Teacher: Hailey               Date: 1/10/15

L-You arrived quite late today and your friends were busy exploring and investigating with ice on the deck. L you seemed excited by the prospect of ice and water play. L you eagerly found an apron and asked me to put it on for you. I encouraged you to have a go by yourself first. This was not the answer you were looking for and I could see it frustrated you. After considering your options for a minute you then began to put the apron on by yourself, well done and then began to explore with your friends.

L you filled the big red bucket with ice and water and you were exploring the feel of the ice as you ran your fingers over the ice in the water.   L as you filled your bucket with water higher and higher you realised that the ice floated on top of the water. L this seemed to ignite your curiosity in objects that float and sink as this lead you to begin exploring floating and sinking with the boats. L you put the boat on the water and observed what happened, you exclaimed to me “it floats!” Then slowly you began to pour water onto the boat checking at irregular intervals whether the boat was under or on top of the water. When the boat was underneath the water you shouted “it sunk, it sunk.” L I really enjoyed observing your learning and seeing your excitement as you set your own goals in your investigation.

What is L Learning?

Basic math concepts of measurement

Setting his own goals and achieving his own challenges set.

Basic science concepts like melting, hot and cold.

Pathways and Possibilities

To offer L a variety of objects and have L predict whether they float or sink. Then let him explore the learning and see the outcome of his challenge

To work on L’s confidence on what he can do.

M-Since you have started at Mt Royal Early Learning Centre I have noticed your interest in transport develop and grow. M at first you were following the other children’s interest, as transport has been an ongoing interest here at Mt Royal. But as you settled and I got to know you I could see that transport was /is one of your passions /interests. Your love  for transport has been a great way for you to re establish friendships and make new ones. M as your          confidence and sense of belonging has grown you are now one of the children leading the interest in transport.

M whenever you are outside you are always on a bike or using the wagon to practise your driving skills. You use the wagon as a carriage to transport friends or in role play and it becomes an  ambulance. M you have a good general knowledge of the road rules and to extend your interest we made traffic light signs to put around the playground. M you love when I show a green light and you can keep going fast but you are not always so keen to stop at a red light!

M inside you can often be found exploring the vehicles and setting up a construction site to use the crane, diggers and trucks. You also love to get chairs out and role play being on a  bus or train. The Wheels on the Bus song can often be heard as you and your friends engage in your role play.  M this interest in vehicles has helped you to form friendships with your peers as words are often not needed when you may have been feeling shy during your first couple of days at Mt Royal. This is definitely not the case now as you can be heard conversing with your friends and teachers around the centre. You especially love to talk about your favourite book ‘Trashy Town’. M I look forward to extending your interest further and learning along side you on this journey.

Links to Te Whariki

Communication Goal 4 LO 3 Children develop skills with media that can be used for expressing a mood or a feeling or for representing information…

Exploration Goal 1 LO 3 An expectation that they take control for their own learning.

Belonging Goal 1 LO 6 Knowledge about the role of the wider world of work, such as  police or fire service.

Pathways and possibilities

To find out what M knows about transport and see where he wants to take his interest. To plan a visit for the emergency services.

Whanau Voice

T- Lately I have been noticing that friendships with your peers are beginning to play a more important role in your day at Mt Royal.  Especially your friendships with T and A.

T today outside you were working on your jumping skills. T you are great at jumping on the spot and so brave jumping off the boxes.

T you were outside playing with T and A. You were climbing on the big boxes and wanted to jump off with your friends but they were a bit unsure . So I suggested you try from the little green box. This then presented a problem though, as the green box was only big enough for one person to jump off at a time. Where as the big boxes all three of you can jump off at once.

I observed you all to see if you could solve this problem on your own but turn taking never came up. So I stepped in and put turn taking in place. You all were so wonderful at respecting each others turns.  You patiently waited on the side for your turn to come. You also clapped in support when your friends had jumped off the box.

T you are finding it is not always easy forming friendships and playing with others as it means a lot of compromise which is difficult no matter what age you are. T you have a lovely disposition and I look forward to seeing how your friendships grow and develop.

Parents Voice

Pathways and possibilities

To encourage and support T  when she finds it difficult in her friendships. To play team games and which encourage turn taking.

Links to Te Whariki

Communication Goal 1 LO 1– Children develop reciprocal skills such as turn taking and offering.

Contribution Goal 3 LO 1-Children develop strategies and

skills for initiating , maintaining and enjoying a relationship

with other children-including turn taking, problem solving

and negotiation…

A- Last week I set up a shaving foam exploration learning experience for you and your friends, from the look  on your face and how you spent a long time exploring the shaving foam you seemed to really enjoy the learning experience. I wanted to continue your interest in exploring the shaving foam, so I set up the shaving foam learning experience again with the added element of dye. This was so I could extend your knowledge on colours and colour mixing while having lots of fun. A you looked like you were having a great time working on your gross and fine motor skills by squeezing, pressing and making patterns in the shaving foam. A you had a huge smile on your face and you loved sharing with me what you were doing and experiencing as it was happening. When the dye came out you enquired as to what it was? I told you it was dye and with the dye droppers we are going to put dye onto the shaving foam and see what happens. A you could not wait to add this new element to the shaving foam, you eagerly used the dropper and put the colour on the foam. You enjoyed watching how the dye ran down the foam and changed the colour where the dye touched the foam. A you looked like you really enjoyed mixing the colours as you had a huge smile on your face and you were moving your hands really fast when you were mixing the dye into the foam.

A we had three colours on the table, yellow, blue and purple. We talked about the colours, you knew all of them well done. We also talked about what might happen if we put all three of the colours on the shaving foam. When I asked you what might happen you told me you didn’t know. A I really enjoyed being on this learning journey with you and getting to know you and your humorous personality.

Pathways and Possibilities

To extend A learning of numbers using other messy play learning experiences.

To work on A’s knowledge of colours in Te Reo.

Links to Te Whariki The Early Childhood Curriculum

Strand 5 Exploration Goal 1 LO4 and LO6

The knowledge that trying things out, exploration and curiosity are important and valued ways of learning.

The knowledge that playing with ideas and materials with no objective in mind can be enjoyable, creative and valid approach to learning.

Parents Voice