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Why go outside?
Learning in the sandpit
When children use cameras
What do children learn at mat time?
The blog - swap meet of our minds
Great
community.
Great
education.
Great
kids!
GERALDINE KINDERGARTEN
News & Views Magazine
25 Wilson Street, Geraldine 7930
HEAD TEACHER: Tania Boland
OTB EXPERIENCES: The camp fire experiences;
PHONE: 03 693 8888 The whare/bean frame layering and bean tepee; Bird
EMAIL: geraldine.kindy@xtra.co.nz Feeders; Following on from the fire drawing with charcoal;
BLOG: www.blogspot.co.nz Spider web art and searching for them; Poultry: caring for
Geraldine Kindergarten them daily, having the clucky hen, hatching the chickens
and building the coop with James; Sowing the crop;
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Measuring/recording the crop and the sunflower;
Numeracy and literacy using; flowers, sticks, stone and
Saltmine Design leaves; Dramatic play; Introducing the Bokashi
24 Hislop Street Geraldine 7930 composting system into the programme; Child initiated
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Fi McCafferty games such as What’s the time Mr Wolfey and Hide and
PHONE: 03 693 8237 Seek, treasure hunts and ‘feather hunts’; aking using
EMAIL: fi@saltmines.co.nz
produce from the gardens and eggs from the hens.
from the EDITOR |2
Why go outside?
“Nature must be seen as an essential component if we needed it? Less formal structure and play equipment
of the experiential world of childhood, designed allows for a greater depth of reflection on our own practice,
and our interactions with the children.
into every childhood habitat.”
ROBIN MOORE AND NILDA COSCO (2001) WWW.NATURALEARNING.ORG In developing the area further to enable it to be used more
often, we are mindful that sometimes less is indeed best.
YESTERDAY WE WERE able to enjoy, along with the children and Introducing too many different elements may detract from the
their whānau, another fantastic visit to Peel Forest. The trip special flavour OTB has. The children, teaching team and
links closely to the interest we have in the development of the parents have been consulted, their ideas and preferences
nature garden area. We apologise for the time it is taking as valued and recorded. Tunnels, bridges, water, sand and rocks
we work through this process, but assure you we are taking were high on the list and interestingly so were introduced
time to reflect, to explore research articles, to visit other ECE objects, such as dinosaurs and tea sets.
centres, to have discussions with ‘Kids First’, the architect and
the landscape architect; all of which will be beneficial in the
long term. The play space affectionately called ‘OUT THE BACK’
(OTB) has recently been recognised as a legitimate catalyst in
stimulating, provoking, and providing for rich and challenging
play experiences. Shown here are pictures of some of the
experiences we have enjoyed in the area with the children
over the past several months (more detailed descriptions, WATER TUNNELS STONES SUNKEN INTRODUCED PATHS TREES
MUD SAND BRIDGES ITEMS PLANTS
photographs and a powerpoint presentation are available if you BRIDGES ANIMALS
DISPOSITIONS
• Self-confidence (sense of belonging)
• Working as part of a group (team work)
• Problem posing and flexible thinking
(generating alternative ways to solve a
problem)
• Communicating with clarity and precision
• Gathering data through all your senses
• Using prior knowledge
• Creativity, imagination and innovation
TANIA BOLAND
5| it takes a COMMUNITY to raise a child
We are their
role models
I HAVE READ ATTENTIVELY your GK News
& Views magazine and have so marveled at
the contents and the goals you have set up
to educate the children, that I felt motivated
to spend one morning with you and observe
the work you do.
I was delighted by the fact that you give
freedom to the children and support their
decisions to choose area of ‘work-play’
according to their own interests and you
encourage them to continue to satisfy their teachers of Perú) makes me reaffirm my
Recently we were fortunate
own curiosities. Freedom that helps the boy opinion of how important is the interaction to have Nori Roja visit the
or girl to acquire security and confidence in between the children and also with adults. Kindergarten while she was
him or herself, as well as develop their own That way they cultivate values like; respect, staying with her family in
creativity which allows him/her to resolve solidarity, responsibility, collaboration, Geraldine (Nori is Carlos
with success any future situation. Johnson’s grandmother).
honesty, and integrate naturally into society
by practicing every day until they learn Nori is a Peruvian writer,
Another relevant fact is the time dedicated
them and form part of their lives. Also, singer song writer and
to read stories to them, that they not only Lecturer at the National
importantly, is the need to form good habits,
enjoy because of the content of the story but University of San Marcos
the most important being; toilet training,
also in this brief moment, several processes (UNMSM) and the University
cleanliness, punctuality and tidiness as well Human Sciences (UCH) in
that are very important are happening, like
as the ability to express through music, Lima-Perú.
the discipline, the attention and
dance, drama, painting etc.
communication in the interacting with the She wrote this article
teacher who reads it. In the education of children we should not especially for GK News & Views.
When children
settling in both the morning and
afternoon sessions.
• Children use the camera to help initiate
and maintain relationships, both with
their peers and teachers.
• Children using the camera are aware
of, and enjoy humour.
• Children use the camera to take
photos of objects that promote a sense
of belonging.
• Children use the camera to become
explorers as they begin to develop the
feeling of becoming; competent, confident
learners who ask questions and make
discoveries.
• The camera also offers opportunities for
the children to recall and retell what and
why they have taken the photos-
WE HAVE OBSERVED the children using the communicating with clarity.
cameras and as a teaching team we have
discussed the learning that arises from this ‘Photography by young children offers
and I would like to share it with you. interesting possibilities as a tool for
• Children found wonderment and awe – listening, understanding this visual medium
‘The most wonderful experience in the as one of many languages of children.
world is the experience of the Children’s choices of images can open up
mysterious’ ALBERT EINSTEIN individual shared perspectives of their
everyday lives and the wider world
• Children were able to communicate what
community.’ ALISON CLARK
was important to them - ‘We need to
view young children as experts in their SHUT AND OPEN. SHUT AND OPEN.
own lives as well as being skilful
communicators.’ JAMES AND PROUT 1997 WHO WAS THIS I spied with the camera?
• Children use the camera as a tool for Zac, of course! Zac had noticed Iluka
getting a camera so of course he decided
|8
use cameras
What do children
H ealth ye
ce
M ues li S li
Snacks don’t need to come in packets.
Try baking some home-made, healthy
snack options for the lunchbox. They can
be tasty, low-cost and easy to prepare.
INGREDIENTS
2 TB oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 TB golden syrup
5 Weetbix (crumbled)
1 egg
1/2 cup dried dates (chopped)
1/2 cup dried apricots (chopped) FOLLOWING OUR ERO REVIEW the teaching need arises, we discuss ‘general business’,
1/2 cup brazil nuts (chopped) team was prompted to spend some time like which bin to use for your lunch scraps,
1tsp ground cinnamon evaluating our mat times. We looked or the importance of washing your hands.
1/4 cup shredded coconut critically at issues such as: our motivations At the end of mat time we conclude with a
1 cup rolled whole oats (why have a mat time?); intended outcomes Karakia – a blessing in te reo Maori – that
1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
for children; activities and experiences; expresses our wish for a peaceful day.
1 tsp baking powder
and timing.
100ml water During mat time children are learning
METHOD An initial discussion led to trialling different important social protocols such as sitting
times to see when children were most and listening attentively, concentrating, and
Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
responsive. We felt that earlier in the day conversational skills such as taking turns to
Mix the golden syrup, egg and oil
together and add to the dry ingredients.
worked better because mat times are a great talk, communicating with clarity, and
When combined, add water and mix opportunity to reach the whole group. We questioning. These are skills children will use
lightly to combine. Press into a slice tine often use the time to have group discussions as they transition into primary school and
lined with baking paper Bake at 180ºC about our expectations around behaviour, beyond, and like any skill, the earlier you
for 30 minutes. Cool for five minutes. safety and respect. start to practice the better.
Cut into approximately 20 pieces
Mat time provides an ideal opportunity to Sometimes we will introduce a new concept
introduce new children, parent helpers or or experience at mat time, and we find that
special visitors to Kindergarten. When the children often feel safe to take a risk and try
|10
GERALDINE KINDERGARTEN is finding ways of just as we would place them on the wall in
working together and becoming immersed the Kindergarten, creating another way to
in a two way process of communication. connect with our families and community.
Children and their families are at the core of
The connections made came from a far
Healthy our early childhood curriculum. Learning is
the collaboration of ideas that we share, the
wider community than we anticipated and
our global community developed.
conversations and discussions we have with
eating ideas one another. The blogspot is only one tool
where ideas and expectations can be shared
• Involve your children in between family and Kindergarten that are
selecting, preparing, cooking powerful influences on children’s lives
or serving the evening meal. (Te Whāriki, 1996, p30).
• Eat together as a family as Through the ICT research carried out over a
often as you can. Set the three year period, we used internet tools
table for dinner and breakfast such as ‘skype’ and the ‘blogspot’ to share
to encourage this to happen. our ideas and events with other
Kindergartens that were also on the
programme. We followed the idea of placing
the children’s group stories on the blogspot,
|12
Your feedback
Kindergarten children in a
picture for the Kitchen Walk
thank you card
R SITE YET?
BEEN TO OU