RSSScience update!
Nov 23
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contributed by Beth Thompson, science and movement specialist.
For the past seven weeks, the preschoolers and I have been engaged in a new scientific exploration. The passions of the children and the changes in the environment around us guide our course. While I often start our weekly exploration with a plan, I am always discovering new ways to explore the concept we are discussing, through your children’s innovative perspectives…
For example, the other day, I brought in an experiment on sound, but before we even got started on it, the children where so excited by the vibrations they felt when banging on the table, that this became the natural segue into our exploration of sound. We clapped and sang a welcome song.
The weather has transformed again and as the clouds come to stay we have the opportunity to observe the clouds, measure puddles and even make clouds out of hot water and ice in our classrooms. Their experiences outside offer an opportunity to test, confirm and own the new knowledge they are gaining inside the classroom.
The teachers and children invite me into their classrooms and I hope to use that time to support your child’s ability to observe the world around them, organize the information that observation provides them, and then make predictions about how the world works. This continuing process calls upon the children’s passion, their growing awareness of their sensory experiences and their skill at distinguishing between those experiences, and their individual problem solving skills. It is incredibly exciting for me to approach ideas like the water cycle and air pressure from the beginning again. I am grateful for the opportunity to play with sand and parachutes and rubber bands and share how cool the world is with your children.
Every class, every week, every topic, everyday is different. Every classroom has a different style and different needs; it is a game I play working with them, for them. As we explored the water cycle in East last week, we used song and story as a part of the fun of understanding. I think that music and song can really serve my younger friend’s understanding in that classroom. I feel that the get-their-hands-in-the-dirt method is important for my friends in South, so South’s exploration of rain included practicing measuring puddles. In West, the children’s imagination is the most powerful force in the room, so I am looking for ways to allow us to use that imagination to fuel science exploration. As they discover the power of air in small spaces this week, they will have the opportunity to design and make their own sand blowing devices and create sand designs. We will see will see what the children lead me to next week! Keep your eyes open for my weekly documentation boards outside the preschool classrooms. I will leave ideas there to help you take the experiments home where more joy and learning can abound!