Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Welcome, Maren!

We were delighted to add Maren to our KW roster today.  She quickly opened her name card and set the table with Lou Lou.  As they worked, Lou Lou explained, "Maren, you can take one side (of the table cloth) and I'll take this side.  And did you know, I'll be here everyday."  

Clay Bodies

Joslin is thrilled, or maybe relieved, that the clay figure can stand!

Our investigation into the body and movement continued today with a chance to work on bodies made of clay.  While it would have been exciting to depict bodies in motion, the children quickly realized the making bodies that stood up was challenging enough.   Some children worked independently and others found partners for collaboration.  Here's some of the conversation at the clay table:  
    Leigh - I'm making a big huge head.  I'm making my daddy. I'm making the eyes.
    Louise - I'm making my dress.  I'm making snowflakes on my dress.
    Maren - I'm making the body.
   Joslin - I'm making the person and she's making the dress. (Referring to her collaboration with Louise.)
                  (Joslin then tries to stand up her clay figure, she topples over.  Joslin astutely solves this problem by 
                 gently pushing the figure toward the table.  It works!  The figure can now stand..... usually!)
    Leigh - I'm making my dad, so he doesn't need any hair.
                  (After Leigh completes her figure.....)  Let's see if he can stand.  No!  He just needs a base. (Another great
                 solution to the problem.  She adds a base, and the figure stands!)   I did it!!
    Joslin - I think I need a base for this one.  (She adds a base to her figure.)
    Maren - I made one body.  It can only fall down.
   Grace - (Coming to the clay table after other people have left) I want to start with the head.  (She repeatedly cuts down the clay head.)  I'm trying to make a smaller ball.  I'm making the eyes and also the mouth.  Now I'm making the hair. (Grace also added a body and long legs.  We ran out of time, but she plans to add the arms at another time.)

Drawing Bodies..... and Other Things

Children continued to work on drawings of bodies in motion today.  Maren started this work off by depicting her representation of Evelyn on the climbing wall.  Maren also completed  a mixed-media representation of hopscotch!  Grace finished a ballet drawing she started yesterday and did a drawing of her jumping as well.   The drawing table often becomes a communal spot... a place to share ideas and conversations.  Today was no different, as children moved from body drawings to birthday messages for Louise's grandfather while Lou Lou worked on birthday card for her dad.   

It's all about the process.....

We learn so much when we are able to observe how children work, how they make decisions, and how they solve problems.  Throughout the year, we will try to make their processes visible through step-by step notes. Here's some examples from today's clay work and Maren's drawing of Evelyn.