Nina Marni beautiful little learners and their wonderful families. Welcome to our weekly blog.
Learning Intention 1: To nurture and deepen each child’ innate sense of agency in decision making and routine/self-help tasks.
Why
· The sense of agency is defined as the sense of oneself as the agent of one’s own actions. This also allows oneself to feel distinct from others, and contributes to the subjective phenomenon of self-consciousness
· In the approved learning frameworks, agency is defined as being able to make choices and decisions to influence events and to have an impact on one’s world. Supporting children’s agency is about recognising that children have a right to make choices and decisions, and are capable of initiating their own learning.
· Children who have opportunities to effectively assess and manage risk at an early age will be better equipped to deal with risk as an adult. It also creates a learning environment where children can identify their limits, seek help when needed, and supports children to explore, experiment and cope with the unexpected
· There are many benefits to children participating in decision making, such as learning to consider the needs of others, developing problem-solving skills and it can increase their commitment to making decisions work
As the term begins to unravel the children have been smoothly transitioning back into their daily routines and have been very engaged and focused in the process of being collaborative and active participants within their own learning environments
Learning Intention: 2
To support children’s engagement, development and self-regulation through strengthening their sensory processing capabilities.
Why?
Sensory processing is a foundational building block for learning. Our senses collect information from the world around us, as well as our interactions within it. This information is then processed in our brain, forming the basis of our learning, wellbeing and secure interactions with others. The brain and body need an abundance of sensory-motor experiences in the first years of life in order to strengthen this partnership and to provide children with lifelong sensory processing capabilities.
Possibilities and Provocations:
- multi-sensory experiences which stimulate children’s sensory systems of touch, taste, sound, sight, smell, vestibular (movement) and proprioception (‘heavy work’). Examples include: crushing herbs (I), playing with cloud dough, transferring flour, hefting/transporting heavy items outdoors, dancing, jumping, rolling (Move to Learn which delivers both vestibular and proprioceptive input) (C/ILP: M.D, H.W, M.G, M.M, T.H, H.K, R.G)
- “Listen, Move” movement youtube video
- Stretchy Lycra with fabric , bear hunt, yoga
- Shoes off time (establish shoe box for easy storage of shoes /socks?)
- embrace our natural landscape, connecting with resources and creatures found in the yard, vegetable garden and flower wall (C)
- cooking experiences, with a focus on what children are seeing, smelling and tasting. Mathematical and scientific processes can be highlighted in our discussions with children during our engagement (concepts such as full, empty, half, whole, number, as well as drawing attention to the chemical and physical changes occurring as ingredients are mixed together or cooked) (E/O)
- Provide a variety of natural materials in home corner to extend play scenarios (C, O)
- Mark Making with a variety of natural materials (E) (JG)
Throughout this week children have had multiple opportunities to engage and enhance on their sensory developmental skills. The environment as the third teacher has provided children with a holistic learning process encouraging them to deepen their senses through curiosity and enquiry.
Book making
Literacy Intentions (Our hopes for their learning)
- Children will develop a joyful connection to picture books.
- Educators reading books and creating imaginative stories,
- Yarning circle story telling with children
Weekly focus
- Starting from scratch, what is a book? What is the purpose? Who reads books? Who writes books? What do they look like? Teachers will use information gained about prior knowledge to decide next steps.
Mentor texts
- Explore a range of Matt Cosgrove books (Llamas in Pyjamas book) during morning/ Afternoon group times (Term 4)
- discussions and questioning to follow.
- Educators to find moments to read to small groups of children and using these moments as an opportunity for self-regulation and grounding
This week children have been engaging in the writer’s workshop seeing themselves as writers. Millie visited our classroom this week and helped our little learners in developing their creative skills through reading stories, drawings , scribbles and the use of oral language. They have since been able to empower themselves to create and communicate their ideas through developing a joyful connection to picture books.
Learning Intention 3
Sacred symbols
Sacred symbols are special and important.
Why :
Doctrinal Insights from the Catholic Tradition that support this Enduring Understanding include:
- Sacred symbols remind us that God is close to us, and with us.
- In my Catholic learning environment, I can see many sacred symbols.
- Candle flames remind us that God is with us.
- The Bible reminds us of God’s love for us through special stories.
- The Cross reminds us of Jesus.
- Water is used for special blessings
- Sacred symbols are used in my school/ELC and in church celebrations, prayer and liturgy. (CCC1145)
- Other faith traditions also have sacred symbols.
Doctrinal Insights from the Catholic Tradition that support this Enduring Understanding include:
- Sacred symbols remind us that God is close to us, and with us.
- In my Catholic learning environment, I can see many sacred symbols.
- Candle flames remind us that God is with us.
- The Bible reminds us of God’s love for us through special stories.
- The Cross reminds us of Jesus.
- Water is used for special blessings
- Sacred symbols are used in my school/ELC and in church celebrations, prayer and liturgy. (CCC1145)
- Other faith traditions also have sacred symbols.
Throughout this week children have been starting their day with prayer. They have been picking flowers on community visits and have placed them in a jar next to the prayer table. Each day they are given a choice to pick a sacred symbol and to thank Jesus in their own words. This week children used a rose which they picked from our school garden to begin their thanksgiving.
Community visits around the school have been consistent this week where children have been exploring and learning about fresh produce herbs and having visits to the MUDLA.
Some specs of gold for this week
Hope you all have a relaxing weekend.