Rarely has a day passed when the boys and girls of K4A haven’t posed a question that leaves even the most experienced teachers marveling at the thinking behind the question.
Every moment, every comment, every interaction and every observation is a learning opportunity for the curious minds of these children. From the lunch table query, ‘Why am I upside down when I look into my spoon?’ to the snack time chitchat, ‘Can a fish drink milk?’
Recently the children found a hole in the playground garden; but a hole is never just a hole in the minds of these boys and girls. Indeed, it was a dinosaur’s giant footprint from many years ago. We all know a grasshopper can hop but more importantly to the children, ‘Can it fly?’ We know that spiders are very clever when it comes to catching flies but the children’s biggest concern, ‘Can a spider run out of web?’
These questions are invariably amusing, entertaining and inspiring. Each serve as a reminder of the importance of curiousity and are excellent subject matter for our carpet time gatherings. They bring the class together in shared wonder and sense of belonging as the children seek to find the answers. But most importantly these questions show the connection that the children are making between their personal observations and their extended learning environment.
By bringing these questions to the K4A group, the children are instigating a journey, directing their own learning and bringing their friends along. They confidently ask for the resources needed to help them on their journey and they know where to look for answers; trips to the library, peer surveys and visiting experts have all been valuable resources by request of the children. We hope to have many, many more intriguing questions in K4A before the end of June. Finding the correct answer isn’t as important as the fun these boys and girls have or the relationships they build along the way. And best of all, finding answers is not a chore or hard work for K4A. It’s fun, it’s play and it’s an experience best shared with great friends.
K4A Co-teachers – Caroline PROCTOR & Grace ZHOU