Childgarden Rocks Rule !
This year, began with painting rocks. At a staff meeting, we discussed using the rocks to convey messages of an agreement of belonging.
One morning as children from Cedar class were arriving a wonderful group building of blocks emerged. Soon, it was meeting time and we worried that the blocks might get knocked down as everyone came to the carpet area. We asked the children what we should do if someone wants to knock down blocks, and someone else has built them. A suggestion from one child delighted us… “Maybe we should write a message?” Good idea, right? :) Together we constructed this message,
“Ask before you knock down someone else’s building.”
Now we see this message rock placed at each structure
built by our young architects, and everyone respects
the rock and the buildings are safe.
Our Hemlock class has so many ideas to share (all at the same time), that it’s hard to hear what anyone is saying at group times. We introduce the idea of one person who talks holds the rock and everyone else listens. This is the message the children came up with.
“When someone else is talking; listen and zip.”
As a way to introduce our new practicum student we sang this name song: “Hello ____how are you? Tell us something about you.”Each child shared something and children listened and were very engaged. We decided to write this on a rock too. “Tell me something about you.” At the end of the class, one Mommy was presented with the rock
Sometimes adults don’t realize how often we say something until a preschooler repeats it back to us. With backpacks and the washroom through the lobby and down the hall, we are often reminding the children to use walking feet. One child suggested we write this message on a rock. Sounds like they are getting the idea of this!
“Always walk in the classroom and hallway.”
A normal aspect of preschool is learning to express yourself appropriately. It is quite typical to overhear adults say to children having a conflict: “Use you words.” We took this a little farther. “Use you kind words.” Then children offered suggestions of some kind words, “Please, Thank you, I Love you, Be friends, Like, Share, May I.”
We wonder what other messages the children, teachers and our community of families will come up with?
