My kiddos are the youngest students at my school. They are part of the transitional kindergarten program created to support our youngest five year olds. They have been given the gift of time. They are curious, active and inquisitive learners who have many opportunities this year for hands-on learning that encourages creativity and problem solving.
“When we treat children's play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that's to be found in the creative spirit-It's the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.” ― Fred Rogers
Learning how to learn is a big part of the transitional kindergarten curriculum. My T.K. students attend a Title 1 school in California. As a Title 1 school, our school community is culturally, ethnically and socioeconomically very diverse. My T.K. students come to school with a wide range of abilities and throughout the year they are given many opportunities to work and play together to develop the social and foundational skills essential for future academic success.
My Project
Blocks are an essential building material that encourages students to use their imagination. My T.K. students are ready to learn about S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art and math) and I want to help provide the tools to help them explore.
Using blocks will give my students open ended and hands-on opportunities to learn.
While using unit blocks and hollow blocks at center time and choice time, my student will have the opportunity to explore such topics in math as patterns, size, symmetry, quantity, volume and fractions. As kiddos work together to construct a tower they will thoughtfully and carefully begin to also explore concepts in science such as balance gravity and stability. Throughout the day my kiddos work in small groups and using blocks will also build social skills and foster language development as students negotiate problems, collaborate on designs, compromise and share success.
As with all manipulatives in the classroom, my kiddos are responsible for putting away anything that they use to support their learning. During rotation time and at the end of the day clean-up, my kiddos need a shelf to organize and store their blocks. Blocks are an essential learning tool in an early learning classroom and my students need unit blocks, hollow blocks and place to store them to support their learning
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