You are currently reading our archived blog. While these older posts may not reflect our current vision and direction, we encourage you to visit our new website at wunderled.com to explore our latest, updated content. There, you'll find a wealth of valuable articles, resources, and insights that align with our current focus and over 60+ Free […]
At the beginning of every year my teaching partner and I incorporate lots of name recognition, construction, and writing provocations to engage children. Here are some of our favourites so far this…
Are you teaching the early years biology strand and looking for some engaging and educational science provocations to help your students learn about Living Things? In this blog post there are 5 engaging living things provocations to inspire you. There are also tips and ideas to help you set u
You are currently reading our archived blog. While these older posts may not reflect our current vision and direction, we encourage you to visit our new website at wunderled.com to explore our latest, updated content. There, you'll find a wealth of valuable articles, resources, and insights that align with our current focus and over 60+ Free […]
My quest this year was to create a more organised environment in my classroom. A space that allowed for natural expression through various forms of play as well as a space that was organised and wa…
Provocations can be overwhelming. Let's take a look at some simple ideas for literacy provocations found in a Reggio-Inspired Preschool.
Playdough is always a favourite in my classroom. It's ideal to use that interest for reinforcing educational skills and concepts. That’s the beauty of a play-based classroom. You can teach phonics and consolidate phonemic skills through the provocations and learning invitations you provide. Playdou
Lets talk about provocations... What is a provocation? The options really are endless! Provocations are happening wether you come from a Reggio Emilia inspired centre or not. They are the questions we ask, the materials we put out, the music we put on...even we as teachers act as a provocation sometimes... Heres how Journey in Early Childhood defines it... Deliberate and thoughtful decisions made by the teacher to extend the ideas of children. Teachers provide materials, media and general direction as needed but the children take the ideas where they want. - Journey into Early Childhood I want to emphasise something here... The children take the ideas where they want... See, I was asked recently by a volunteer..."Do your provocations always work?". I was taken back by this...what did she mean by 'work'? Then she said, "I haven’t seen the children drawing crosses here"... What she didn’t hear was the conversation happening at the drawing table... Jayden: Hey Kalen, thats an X aye Kalen: Yeah, I don’t have an X, I have a K Jayden: Oh I have a J and an A and a Y and a D and a E and a N The two boys then began searching for letters around the room, trying to find them on the walls, in the artwork and documentation. The boys did not see a cross...they saw an X. They did not feel compelled to draw the cross...instead it became a point of discussion. I’ve talked about the childs agenda before but I think it is important to mention it in this case as well. We need to consider this when setting up our environment or when we ask a question to children. Do not pre-empty an experience and decide what will happen. If you come with an agenda you may tend to restrict children. Remember children express themselves through a hundred languages...take a minute to observe how they speak. Check out a few of our provocations... The children take the ideas where they want...
Collect branches, or just one branch, from outside and use tempera paints for a collaborative art experience for kids.
Making mud paint is perfect if you are planning a "dirt day' or are looking for dirt activities for kids. Mud painting is also a fun messy art activity for kids of all ages.
"In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it." Simon Nicholson, Architect During the first month of school, our goal as educators is to learn more about the students we will be working with over the year. In addition to completing assessments, interviews, and observations of the students during play, we set up a provocation or invitation to learn "about me." The above invitation to learn, includes circular bases which act as a canvas for creating self-portraits out of loose-parts. Wooden bowls hold various loose-parts such as buttons, gems, yarn and beads, and mirrors are to encourage students to look closely at the various features of their faces. A word wall specific to "self-portraits" and clipboards also help students to add detail to their work and allow them the opportunity to draw and write about what they create. Finally, a book relating to the provocation is added and would be shared during a group read-aloud to offer another way to connect the students to the invitation. Once the provocation is set up, the educator would choose a time in the day to sit and observe what the students do with the materials. The first student to visit this provocation sat down and looked in the mirror. She then began to place buttons on the circular base. She placed two at the top, side-by-side, another one underneath, and some along the bottom, resembling a face. I asked "What are you making?" The student points to her face with both hands and exclaims "face!" She begins adding buttons around the circle and points to her hair. Upon completion of her self-portrait, the student is invited to draw what she created. Another students' process was captured on video. This student independently decided "I want to draw what I made" when she finished creating her self-portrait. If we take time to slow down, observe, and record what students are saying, doing, and representing through purposefully planned play activities, we can learn so much from them and about them!
Building with kinetic sand and blocks is a fun engineering challenge for kids! It's just one of the many things you can do with kinetic sand!
We often set out still-life art provocations for students throughout the school year. Through these experiences, we encourage students to lo...
Do you enjoy doing festive activities with your kids? With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, and you want to be prepared, here are some easy Thanksgiving activities for toddlers that can help to keep them entertained during thanksgiving dinner and throughout the holiday season. Creative activities like this are a great way to teach kids about different holidays as well as the opportunity for some fun learning. 15+ Thanksgiving activities for toddlers below! I am always looking for ways to keep my busy toddler entertained and all of these fun ideas are toddler approved and thanksgiving themed! Pom Pom Turkey Push: This activity is a great way to help toddlers with fine motor skills. All you need are some crayons/markers, pom poms and a cardboard box to create this awesome Turkey Pom Pom push activity. Have your little ones match the colors of the pom moms to the feathers and then push them through the holes. This will keep little hands busy for hours! Turkey Sensory Bin How cute is this Turkey Sensory bin?! Such a fun way for children to learn different textures while having a great time. You could easily use this idea for any time of year and just […]
Inquiry stems from questions and the focus of this bumper provocation pack is to develop conceptual thinking and questioning skills in your students. The art of the provocation is where we bring the magic and wonder to the inquiry. This big bundle is packed full of images that all relate to the concepts within the IBPYP theme of Who We Are. This resource is exactly what is going to save you time as you are equipped with highly engaging images that will stretch the children’s thinking, develop skills and invite their curiosity into the inquiry all through carefully guided thinking routines and graphic organisers. (UK & USA spelling) These are digital and printable, making it so easy to adapt to your planning. Win-win! •With over 70 ready-made provocations that will engage so you are absolutely set to pick and choose for multiple related concepts within Who We Are. •Over 45 high engagement images that link to the related concepts within the IB PYP theme enabling greater understanding of the big ideas and connecting with ANY unit of inquiry for the upper grades. •21 concept based images/quotes with guiding questions, ideal for using with whole class discussions. (Identity, community, self, beliefs & values, relationships,health, mindfulness etc.) •9 different thinking routines/graphic organisers that enable a progressive development of the ATL skills together with easy differentiation. •Blank templates for each graphic organizer to add your own provocation materials. •Self-assessment & student reflection of skills included This bank of high interest material will keep your inquirers thinking and wondering throughout the entire inquiry, as you integrate it into your learning experiences, use with on-going reflection and even assessment of skills. You will find skills focused graphic organisers, supporting visible thinking routines and for implicit skills practice of: •Observation •Making connections •Using our schema •Analysing data •Literal thinking vs. inferential thinking •Synthesising •Formulating questions •Accountable talk •Collaborative thinking You may also be interested in my complete units of inquiry, providing transdisciplinary activities for all of the themes. Take a look here or look at the store of my website for a larger selection. You can find many more inquiry based tips and tools in my store an on my blog, PYPteachingtools.com. ENJOY! Susan Powers
Hola familias! Hoy traigo la segunda parte de nuestro proyecto de abejas que tan buena acogida ha tenido entre vosotr@s. La segunda actividad que preparamos para nuestro proyecto, fue fabricar un p…
In the Art Studio at PSA, we have begun to use a lab model, where the whole school spends extended weeks exploring a particular medium or language. Since September, we have been working with the la…
Story telling in nature invites children's imaginations to create stories that reflect their lived experiences in nature wonders and understandings of the world.
Easy to make no mess colour theory experiment to explore mixing of primary colours to secondary colours.
