For the love of the sandpit!

Recently I have been reflecting on how much joy and engagement happens in our sandpit every day. When I first started my studies in becoming a qualified early childhood teacher, I would have to go on placements. In all my placements over the years I always found myself using the sandpit as a safe place to settle myself into my new surroundings, a space to support me in making connections with children who I had never met before and getting involved at their level in their play. I often notice to this day how children use our sandpit in a similar way, a settling tool, a way to build relationships with others and a place to indulge in wonderful play experiences.

 

 

The sandpit is often a space which is hive of activity, fostering individual and group play situations. Even in the busiest of times it seems to be un-chaotic, children deeply engaged in many different games and experiences but all working cohesively together.

 

 

Concepts such as co-construction, negotiation, cooperation, spatial awareness, sharing and problem solving are brought to the forefront for children as they utilise all the great qualities the sandpit provides. The benefits of playing in the sandpit for children is immense. The sandpit is a great space for social, emotional and language development. While playing in the sand children use communication skills as they talk about what they are doing and how to do things. They share equipment and learn to get on with others. The imaginary and role play that children also engage in provides lots of opportunities for storytelling and helps them make connections with others who have similar interests. This is wonderful for supporting them in forming meaningful relationships with their peers at kindergarten, which in turn will foster their sense of belonging.

 

 

“Sand provides many opportunities and possibilities for mathematical and science learning as children dig, measure, fill, construct, and compare... Sand play also gives many opportunities for children to develop the language of social interaction and negotiation.”
(ECE Educate, Ministry of Education NZ)

It is such a rewarding and wonderful part of my job to be privy to the benefits of such a wonderful resource. The sandpit will always be a space that is supporting and enhancing our children’s learning and development and it will also always be a space that I hold dear to my heart.

 

Till next time,

Zair

Mathematics is interwoven throughout play experiences

The thing I love about early childhood is how the curriculum is interwoven throughout play experiences.  Intentional teaching coupled with thoughtful planning of the environmental set up, provides children many opportunities to develop their numeracy and literacy knowledge in a holistic manner, and can also include language, physical, and social skills.

It still surprises me when I hear comments about how children get into ‘real’ learning once they start school.  As an early childhood teacher I know and support that children learn through play, it is through play that children explore and make discoveries about their world.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.  But for children, play is serious learning.  Play is really the work of childhood.”  Fred Rogers

While children are engaged in play there are many opportunities and experiences that help to form connections that are made between new ideas and existing knowledge while gaining an understanding of mathematical concepts, including number sense, measurement, spatial awareness (geometry), sequencing, classifying and sorting, counting, and recognising patterns (algebra). 

“Mathematics is a natural activity for children; they demonstrate a great capacity for learning mathematics long before they enter school.”  Dr Jean Shaw

Early childhood are crucial years for children to gain an understanding and develop their thinking around the concepts of more or less, biggest or smallest, longest or shortest, near or far, heavy or light and wide or narrow.

“Exploring mathematics can help kindergarten children satisfy and deepen their natural curiosity about sizes, shapes, numbers and relationships they encounter in the world.”  Dr Jean Shaw

At kindergarten we are thoughtful with our environmental set up that invites children through their natural curiosity, to be active participants and learners by engaging in meaningful experiences. 

“Children’s understanding of mathematical relationships develop gradually over time, and by describing and working with patterns in the world around them, children are starting to use ideas that are foundational to algebraic thinking.”  Dr Jean Shaw

These experiences can include water play (volume and measurement), imaginary play selling pizzas, how many would you like? (shapes and number sense), cooking (measurement), sorting and classifying items such as stones, shells or dinosaurs, whānau time singing number songs or a real favourite of counting how many children are in attendance at kindergarten.

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.”  Fred Rogers

Instead of promoting a culture of worksheets, I believe as an early childhood teacher that I can offer children opportunities to learn through my thoughtful planning and intentional practice which provides play experiences that can incorporate numeracy and literacy skills.  It is these foundational skills that children will carry with them as lifelong learners.

“Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning.” Diane Ackerman

Mā te wā

Susie

Celebrating Clay

In my role as a teacher of young children I feel that it is crucial that I allow them both time and space to explore different experiences. One of these experiences that I love to observe is children working with is clay.

At Mairtown Kindergarten we have clay out most days, it is there for children to explore at their own pace, as well as being a resource that we use to extend on children’s thinking and knowledge. I have documented the use of clay previously on our blog where I discussed the role it plays in helping children turn their 2D drawings into 3D sculptures (Click here to view).

Although the end product of clay work is often interesting and beautiful I really wanted to concentrate in this write up on the importance of children having continuous use of clay in our kindergarten. Clay is a great open ended resource that should be celebrated for all the greatness it brings to our learning environment for children of all ages.

“Clay is open-ended, malleable, and durable, which makes it especially fitting for a developmentally appropriate curriculum for young children. Clay supports children’s development and learning by affording children the opportunity to actively explore a very dynamic material, to develop understandings and test those understandings through hands on experiences.” (Berk, 2008; Smith & Goldhaber, 2004)

When children have the opportunity to explore and revisit experiences, like clay, over and over their learning is enhanced and they develop a relationship with the material. Clay is an interesting tactile and intriguing resource. It can be messy and sticky or smooth and silky. It is a great medium that is so versatile. Some children enjoy patting, poking, squishing and massaging the clay, others enjoy using it to create representations of their ideas and thoughts.

I have noticed when children work with clay they are often deeply engaged, their concentration is at a heightened level but at the same time they seem to have a sense of calmness that over comes them.

“While I have worked with students in other art mediums, something magical happens when children work with clay. Whether it is the sensory response to the clay, the ability to be in charge of the medium or, perhaps, the ability to express and articulate their emotions through their physical prodding or smoothing of the clay, all children, even those with high activity levels, become engaged and engrossed in their work.” (Storms)

Some children approach clay with confidence, happily picking up the natural resource and moulding it in the palm of their hands. Other children however, approach it in a more reserved and cautious manner, observing others using the clay first, then carefully engaging with it themselves. It is important in either respect that children are given ample time to explore clay at their own pace, and where appropriate with the support of an encouraging and considerate adult.

When working alongside children who are engaged in clay experiences, I feel as a teacher, that it is vital to find a balance between not being over bearing and providing too many ‘rules’ to making sure you are role modelling techniques and offering gentle encouragement along the way.

“Working to help children develop their creativity requires that we refrain from being overbearing or too directive, but it does allow us be concerned expert coaches, articulate inspirational artists, and encouraging helpers. When it comes to fostering creativity, good open questions are priceless. Good crafts grow out of good thinking, intrinsic desire, and lots of practice; not from external rules.” (Bartel, 2002)

Having clay out all the time also means that it creates opportunitities for children to develop skills and knowledge about how to use this resource to support their interests. This in turn means that we end up having children who become experts in using clay and they often become wonderful role models and peer tutors for their friends. It is always so great to witness this kind of leadership take place within our environment, and it is really supported greatly by allowing our children to revisit this resource over a long period of time. 

Recently I have been spending quite a lot of time at the clay table. In this space I have been supporting children in any way that is needed, whether this is just letting them be at one with the clay or whether this is offering them advice in how to develop techniques that they can use to manipulate the clay, to help them create the end piece they are striving for. Clay has many benefits for children’s learning development including, but not limited to, fostering gross and fine motor development, enhancing hand-eye coordination and extending on language and creative thinking. Being so easy to manipulate and create with means that often children’s imaginative ideas are extended on as their clay comes to life. All in all it is an experience that is enjoyed by many, one that fosters many different learning areas and the joy that comes from this space is delightful.

We also like to take clay outside, not only into the kindergarten outdoor area, but also on our Nature Programme in the local Mair Park bush. Here the children enjoy making treasures with the clay that they often gift to the bush. It is always interesting returning in the weeks afterwards to see what has happened to the gifts that they have left. This highlights one of the great aspects of clay, being that it is a natural and versatile resource, and that when the gifts are left in the bush it doesn’t have a negative impact on the environment.

As mentioned above, clay should be available for the children that we work with continuously. The reason for this is so that they have opportunities to revisit, revisit and revisit and in turn develop a relationship with the material that will in turn support and enhance their learning and development. Clay is an incredibly enjoyable and tangible resource that should be celebrated in our world of early childhood education. Clay enables both the hands and the mind to work creatively together and this is summed up beautifully by Thomas Aquinas who defined "human" as, "a being with brains and hands. As such our greatest joy comes when we can employ both our brains and our hands simultaneously in ways which are creative, useful, and productive."

Till next time,

Zair