Ruby Tuesday

Nature continues to be an important part of learning in Kindergarten. Nature is both a part of inside the classroom and outside, too. Each week, we use Paris as a classroom and support children's learning by taking them outside to nearby parks, nature trails and walks around the local neighbourhood. Sometimes, the natural environment is used to support children's play or scaffold their inquiries. Other times, nature might be used to provoke and challenge children to think creatively. Benefits of play and learning outdoors include: - fitness and physical development - limitless opportunities from loose parts  - opportunities to explore, discover and understand the natural world  - fresh air and well-being - getting dirty or wet and self-management at these times - negotiating risk  Learning in and about nature As children play in nature and learn more about concepts linked to the natural world, they develop a respect and level of appreciation for its beauty and become incr...

This post is about "making" in Kindergarten. It is a result of three quite recent events that have each connected to one another and ignited a new inquiry for me... a quest to learn more about the concept of making with young children.  If you have read any previous blogs, you will have seen the Kindergarten children I teach have so many opportunities to play and engage in playful learning opportunities. They imagine, role play, tell stories, climb, dance, sing, balance, chase, compete, experiment, observe, paint, explore, draw, build, cut, mould, bend, write, read, solve puzzles, problem solve... but, generally, they do not "make"! Until recently... Anne van Dam was recently visiting my school and mentioned tinker trays as she noticed a bus children had made using cardboard, bottle tops and a glue gun. This launched a conversation about tinkering and making and the benefits of young children engaging in processes like these. I ordered and resourced what we are call...

Last week, Dr Carol Ann Tomlinson presented a webinar on ways to create a culture that supports differentiation.  In the PYP, and indeed all IB programmes, differentiation is most strongly linked to the approaches to teaching - particularly teaching that is designed to remove barriers to learning and is informed by assessment.  Carol quoted herself with this slide below. It pushes us to think more critically about differentiation, and much like 'inquiry' and 'play', unpack the complexities and nuances of an approach that can be evidenced with visible actions, but is rooted in a deeper stance, mindset and culture.  Throughout the webinar, I was reminded that play and playful learning support differentiation perfectly. Knowing our students well, we can't help but notice the diversity we have in our classes and the importance of responding to these differences. In the slide below, the importance of environment is highlighted - the physical and emotional space that can ...

Self-regulation is being aware of and managing one's behaviour, reactions, thoughts and emotions as one strives towards goals. It means that one makes informed choices based on sound judgements.  Taken from the glossary of the IB document "The Early Years in the PYP", self-regulated describes the ability to manage oneself in order to reach one's own goals and has this graphic to support our understanding.  Self-regulation is much about self as it is about others. It connects identity, well-being, interests, needs and challenges with interactions, relationships and being part of a community. Self-regulation requires both independence and cooperation as time, space and ideas are negotiated.  Children become better at self-regulating by self-regulating. It is important for children to have opportunities to make choices, take ownership of their learning, play, participate in playful learning opportunities, learn alongside others and have access to loose parts and open-end...