Relationships, Communication, Routines, and Independence
When thirty children are placed together in a classroom it can be quite overwhelming, even for returing students. It is very easy to want to quickly dive into academics, but as the saying goes, one must learn to crawl before they walk, and walk before they run. The kindergarten years are not only special, but are very important in setting a foundation as children are very impressionable at this stage in their life. As an educator, I strive to create an environment where children love learning. Teaching with an inquiry focus, entices children to be curious, to ask questions, to be able to problem solve, and be independent thinkers. Equally if not more important, I want to support children in developing positive relationships with themselves and each other. When children feel like they belong and are part of a community, they become more invested in their own learning. They feel more accountable in caring for their learning space, and they learn to respect and support each other in positive ways.
In the last two and a half months together, the children have learned so much! Not just academically, but more importantly, socially and emotionally.
Below is a chart that contains the overall learning expectations taken from the Kindergarten Program document. These expectations cover the learning over the two years in the program. In familiarizing yourself with these expectations, take a look at the photos below encompassing the learning over the passed two and a half months to gain a sense of how much the children have gained in such a short amount of time!
In the last two and a half months together, the children have learned so much! Not just academically, but more importantly, socially and emotionally.
Below is a chart that contains the overall learning expectations taken from the Kindergarten Program document. These expectations cover the learning over the two years in the program. In familiarizing yourself with these expectations, take a look at the photos below encompassing the learning over the passed two and a half months to gain a sense of how much the children have gained in such a short amount of time!
I am also including our Flow of the Day (daily timetable) once again in order to give a better sense of how each day is broken down.
Our classroom name ornaments tree!
Using letter beads to create their names and hanging them on the tree.
Building a sense of belonging!
Painting together, collaborating and compromising!
Providing materials and resources to foster independent learning!
Learning different math concepts during Math Investigations time.
Learning together!
Using surveys to learning more about ourselves!
Using surveys to learning more about ourselves!
Open ended provocations are set up allowing children to express their learning in creative ways!
Open ended provocations are set up allowing children to express their learning in creative ways!
Sharing of work with their peers fosters confidence building, creative expression, oral communication, and new learning from each other!
Learning about various forms of writing. Following the interests of the children into card making, a learning area was set up with supports to allow them to create cards for various occasions.
Self regulated snack during Exploration Time allows children to choose when they want to take a break and eat their snack. Self regulated snack takes place in both the morning and afternoon time.
The Art Studio allows children to express their creativity using open ended art materials and resources.
The Discovery Area supports children in using their senses to make observations when investigating new things.
Sketching face portraits of themselves.
Using 'My Plan' templates to document their work.
Sharing of work with their peers fosters confidence building, creative expression, oral communication, and new learning from each other!
The Drama Area is wonderful in supporting oral language communication.
Collaborating together at the Building Area.
Playing 'teacher' at the Book Area.
An open ended invitation to play and interact with magnetic letters. The children created their names, made the alphabet and sorted the letters in various ways.
Experimenting and problem solving when creating marble runs!
Sharing of work with their peers fosters confidence building, creative expression, oral communication, and new learning from each other!
Sharing of work with their peers fosters confidence building, creative expression, oral communication, and new learning from each other!
Every item placed has a purpose and a part in the story. Thinking of an idea and a plan of how to create that idea takes a lot of collaboration and compromising!
How do you feel today? Our feeling faces provocation encourages the children to express how they feel on any given day using the open ended materials.
Collaborating on an art piece at the Arts Studio! I love the pure joy R and L are experiencing together! This is what learning is all about!
What could it be? Where did it come from? What animal is it? Such excitement when this skull was placed at the Discover Area. The children made many observations, posed a lot of wonder questions, and had many theories! In supporting them to look even more closely at the skull, they created water colour sketches of the skull as well as re-created it using clay!
Drawing the feeling faces they created!
Using the 'I see, I wonder, I think' templates to express their thoughts about the skull.
One of the first learning invitations set up at the start of September!
In providing the children with a variety of learning materials, they are quite creative in how to use them! H and M have decided to take a ruler from the Math area to measure the teeth on the skull! This learning they shared with the class.
Water colour paintings of the skull.
Water colour paintings of the skull.
During Literacy Investigations, the children are in small groups all working on various literacy activities. Here, Mrs. Kinsey is engaging the children in a direct lesson on letter names, sounds, and formation. Other children are working independently in their Log Books at their seats.
More feeling faces creations using open ended materials!
I am so grateful that I was able to capture this moment between H and I. I was a bit hesitant in sketching the skull. In seeing this, H supported her friend by using the hand over hand technique to aid in sketching the skull.
Lining up the toys at the book area like the children like up to go outside!
Noticing that the children were interested in measuring themselves and various objects in the classroom, an invitation to measure was created where the children could choose various items to use to measure. In this photo, K and H are measuring the table top using cubes.
It is incredible to see the various math concepts that are created daily at the Math Area. Many ideas stem from the direct instruction the children receive during Math Investigations time, but new math concepts are also created and are all discussed and consolidated during whole group sharing of work created.
What math concepts do you see in the photos above?
Using meaningful real life examples to learn about and understand the importance of sorting!
Our co-created classroom alphabet! For each letter of the alphabet, the children used their names, or classroom materials and objects that started with each letter. Very purposeful and an alphabet they can identify with.
Extending from the very informative discussion the children had about their knowledge and understand about Remembrance Day, they used plasticine on canvas to create poppies.
Please use these photos as a guide to further elicit discussions at home with your children about the learning taking place in the classroom!
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