Young Children - March 2008 - (Page 43) books. For each theme, the children write about their favorite book, including the reasons they liked it. (A sample bibliography—for the theme Everything Changes—is available online in Beyond the Journal, at www.journal.naeyc.org/ btj/200803/pdf/Hurless.pdf.) Children’s Individual Research In the spring, when the children were comfortable working more independently, during the theme Water Habitats and Their Critters, the first-graders researched their favorite water animals. Each child chose a critter to study. I gave the children specific information to research, in the form of questions: Where does it live? How does it move? How does it breathe? Are its babies born alive or hatched from eggs? To what animal family does it belong? What does it eat? Who are its enemies, and how does it protect itself? Besides the many books in our classroom, the children used child-related online resources, encyclopedias, and other resource books from the library. They got input from family and friends. Bonnie’s students, studying to become teachers, came to help the first-graders do their research. It was a learning experience for both groups! There were options on ways to document their learning: the children could create games, dioramas, videos, models, or books or use other documentation methods they came up with. Families contributed, perhaps helping to find answers to the research questions or interviewing their child on videotape about the animal or aiding in the creation of a papier-mâché model. As I observed the children’s presentations, I was impressed by the knowledge they demonstrated. This approach is appropriate when the teacher provides structure and support for each child. Children truly enjoy one another’s projects, and they remember their animal for years! Including families Another component is weekly communication with and involvement of families. I send home a weekly newsletter to share what the children are doing in class (see “The Gittings Group News,” p. 45; to read the complete newsletter, with explanations of a week’s activities and learning, go online to Beyond the Journal, at www.journal. naeyc.org/btj/200803/pdf/Hurless.pdf). I encourage parents to be part of the classroom and their child’s learning by offering a range of family involvement options. Families can provide information about their home culture Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence A Coherent Curriculum—Rich in Content and Language With goal and competencies at two levels to support each of the learning domains. Comprehensive Assessment of the Whole Child With explicit goals and assessments in each learning domain, detailed guidance in assessing each goal, using direct observation, portfolio collection, and activity probes, and software based management system. Comprehensive Professional Development and Support Services Training opportunities are available for each domain in the Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence. Professional Development and consulting services are available in a variety of options. Call the Core Knowledge Foundation to find out which option will work best for your school. www.coreknowledge.org/preschool • (800) 238-3233 x 352 PreK_sequence_Ad_half_pg.indd 1 12/12/2007 12:49:29 PM Young Children • March 2008 43 http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200803/pdf/Hurless.pdf http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200803/pdf/Hurless.pdf http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200803/pdf/Hurless.pdf http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200803/pdf/Hurless.pdf
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