(presentation by Irene Lithoxopoulou, teacher in post-toddlers class, in Athens)
The lady and the mechanic
Babies can do great things with just a taxi cab and a paint brush!
They instantly assign roles to themselves, no need to speak. The girl is the driver and the boy is the mechanic.
When job is done, he closes the door like a gentleman and waves goodbye!!
This is how no-talking babies communicate each other…
(by Anastasia Kouroubali, teacher in babies’ class, in Athens)
An I-don’t-want-it-to-end game!
Something special happened in pre-K class!
Everyone brought his or her favorite doll or teddy and turned it into an astronaut!
The space suit was made from aluminum foil.
When all astronauts were ready, went to the roof top of the school and flewwwwwww!! (wearing parachutes for protection)
An I-don’t-want-it-to-end game!
(by Spyridoula Patouna, teacher in pre-K class, in Athens)
Bus time is questions’ time!
Dimitris asked a question in school bus: “what happens when we mix red and blue color?” So, the experiment began!
We mixed red and blue color with water, separately, in two different cups.
Then, we made a “paper bridge” for each cup, which transported red and blue into a third cup!
Next day we observed the results of the experiment. Now we had blue, red and a third color!
Then we used all three colors to paint!
(by Eleni Triantafyllopoulou, teacher and bus escort in Athens school)
Exploring space in pre-K
During their “exploring space” project, children in pre-K class did a number of things…
Constructed their own telescopes to watch the stars…
Created their own planets, based on what they read about in books…
Also constructed the moon: used everyday materials to make the shape of a circle and then painted it white by using glue, shaving foam and glitter!
Their next mission: teddy bear visits the moon!
(by Spyridoula Patouna, teacher in pre-K class)
A swimming pool for toddlers in school
(by Jenny Diamantopoulou, teacher in toddlers’ class, in Athens)
Process-based learning
Free play in class is an important part of the day, for any play-based preschool.
Through play, children imagine, create, disagree, negotiate, learn to solve problems, explore materials – but also develop their relationship with other children.
The decision of our kindergarten kids to construct a privacy box for their medical corner, gave them the opportunity to master all the above, plus to connect play with maths.
Children got divided into groups and began to work. First, paid a visit to the local carpenter to pick their wood.
Then, returned to school and started to work….
- grouped pieces of wood according to height, shape and size
- measured the length of the room and distances between the woods
- chose the proper pieces for their construction
- picked the rest of the staff needed, such as screws, nails and glue
- calculated the quantities
- chose the right tools.
While doing the above, class entered into assumptions, cooperation, testing, made mistakes and worked together to produce a certain result. But mostly, enjoyed the process!
(by Stavroula Gaoutsi, kindergarten teacher in Athens)
Foot sensing in toddlers’ class
Toddlers love to explore with their body and try their senses.
It’s time in class to explore by using our feet. Sο, we take our shoes off, by ourselves, though we are still two y.o., and the trip begins….
We walk barefoot on cloth, on sand and on the wooden floor…
Eventually, we step on paint and left our footprint on paper.
Everyone loves it!
(by Evangelia Nteka, teacher in toddlers’ class in Athens)
Sensory play with jelly
Today in babies’ class we made jelly – but instead of eating, we played with it!
Babies first look, then smell, touch and finally mix it…
Eventually, they become experts into mixing colors, without even knowing.
It’s just play for them!
(by Anastasia Kouroubali, teacher in babies’ class in Athens)
A story about a hand
(presentation by Irene Lithoxopoulou, teacher in post-toddlers class, in Athens)
Life-derived Learning 