Written by Veronica Martin (ECE Coordinator) 

K4B Fabric and Cloth – Project Learning in the ECE

    

Have you ever wondered how the ECE classes come up with the projects that the children study and learn about? Projects always come from the interest of the child. If we can use their own interest and motivation to drive the learning, then education becomes fun.

Recently K4B had shown an interest in clothes making. Read on to discover the step-by-step learning process of this class’s project about Fabric and Cloth.

When children are eager to learn about a topic then the ideas and suggestions often come from them. As they share their own experiences and ideas, a project may develop. Projects are investigations of high-interest topics that typically have different phases. The teachers guide the children through each phase and introduce the learning and educational opportunities as each idea develops.

In the beginning phase, the children represent their prior experiences through drawing, storytelling, or dramatic play. For example, K4B children were using clothes to dress dolls, create outfits for role-play and using different textured materials in the room.  At the end of this phase, the children and teachers will make a list of all the things they want to find out about the topic. K4B children were interested in how clothing was made.

During the next phase, the children will do research to find the answers to their questions. They use many methods to do this research. For example, they use information from books, interview experts on the topic, and do observational drawings to learn more about the topic under investigation.

For the clothes project, the teachers arranged a tailor to visit the class. She showed the children how to select the materials, make measurements and create an outfit. This then spurred the children on to make their own. The children all planned out, measured and created their own colourful clothes.

In the final phase, the children celebrated their project with a visit to the Shanghai Textile Museum with their families. Here they learnt more about the history of clothing and how to dye cloth.

The project on Materials and Fabric lasted a few months, whereas other projects can last only a few days. Projects can involve the whole class or just a small group of children. However, as the project evolves, be assured that this is an effective way to provide your child with opportunities for using and developing knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Written by: Robert Watson, Primary Vice Principal 

Your child comes running up to you with a large, white envelope in their hand. It’s report time again. As you cautiously open the envelope, your heart starts to beat faster, and you find yourself wondering: who is more anxious, you or your child?

Please read below for a few tips on how to get the most out of your child’s report.

1. Read through and discuss the report with your child. The report should be seen as a feedback tool for both the parents and the child. Reading through the report with your child will help them gain a greater understanding of their achievements, as well as areas in which they need to focus.

2. Always make sure you pick out/celebrate the positives first. Focusing on your child’s strengths will promote a sense of achievement, and will help motivate them to try harder on the things that do not come as easily to them. It is sometimes very easy to focus on the perceived ‘negatives’ of the report, and gloss over the strengths, which may lead to discouragement and demotivation in the long term.

3. It is important that the conditions and environment are right when reading through the report with your child. Ensure that you are in a quiet room away from distractions and interruptions. Also, if you have more than one child, it is best to discuss the reports separately. This will avoid unhelpful comparisons being made.

4. Above all, keep calm. If the report is not as good as you were hoping, and you are disappointed with the content, then give yourself some time to calm down before addressing it with your child. Keeping conversations open and honest will have a far more positive impact on your child’s learning and attitude, than if the conversation descends into an argument. Becoming overly emotional will not help the discussion and may have a negative impact.

5. Make sure you have fully read and understood the level descriptors before analyzing your child’s report. Many schools interpret level descriptions in different ways, and so it is important that you understand them before making any judgments on your child’s progress.

6. Contact your child’s teachers if you want a more detailed explanation. If there are aspects of the report that have surprised you, or that you feel are not reflective of your child’s abilities or effort, then contact your child’s teachers for further explanation. If you feel that this conversation may take longer than the scheduled 15 minute Parent Teacher interview, then arrange a separate time so that you can discuss the issues in greater depth without the time constraints.

Remember that the aim of your child’s report is to communicate their achievements, progress and areas to develop. Therefore, engaging in focused discussions about your child’s report can only have a positive impact on their learning journey.