What I See, What I Think, What I Wonder
“Curiouser and curiouser”
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Children are born inquisitive, and it is this innate curiosity that drives them to learn about the world through every experience and social interaction. They thrive on exploration, questioning, and imaginative play. This positive cycle of learning is fueled by the joy that comes from discovery. We want our children to embrace curiosity and feel empowered to ask questions, seek answers, and create solutions without fear of failure.
Please enjoy the class albums from this week. Please remember to try and make time to share these alongside your child.
Currently, our unit of inquiry is Sharing the Planet. The range of topics I have heard the children talk about is wide and varied, from frog spawn to tornados to the planets !! To begin, I focused on uncovering the children's prior knowledge—everything they already know before diving into a new topic. Our circle time discussions were rich and engaging, and while I may not have documented every detail, the wealth of information they shared was substantial. I aim to concentrate on the areas that ignite their interest, as they provided me with countless ideas for our inquiry direction.
To complement these discussions, I introduced our classroom Curiosity Cube—a designated area in the middle of the classroom. Here, children are free to think, process, question, and wonder. This week, I placed a variety of fruits and vegetables - over the week, we have cut them open and wondered about the insides, the seeds, the skin, how they grow, what they smell like, the texture of the skin, can we eat the skin etc,
I've noticed that when they feel ready, they ask questions that open the floodgates to deeper conversations. One of the standout comments was from Ankie, who asked, "They won't grow; there is no oxygen in there" 😮 - my mind was blown! As you can imagine, there was a whole follow-up discussion.
At the end of the week, I wanted to change the contents of the curiosity cube to something that would change/grow over the weekend. So we investigated the change that occurs in chia seeds when submerged in water and then they were poured into a shallow tray and placed into the curiosity cube - I am hoping they will sprout over the next few days. The video below shows what is meant to happen!
I jotted down their ponderings throughout the week on paper beside the cube, creating a visible record of their thoughts, which built excitement as more comments accumulated. When I write their comments, it is verbatim; it is called capturing the 'child's voice', I don't doctor what they have said or make assumptions; it is literally word for word. I love looking back on the comments and picking different wonderings that I can help to unpack.
It has been so great to listen to conversations about our current topics happening in the playground and at the snack table. The snack table is now becoming an increasing social hub - and the children have been on high alert to see if anyone has snacks in their fruit - so much so that we now have a seed wall of fame in the classroom, where I have printed out pictures of the seeds in the fruit and vegetables from the snack table. If a child has seeds that they want to plant from their snack then they are encouraged to do so. We already have tomato seeds sprouting, thanks to Kaitlyn.
In addition to all of the above, the children have been honing their presentation skills, and I've noticed a significant improvement in just a short time. They are becoming more confident in their explanations, and we're even starting to receive questions from the audience! The children are now great at accessing the playground, so that has also been a fantastic addition to the sessions; we continue to work on our numeracy and mark-making skills; it really has been another packed week!
Cardboard is an incredibly versatile material, providing an excellent surface for painting. With its various sizes, textures, and shapes, it encourages children to explore art in new ways, sparking their imagination as they think of creative approaches to painting cardboard boxes. This medium also fosters collaboration, allowing the children to work together while discussing their ideas.
Additionally, working with cardboard enhances their fine and gross motor skills, improves hand-eye coordination, and encourages them to experiment and take risks with the tools provided. This process helps build their social and emotional skills as well as their language development, allowing them to articulate their creative journey.
We're also making strides in understanding recycling and upcycling, highlighting how these practices can benefit our world.
Our library visits continue to be enjoyable, and there's a lot of excitement about borrowing books next Tuesday (please remember to send in your library bags). Unfortunately, I will be at Parent-Teacher Conferences (PTCs) on Tuesday and Thursday, so I'll miss out on the fun. Speaking of PTCs, I look forward to discussing your child with you. Since time is limited, please feel free to email me if there are specific topics you'd like to cover, so we can make the most of our time together. If you can’t make your appointment, just let me know, and I’ll do my best to reschedule.
Also, please change the setting on your Zoom profile to your child's name, e.g. Ashley's Parents.
Ahead of borrowing a book for the first time, a new book arrived at school that was literally perfect. A Frog, with a book being his prized possession. I managed to find a YouTube link, so if you have time, please share it at home.
Have a wonderful weekend. See you all for PTCs next week
Dawn
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