dances to the lively music of trumpets and castanets of the Spanish fandango. The women of coffee dance in veils and move their bodies like rising steam to an Arabian song, while Mandarin tea dances to an exotic Asian flute chorus. Matroishkas (Russian dolls) follow the Mandarin tea leaping and dancing to an invigorating Russian Trepak.

To Clara’s enjoyment there is still more to be seen. A giant gingerbread house, known as Mother Ginger, dances onto the Sugar Plum Fairy’s court. She opens her skirt and eight little gingerbread children come dancing out circling around her. After the Mirliton dance is over, the children quickly file back into the large gingerbread house and Mother Ginger leaves the room. Soon after Mother Ginger exits, the dancing flowers enter to the tune of the harp. Perhaps the most beautiful waltz she has ever heard, Clara and the Nutcracker Prince watch with amazement. The flowers dance in beautiful mesmerizing patterns as a single Dewdrop floats above them.

Silence quickly follows the end of their dance. Clara doesn’t know what to expect next. A handsome Cavalier enters the scene and escorts the Sugar Plum Fairy to the center of the room. They dance to the most recognizable song in the entire work. The captivating pair dance lighter than air. This beautiful dance completes Clara’s most perfect evening. The festival concludes when everyone comes together on the court and bids Clara and the Nutcracker Prince farewell. She tells the Nutcracker she wishes the adventure would never end and he tells her it won’t for those who have an eye to see it.

Clara wakes up the next morning under the Christmas tree with her Nutcracker still in her arms. http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/balletsynopses/a/thenutcracker_2.htm

The Christmas Tree Festival

2012-01-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

The use of evergreens to decorate homes during the Christmas season dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. But these hardy trees were used much earlier by pagan cultures who believed that they represented life and hope; two much needed elements to sustain people through long frigid winter months. Candles were used to light the ends of the tree branches to ward off evil spirits that were at their worst during the coldest days.

There are Magic Slides Carrying our Letters to Santa’s House!

2011-12-21T04:06:00.000-08:00

After the trip to the post office, the teacher asked Henry: “How will our letters reach Santa?”

Henry sketched his theory:

“There’s a magic slide underneath the mailbox that can carry our letters all the way to the North Pole. So there are lots of magic slides because Santa gets mail from children all over the world. Sometimes when the slide is broken, the reindeer will carry the letters back to Santa. “

Oh Christmas Tree!

2011-12-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

No need to cut down a tree! These children found some perfect items to make one!

Take a few minutes and log into the city blog-click on the right tab to see today's post!

How Does He Do It?

2011-12-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

There's not a single person fictional or real who has to do as much work as Santa. Travelling around the world in 24 hours, delivering millions of toys to children.

So how does he do it?
Here you go! Have a look at his projected route.
What a wonderful opportunity to do some mapping with the children.

The Santa Claus Parade!

2011-12-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

There is so much wonderful work that happens this time of the year. The magical stories of Santa, reindeer, elves, toys, and shopping flow freely through the classrooms. As teachers we are certain to find excellent opportunities for the children to work on their story telling skills, mapping, math and so much more.

The spirit of generosity and humanity remains, as it should, in the heart of the work that we do, this time of the year and throughout the school term.

Happy Holidays to All!

Obituary for Childhood

2011-12-02T04:24:00.000-08:00

Childhood was born at the beginning of time. He came into a world that promised him that he could run and play, discover and explore, think, investigate, and enjoy all the splendours that life had to offer. And for centuries the promise was kept. But all things change. And as time passed Childhood was plagued with Disease, Famine, Stife and Politics. Of all of these Politics did the worst damage to the soul of Childhood bringing him to the brink of extinction.

Politics, in all his glory and righteousness said, "I will send you to school and make you perfect. You will learn to sit in rows, be seen but not heard. You will stop your silly play and learn to read and write as soon as you can speak. You will walk with your eyes to the ground. You will not question the why and how of things simply accept the because. Zip your coats, see to your own needs, do not be concerned with napping, warm hugs, clean and dry clothes. Do not look to your teachers for comfort. Walk alone, eat in silence."

And Politics was cunning. He assured the Parents of Childhood that the classroom would be filled with riches.

It was never so. And as the years passed Childhood bore the burden of the seeds sown by Politics. His shoulders bent and his soul darkened and eventually he died.

Thank you Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario for the wonderful Full Time Kindergarten you have given the children of Ontario. What will your legacy be to them? I am relieved that my children are done with the school system. The full day kindergarten that has been forced upon them is a travesty.
Thank you to the teachers and administrators who have welcomed me into their schools so I could see for myself that, as expected, nothing of what Mr. McGuinty promised to implement is in place.
For example, where are the large wooden blocks that we see on the Full Day learning commercial Not one of the 30 classrooms that I visited had blocks or toys for that matter.
So what do the children do all day?

Oh yes, they color photocopied apples.
No wonder Childhood withered and died!

You should have left him in the hands of Early Childhood Educators.

Mr. McGuinty, why did you use Childhood to gain votes from unsuspecting Parents making them think that school is better for young children than preschool.
Parents still have a choice. Hopefully they will make the right one.
To those exceptional kindergarten teachers who are making a difference, this post is not for you!

There are Many Ways to Capture the Art of Monet

2011-11-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

Should Education be Enjoyable?

2011-11-21T07:31:00.000-08:00

In her insightful book, Intellectual Emergencies: Some Reflections on Mothering and Teaching Lilian Katz observes....

"The goal of education is not enjoyment; that is the goal of entertainment.... The goal of education is to engage the minds of the learners so that their understandings of significant phenomena and events become deeper, clearer, and more accurate. When we succeed at engaging their minds in such things, they find it enjoyable. But, though enjoyment cannot be our main goal, it can be a by-product of good teaching."

I'm not at all certain that I can support this particular point of view. Although I must say that I have not had the opportunity to read the book so I cannot say for certain what the context of the quote might be.

However I think it is worth addressing because many of the educators that I have worked with, think this way. It is in our most enjoyable moments that we build memories, observe new things, feel inspired to create, become motivated. If a child is not drawn to an enjoyable task then how will he stay focused or even want to engage?

A life lived in its fullest measure is one that is basked in seeking and doing that which we love and enjoy most. Take your career for example. Those who work with passion are content and find deep fulfillment. Those who do mundane task simply for survival find little pleasure.

So to then is it with the child's work. As educators we must be challenged to impart and share knowledge with children in engaging, entertaining and enlightening ways so that the children grow as a learners and constructors of knowledge. If a child is presented with a worksheet that instructs him to color in a hundred objects, will he find that engaging and then enjoyable? Would it not be better then to offer the child 10 jars and ask him to fill each jar with 10 jelly beans to make 10 sets of 10. Then of course he could enjoy one jar of treats when he has completed his task. I'm certain (if the child is cognitively ready ) the next time those jars come out he will be the first to the task.

So yes let's find wonderful ways to make learning enjoyable. That is the right of all human beings!

Remember and Be Grateful

2011-11-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

We wear poppies to remind us that the soldiers went to war and died. In the war there are two kinds of soldiers; the good one and the bad ones. Luckily the good one won and the bad ones are lying on the ground. Noah

What is remembrance day?

“We remember our soldiers who died in the war. Canadian soldiers were fighting the bad guys who attacked the good people. They protected them and kept them safe. We wear a poppy to honour and remember our soldiers. “ – Henry

Let Go of Your Traditional Thinking!

2011-11-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

I’m often asked this question, “Where do I begin as a teacher to make change?”

There are two fundamental considerations. You must first examine your image of the child and then, in order to change, you must be willing to rid yourself of traditional assumptions and roles. You must have no fear and you must be willing to relinquish control.

So let go of the familiar and believe in the competencies of young children. You are there to support their journey in learning; to be a co constructor of knowledge. You must challenge them, listen to their theories about how the world works; assist them to construct, deconstruct and reconstruct. Each challenge, each new discovery gives the child new insight.

Calm your environment. When I visit Kindergarten classrooms I am overwhelmed by the chaos on the walls. Little of what I see speaks of the children who occupy the classroom.

My eyes are confused by the colourful bulletin board paper lined with fancy thematic edges. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about! Then there’s the classic ABC strips, the good old calendars with the pre cut umbrellas, and suns; the number strips, the pre cut jars full of bugs and who knows what else. And of course they are all hanging metres above the child’s eye view.

Don’t worry about that because even if they were down low the children would rarely look at them, especially if they’ve been hanging there for a full school term.

Now look around your room. Does the children’s work look all the same? Twenty four perfect pre cut poppies all filled with the same pre cut tiny squares; paintings that are made with pre cut sponges; work sheets; labelled centres just in case the children are not capable of figuring out where that doll centre might be or where those crayons would go. Need I say more?

Strip down those boards. Make your background an off white; remove the edging. You don’t need it. Now fill those boards with authentic work; children’s representations of themselves; a family tree; a bouquet of daisies; a child’s theory on how emails travel. The possibilities are endless. Are you worried that the children won’t learn to read and write if you don’t post work sheets or alphabet strips?

Have no fear! Take a walk through the park and find things that begin with the letter A. Bring them back to the classroom, document your journey, post it, display it, live it and they will learn it.

Now you are ready to begin an exciting new adventure

Light Up the Room!

2011-11-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

The projector is a must have tool in every classroom from infants to kindergarten. It helps us to transcend the ordinary!

Light, when suddenly let in, dazzles and hurts and almost blinds us: but this soon passes away, and it seems to become the only element we can exist in. ~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

A Spooky Halloween to You All

2011-11-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

This time of the year we simply can't deny the children the opportunity to express their fascination with those ghoulish ghouls and jack-o-lanterns.

That Perfect Little Bunny

2011-10-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

A tree truck slab, by it very design, prompted Lorena to make this bunny.

It's Just a Broken Tree!

2011-10-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

The all green tree.

The funny tree;half green and half colorful.

The totally changed tree!

The broken tree!

During our morning nature walk the children noticed an abundance of colourful trees.

Sofia- This tree is all green but the other ones are colourful.

Then Karina noticed a tree that was half green and half yellow and orange.

Karina- This is a funny tree!

Teacher- Why is it funny?

Karina- It has different colors on it because it is autumn now!

As we walked further along the path Jack noticed a tree with leaves that had completely changed.

Jack- The leaves will fall off the tree soon because they are different colors and winter is coming!

Leo stumbled upon a tree that had no leaves.

Leo- This tree is broken!

Teacher- Why do you think this tree is broken?

Leo- The wind made the leaves fall to the ground so the tree is broken.

2011-10-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleagues, Friends and Fellow Teachers,

On behalf of all the educators at Reggio Kids, we would like to thank you for visiting our blog. Since it was launched in May of 2010 we have had 35744 visits from people all over the world. I have had the pleasure to dialogue with educators from China, Malaysia, Australia, Ireland, Italy and so many more.

We look forward to continuing our relationships and hope that you find as much joy in viewing these entries as we find in sharing them.

In the next few weeks, by popular request to post an ongoing project, a sister blog, will be launched to follow the exploration of our city, Toronto; a project that is being currently pursued by our three JK/SK Classes.

For now I wish you a life full of adventure.

Tiziana

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?

2011-10-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

This wonderful story by Eric Carle provides children with a hands on approach to learning colors. So put away those flash cards and precut tools and make some fossils!!

A Beautiful House

2011-10-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

“There is a mountain in the forest with a lake. There is a house on top of the mountain because people live there. I live in a house too! My house also has a door like this one. Now let’s do the sky, the sky is blue but the clouds are white”. -Dimi

Don't Fall In The Water!

2011-10-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

Leo noticed a long stick resting on the wall and asked if he could use it to make a bridge. Jack assisted him by creating one side of the base (using 5 tree cookies). Meanwhile Leo and Charlotte stacked six cookies on the opposite side. Jack placed the stick on top of the two bases.

Teacher- What is happening to the bridge?

Leo- It’s falling. It’s falling, the people will fall into the water.

Teacher- Do you know why the people will fall in the water?

Leo- It’s not even.

Jack- It has to be the same on both sides so the people won’t fall off. ( A lesson in symmetrical building)

Leo- We need a railing.

Teacher- Why do we need a railing?

Leo- If the people don’t have anything to hold onto the people will fall off the bridge.

Teacher- So what do you suggest we do about that?

Jack- We need to make a railing so the people don’t fall into the water.

A Fond Farewell to the Butterflies of 2011

2011-09-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why we believed that butterflies live for only a few days. Over the years, while working with the children, we've discovered that some species of butterflies, such as the Monarch, actually migrate south just like birds. But how do these wispy winged creatures cross an ocean and arrive safely in balmy Mexico?
As the butterflies prepare for their migration south, this group of girls take the opportunity to make these lovely wings!

What is that Sound?

2011-09-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

We are surrounded by sounds; music, the wind as it moves through objects, the crunching of autumn leaves, the buzzing of a bee. Most times we are too busy to pay attention. But every once in a while a child stops to listen and then we listen too. Just as a seashell holds the sound of the crashing ocean waves so too do these tubes carry sounds of nature to the ears of listening children.

Austin brings the tube to his ear and listens, "I hear the ocean!"

Joshua takes the tube and listens as well. "No, it's a bee. A bee from the flower."

Joseph and Joshua position the tube between them and lift. Joshua places the tube close to his ear and Joseph makes a sound.

Joshua then leaves the tube and moves to the zucchini plant in the garden. He leans close to the zucchini flower and listens for a sound but hears nothing.

He retrieves the tube and places in near the zucchini. Perhaps that will help him hear a sound. He listens. "I hear the bees!"

The Big Tall Building with Lots of People

2011-09-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

Leo arrived at school with a wonderful experience to share. "I saw a tall, tall, tall building with lots of windows in it. People were going in out. I want to make one."

While outdoors, his teacher offered him a variety of materials to make a representation of "the tall, tall building." The rope was not precut into the strands you see in the photos. Leo was able to unravel it to suit his needs

2011-09-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

Autumn arrives, array'd in splendid mein;

Vines, cluster'd full, add to the beauteous scene,

And fruit-trees cloth'd profusely laden, nod,

Complaint bowing to the fertile sod."

- Farmer's Almanac, 1818

Clay Has No Master

2011-09-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Clay can be a difficult task master as it demands much from its students in the way of dexterity, skill and precision. Nicholas rose to occasion and used all his previous knowledge of clay to make this sculpture. Some work is done for the simple pleasures found in accomplishment.

Distorted Images

2011-09-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

A set of four Plexi glass mirrors were given to the children.Since the mirrors were pliable the teachers were able to bend them to create distorted images. The children were fascinated with their reflections. A cube was also created and this of course allowed the children see "hundreds of me!"

There are Many Ways to Mark the Changing of the Season

2011-09-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

It may be a little too early to start talking about autumn but it is just around the corner. Some leaves are actually changing colors. Have you noticed the slight dip in temperature at night? And it's dark by 8:30. Oh well what can you do. That's Canada for you!

Angelina and The Flowers

2011-08-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life. ~William Faulkner

Blocks-A Different Perspective

2011-08-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

As educators we are all aware of the benefits of block play. It is rewarding to watch children as they move through the various stages; carrying, stacking, bridging, enclosures and eventually structures. One of the common elements in childrens' structures is the square or rectangular base as well as the tendency to place blocks one directly on top of the other. The structures you see above are a result of what happens when a teacher invites children to look at alternate methods.

Every Classroom Needs an Indoor Garden

2011-08-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

To support the Bad Land and Butterfly Story line the teacher and children began growing this wonderful indoor garden. Some of the plants were grown from seeds and others were purchased. Much to our surprise we were able to actually locate a black flower. This particular experience launched the

implementation of gardens in each of our classrooms.

We continue to add all sorts of plants and accessories. As you can see from the picture, imagination is the key to success.

Happy Planting!

The Badland and Black Butterflies

2011-08-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

In early May we began our Spring Planting. The children were asked what types of flowers and plants they would like to grow.

This simple question inspired the children’s imagination and led to the following story.

We should plant flowers. Magical flowers for a magical butterfly garden where fairies live. There is a rainbow fairy, a heart fairy and a flower fairy. They are there for the princess. The butterfly garden is a good place.

It's a magical land. There are three paths. The fairies show the princess the sparkly path to the butterfly garden. The other paths lead to the Bad Lands. The fairies help the princess with their magic wands. The flower fairy has flower magic, the rainbow fairy has rainbow magic, and the heart fairy has magic hearts. They use their wands to sprinkle sparkles that show the princess the safe path.

The wrong path will lead to the Prickly Bushes Bad Lands. They will snap the princess and trap her in the Bad Lands for a very long time. One of the Bad Lands has prickly bushes and crazy vines. A dragon lives there. He has fiery breath.

The other land is the Black Land. It is The Evil Land. Black butterflies and dragonflies live there. There are black flowers. The path is tricky. It has butterflies stones with sparkles, but they are black. If the princess takes it she will go to the black scary land. This land is like a jungle and the princess can’t see a thing because it’s dark and spooky.

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe- A Rythme through the Ages

2011-08-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here it is! That timeless rhyme that we chanted in our childhoods to select that one lucky person who would be "IT". Whether it was tag or hide and seek, you can rest assured that most of us closed our eyes and prayed that we wouldn't be the one left behind to look for our friends or chase them wildly around the park.

Life is constantly changing but there are "things" that remain timeless, and break through the boundries of culture and country. In fact last month, I observed a group of children in Italy use this rythme to select the child who would be the first to climb a tree.

So how did it happen? How did one ryhtme that dates back before 1820 travel the world: before computers and the internet were even a thought?

In this we can turn to traditional forms of print. To those beautiful bound papers that are too often forgotten in a world of technology. And of course let us not forget the process of migration. People may move to new countries but they always keep their traditions close to their hearts.

So for now I say,"You're IT!"

Evereyone offers their foot.

The process of elimination begins.

The last two!

The last man standing-Is he happy to be "IT"?

Tubes, Wheeles, Spools, and Stones with a Touch of Light

2011-08-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

Finding new "loose materials" for the children is challenging but extremely rewarding. They are always ready to explore the possibilities of invention when they combine the materials with their vast imagination.

The Dahlia -Simple Perfection

2011-08-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Wonder of the Garden

2011-07-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

The Chives

A summer garden provides many rich learning experiences. The children watch their seeds bloom into glorious flowers. They sample the rich tastes of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and celery. Herbs are shared with the school chef. And of course, with meticulous precision, they transfer the images of the wonders they see to paper.

How Many Possibilities are There?

2011-07-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

When I purchased these tubes, I knew that the children would find so many interesting uses for them. But of course they always surprise us with their ingenuity. Each day is a new adventure as they travel the world in thier space ships or zip around on their racing cars.

Just as Beautiful as Me!

2011-07-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

"How big am I?" Jocelyn wonders.

How can the teacher help her to answer this question? Does she want to know her size in comparison to a classmates or in comparison to an object? Most likely she is asking about her size in comparison to a classmates since children often engage in discussions about "who's the biggest."

The teacher invites Jocelyn to offer suggestions on how they can answer her question. She opts to outline her body using loose materials. This requires the assistance of a few classmateses. The girls begin their work and Jocelyn's body is outlined. But the experience takes on a new direction as the children forget the initial question and become more interested in designing bodies to best reflect clothing and facial features. So what started out as a question about size turned into an experience in patterns and colors.

Does it matter that the initial question was lost.

Absolutely not!

One child's thoughts or questions will always lead in many directions.

This will be my last post until the end of July as I will be in Europe. I look foward to my return and the continued exchange of ideas. Many blessing on you all. Be well!

I Want to Be a Butterfly

2011-07-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

A visit to Blue Willow Butterfly Conservatory left Abby feeling quite whimsical. She wanted wings so she could flutter about all day amid the blossoms and trickling water.

What would it feel like to be so free? Could she become one?

With the help of a few classmates her wish came true and for a brief half hour she was transformed.

"I am a butterfly with beautiful wings and nice colors. I flap my wings all day and fly on flowers."

Just When we Thought It was all Done!

2011-07-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

She walks across the drawbridge.

Being a princess is all in a days work for this young group of girls. Don't we all want to spend the day riding our fine horses across a drawbridge?

It is always fascinating to watch how children use loose materials to create magical places. Places that we once travelled to in our own youth.

Perhaps the path leading to the castle is too long. So she decides to climb atop her mighty steed!

The other princesses wait inside the castle for their sister to arrive.

Tubes, Tubes and More Tubes

2011-06-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

You can make a house for you and your friends.

What will children do when they are offered a set of tubes?

Watch the magic happen.

You can see your friends.

And then you can talk to each other!

You can make your arms grow!

And look for ants!

You can be a constructor of things!

Or practice your alphabet.

Tent Caterpillars

2011-06-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

This group of toddler was greeted by an interesting site when they took their morning walk into the forest; a large group of tent caterpillars amassed on top of a tree branch. Tent caterpillars are considered to be social as they tend to build one large tent in the branches of trees. These creatures give birth to moths not butterflies.

Oh That Blustery Wind!!

2011-06-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

Like A Windy Day by Frank and Devin Asch

Wind is like a snake and its white like paper. I can't see the wind, but I can feel it. When the wind blows everything goes sideways, trees, grass, leaves, and flowers. But not people, they go back and forth and their hair flies everywhere.

By Madison

Rainy Day Blues or Not?

2011-06-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that a clear umbrella could lead to this wonderful interpretation of a Monet painting.

The Campfire

2011-06-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

Watching this young girl "pitch her tent" and prepare her fire suggests that she is an avid camper or is she? How do children mimic rituals with such precision?

She begins by assembling an external structure that looks like a house.

She uses brown mural paper to drape over the top and makes a fire pit.

She ignites the fire and prepare to roast her marshmallows.

The Hideaway

2011-05-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

A Child's Story

Last night while we were all sleeping a group of big kids came to the forest. They're big so they're not afraid of the dark woods. They knew that we liked to play here so they decided to make us this special hideaway. It's for us and for all the creatures of the forest. The birds can come to make a nest. The worms can hide under the twigs. The squirrels can collects things and hide them from the bigger animals.

A wonderful surprise waited for the children when they entered the forest.

Who could have constructed this hideaway?

These two friends sit down to draw out their theory as to how this hideaway came to be.

"Summer In the Mirrors"

2011-05-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

When we paint with children, one of our common practices is to reach for paper or canvas. Here is an alternate approach. These two students used a series of mirrors as the backdrop for their summer painting.

A-B-C Come Follow Me

2011-05-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

We don't have to sit children at a desk with photocopied letters to teach them the alphabets and their sounds. Move the classroom outdoors and discover the alphabet in nature!

The letter Y!

I made the letter A!

I joined the ends to make an O.

Nicola's Daisy

2011-05-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

A great deal of the discussion around the making of this vase of daisies focused on color and shading. Nicola paid great attention to the tones, textures, as well as the warmth and coolness of her color choices.

A Baby and His Flower

2011-05-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Each day babies experience the wonders of life. This bunch of flowers provided a perfect opportunity to document how babies explore and store information.

The teacher offers the child the flower.

As expected he gathers information on the flowers using his senses.

He takes the flowers into the mirrored cube and sees them multiply.

Catch The Color

2011-05-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

Working with light always produces wonderful thinking strategies with the children. A teacher's inventive thinking in filling these tubes with colored water led to this experience.

The tubes are filled with colored water and stacked. When the light hits them, at first glance, the shadows appear to be black.

Sekora takes a tube and holds it close to the screen hoping to see an orange shadow.

After moving it in many different positions she finally finds one that catches the orange and lime green shadows!

Sekora holds the blue tube close to her face and a classmates shouts, "You're turning blue!"

The Art of A Somersault

2011-05-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Quite a few muscles groups are required to perform the perfect somersault. The arms are needed to hold the body's weight; the abs stabilize the body and keep it from rolling to the side; the legs provide thrust as the body is lifted into the air and the gluteus maximus assists in the propulsion. Imagine then why this particular experience was fascinating to watch.

She bends at the waist and extends her legs.

"Can you see me," she asks her teachers who is snapping the photograph.

She lifts her foot to propel herself forward but she loses the position necessary to push forward.

She returns to her original pose and her friend encourages her to lift her leg.

"I can't move, I'm stuck her," she giggles.

Her friends decide to give her a demonstration.

Chapter Books-My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

2011-05-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Chapter books, even for children as young as four and five, offer an alternate perspective to working with stories. Unlike the traditional picture books early childhood educators read, these types of books provide a richer context for exploring written text. Chapter books require attentiveness as the children learn to identify the characters in the story, follow the plot, and identify the settings. Over the course of the school year the children become familiar with a variety of literary terms.

A New Life

2011-04-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Each year we hatch chicks to mark the beginning of Spring. Watching the eggs hatch is remarkable. The chicks stay on site for a week and then we return them to the farm.

I think the egg comes first. If there's no egg then you can't have a chicken!

The baby chick pops out of the egg when he's ready! He has to work really hard to get out!

How Do Emails Travel?

2011-04-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

Communicating through Technology is common place for this generation. In fact children as young as two are using Skype to speak to parents who are working out of the country! It's not surprising to note that children have their own ideas on how emails travel around the world. This particular experience theory on how emails travel from one side of the world to the other came to light when an SK student travelled to China for a month. She kept in touch with her friends through email.

The letter in the tubing reads:

Hi Jocelyn this is Faith and Hailey and Shannon. How are you? We miss you.

Faith's Theory :Our message to Jocelyn, who is in China for a visit, is typed on the computer and it goes through a wire. The wire is underground in a tube. The tube passes inside a pipe and the pipe goes all the way to Hong Kong, China where Jocelyn's computer is. The email goes up the wire into Jocelyn's computer and then Jocelyn can see our letter and read it.
Shannon's Theory: The letters are in the wire and they travel from Canada to China. I think that the pipes are underground and the squirrels put them all together and make sure they don't break.
Hailey adds to Shannon's thinking: Jocelyn can see the message and writes back to us and the letters go back into the wire again and come to our computer in the classroom.

Everyone Needs A Mother, Even Martians!

2011-04-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Storybooks and Movies, what a wonderful combination. Watching a favorite movie come to life presents many exceptional learning opportunities. Just why do we need mothers? Have you ever thought to ask your children this interesting question?
After reading the book and before watching the movie, Mars Needs Moms, the children designed these Martians and explained why each of them needed a mother. As you'll see the needs of the Martian children are much the same as the children here on Earth; mothers exist to provide tender loving care, nourishment, meet basic needs, to cart children around, and to be a perfect play mate.
The joys of Motherhood!

This is Mikayla. She likes to watch movies. She's a really good dancer. She likes to play with her toys. Mikayla needs a mom to tuck her in bed at night.

This is Earth. It's not friendly, don't touch it because it's poisonous. It shoots water out of it's nose, and eats worms, and flowers. Earth needs a mom so she can feed him and play with him.

Mickey Mouse is nice, she is a girl. She likes to eat bread, and soup. She likes to make puzzles. She needs a mom in case she gets hurt, the mom can help her.

Leelan does the splits and the flips. He likes to go on dragons, and he likes to fight dragons. He needs a mom to help him learn to use a sword so he can fight better. He likes to play with Leav and Alan. They go on the swings, the monkey bars, and dance.

This is Carrot. Carrot needs a mother to play with and tuck her in at night.

Testing a Child's Theory

2011-04-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Giada discovered a fallen tree branch in the playground. It already had tiny buds waiting to bloom. How could she save it?

"I want to keep this so it will grow big flowers!" she said.

"How can you keep it?" the teacher asked.

"We can take it inside and put it in some water to make it grow."

So the teacher placed the branch in a container of water and over the course of a few weeks the tiny buds began to open.

"What happened?" the teacher asked.

"My buds did grow!" she replied.

Giada's theory was correct-a little water preserved her fallen tree branch.

A Fallen Tree

2011-04-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could pick up this fallen tree and transport it to our playground. Nature certainly has a way for providing children with wonderful opportunities to engage. The children were excited to discover this fallen tree in the forest. There was no time to waste as they found many interesting ways to use it. Natalie climbed aboard and practiced her balancing; moving both forward and backward along the surface. As she swayed, she stretched out her arms for additional support. When she was done she joined her classmates on the train ride to Kalamazoo!

Sometimes words are not Enough

2011-04-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Children are not always able to convey all that they understand about an event but their drawing say more than words could possibly express.

The Tsunami came after the earthquake and some people drowned. The cars and houses were under the water.

The water came and it lifted the houses and pushed the people and cars under. They couldn't swim because the water was so strong! I feel so sad that people died.

The Art of Monet

2011-04-13T06:20:00.000-07:00

Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris. There are no words to describe the work of this amazing artist who sought to paint the world exactly how he saw it, not how he knew it should look. So rather than painting a myriad of separate leaves, he depicted splashes of constantly changing light and color.

.http://www.biography.com/impressionists/Monet-bio.jsp

Could this group of young children capture his unique use of color?

From Hand to Mind

2011-04-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

There is no better way for children to learn math than through hands on experiences. A set of wood sticks in the playground presented Jacob with the perfect opportunity to work with sets of fives and ones. These types of activities are common place in our schools.

Jacob uses groups of fives and ones to set up his equation- a skill the children were working on in class.

He counts!

His total is 16.

Does the Tallest Child have the Tallest Shadow?

2011-04-11T04:53:00.000-07:00

Why is it that children constantly battle over who is the biggest, the tallest, the fastest and overall the best? Needless to say that these sorts of discussions present wonderful opportunities for learning. As we know children often confuse the terms big, small, short and tall. However, we understand what their intentions are and in our discussions we offer the children the words that best fit their thinking.

These three young girls were engaged in a debate about their respective shadows. Each girl was certain that her own shadow was the "longest."

The teacher asked a question, "How do you think we can decide which shadow is the tallest?"

"We can just look and see," replied one of the girls.

"No we can't because we are moving around and the shadows change, " replied her friend.

Since these children were accustomed to using "loose materials" they decided to outline the shadows using small pebbles.

When they were finished they stood back and looked at their shadows. "Look!" said one of the girls. "You are the tallest, so your shadow is the tallest just like you!"

The girls begin outlining the first shadow using the pebbles.

The second child stands next to the first shadow, keeping with the same base line.

The third child encounters a small problem when she realizes that her shadow will fall into the trees if she uses the same base line. She decides to move back a bit.

The girls look at the three outlined shadows and determine that the third shadow's length was not greatly affected by the shifted baseline.

Is a Shadow always Black?

2011-04-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

"Are shadows always black?" a child asks.

A shadow is caused by an object blocking light so naturally it would appear to be black but

translucent objects create colorful shadows! The materials provided in this experience helped this group of children answer their own question. Before they were given the translucent objects they used opaque items which did in fact cast black shadows.

These are transparent colored blocks.

These are adhesive transparent shapes.

Can we bring Reggio Home?

2011-04-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

Children find joy in the simplest of things!

As I meandered through the cobble stone streets and Piazzas of Reggio Emilia, I asked myself the same question that I had been asking since I first discovered this unique pedagogy. Can we bring it home and give it meaning in our own context?

This was my second visit to the schools of Reggio Emilia and once again I was amazed by the environments, the richness of the materials, the intriguing displays, the quality of the documentation, and the interactions between teachers, children, colleagues and the community.

On my first visit I walked around dumb struck, trying to understand how such a rich pedagogy could exist. However, this time, since the initial awe factor had dissipated, I attended with purpose. I wanted to see the Loris Malaguzzi Centre; a place designed to house the exhibit, the home of the light atelier, a place where teachers from around the world meet and the first school which embodies both preschoolers and the early grades of elementary school.

When our study group entered the Loris Malaguzzi centre, I watched the faces of the attendees. For most everyone this was a first encounter with Reggio in Italy so I was not surprised to see pens move frantically across notes pads; perhaps they were hoping to remember enough to take it home and use some of what they saw. Certainly that was how I was on my first visit.

I've learned, over the last fifteen years, that you really can't bring Reggio home. But you can learn from it and let it enrich your own context. As I visit schools in both Ontario and abroad I see that no two contexts work in the same way. Environments, documentation, interpretation, it all differs because we all differ. And that's okay! It is the richness of this diversity that propels our work as teachers.

One thing I know for certain, children all over the world, live with their hearts, souls and minds connected to the universe. They find joy in the simplest of things. Children in Italy chase pigeons in the Piazzas. Children in Canada feel the wind blow through their hair as they swish across an ice rink. Children of Mexico run in the sand and feel the marvelous crash of the ocean waves on their toes.

The question then to ask is what do we feel as adults? What are our intentions and why have we chosen to spend our lives enriching the contexts of education for children? When you find your answer, then you too will have found a small part of Reggio because, in my opinion, the heart of this pedagogy lies in the deep commitment to giving value to the child and the culture of childhood.

And so to honour the deep commitment of all my teachers, I share the entries in this blog with all of you so that we may all grow as a community of teachers supporting the children of the world.

A blessing on you all for your tireless work and for visiting this site. It has been my extreme honour to dialogue with teachers from around the world. I look forward to our continuing exchange of ideas.

It is all for the children of the world!

2011-03-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Colleagues,

I am leaving for a study tour in Reggio Emilia and will return on April 6, 2011. Please enjoy the previous posts on this blog.

Arrivaderci!

Take a Place and Make it Your Own

2011-03-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

As you may recall, a while back I posted the see saw in the forest. This is the next step in that experience. The children's work did not end when they snapped the first log that was wedged between this fork shaped tree. In fact they were so excited by their success that they decided they needed to leave a trace of their work for others to see and perhaps recreate.

So the children returned to the forest with paint brushes in hand. First they located a loose branch to insert into the fork shaped tree so that passerbyes would be able to follow the trial of the their original work. Then the children decided that it was not enough to just paint the branch and fork shaped tree in a haphazard fashion. Their painting would have to be unique; a pattern of red and blue. When the children were done they attached a note to the tree that outlined the history of their work.

Rat a Tat Tat

2011-03-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

How is it that children, even as young as infants and toddler, can sway, hum, and dance to the rhythm of the music?

From birth our children begin their relationship with music as we cradle and sing to them or simply hum a melody while rocking them to sleep. As parents and teachers we surround children with music. It exists in every culture and transcends generations. And there is much study to support that fact that music is a natural way to build the brain's connections and set the foundations for learning.
Watch as Charlotte's voice accompanies the tap on her drum and observe how her voice changes when she runs instead of walks. Even the movement of her body is in tune with the rythnm.

Do I grow smaller when I'm father away?

2011-03-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

David made an interesting observation during a morning walk into the forest.

Pointing toward the end of the path he said, "Look the path gets smaller near the end."

"So does that mean that you will get smaller if you stand at the end of the path?" asked his teacher.

"Yes, I will get smaller too, " he replied confidently.

"How can we find out?" she asked.

"Just measure me, here (pointed to where he was standing) and there (pointing toward the end of the path).

Then next day they returned to the forest with a metre stick. The teacher measured David both at the beginning of the path and near the end.

She showed David his height on the metre stick at both points.

"What happened?" she asked. "Did you get smaller at the end of the path?"

"No I'm still the same size,' he replied.

"So do you think the path got smaller or is it also the same size?'

"No the path isn't smaller. It just looks that way from far away!"

The teacher measures David at the beginning of path.

The teacher measures David near the end of the path.

David sketches the path.

As Dsvid works on his drawings her gains a better understanding of depth.

Children helping Children

2011-03-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

For several weeks David worked on a drawing of his superhero bus. He used a green water color pencil for the grass and trees. Since the drawing was quite intricate, he left it and returned to it many times. One morning, David needed to finish coloring the grass and trees so he went to look for the same green pencil he had been using. He encountered a problem; there were four green pencils of varying shades in the container.

Which one was the one he'd used the day before?

He looked at the numbers at the top of the pencils. He tried to compare the shades but that still didn't help since they were so close. He went to the table and placed each of the pencils next to the colored grass. He still was undecided so he engaged the help of his friend Emily.

She pulled a pencil from his hand and said,

"I think its this one. All you have to do is color beside the same spot and you can see if it matches!"

David looks at the green water color pencil to select his preferred shade of green.

He compares them to the area that is already colored.

He speaks to Emily to see if she has an opion.

She selects the one she thinks is best for his drawing.

David's superhero bus is complete.

Helping Children overcome Fears

2011-03-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

What are children afraid of? It is a question that is as vast as an ocean. The dark, loud noises, strange people, the moon; these are just a few. Sometimes parents and teachers can easily identify children's fears and other times we need to do more probing. We ask questions, listen to their conversations during play and interpret their drawings to gain insight that can be useful. In this experience Emily was well into a superhero project when we discovered that she was terribly afraid of bird beaks. Recounting the entire project is too complex but what I can tell you is that Emily had designed a series of superheros. She determined that one of the Superheros needed an evil bird named Squawk.

Emily drew Evil Squawk and we noticed that she did not give him a beak.

Why?

"I don't like beaks they scare me. Birds have them but I don't want one for my bird."

Beyond this she gave no further explanation.

Emily moved on to create a three dimensional representation of Evil Squawk based on her drawing-she still refused to give him a beak.

The superhero project continued for weeks and eventually through much story writing Emily decided to create a Good Squawk. This bird, unlike his nemesis, had a beak.

When we asked Emily why she gave him a beak, she answered, "That's because he's a good bird and even if he has a beak, its okay. I'm not scared anymore because he helps people."

Did she resolve her fear because, for week, she was engaged in the struggle between Evil Squawk and Good Squawk?

We can't say for certain but it would seem that way, that she was able to walk through her fears with the use of storytelling and art.

Emily prepares the wings.

Emily tells her classmates why her bird does not have a beak.

Here is Good Squawk, a bird with a beak.

What are children thinking when they hear about natural disasters?

2011-03-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

As much as we would like to protect our children from all the catastrophes that are plaguing the planet, we can't. Even if they don't hear it at home, they are likely to hear about natural disasters from their peers, television and radio.

So how much do we tell them or show them?

It has been our experience to begin by asking what they know and think about the situation.

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan has been the prime source of discussions in our SK classes. This morning one of the teachers asked the children for their thoughts and encouraged them to draw representations that captured the events.

"The angels will take the people that died up to heaven. The angels will hold them and take them up. When the angels get them to Heaven, they will ask them if they are feeling better."

When Children Become the Documenters

2011-03-15T03:47:00.000-07:00

The girls prepare their tools for the anticipated experience.

They tell their classmates what they will be doing.

Lauren prepares to take notes.

Emily snaps the pictures of her friends dancing.

Move to the music!

As I've often said, "Children never cease to amaze us!"

Three year old Emily arrives at school with her favorite backpack slung over her shoulder

"I have a surprise, " she says with excitement.

The teacher invites her to show her friends. Emily opens her backpack and pulls out her camera and note pad.

"I'm going to document my friends dancing," she announces in her customary zestful manner.

After a year of being in a classroom where documentation is part of everyday school life, it is no wonder that this ingenious little girl would initiate such an experience.

Thus we see the power of documentation.

By popular demand, I am sharing the following write up on documentation. I highly recommend the dissertation by Seong Bock Hong o this subject which can be found on line.
Reggio Kids copyright @2010

The Importance of Documentation-A Key Element for Communicating the Learning Process

Documentation is a key element in the Reggio Approach. Documentation serves many purposes but most of all it is used as a research tool for studying children’s learning processes. Documentation is about what children are doing, learning and thinking, and the product of documentation is a reflection of interactions between teachers and children and among children. Documentation, because it is done on a daily basis, is a medium through which teachers discuss curriculum, keep it fluid and emergent, and develop a rational for its course. It provides a growing theory for daily practice. (Seong Bock Hong 1998 pg 51). It gives us an insight into how children construct theories and challenges teachers to support and challenge that thinking.

Documenting children’s daily experiences and ongoing projects gives meaning and identity to all that the children do. It is through the documentation that the teachers are able to gain insight into the thoughts of the children, determine further investigation for working on topics, create a history of the work and generate further interest.

Reggio teachers are skilled observers of children. If a teacher observes closely she can see the intelligence on a child’s face. On a daily basis, teachers collect data via notes, recordings of conversations between children and through video taping of events and activities whether related to project work or just during classroom time. The teacher watches what children are doing and saying and how materials are being used. The documentation is then used to analyze children’s understanding and thoughts-it is revisited by the teachers and children together. This revisiting process provides children with the opportunity to discover their own questions and problems and to determine, together, what the next steps could be. In the process of revisiting, children theories and understanding grows. Also, in the revisiting process they collect more data and information which enhances the work. Documentation of work in progress is made visible on large panels throughout the classroom, thereby keeping the memory of the work vivid and alive.

Seong Bock Hong (p 50-51) summarizes the purpose of documentation as;

The process by which teachers gather information about children’s ideas and their thinking process.

Is done daily so teachers can discuss their curriculum, keep it fluid and emergent and develop rational for its course.

Is data for study.

Facilitates continuity across a given activity, because new activities evolve from earlier experiences.

Offers a research orientation to instruction.

Allows teachers to revisit with children.

Is concrete, active and reflective.

Provides the right amount of support to enable children to perform a task.

Is at the heart of each project or experience.

It serves as a lesson planner.

It defines the teacher as a facilitator.

Watch as Lisa molds a Block of Clay into a Castle.

2011-03-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

Although Lisa was only a toddler when she began to work with clay, her proficiency with this material was amazing.

A large block of clay was placed on the table. Lisa poked at it and saw the small impressions that her fingers left.

She then pulled the first piece of clay off the block and looked at it as it stuck to her fingers.

Was she wondering what it could become in her small yet capable hands?

She continued working, pulling off chunks, molding, squeezing, and joining pieces together. The clay began to take form.

Lisa hummed as she worked and shaped the clay into what appeared to be a tall tower. She added two more to her first.

"A castle!" she said when she was finished.

She pulled off a piece of clay.

She began to stack the clay

The towers grow!

A pinching technique.

A castle!

Do Snowmen Have to Be Round to Be Stable?

2011-03-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

Testing a Child's Theory

A child asksed a question, "Why are all snowmen round?"

"Because that's how they stand straight," answered a classmate.

"What happens if we make him a different shape," asked the teacher.

"He will fall!"

And so the teacher took the children outside and challenged them to make three snowmen, only one could be round. The children found various shaped pails in the storage room and decided they would use the pails to form the snowmen parts. The conversation was interesting as the children navigated the pieces to form the snowmen.

Not only did they use a shape other than the traditional round balls, one of the snowmen had more than three balls.

In conclusion the theory changed.

"Snowmen don;t have to be round. The pieces have to stay on top of each other!"

A fantastic exercise in stability.

The Daisy

2011-03-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

As you may recall, The Daisy, was first posted on February 14, 2011 (please visit the entry to see her initial work) . At that time Sophia used acrylic pencils to make her first representation. She then moved onto canvas and acrylic paint. Her attention to detail is unbelievable. The abilities of young children continue to astound us.

Children4Children

2011-03-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

Three hens and one rooster $50.00

One goat $100.00

How do we teach children to care for others; to look beyond their immediate lives and see that children and families around the world struggle for the basic necessities that we take for granted.

This group of young children started the Children4Children Fund. Using the World Vision guide book they selected a variety of items that they wanted to raise money for.

Among their choices are the ones shown below.

Three Pigs for $ 120.00

One donkey $300.00

One cow $600.00

The Many Faces of Matteo

2011-03-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

Children are very perceptive and as teachers we witness this daily, in both the smallest of experiences and on larger scales, when we are involved in intricate projects.

Matteo showed us the complexity of his thinking when he began to work with the loose materials to make three representations of his face. While he worked the teacher asked questions that required him to think about the elements associated with joy, sorrow, and happiness.

How did he know the meaning of a tear drop, or the slight variance in a facial muscle that is required to smile or frown?

I am happy!

I am sad!

I am crying!

What can a child do with a few pieces of Rope?

2011-02-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

The teacher cut the thick rope into strands and left it on the table as an invitation to the children. This young student took the opportunity to make a representation of the sun. We were not surprised that she thought the sun was only in Cuba, where she had recently vacationed, since we've had very little sunshine in Ontario this winter!

When her sun was finished she decided to add a strand and make a stem for a sunflower.

"Sunflowers and the sun are both yellow!"

"I'm making the sun like the one I saw in Cuba."

"Now it is a beautiful sunflower!"

I am rolling the yellow clay to make the pedals."

The next day the teacher offered her yellow clay to see if she would like to make a alternate representation of her flower.

"Here it is!"

Next week they will plant a sunflower seed and watch it grow!

Bring In The Wild Things

2011-02-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

The delightful tale "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak always lends itself to sparking the imagination!

Making the base line was not a problem for this young child-once he made the hill he was able to create a layered setting for the forest tress!

Let the wild rumpas begin!!!

Working with Children is Never Linear!

2011-02-22T08:07:00.000-08:00

An Albania Doll

Making a Vietnamese Doll

When we work with the children, our experiences are never linear. We are seldom finished an area of interest before a new one creeps us on us. The children in this JK/SK class were wrapping up their work on the the storybook, The Mitten by Jan Brett, when one of the children commented that she had a grandmother too. Her's was not called Baba like the one in The Mitten.

"She is called Nonna and that's Italian!"

Several other children chimed in offering the titles they used to address their grandmothers.

"Grandmothers have lots of names! But they all mean the same thing!"

This led to a class project on nationality.

What country does your family come from?

What does it mean to be Italian, Russian, Ukrainian...?

What do you eat? What types of homes do your countrymen live in? What are your customs?

"This little girl is from India!"

Each child designed his/her own doll wearing traditional garb.

Since the children needed a new number line for their classroom, a suggestion was made to use the dolls.

Tug and Pull

2011-02-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

The children assess the height of the tree? Does it an impact on their ability to dislodge the branch?

A chance encounter with this fork shaped tree and a branch wedged inside it presented a wonderful opportunity for the children to do some problem solving.

At first the children were intent on dislodging the branch so they could remove it; they pulled, tugged, and swayed it back and forth across the fulcrum. But, the branch refused to budge. They then decided that it needed to be snapped in half in order for them to remove it.
While watching this video you will be able to see how the children think; the pitch in their voices, the words they use, the position of the children across the branch, the number of children on each side, the child who stands in the middle to orchestrate the work. Did the teacher change the work of the children when she asked one of the boys to get off the branch?

A Bridge for the Squirrels

2011-02-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

This young group of children watched the squirrels scampering around in the school playground. Running from one tree to the other was exhausting for the tiny creatures. So the children decided the squirrels could use a little help to get from one tree to the other without having to climb up and down.

"The sticks need to be close so the squirrels don't fall through," commented one of the children.

When the bridge was ready the teachers secure it to the two trees.

The children raised there arms as an invitation to the squirrels!

Winter is Black & White

2011-02-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

It has been a drab and snowy winter in Ontario. If we're not in a deep freeze then we're buried in snow. Most days the sun hides behind behind the clouds reluctant to poke its head out and offer us a reprieve. So it's no wonder that this child, when asked what winter is like replied, "Winter is black and white and sometimes grey!"

Charcoal on white paper are the perfect tools to capture the dreary winter scenery!

Snap, Crackle, Pop

2011-02-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

What could this baby gain from a simple encounter with bubble paper?

There is much to be said about engaging the senses and the implications this type of exposure has for future learning. Each time a baby hears, smells, touches and encounters object, neurons grow and develop in the brain. Sensory information is banked and with each new encounter the baby remembers the previous information that was stored and again new learning occurs. This is referred to as "cognitive bootstrapping" Karyn Wellhousen 2001

A sheet of bubble paper has a great deal of possibilities for learning.

When Jenna was placed on top of the bubble paper she stretched out her arms and a few of the bubbles exploded, making enough of a popping sound to catch her attention.

Curious to find the source of the sound, she sat up and began to press her finger to the bubbles. Again she heard a pop (Cause and effect). After pressing several more she bounced up and raised her arms in triumph.

Although she could not speak her message was clear "I did it!"

"Drawing to Learn"

2011-02-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

These two children were asked to draw on existing knowledge to sketch pictures of where water comes from.

Andrea- There is water under the ground. People put the pipes in there and that's how the water gets inside your house and it becomes tap water. The trees get their water through the roots because they don't have pipes.

Kevin- You can dig a hole and build a well to draw water from underground. First you dig a hole until you can see the water. Then you build a wall along the ground so people don't fall when they get the water. You need a bucket and a long rope to reach the water. That's how the well works.

"Children's drawings are not only beautiful to look at but more importantly they tell us much about how children think and see the world around them. You will find that whenever you ask a child to draw you a picture about an event of situation they often come to the table full of ideas and concepts of their own.

This is an excerpt from http://www.videatives.com/ and our esteemed friend and colleague Dr. George Forman.

Drawing to learn is a term coined by Dr G. Forman

This approach asks the children to represent, with marks, his/her current theory about how something works;not simply to make a representation of the shape or look of an event, but to draw an explanation of how it all works; that is, to draw his understanding. The child may go through various steps in this process.

The child commits his ideas to paper before actually viewing the event. having completed the drawing, he/she then visits the event or action in his/her drawing. The child returns to the drawing table to draw the combination of his ideas and his memory of what he saw. Together, these three parts demonstrate that children draw what they know (before the visit) and can study their drawings (after their visit) to help them reconstruct an incomplete theory (after the visit).

It is important to ask a child to draw before looking at an object so that drawing flows from the child's assumptions about function (for example how a bike works) rather than observation (how the bike looks as a static object).

In drawing to learn, one literally encourages the children to take risks and thus to make mistakes so that their misconceptions can become visible and thereby more explicitly repaired."

The Daisy-Hope for Spring!

2011-02-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

The daisy is a beautiful bloom that holds much promise for the wonders of Spring!

The Lion

2011-02-11T05:27:00.000-08:00

Working with clay can be quite challenging especially when a kiln is not available. We introduce clay to our students when they are as young as 15 months so by the time they reach the JK and Sk classes they are excellent sculptors.

Under the masterful hands of these two girls, a block of clay became "The Lion."

This was an extension of the Mascot that was designed for the class soccer game.(post can be viewed under November 29, 2010)

A City is A Place with Voices-In Rome you long for the country; in the country - oh inconstant! - you praise the distant city to the stars. ~Horace, Satires

2011-02-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

One of the most reoccurring interests in our schools is the City . The sounds, the buildings, the hustle and bustle captivates the children. Taylor aged 4 (the child in these photos) had some interesting theories on city life.

"A city has voices, lots of voices. People moving everywhere. There are lots of cars and buses and office buildings where people go to work. There are banks where they keep all the money. There are tall buildings but no houses. People don't live in cities just work there. The best part is the sky scrapers. Those are the building that touch the clouds! And one more thing there are no trees in the city, none!"

The See Saw in the Forest

2011-02-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

These children were pleasantly surprised when they discovered this seesaw in the forest. They were all given the opportunity to jump aboard and try to teeter it back and forth. It was interesting to watch the children as they negotiated ways to make the log shift. The difficulty lay in the fact that the log was not evenly distributed on the fulcrum (although it appeared to be) therefore equal weight on either side would not move it. The weight needed to be heavier on the short side but could the children figure this out?

Children Always Find Interesting Ways...

2011-02-05T14:16:00.000-08:00

Practicing early math skills doesn't have to be tedious for young children. When this snowman was made using "Loose Materials" the children commented that he was a "big snowman."

"Just how big is he?" asked their teacher. "How can we measure him?"

The children decided to use their hands and their shoes as their non standard measuring tools.

Is Anyone Looking for Forest Animals

2011-02-04T03:25:00.000-08:00

The Mitten by Jan Brett is a classroom favorite and every winter the children find new ways to bring the characters of this delightful tale to life. This group of JK/SK students is preparing these masks for a class production. They are already able to recite the entire story.

Not a Reggio Kids Post but a Wonderfully Inspiring Tribute!

2011-02-02T04:26:00.001-08:00

Kim MacGregor organized this flash mob of 200 dancers to launch the "feel good" movement, "I Believe She's Amazing" in honor of her friend Erika Heller who passed…

Have a wonderful day!

Simple Discoveries

2011-02-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

The forest provides the children with the opportunity to explore and appreciate the natural world around them. It takes the

classroom outside. In our culture children are pressed to spend more time indoors in structured school settings with little opportunity to value the learning experiences offered by the natural world.

Researchers have found that “ the more personal children’s

experiences with nature, the more environmentally concerned and active children are likely to become” (Wilson 1996) .

Exploring outdoors helps children to develop what has been termed as their ecopsychological self–the child’s sense of self in relation to the natural world (Phenice & Griffore 2003). Researchers believe that children are born with a natural sense of relatedness to nature and that this innate and developmental tendency towards empathy or affiliation with nature needs to be nurtured in the earliest years of life (Barrows 1995, Lewis 1996, Nelson 1993, Sobel 1996, Tilbury 1996, Wilson 1993 & 1997). Children’s draw to nature can best be identified by their love of fairy tales that are set in nature - wherein the characters are animals (Barrows 1995). Nurturing a child’s connectedness to nature will help to foster positive

environmental attitudes. (Shultz, et al. 2004) It is also known that children’s early experiences in life give shape to the values and

attitudes they will have toward the world later in life. (Wilson 19945 & 1996). Offering children the opportunity to explore nature and appreciate what it offers helps to develop a basic respect for it and a genuine caring for its preservation.

And so we head into the forest to help the children explore a setting where they can see the changes of the seasons, find the animals that live within its trees and under the rocks, become explorers, gatherers, researchers and makers of theories about how it all works.

Gender Identity

2011-01-31T16:29:00.000-08:00

Do we instill gender specific behaviours and norms in children?

Yes, we do it right from the birth; we dress girls in pink and boys in blue; girls do dishes and boys cut the grass; boys play hockey; girls take ballet; these are all common gender roles and expectations. Even though we may not say these things aloud, children watch, listen, mimic behaviours and assume expected roles. We have made strides in breaking the molds set for us by our predecessors, but the majority of people are still bound to timeless traditions.

After they finished making their snowmen these two girls decided that they needed a personal touch.So off they went to their cubbies to retrieve their own hats and mittens. Once the hats were placed on the heads of the snowmen the girls changed the gender of their creations. They became snow girls.

"Why are they snow girls?" asked their teacher.

"Because they are wearing pink and white so that means they are girls!"

"And now they are ready for a snowy adventure!"

It's Just A Thought!

2011-01-30T09:30:00.000-08:00

For months I have been listening to the news and speaking to kindergarten teachers to learn the truth behind the media hype that earlier schooling is the answer to the educational woes of Ontario’s Children.

A caution to the wise. Don’t be fooled by the ads showing children happily building with blocks. Most kindergarten classes have none and many teachers are pumping out work sheets faster than a new found oil well. I am not criticizing teaching methods simply stating the facts as they have been shared with me.

About a year ago, I rummaged through a box of old treasures and came across my report cards dating as far back as senior kindergarten. I was pleasantly surprised to see that in the 1960’s we were not catalogued by marks but just by brief comments on our social skills and willingness to work. That system was not far off the mark in what should still be considered the most important element in the development of our youngest citizens; an eagerness to learn and form relationships.

What really caught my attention was the suggestion to my parents to read to me more frequently to improve my literacy skills. My parents were immigrants. They barely spoke English so how could they read to me or understand anything I read to them. Tutoring was not an option; even if it had been available my parents could not have afforded it. Was I destined to be illiterate because I was not reading in SK or barely by the end of grade 1? My own daughter did not start reading until she entered grade 2. Born on December 28th she was always the youngest in her class and her teachers fretted that she had learning disabilities. That was not the case. Today she is a university student who excels in literacy.

I am an Early Childhood Educator and have had the extreme honour of working with young children for the last thirty years. I have watched as the demands placed on children have crippled the very essence of childhood. We overload our children pushing them to do more in shorter amounts of time. From the cradle, we introduce sign language, toilet train before they walk, have them memorize alphabets and numbers as toddlers. We enroll them in sports, music, math program, little reader programs, swimming gymnastics, computer classes; need I add more. Their schedules are more regimented than that of their working parents. What are we hoping to gain by all of this?

And now on top of all this we add one more thing to their young lives; full day schooling as early as JK & SK. Some children will be entering school as young as 3.8 years, just barely out of diapers, still needing an afternoon nap, someone to assist with their physical needs, ensure they eat a good warm lunch and healthy snacks, someone to clean their noses and wipe away tears.

First and foremost our children need tender loving care; the foundations for building good social relationships. They need to run and play, to explore and be inquisitive, to ask open ended questions and to work in conjunction with educators who believe that, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” (William Butler Yates)

Childhood researchers such as Piaget, Vigotsky, and Maria Montessori, all identified that children must be in the right mindset to acquire definitive skills. Introducing them earlier will not produce better learners just overburdened children. So what’s the rush?

What do our children need to be better learners?

Environments that engage, challenge and honor childhood in conjunction with educators who believe that children, even very young ones, are capable of generating their own interests. Like adults, when children pursue that which fascinates them they are more apt to be intrigued, eager to learn and participate. The Reggio Approach is a philosophy that honors this mind set. Originating from Reggio Emilia in Italy this unique system has produced the best preschools in the world. Perhaps our government should use this model as a guideline to understanding what best serves our youngest citizens. Institutionalizing them earlier is not the answer.

Our fondest memories of school are not the ones that taught us the facts of history, algebra and trigonometry, 85 percent of those facts were forgotten moments after the test. The sweetest memories, those that shape us into the people that we become, are the memories of field trips, sports events, extra curricular activities and friendships.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose. (King James Bible) Let our children enjoy theirs.

Send me your comments.

The children test their theory- Shadows Move when the Sun Moves

2011-01-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

This group of children had a clever idea to determine if an object's shadow shifts with the moving sun.

"Let's build the CN Tower outside and see where the shadow goes!"

When they were finished building the tower, the teacher posed an interesting question.

"How will you know if the shadow moves from now until this afternoon."

"Let's fill it in," replied one of the young girls.

Using loose materials, the children filled in the shadow of the tower as it fell at noon.

They returned to the playground at 3:00 p.m. and found that the shadow had indeed moved!

The children looked and noticed that the shadow had indeed shifted.

Even at A Young age we feel an Affinity for Certain People

2011-01-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

Why are we drawn to certain people more than others? It is because we see in them an image of ourselves? These two young girls sat on either side of the transparent easel and began to comment of their facial features.

"You have a nose, just like me!'

"Yes and you have two eyes just like me!"

The exchange went on for awhile before they decided to make a likeness of each other using colored clay and loose materials. When they were done the hug they exchanged was a confirmation of their budding friendship. If only life could be so simple for everyone. What a wonderful world it would be!

The Group of Seven

2011-01-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

The Group of Seven was comprised of Canadian landscape artists dating back to the 1920's. They were best known for their abilities to capture the rawness of nature most often associated with Canada.

Pebbles and Bark

2011-01-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

This little boy came upon a large grooved rock. Wiggling his fingers into the pores, he pulled out the pebbles that were nestled inside. He looked up at the tree. He stood up, rubbed his hand along the bark and discovered that it too had tiny grooves like the rock. He inserted his fingers into the tiny spaces. An idea formed. He took the tiny pebbles and inserted them into the tree bark. "I put it back!' he declared proudly.

The Garden

2011-01-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

The garden is a magical place where children watch tiny seeds give way to plump tasty vegetables and herbs. There is much to be said about the educational value of keeping a garden in the school playground. Children observe the cycle of growth, learn that sun and water are needed for healthy plants, use math language as they measure and graph, and their taste buds explode with the rich flavours of tomatoes, carrots, celery and much more. The herbs in this picture were ground and used to bake tasty foccaccia bread!