When Curiosity Drives Learning

January has welcomed our students with rich opportunities for learning.  When Ms. Harmony looks through the pictures from the past few weeks, she sees children who are focused, engaged, regulated, and learning.  And what makes this aspect even more beautiful is the fact that the learning is all motivated by the children's natural curiosity and interests.

Children at Harmony's House are developing a sense of volume, motor control, and cultural awareness.

They are learning about animals from polar environments, and building their own small world environments to carry out stories for the animals.

They develop critical thinking skills as they encounter problems inherent in play, and solve them.

They are developing sorting skills, puzzle working abilities, and geographical awareness.

They are appreciating the outdoors during Winter time.

They are socializing and solving problems with friends.

They are learning concepts of cause and effect, animal adaptations for surviving in an extreme climate, and artistic expression.

They exercise fine and gross motor muscle groups.

They are thriving!

The beautiful process of learning is visible in each of these photographs.  Thank you for appreciating the value of these children, their ideas, their projects, and their unique abilities and interests.  It is a blessing to be part of their journey in curiosity!

New Year, New Look!

While the school friends have been with their families over Winter Break, Ms. Harmony has been busy giving a few of the Areas a makeover!  After hours of brainstorming, planning, shopping, building, and gathering materials, Ms. Harmony is very excited to share it all with the school friends.  One of the objectives of this makeover was to provide open-ended, curiosity-invoking, play provocations for the children by incorporating REAL or recycled materials.  Fewer lights, fewer electronic sounds, less plastic.

One tinker station in the Toy and Puzzle Area now houses an Asian tapestry, pitcher, vase, and statue.  While appreciating art and decor from another culture, the children will be invited to use tiny spoons to move gems between vases, pitchers, pots, and trays which serves to develop fine motor, mathematical, and socio-cultural abilities/knowledge.

The second tinker station has animals from the Arctic.  Children have opportunities to use spools, gems, rounds, blocks, and snowflakes to build an original setting and a story over and over again.  They also become familiar with the animals living in this region of the world, and might talk about the animal food chains, habitat preservation issues, behavior, and adaptations.

The Explore Table has been filled with rice, scoops, adapted scissors, polar animals, reusable ice cubes, and sequin balls.  This provocation is specifically designed to facilitate discussion about animal camouflage.  Finding the white furred animals in the white rice (AKA "snow") is difficult, both for school friends and for animal predators!

The Book and Block Areas have been updated to include comfy rugs, providing increased comfort for working on the floor and interesting textures in the room.  The Book Area also has new throw pillows and star lights, pictured here in the dark room to get the full effect!  :)  

Updates will likely continue during 2021 as we continue to move toward more authentic materials and experiences for the children.  This is just the beginning, and what a great beginning it is!