Friday, March 30, 2018

Emergent Curriculum ~ Tall Towers

From a Preschooler's Perspective:


I was doing some "snack math" with a few of the preschoolers. Our conversation went like this:

Teacher: "How many straws do I have?"
Preschooler: "Four."
Teacher: "And if I give one out?"
Preschooler: "Three."
Teacher: "And if I give another one out?"
Preschooler: "Two."
Teacher: "And if I give another one out?"
Preschooler: "One."
Teacher: "And if I give the last one out?"
Preschooler: "Then it's time to go to the grocery store!"



Emergent Curriculum ~ Tall Towers


The play based, exploratory, hands-on approach to learning that we employ in our classroom is a component of what is described by early educators as an "emergent curriculum". What this term signifies is that the activities that the preschoolers are typically engaged in are based on their own interests and preferences. This is one of the primary reasons that our students tend to be so enthusiastically involved in what they are doing in school.

For my next few blog posts (beginning with this one) I will focus on several different activities that are child-centered and child-driven. It should be obvious from the pictures that are presented that the emergent approach to teaching and learning is a powerful means of keeping our children productively engaged in the learning process. 

Emergent thematic learning can last for a short while or can span much longer periods of time. In our classroom, the children's fascination with constructing tall towers out of all sorts of preschool materials has been a major component of their explorations and play for the past two years. It is obvious that building these structures is highly interesting to, and motivating for, the members of the group. And from my experience with students of all ages, when children are enthusiastic about the activities that they are involved in they are much more likely to value the educational process, to make significant gains as learners, and to enjoy being in school.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Hannah & Sydney

From a Preschooler's Perspective


A preschooler was telling me that some day she will be a preschool teacher, just like me. We talked for awhile about what kinds of things she would do when she was a teacher. Then she thought for a moment and asked, "So, will I be a teacher after kindergarten?"


Hannah & Sydney


Three years ago, two new students (Sydney and Hannah) and their families joined us in the Samuel Morey Preschool. This was the beginning of a long and rich relationship, between the two children, between the families and the preschool, and between the two families as well.

Hannah and Sydney are now in the first grade together. They have continued the very close friendship that began when they first came to preschool together. And they both continue to have a special connection to the preschool.

Hannah's younger sister, Bee, is currently enrolled in the preschool and Sydney's younger brother, Cooper, will be joining us next year. Hannah's mom, Brooke, has been very involved in preschool extracurricular events and we have had a couple of great field trips (along with the Westshire preschoolers) to their family farm in Fairlee. And, by the way, Sydney's mom is none other than our special librarian, Mrs Samantha.

Our preschool program serves many functions for our community of young learners and their families. In addition to preparing the preschoolers to thrive and be successful in the school environment, interpersonal connections are consistently being formed that support children's and families' (as well as the preschool program's) well-being. This rich interconnectedness often lasts well beyond when children "graduate" from our program. It is one of the things that makes our preschool program such a special place in our school district and in our communities.

Here are some pictures of Sydney and Hannah reading a story recently to the preschoolers. To me, these pictures, in addition to just being fun to look at, are informative on many levels. They illustrate a close and special friendship between the two children, they remind me of the wonderful years that they both had in preschool, and they are a great example of the strong and vital connections that are being made on a regular basis in our early childhood program.