Monday Monday

Starting our week.

Images from an Atelier

Beautiful work from the Williamsburg Northside Preschool's Flickr page.  Plus, I'm a sucker for a beautifully written backwards name.  

So far, this week

Working and playing are one and the same.

a wipe-off board and a typewriter

More tools to encourage the exploration of writing through play, along with some of the things children are making with them.

From All Angles

I took some time today to watch a child use materials in a new way.  This was important for me to see from a teacher perspective because I think I have become more flexible with materials.  It was also important in the perspective that I saw T active and engaged in this.  Even though she did not have any words to go along with it, she said so much with her actions.  I hope I'm on the road to more meaningful documentation.

Art Basics For Children Visit : Part One

 One of my favorite things, as an educator, is visiting educational spaces.  It's not about copying ideas, it's not about trying to force something in my own space that may only work somewhere else - its about seeing the passion that people have for making fantastic spaces for young children.  And at Art Basics for Children, the aesthetic inspires adults and children alike to participate.

 For example, the first room we visited on Saturday had a large platform.  The materials were presented in an organized way, and the room had not only smiling, engaged children; it also had smiling, engaged adults.  Not an iPhone checking adult in sight.

 

The room also contains a stage that must be used for something, and behind the stage there were prompts to promote thinking about performance and viewing.

 

 

Flip books, shadow play, different ways of being a performer and an audience member.  A prompt I had never seen before.

The way that the books are displayed at ABC is interesting to me.  I feel like the typical classroom often has a "book area" whereas libraries categorize and organize books by their genre or their subject matter or the intended audience.  At ABC there are books all over - they are a major source of visual information for the visitors.  And in many of the chairs sat adults, browsing the extensive book collection that is chosen and organized to promote the materials surrounding it.  

 

 

 

 

 The kitchen had a display of books about food and cooking for a variety of ages.  There were also individually laminated A3 illustrations from rare books all over the space, some individually and some in collections, that related to the ideas in different areas.  The bulletin board in the kitchen was a collection of photos and recipes.

Another interesting area was upstairs, on the same floor as the kitchen, and it was focused on letters and fonts.  As a preschool teacher, I understand the importance of literacy development and its hard to find a medium between casual exposure and meaningful learning.  Here the children explore hundreds of books on letters and shapes, some pop-up; they can explore different fonts; and the displays of Bembo's Zoo are definitely one way that letters, fonts, and visual expression merge.

ABC has public funding that makes all of this work.  When I walk through a space like the one they have, I do think if it is possible to create a space like this without funding like that.  

Inspiring spaces do not have to be schools, but simply places designed with the capabilities and interests of young children in mind. More photos soon!

Art Basics For Children Visit : The Trailer

I really love ABC here in Brussels.  I was glad my husband came along on this visit - I think now he understands a bit more about what I've rambled about and tried to describe over the years.  It really is a beautiful place that not only children, but adults too feel they want to be in.  I probably overuse the word inspiring, but this, for me, is the whole package.

I'll share more soon - I took a lot of photos, so this is just the beginning!

I have been neglecting this space a bit and focusing on the classroom blog for the parents.  So here are two photos of our community mural that the children have been working on.  Our big, beautiful spread will be finished tomorrow.

Blocks

"A far away lonely kingdom"

knitting needle letters

I saw this picture last week, and it made me think about how children learn - and the meaningful experiences children can have on the road to learning these academic tasks.  Earlier in the week, in the forest, one of the girls made her name with sticks.  We're not a class to trace letters or do worksheets, but letters are all around us all of the time and the children take a natural interest in text and print.  Once they discover that symbols convey a meaning, excitement follows.  I love seeing it, and I love this photo because of that.  I'll be sure to share our stick letters tomorrow.

Mondays in the Forest

Today, we sketched the flowering Magnolia tree as we prepare to enquire about "change" for the rest of the school year.  Then, we went to the forest for open play, and they definitely played.  Some of the children found a broken birdhouse in the forest, and we'll be talking about how to fix it during this week.  They are talking about hammers, nails, glue, and tape...we'll see how it unfolds.