In small
group today, children were learning all about bunnies and chicks. We have noticed that the children have been
taking a keen interest in dramatic play and puzzles – our small group activity
this week took these interests into consideration. The small group activity allowed children to
use their thinking skills, and vocabulary while connecting to the bunnies and
chicks theme – what do we find inside the egg?
While the activity is in progress, there may be interactions occurring
between the children, their peers and the educator. Each child was given a carton
of about 4 eggs, which has different objects inside. The children will be
shaking and listening to the sounds that the objects make, by doing so they can
make predictions as to what is inside. The objective of the activity is for the
children to explore their imaginations and use their 5 senses.
As the
children were shaking the eggs the educator would ask them questions such as; “What
kind of sound do you hear?” or “What do you think is inside?” By asking these
questions the educator is able to stimulate the children’s cognitive skills.
They are able to make connections to everyday events or come up with their own
conclusions. For example; during the activity a child was cracking the egg
rather than squeezing the egg open. This shows that the child was able to bring
his real life experiences into his play. The children
are able to practice using descriptive language, as they explain, explore and
extend their thoughts.
For some
of the children, the task of opening the eggs were fairly hard. However, they
progress with the challenge, using trial and error they were then able to
figure out how to open the egg. The children had a positive attitude towards
their learning. Showing persistence, engagement and curiosity they engage the
educator and peers in the activity in a positive way.
Michelle Le - Sheridan College ECE student
