Friday, September 16, 2022

"Meet the child.  What a gift!  
​What a treasure to meet a child!"                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                    Simonetta Cittadini
                                                                                                                      Founder and Executive Director of L'Atelier School
                                                                                                                                            A Reggio-Inspired School in Miami ​

As we complete the first two weeks of children, it truly has been a gift to meet the children.  In KW, we have also emphasized the children getting to know each other.  As we've noted before, we have started most of our afternoons with the question, "What do you want your friends to know about you?"  We have recorded their responses and visual representations in the hallway.  We've noticed children responding to this work, including children who aren't in the KW program!

The KW children have an understanding of this process and the  reason behind it.
     Why do you think we've been asking you to share something your want your friends to know?
     Luke - The little kids needed to know our names.
     Hugh - And they needed to know what we like.
     Michael - And what we like to play with.
    Is it only the Rainey Room children that had to learn something?
     Finlay - We all learned what we like.
     Wilder - And we learned their names and what they like.  

Children made mention of their families as they shared things about themselves.  For example, Ford talked about playing transformers with his dad and Seon loves a number game that she plays with her mom.
​We are hoping to make the hallway bulletin board an interactive, "living" display of our work and the the responses to  our work.  Please share your refections, questions, and comments on a piece of paper and put it anywhere on the board.  We really value your input!

These conversations have helped children understand who they are as individuals.  There were many commonalities: a number of children like pizza and dinosaurs, for example.  Who we are also includes bigger questions:  
Who are  we as a community?  
Who are we as a school?  
We began exploring these ideas by taking some tours of the school.  

Naturally, checking out where all the guardians (from last year) were located was a highlight of our initial tours. 

Beginning our Table Runner

Lunch and table setting are important parts of our program.  Yesterday, children began to work on fabric squares that will eventually be sewn together to make a runner (or two or three).   On Thursday, we used acrylic paints to create designs.  

Catre - A Flower. (Work in Progress)

Ellie - A Monster

Mimi - A Flying Rainbow Unicorn

Luke - A Robot withTwo Eyes (Work in Progress)

Lily - A Rainbow

Today, children could work with acrylics again or start hand sewing.   The children worked diligently and we're really looking forward to seeing the the process continue through the coming weeks.  

Bailee

Ellie

Hugh

Jade

Mimi

Animal Enclosures in Construction

After our success in building a Quidditch stadium on Wednesday, we turned our attention to another classroom interest: animal enclosures. Louisa has a special affinity for horses, so she began building with a horse and some friends.   There was a sheet of blue paper on the construction table, which represented a body of water.
   Seon - (Adding a small whale). Another sea animal.  I will get some more animals.  Here's a cute little penguin.  
   Louisa - (Referring to a horse and a zebra). They're friends.
   Seon - I'm working together with Louisa. 
   Louisa - (Adding bead to her building area) This is food.  This is a toucan.  He's drinking.  (Louisa brings other small animals to her area.) They're living there.  
​    Seon - I'm bringing rocks to the animals.  (She adds some cubes to the area). This is an animal bed.  I'm making a bigger one.  I'm having so much fun!
   

Louisa's animal home

Seon's animal home

Louisa's animals eventually left their home!

Meanwhile, Cape, Jade and Michael worked on another animal enclosure.  
​    Cape - This is for African animals.
    Jade - And this is where they eat.
     Michael - I have more food.  
    Cape - This is the prince of  tigers and these are the guards (chess figures).  They make sure that the Prince and the tigers get along.
     Jade - I'm making the town square.
 Michael and Cape add more guards to their structure.
     Cape - They're guarding the trophy.  And if nobody wins they get the bad trophy.
    Jade - (Indicating her town square). And this is where the race can be (for the trophy).  Put the trophy up high.
    Cape - But it has to be hidden.  

Today, the children worked on roads...and a racetrack emerged!
   Saul - Let me tell you about this.  It's the trickiest racetrack ever!
   Ford - (Pointing to the bumps on the road). Yes, this is very tricky.
   Cape - Those (the silver poles with hoops on top) are like stop lights to stop boats because that's the river.  

As you can see, the construction area supports collaboration as the children build upon one another's ideas.  This week, we noticed som very low, horizontal buildings.  Perhaps next, we will encourage tall, stable structures!

Final Note

The quotation at the beginning of the blog came from the most recent episode from the "Awakened to Reggio" podcast.  The Podcast is a series of conversations with people who are "changing the landscape of early childhood education through the lens of the Reggio approach."  It's hosted by Sandy Lanes, who is a Reggio-inspired educator and consultant from the area.  If you are a podcast enthusiast, we can enthusiastically recommend this one!