Contributed by Grace Veronica, Facilitator, Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool
Reviewed and Edited by Sreeja Iyer, CEO Sparkling Mindz Global School & Preschool
The discussion brought out the knowledge that the children had about the plant but it went further. It helped them discover connections to other areas of their knowledge, worked its way through connections to themselves before arriving at technology. Their hypothesis that it probably closes to hide itself is pretty testable and can be led into further discussions. This particular one led us to discuss about different defense mechanisms plants use and how it helps them. For 3 & 4-year olds it is not curriculum, it is learning to wonder about the world around them so that they can wonder more and learn more.
Contributed by Grace Veronica, Facilitator, Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool Reviewed and Edited by Sreeja Iyer, CEO Sparkling Mindz Global School & Preschool Today a child came crying to school. It is not a usual sight at our school so naturally all the children stared at her and didn't know what to do - the loudness, the distraction, the helplessness...it was all evident in each of their faces. Once she settled, they all came around for their Welcome Song. As the facilitator was calling her to the group, everybody was staring at her wondering what she was going to say. Eventually, she told everybody that she doesn't want to join in, she wants to stand alone. Children understood that but instead of ignoring her...they did something magical. One by one, all of them started to walk towards her and gave her a hug, which culminated in a group her. They stood with her until the facilitator asked all of them to come back. They held her gently unlike their usual group hugs that are very driven, loud and fast. She was brought in with love and gentle affection. She was moved, she joined in.
Children know when to be gentle and kind to one another and it's a very important quality to have and to build within. For this class, we have been working on awareness and connection to emotions, expressing and understanding them in each other as well as being friends with all your classmates. Hence, the sensitivity that children showed - no one laughed, no one ignored, they were all very gentle. Then, the collective synergistic action they took together to bring her in - again with no verbal exchange between each other. All of it shows that something magical is happening in the class of my 3 year olds. As parents, teachers, neighbors, friends, and anybody, let's help cultivate kindness and empathy among children, so that they nourish both themselves and others around them. But first, let's cultivate the same within us so that we can show them how to build it within themselves, and emerge stronger than they already are. Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool. Reviewed by Sreeja Iyer, CEO, Sparkling Mindz Global |
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June 2023
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