#Kinderchat, glue, glitter, gogurt, bringing daily joy to twitter. Find us Mondays, 9 pm EST and 8:30PM London time when we talk all things Early Years!
Hello, I’m Sydney Ward. I am a student at Kent State University. I am majoring in Ealry Childhood Education and minoring in Special Education Mild to Moderate. #barbersclass@barbersclass#Kinderchat
I kind of like how sensory materials inspire dramatic play: from plasticine to sand. The mud kitchen outside, & the natural mud, sticks, and leaves in the forest, also inspire this kind of play. #kinderchat
For one of my classes we have to choose a part of the day to observe when the students are communicating and I chose the dramatic play area. I find it amazing what children can imagine and act out! #kinderchat@barbersclass#barbersclass
My favorite dramatic play materials would probably be costumes. The students can choose what they want to be and create many interesting plays! #kinderchat
Also- any students here tonight- @avivaloca blog is a MUST FOLLOW. Very talented educator here with us tonight- dig into her work- she's fab #Kinderchat
A1: I don’t have “themes” in my dramatic play area—but lots of different props-old phones, computer keyboards, play money, vet supplies, doll houses & castles—I love to hear/see where their imaginations take them #Kinderchat
I'm amazed at how kids turn ANYTHING into dramatic play. I had a sorting game with buttons & sorting mats - they turned them into cookies & cookie sheets. #kinderchat
The students I am observing, boys and girls, are really into baby dolls at this time. They like to dress and undress then as well as brushing their hair. #Kinderchat@barbersclass#barbersclass
It really does! The way they communicate to each other and talk about to the dolls and explain what they are doing to them. It often leads to conversation about their lives at home which is very interesting! #Kinderchat#barbersclass@barbersclass
In reply to
@fieldj_, @hechternacht, @barbersclass, @barbersclass
My students love pretending that they are at a restaurant! I currently have menus from a variety of restaurants a long with clipboards and pencils in the center. They take turns pretending to take orders and being the customer! #kinderchat
We can learn so much watching and listening to kids in dramatic play area. They are quite inventive turning everything in to a dramatic play area. #Kinderchat
This kind of observation is so valuable. Love how it’s a key component of Ontario’s Kindergarten Program Document. We learn so much from watching and listening to kids. #kinderchat
In reply to
@fieldj_, @SydneyW63609685, @hechternacht, @barbersclass
@Shantee_H I love the restaurant idea! I love it when kids pick up menus, books, or anything of that nature and follow along with their finger as if they are reading to you! #readtolearn#barbersclass#KINDERCHAT
It's definitely important to pay attention to the interest of your students! I try to keep their interests in mind when adding materials, and I like to switch things up to keep them engaged! #kinderchat
Oh yes! Ours have done this too. Right now, they’re more into baking. We have a variety of cook books in this space, which our students love. I love the literacy connection. #kinderchat
Just because I always need to be the contrary voice - impt to remember that dramatic play is valuable in its own right, even with no obvious literacy/numeracy components. #kinderchat
During my kinder teaching years the dramatic play and block inspired so many fantastic trips: grocery store, doctors office, travels through the neighborhood. Limit only their imagination. #Kinderchat
It is, but with a Program Document that rests on noticing and naming literacy and math through play, I do look for these connections when possible. The great vocabulary and social skills that come out of dramatic play are also so important! #kinderchat
Just because I always need to be the contrary voice - impt to remember that dramatic play is valuable in its own right, even with no obvious literacy/numeracy components. #kinderchat
We are currently doing a clothing study using Creative Curriculum and my students had the idea of creating a laundromat. We made a washing machine out of a box and we use empty bottles of detergent! They practice sorting the clothing and then pretend to wash them! #kinderchat
I think that it is important to rotate centers and materials when the children seem to not be having fun with them anymore. The materials and centers should reflect their interests! #kinderchat
The teacher that I am observing rotates the items featured in the centers every 3 weeks. I believe this is important because the students need to have new experience and new things to explore! #kinderchat#barbersclass@barbersclass
We make changes based on our kids. They are often involved in these changes. Sometimes they’re big & sometimes they’re small ones. All connected to our observations of them. #kinderchat
Interesting idea. #kinderchat With so much rain here in Los Angeles that would have been an interesting focus. Connecting it to drought, floods and leaky roofs. Kids are of this.
Laundry is fantastic!! #Kinderchat I always did it in the spring when nice and they could have water play and wash baby clothes- those clothes got CLEAN :D
I encourage my teachers to change materials in response to kids' play/interests, not on a specific timeline. Always adding/swapping things to enhance & extend what students come up with. #kinderchat
Sometimes small changes can also be key. A house as a house & sand as sand didn’t work. But when we moved the dramatic play furniture next to the sand, it’s been magical! Best dramatic play of the year, & best sensory play. #kinderchat
Sometime rotation occurs from a discussion or question kids may have. When we could follow their lead it was so interestingto see what developed. They’d problem solve what they would need to support the center #Kinderchat
Completely depends on the center, the kids, their interest and their needs... somethings change weekly, some monthly, some stay consistent for a whole term or longer #kinderchat always evaluating and reflecting if the kids are engaged and if it’s building the necessary skill
My mentor teacher also rotates materials every few weeks! Helps to keep the students engaged/exploring different materials! Also could make connections with what the students are learning in class??#Kinderchat
A3: Some great ways to incorporate dramatic play with academics is to reenact a historical event, a president, etc, to act or dress up like an animal they are learning about, or to act like characters in a book! #kinderchat
I am always amazed at the power of changing a location - putting blocks on tables, or art materials on floor - often brings out totally different kinds of play, from different kids. #kinderchat
A2: My mentor teacher also rotates materials every few weeks! Helps to keep the students engaged/exploring different materials! Also could make connections with what the students are learning in class??
#Kinderchat
But what if we flipped this to say that the learning should connect with the interests? A key component of Ontario’s Kindergarten Program Document. #kinderchat
Yes!! We see this all the time in our room. But what if we flipped this to say that the learning should connect with the interests? A key component of Ontario’s Kindergarten Program Document. #kinderchat
I am always amazed at the power of changing a location - putting blocks on tables, or art materials on floor - often brings out totally different kinds of play, from different kids. #kinderchat
I am always amazed at the power of changing a location - putting blocks on tables, or art materials on floor - often brings out totally different kinds of play, from different kids. #kinderchat
Last year we built our own space station for dramatic play as part of of a thematic study of space, watched video tours of the iss, collected materials designed and built our own. What valuable experience in working with materials, measurement, problem solving #kinderchat
Totally! We’re seeing that a lot right now, especially with our sand bin next to the dramatic play furniture: measuring, counting, & recognizing numerals in recipes. #kinderchat
Dramatic play for science and math: water tables, blocks, set up "the lab" with different materials- change weekly- that's fun. Spread the spirit of questioning, discovery and wonder when playing w math materials #Kinderchat
So much of this comes so naturally to their inquisitive minds. Trying to make sense of their world comes in the DNA. Then providing the materials, the facilitator is what we do. #kinderchat
This is a great idea! Never thought of the benefits of dramatic play in math and science, but it could lead to awesome authentic discoveries! #KinderChat#ElonEd
This is EXACTLY it Faige! They think up way better stuff than I ever could (mermaid kittens anyone?) Our job is to listen and SUPPLY them w materials to enhance their world #Kinderchat
Yes and so beneficial to all different types of learners! Math and science are not my best subjects and dramatic play would have helped me a ton! #kinderchat
My fav theme (&the kiddos fav) I’ve done the last few years is building: blue print creations at the block center, lots of provocations with interesting buildings, real safety gear hammers nails and scrap wood at our loose parts table, boat building at the water table #kinderchat
I think that there is a lot of potential here as well! However, I feel as if most teachers don’t use dramatic play and science/math together because it isn’t something you usually see and they aren’t sure how to put these two things together. #kinderchat
We see this every day. So much dramatic play happens in our forest space. Some of the best, in fact. Seems calmer too with the use of sensory materials (snow, water, and mud) and climbing (gross motor skills) as part of this dramatic play. #kinderchat
Our kinders and early childhood classes have first hand experience as they’ve been watching a new building coming up on our campus.
Authenticity and organic #kinderchat It’s been a continuum in learning this past year
