Researchers at Four

My students started their sleeping/bed research today. 

What does this look like with four year olds? 

Sticky Notes!

I put out small sticky notes near the non-fiction books.  I told them if they found an interesting picture or something in the book that caught their eye, they could ask a grown up to read it to them.  It they thought it was worth sharing with the class, they should put a sticky note on that page and we would share it at group time.

 

If it caused them to pose a question, we would add it to the chart that we started with our web.

Today, this sticky note research caused us to discuss whether or not we slept with pets on our beds at home-we will be graphing that for our morning attendance question tomorrow. 

Another child found a cool picture about a sleep clinic and we discussed hospitals where they study sleep. 

The last one we looked at for the day was one about yawning.  This one was fun and we decided to do a little experiment.  We read that if someone yawns in front of you a few times, you start yawning.  I did it in front of them and many started yawning.  So they were eager to go home and try it with their parents.

 

There are several other sticky notes in books that we did not get to today.

Four year olds-doing research!

How Do I Start? Watch Them Play.

Often, the most difficult part to conquer for teachers new to the process of “emergent”, “intentional”, “child based” curriculum is where or how to begin. 

You need to begin with observations of the children.  Watch them play.  Provide them with provocations; interesting materials that will cause wonder including things to put together and take apart, good literature including non-fiction, nature items and art materials.

Then watch and listen.  Talk to the children.  What are they playing?  What are they talking about?

My class this year seemed to be playing with beds.  Beds!  I do not know why, but a huge group of children during the longest free playtime would create beds out of blocks and cover them with baby blankets.  It started for the babies and then the children started lying in them.  I showed them a box of old tablecloths that I keep in the dramatic play center and they were thrilled.  Soon we had at least five or six beds covering the floor each day with people in them.  Sometimes the children were sick, sometimes they were “just in bed”.  Sometime they got all dressed up in gowns and beautiful shoes just to get into bed.

This went on for a week, with most of the class involved, so at circle time one day I asked them about beds.  I told them I had noticed them playing beds and making beds and that they seemed so interested in them.  I asked them what they thought about when they thought about beds.  What do you know about beds?  They listed many activities-none of which were sleep-that can be done on a bed from pillow fighting to jumping.  They also listed many kinds of beds from bunk to princess.  When we finally got into sleeping, we got into a discussion of whether or not everyone slept?, and if everyone slept at the same time? 

Then we started brainstorming questions about sleeping and beds.  Are beds the same all around the world?  We add to this chart often as questions arise, as the children think more about this topic, and not always at circle time.  It is hard for the entire group to sit for a long time, so I usually take a few questions and comments and then tell them that I will write down any other thoughts they have during playtime. 

Then I collected the resources that I could for further exploration to see if their interest continued.  I found any books at our school on the topic and went to the library to collect more on sleep, beds and animals and sleep.  I knew that a beloved fairy tale that included beds as an integral part of its storyline is The Three Bears. These literature experiences are not answering any of the questions we formulated above, but as we start our research, they are giving us some good critical thinking experiences as we compare and contrast the different versions of The Three Bears that the children started bringing in from home.

 

To build upon their interest of making the beds in the classroom with blocks and other non keepable materials, I created a center where they could create a bed.  It has tongue depressors, popsicle sticks, batting, felt, fabric, cardboard, various wood pieces, a few kinds of glue and other decorations.  The children have been enthralled.  The first day, almost the entire class wanted to be at this area all at once.  One child came up with the idea of making bunk beds and the trend caught on. 

My vision of how they would have used the sticks as a base covering the cardboard and making a foot and head board, was never attempted.  I am so glad I truly refrained from our natural tendency to model in any way, so I could really see and appreciate the creativity that abounded with no adult direction.  A few children started their second beds today or came back to add on to the bed he/she began yesterday. 

The idea isn’t disappearing, this group, and as a whole, is very interested in beds and bedtime and sleeping.  So now, my real work begins.  I have to continue to monitor this interest to see what they’d like to learn, and help them learn HOW to learn it.  What environments can I create to help them foster this interest? What experiences can I expose them to that will answer some questions, but create new ones?

Give it a try.  Watch.  Watch them play.

And keep playing yourselfJ

A Reflection

Teaching is a highly reflective process. 

As I spent the weekend writing and preparing my presentation for the NAEYC conference in November and trying to best explain my way of teaching to others, I learned a great deal about myself and about curriculum misconceptions.

Emergent curriculum is a widely used and misused term.  It reminds me very much of the way Whole Language was used and abused many years ago back when I taught Kindergarten.  People wrongly thought that if you used Whole Language than you didn’t teach phonics.  If you don’t incorporate phonics into reading instruction, than you cannot teach a child to read as it is one of the strategies.  However, HOW you integrate that phonics instruction can look very different in a Whole Language classroom and a phonics based classroom. 

To some people Emergent Curriculum means letting the children take the lead and run with the learning, leading the entire journey, with very little teacher involvement.  The purists may say that one cannot even plan as you need to be continuously spontaneous and only supporting of the discoveries the children make on their own.  With this thinking, I began to doubt if I was truly a teacher of Emergent Curriculum and decided I was perhaps, more of an Intentional Teacher. 

I observe my students and watch their interests.  I foster these interests and take their lead.  However, I am then intentional with my actions.  I will then plan the environments that will help them answer their questions that they have raised, seek experts in their field, find books on the subject.  At the same time, I am watching the development of the set of standards for which my state is holding me accountable.  I am creating learning opportunities for children to practice or develop or strengthen in areas where they are lacking. 

Are my students self motivated?  Yes!

Do they have a say in their learning process?  Everyday

Are we a team in our learning together?  Yes!

How is this Intentional Teaching done; this planning while remaining spontaneous, this teacher directed while following their leads accomplished?

Join me in at the NAEYC Conference in CA in November and I will walk you through a year in my classroom. How did each investigation start?  Where did it lead?  What is the research behind why this type of teaching is so critical to our young learners?

Catch me Friday, November 5, 10am  Become a Polar Explorer, Feather a Nest and Make it Rain Inside: Emergent Curriculum, It’s not only Possible in Preschool, it’s Incredible

And if you can’t make it, keep reading.  The journey continues and it is shared here. 

Keep PlayingJ