The build!
On Monday the children used ideas gathered from books that we've read to draw a plan for their fairy house. We know that writers have a plan before they write and builders have a plan, too. They used drawings and beginning sounds to share their plan for materials and construction.
With materials spread around our classroom, the children collected what they needed; gems, shells, sticks, and leaves. When building fairy houses in Kindergarten you are invited to move around the room as needed. If you notice you need a little more moss, you can get up and get a little more moss.
The building of fairy houses provides rich learning opportunities; reading teaching books and storybooks, reflecting and responding to prompts, making connections and learning about homes and shelters around the world. Builders are scientists and mathematicians, they collect materials, sort, count, and record how many. They wonder, how could I use this material?
On the day of the build we observed additional learning. Children were patient and kind, offering an extra gem or stone to a peer. They gave ideas and feedback, they inspired. They walked calmly around the materials and only gathered what the needed, leaving the rest. They were problem solvers, trying different strategies for attaching or balancing materials. They were able to follow community expectations. It was an engaging and empowering morning, full of hands-on exploration and joy.
In celebration of the winter solstice on Tuesday, the children were given a little electric tea light to put in their fairy house, welcoming back the sun and inviting fairies to gather around!
In our final week of Kindergarten we made connections across content areas through the planning and creating of a product. The children are ...
