July 2023
All Together Now!
This morning started in an intriguing way when A began bringing chairs across the room in a purposeful way. Interested to see what her ideas were we sat back and watched, noticing along the way that lots of the other children were curious too! As A went back to get more and more chairs as she organized them in a line, the children came to her chairs and began sitting while their eyes were still fixed on what she was doing. Soon enough A sits and joins the children but H E finds no chair for him, encouraging the children to expand their problem solving skills educators stay nearby; but silent watching and waiting to see what the children would do next. L to the rescue! L drags a chair back for H to join in! Educators watch and observe as each child moves and manipulates their chair before sitting, dragging it to different positions. We wonder what the children are thinking as they sit together, are they making a bus? Are they exploring the power of affecting their environment? Or is this play experience simply about being together? The group sits in their chairs throughout the morning, each child bringing their own thoughts and ideas into their play. M collects various materials from around the room before passing them to the passengers of the chairs. Seeing these bowls, colanders and baskets A can think of no better plan for them, than a hat! Soon H E and K are joining in on A's play and creating their own hats too! It was so exciting to watch the children as they showed the growth they have made with their relationships with the materials, environment and one another as we watch them explore their world beside one another and continue to develop their associative play skills as they work on sharing a space and materials!
Selena Martin, Smriti Bhoray ECE BEd BA in special education
