We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience

John Dewey

Reflecting on Interests

We just wrapped our first full week of kindergarten this week and based on what I was learning about the children and their interests, I added a few new invitations to learn.  I love that my play-based classroom allows for the flexibility to weave curriculum outcomes into the interests of the children.

The Beauty of a Play-Based Classroom

I noticed that some of the children were very interested in colouring, so I set up a simple painting invitation.  This consisted of paper, pencils, pastels, and watercolour paints.  I also included a chart of some of the lines we had explored last week with our white boards and expo markers to see if they might transfer those ideas to their paintings.  Some included the lines; some explored the different colours and a couple were very interested in watching the brush cleaning water change colours.  A couple of the friends shared their knowledge on creating new colours by mixing two colours.  I’m thinking I’ll follow up on this with the book Mouse Paint and set up a colour mixing opportunity.

Fine Motor Invitations

I also added a few new learning experiences to would support fine motor development and problem solving.  The interaction was amazing.

Community Helper Conversations

We started conversations about community helpers – specifically fire fighters.  We have a small house set up for small world play.  Next week we will add a firefighter figurine and a phone. We made the fire with toilet paper tubes and construction paper flames.  We will be observing and listening to see if the children start using the language of fire safety and prevention in this small world play.

Happy Reflecting on Children’s Interests,

Lynda