Young Children - March 2008 - (Page 42) Children gradually become more independent, taking more responsibility for their own learning and behavior. The learning environment The classroom setup and schedule encourage children’s autonomy and a sense of community. Because this work style is especially hard for children to undertake at the beginning of the year, I start by introducing structure, routines, and expectations. For example, children learn where to find classroom materials (crayons, scissors, dice, game markers, resource books, and so on), how to use them carefully, and the importance of putting them away when done. From the beginning of the school year until the last day, I stress kindness, considering differences as opportunities to learn, and not to compare individuals. I model learning from mistakes and taking risks. Children gradually become more independent, taking more responsibility for their own learning and behavior. After all, autonomy is one goal of education. dishwashing detergent. The detergent broke the surface tension of the milk, causing the colors to swirl dramatically and create new colors. The children’s oohs and aahs led to predictions, discussions, and explanations about what they had observed. The children were thrilled when I gave them the “recipe” to try at home with their families. Experiments such as Nervous Colors and one using cabbage juice, baking soda, and vinegar to show chemical change are part of the large unit on changes. Study and activities around this theme meet standards from many subject areas, as the children use the scientific process, make predictions, collect and analyze data, measure and document their observations with drawings and writing, read books, wonder, and ask many questions. (The web below lists the applied learning skills as well as the Illinois learning standards met through the changes theme.) Books and more books Fiction and nonfiction books are essential components of an integrated curriculum. I read aloud two or three books a day, sometimes more, always encouraging children to reread them themselves. Some we read for information, others we read for pure enjoyment. Through the years I have added books to fit with themes. By the end of the school year, the children have listened to and discussed more than 600 Events, trends, and movements EVERYTHING CHANGES! Social Science LEARNING STANDARDS Applied Learning Skills Problem solving Communication Connections Number sense Place themselves in time Measurement Mathematics Goods produced Collect, organize, and analyze data Read Science Reading and Language Arts Concepts, principles, and process of scientific inquiry Patterns of weather and seasons Change Write Listen and speak Acquire and access information How living things function, adapt, and change 42 Young Children • March 2008
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