Inquiry learning in play spaces

Summary

Leah Partridge, a kindergarten teacher at O'Connor Cooperative School, emphasizes a play-based, inquiry-driven approach to early childhood education. She plans activities based on children's interests, strengths, and developmental needs, fostering exploration through hands-on experiences, like designing boats to understand floating and sinking. Leah uses individualized attention and intentional environment setup to encourage learning, drawing inspiration from Reggio Emilia's philosophies. By documenting 'magical moments' in learning stories, she reflects on children’s growth, linking it to curriculum areas and guiding future educational plans, prioritizing skills like problem-solving, creativity, and cooperation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Leah Partridge is a kindergarten teacher at O'Connor Cooperative School in the ACT, focusing on teaching 4- and 5-year-old children.
• 😀 O'Connor Cooperative School uses a play-based and inquiry learning approach, encouraging exploration and curiosity.
• 😀 Planning is centered around children's interests and strengths, guiding the direction of activities and learning experiences.
• 😀 At the start of the year, teachers ask children what they want to learn about, such as boats, sinking, and floating, to drive the curriculum.
• 😀 This week's activity involves designing boats and experimenting with the concepts of sinking and floating.
• 😀 Living things, like plants and their growth, are a significant part of the term's plan, integrating science into play-based learning.
• 😀 Leah uses a two-day cycle to focus on specific children's learning, offering individual attention and adapting the learning environment to their needs.
• 😀 The 'flower table' experiment allows children to explore colors and the effects of colored water on flowers, fostering scientific inquiry.
• 😀 Leah emphasizes individualized learning, getting to know children on a deep level to best support their growth and development.
• 😀 Inspired by Reggio Emilia philosophy, Leah creates an inviting and intentionally designed learning environment, with carefully planned play areas.
• 😀 Teachers document children's progress through 'learning stories,' focusing on magical moments, reflection, and linking to curriculum areas to track development.

Q & A

What is the main teaching approach used at O'Connor Cooperative School?

The school employs a strong play-based approach and inquiry learning, where the children's interests and strengths are central to planning.

How does Leah Partridge plan activities for the children?

Leah plans activities by considering the children's interests and strengths. For example, at the beginning of the year, she asked the children about topics they were interested in, such as boats, and used that to design learning activities.

Can you describe the activity Leah set up for the children related to boats?

Leah set up an activity where the children designed boats and explored concepts such as sinking and floating.

What is the focus of this week's learning plan at O'Connor Cooperative School?

This week's learning plan focuses on the concept of living things, particularly how plants grow.

How does Leah assess and support individual children's learning?

Leah focuses on two children each day for a two-day period, spending time with them to assess their learning and set up an environment that supports their development.

What kind of activity did the children engage in at the flower table?

At the flower table, the children experimented with flowers in different colored water to observe the effects.

How does Leah ensure she knows each child well?

Leah ensures she knows each child well by spending individual one-on-one time with them and reflecting on their progress and learning at the end of each day.

How does Leah incorporate writing into the children's learning?

Leah encourages children like Ava to write their observations and thoughts down, such as writing a sentence about what they observed, helping them practice both lowercase and capital letters.

What learning concept does Leah focus on when reflecting on children's learning?

Leah reflects on learning dispositions such as problem-solving, cooperation, and creativity, which are important skills for children to develop.

What does Leah include in the learning story she writes for each child?

Leah writes a narrative learning story that highlights the child's learning and progress, links it to the curriculum, and outlines the next steps for further development.