Recently, I connected with my best friend who teaches kindergarten. We both value reading children’s books in our classrooms to teach life lessons. Walking into Kim’s classroom brought moments of joy to my life. The little ones come from diverse backgrounds and to experience their curiosity was breathtaking. They were engaged in many play and learn centres.
I connected with the children and had conversations with them. They were so eager to involve me in their world of authentic language. To experience their sense of wonder about who they are as children was marvellous. One girl took me by the hand and led me through an afternoon of what playing and learning looked like for her and the class. Some children in the classroom have December birthdays and their progression of language development improved immensely since early September.
One boy found a small replica of a little boy at the play centre and discovered that its foot was missing. Kim integrated this idea that we must look after one another. Kindness was observed in this class and to find a friend definitely resonated with me. We listened intently to a beautiful story Under the Same Sky. Regardless of how we look, we want the same thing. The little ones had a natural desire to learn and Kim used methods that inspired rather than curb their enthusiasm. In this class there are many objects, stuff to learn with…book characters and puppets to enhance literacy.
Many learning styles were observed during play and learn. All students were engaged in every activity presented to them. Pacing was important…demonstrating a couple of steps at a time and reading time was no longer than ten minutes. Kim focused on putting the students first and her approach to teaching took on an edge of optimism.
Building connections at an early age about who we are as individuals is pertinent. The learning experience for me was most enjoyable because no one ever stops learning.
Uncommon Beauty in Writing 