Pre-KG 2021/ 22 Blog 21 Expanding horizons

Pre-KG 2021/ 22 Blog 21   

Expanding horizons

After dividing their stick puppets and toy animals into 3 different categories ( air, land, sea), the Pre-Kindergarten children this week took a closer look at another category of animals, namely farm animals.

We have a pink little farm house on a classroom shelf which is very popular with the children and it is inhabited often by the farm animals of Noah’s arch next to it.

So the children started to ask about the names and as one of our girl’s knows the song “Old McDonalds had a farm”,  we watched a cute clip and sang along.

Next, I set up an area with many different types of puzzles  and a domino game as a provocation (IB PYP) for the children.

Quote: A provocation can come in many different forms, but it is always intended to provoke thoughts, ideas, and actions that can help to expand on a thought, project, idea or an interest. For instance, a provocation is an experience set up in response to a child's interests and ideas.

It was interesting that all the children went first for the HABA farm puzzles where the fun part was to poke the puzzle piece out with a finger. Slowly the children tried out other puzzles and challenged themselves with the domino. 

More and more questions were asked and it was good to see that the interest was great. The children asked to do all these puzzles again, so we made a similar set up on another day and again it proved to be a hit.

This week, our Pre-KG children also had a special experience as we went to the nearby Fashion Museum to see another fabulous art exhibition.

Regular visitors to my Pre-KG blog know by now that I am a very big fan of our local Rokko Island Fashion Museum which surprises me again and again with fascinating art exhibitions.

The artist this time,  Mr.Fu Yurukawa, crafts art out of huge pieces of styrofoam which he chisels into animal and other portraits.The canvas then is lit from behind showing the picture in fluorescent orange or blue. The effect is stunning and the children were fascinated by all the huge animals they could see.

If you visit the exhibition with your child again, please make sure to hold on tightly to their hands so they do not touch and coincidentally poke a hole into this art pieces.

But by all means, please go again !

Finally, during this week, we had a new friend join our Pre-KG class. There was a lot of excitement and the Pre-KG children were very keen to show the newcomer their toys and their learning !

Welcome to our class, little girl, we are looking forward to many new adventures we you!

Dear Pre-KG class, how wonderful to see you always so eager to expand your horizons!

Yours, 

Anita Ursula Mönch

DSKI Pre-Kindergarten homeroom teacher