The magic of Kindergarten is alive and well at my school. In the chaos of the school day, one of my favourite parts is when I take my students down to the library to meet with our Kindergarten reading buddies. It is always such a delight to see my “big Grade 3” students taking one or two 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds under their wing, leading or being led by them to a comfortable corner of the library and settling down with a few good books to read together. Some of them cozy up together in the reading tent, others snuggle up on the couch, a few crawl into a "cave" under a table to read, and several scatter themselves on the carpet or next to a bookcase along the perimeter of the room.
Yesterday was EQAO, so the school library was closed. Those of use who were finished early decided to go to the Kindergarten room anyway to visit our little friends.. and, oh! What magic met us there!
Butterflies in caterpiller form, beginning to spin their cocoons, were neatly labeled at a table next to a basket of small notebooks where little scientists could write their observations – as one JK student informed me, “the caterpillars are labled by letter, so that Ms. Webster knows which one we’re writing about!”
In another corner, a half-built (or half demolished?) "skyscraper" of wooden blocks poked us in the eye -- several of my students were desperate to roll up their sleeves and get in on the construction action!
A word wall included student names as well as words (such as "the Avengers" under "A") that had clearly been generated by the students over the course of the year. Things to make, count and explore were everywhere, and evidence of an evolving classroom surrounded us. The Kindergarten buddies were eager to take their Grade 3 friends on a tour of their learning lab.
Although an hour in the Kindergarten classroom confirms for me my own inability/ unwillingness to teach at that level, I am awe-inspired when I observe the enchanting world the students and their teachers have created together!
Yesterday was EQAO, so the school library was closed. Those of use who were finished early decided to go to the Kindergarten room anyway to visit our little friends.. and, oh! What magic met us there!
Butterflies in caterpiller form, beginning to spin their cocoons, were neatly labeled at a table next to a basket of small notebooks where little scientists could write their observations – as one JK student informed me, “the caterpillars are labled by letter, so that Ms. Webster knows which one we’re writing about!”
In another corner, a half-built (or half demolished?) "skyscraper" of wooden blocks poked us in the eye -- several of my students were desperate to roll up their sleeves and get in on the construction action!
A word wall included student names as well as words (such as "the Avengers" under "A") that had clearly been generated by the students over the course of the year. Things to make, count and explore were everywhere, and evidence of an evolving classroom surrounded us. The Kindergarten buddies were eager to take their Grade 3 friends on a tour of their learning lab.
Although an hour in the Kindergarten classroom confirms for me my own inability/ unwillingness to teach at that level, I am awe-inspired when I observe the enchanting world the students and their teachers have created together!
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