This week we continued with poems, songs and books about pumpkins and Halloween.  I always try to weave learning opportunities throughout the day.

Letter Focus

We have been exploring letters and sounds and this poem provided the perfect learning opportunity for students to observe the “or” combination in context.  The red poster is from the Secret Stories. The children were able to quickly identify words in our poem that contained the new secret.

Problem Solving and Team Work

After reading the poem, 5 Little Pumpkins Sitting on the Gate, a learning opportunity challenge was presented to the children. The children were challenged to work with a partner and to construct a fence for more than 5 pumpkins.  This activity involved planning, cooperation and problem solving.  Once the group created their fence, they were then challenged to try building it another way. Later, the children counted the number of posts (red cups), fences (popsicle sticks) and pumpkins used in their design.

Numeracy Task

I often present a numeracy task as a challenge game – In this game, I observed that the students could identify a number and create a corresponding group of objects. 

Learning Through Play

Here are some examples of how the children worked with an assortment of loose parts.  Buckets with small manipulatives were available with no specific instructions. Several children started to sort the objects. One kindergarten friend extended his sort by adding wooden numbers to identify the groups he created. Play provide many learning opportunities.

Learning in Kindergarten happens throughout the day. Teachers select resources, plan lessons and activities and most importantly create an environment that supports investigation and inquiry. How do you plan for young learners?

Happy Teaching and Learning

Lynda