Sand in the Kindergarten Program - sw1math SAND.pdf/316650488... · Program Coordinator, Early Years: Lynn Blanche This edition of Sand is based on a document of the same name from

Sand in the

Kindergarten

Program

Program Coordinator, Early Years: Lynn Blanche

This edition of Sand is based on a document of the same name from the Early ChildhoodDepartment of the former Toronto Board of Education.

Appreciation is expressed to the staff of the former Public School Boards of MetropolitanToronto who participated in the development of the original resource document.

© 2006 Toronto District School Board

Reproduction of this document for use by schools within the Toronto DistrictSchool Board is encouraged.

For anyone other than Toronto District School Board staff, no part of thispublication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in anyform or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, orotherwise, without the prior written permission of the Toronto District SchoolBoard. This permission must be requested and obtained in writing from:

Toronto District School BoardLibrary and Learning Resources3 Tippett RoadToronto, ON M3H 2V1

Tel: 416-397-2595Fax: 416-395-8357Email: [email protected]

Every reasonable precaution has been taken to trace the owners of copyrightedmaterial and to make due acknowledgement. Any omission will gladly be rectifiedin future printings.

This document has been reviewed for equity.

Table of Contents

Early Learning Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Why Sand Play? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Role of the Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Learning through Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Literacy at the Sand Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Reflecting and Celebrating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Organizing the Sand Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Assessing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Additional Sand Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Specific Teacher-Guided Activities/Experiments . . . . . . . . . 20

Stages of Play/Appendix 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Planning Model 1/Appendix 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Planning Model 2/Appendix 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

How Children Use Language/Appendix 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Ways to Support Literacy/Appendix 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Reflecting and Celebrating Suggestions/Appendix 6 . . . . . . 26

Suggested Materials for Sand Play/Appendix 7 . . . . . . . . . 27

Focused Observations/Appendix 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Kindergarten Program Expectations/Appendix 9 . . . . . . . . 31

Bibliography/Appendix 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

1© Toronto District School Board, 2006

Early Learning Experiences

Children’s early learning experiences have a profound effect on their development.These early interactions directly affect the way connections are made in the brain.Early learning experiences are crucial to the future well-being of children, andestablish the foundation for the acquisition of knowledge and skills that willaffect later learning and behaviour.1

Young children actively explore their environment and the world around themthrough a process of learning-based play-for example, manipulating objects,acting out roles, and experimenting with various materials. Play is a vehicle forlearning.

Through learning-based play, children represent their knowledge andunderstanding of the world and apply new learning that they are acquiring. Playprovides a meaningful context for children’s language development.2

When children engage in science exploration in the early childhood classroom,they are doing what we call science inquiry. They explore the materials or theevent: they ask questions; they investigate; they record and represent their work;they reflect on what they have done and what it means. And they create newtheories or ideas about how the world works. These skills, ways of thinking, andattitudes are important to many areas of learning throughout life.3

The primary goal of physical science experiences for children is to allow them toexplore objects, materials, and events in new and different ways… The rawmaterials for the study of physical science, such as water, sand, blocks, movingthings, and musical instruments, are often present in the early childhoodclassroom. But it is the way they are used, what is added, and what is taken awaythat is key to the richness and breadth of children’s physical science explorations.4

1 Ontario Ministry of Education. The Kindergarten Program. 2006 (Revised), p. 1.2 Ontario Ministry of Education. The Kindergarten Program. 2006 (Revised), p. 14.3 Worth, Karen, and Sharon Grollman. Worms, Shadows, and Whirlpools: Science in the Early

Childhood Classroom. 2003, p. xvi.4 Worth, Karen, and Sharon Grollman. Worms, Shadows, and Whirlpools: Science in the Early

Childhood Classroom. 2003, p. 68.


To maximize intellectual, social, and personal development, children need opportunities to:

• learn in a safe, organized, and stimulating environment

• participate in appropriate, planned experiences thatencourage risk taking, build confidence, and ensuresuccess

• interact with interested adults

• explore, investigate, discover, and repeat experiences

• engage for extended periods of time

• develop responsibility and independence

• use quality materials that promote inquiry, discovery, andproblem solving

• work with others in a variety of learning situations

The Kindergarten Program outlines key features of an appropriate learning environment,and the use of time, space, and resources to meet the needs of all children.

The following document describes these key features in relation to Sand Play.

It explains the rationale for using sand as a medium for play; describes potentiallearning experiences; and provides teachers with guidelines for the design anddevelopment of the Sand Centre.

It helps to clarify the link between developmentally appropriate practice and theintent of The Kindergarten Program.


Why Sand Play?

Sand is part of our natural world. Dirt is one of the first mediums young children chooseto explore. Perhaps, it is because the ground is within easy reach of young children thatthey instinctively want to play in sand and dirt. Children naturally want to pat, shape,pound, see how high they can build a mountain, or how deep they can dig a tunnel. Asa medium, sand is open-ended, allowing for a multitude of possibilities. Given freedomto choose, children can control and create with little effort, and a great deal of success.

Sand is a very tactile medium. It requires little equipment other than hands to exploreand discover its properties and potential. Children often need no other materials but thesand itself. Since the dry form is quite different from sand in its wet state, children needthe opportunity to explore and discover the properties of both.

The Sand Centre has long been recognized as an essential feature of developmentallyappropriate programs for young children. Sand Play affords children the opportunity tofunction at many different levels and to develop a number of concepts and skills in allcurricular areas, as identified in The Kindergarten Program.

Sand Play provides children with opportunities to:

• develop and use language in a variety of ways (describe, report, explain, predict)

• interact with others (sharing materials, negotiating roles, listening andresponding)

• discover the properties of the material (sand is made up of particles, dry sandflows, wet sand can be shaped, sand takes the shape of its container, etc.)

• develop mathematical and scientific language (more/less, heavy/light)

• use simple tools and machines (sand wheels, shovels, balance scales)

• explore mathematical, scientific and technological concepts (volume, mass,stability, pattern, mechanisms)

• move naturally into the process of inquiry (observe, question, plan, test, andevaluate)

• investigate relationships (sort, compare, order, draw conclusions)

• develop concepts about landforms (through building mounds, tunnelling,watching the action of water on sand)

• develop motor skills and eye–hand coordination (through patting andmoulding, filling and pouring, digging)

• engage in problem solving (making a tunnel that won’t collapse, creating a moatthat will hold water)

• develop simple mapping skills (recreate roadways, build a farm)


• demonstrate their understanding of the world and how things work (map astory, build a zoo)

• develop confidence and positive attitudes to learning (by having control over thematerials and freedom to experiment and explore)


The Role of the Teacher

Teachers can build on and nurture children’s curiosity by making the classroomstudies interesting and responsive to their questions. It also is important toencourage questioning that takes children more deeply into their explorations.Connected to curiosity is the willingness to try something out and keep at it.Children often need help as they pursue their questions or new challenges, butby not jumping in too soon, teachers can encourage children to work throughtheir frustrations and feel the satisfaction of accomplishment.5

The teacher’s role is one of supporting, guiding, and facilitating developmentand learning, as opposed to the traditional view of teaching and transmissionof knowledge.6

PlanningLearning opportunities at the Sand Centre need to be planned to encourage spontaneityand give children the freedom to plan, organize, and produce independently. The teacher’srole is to establish an environment that stimulates children to create and problem-solve;that encourages them to incorporate new ideas and learnings into their play; that providesthe necessary scaffolds to extend the learning.

Initially, children engage in exploring and “messing about” with materials thathave been selected by the teacher. This phase is pure inquiry as children makeobservations about the materials and processes, ask questions and becomemotivated to find out more. Although this phase is extremely important, childrenneed to move beyond this phase to develop knowledge and skills. It is one of theartistic dimensions of teaching to know when to engage children further. At thenext level, through interactive questioning, discussion and co-constructinginformation with the child, the teacher guides/leads the children towards anunderstanding of concepts and processes. Lastly, children need opportunities toapply what they have learned in a variety of ways through activities selected orco-selected by teacher and child to consolidate knowledge and skills. This is theplace where there are challenges, e.g., find out which container holds the most.The engagement at this level should signal the beginning of the inquiry phaseagain, as new ideas and the need for exploration emerges.7

Planned opportunities will be based first on identified student needs and interests,and as children develop and progress, the level and scope of the activities will change. Inplanning, the teacher needs to consider research, theory, and practice about how childrendevelop and learn (including the developmental stages of play, described in Appendix 1).


5 Worth, Karen, and Sharon Grollman. Worms, Shadows, and Whirlpools: Science in the Early Childhood Classroom. 2003, p. 21.

6 Bredekamp, Sue, and Teresa Rosegrant. Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment for Young Children. Vol. 1. 1993, p. 15.

7 Adapted from Weeks, Ronald C. The Child’s World of Science and Technology. 1997, pp. 53–54.

Focuses for the play and related topics need to be within the realm of the young child’sexperience. First-hand experiences are important, for example, visits to the beach, theconstruction site, the farm, since they provide the background knowledge and vocabularyneeded for children to use the materials in different ways, and extend the play to includewhat they learned.

Learning through Inquiry Most children are naturally curious about their surroundings. They have aninterest in exploring and investigating to see how things work and why thingshappen. Children have an innate sense of wonder and awe and a naturaldesire for inquiry. Kindergarten programs can capitalize on children’s naturalcuriosity and their desire to make sense of their environment. However,curiosity on its own is not enough. The guidance of a thoughtful teacher isessential to enable children to learn through inquiry. Teachers should useinquiry-based learning to build on children’s spontaneous desire forexploration and to gradually guide them to become more focused andsystematic in their observations and investigations.

Many different skills make up inquiry-based learning for children, andchildren need many opportunities to develop and use these skills as they progressthrough the Kindergarten years. Inquiry skills should not be taught in isolation,but integrated into interesting topics and ideas and in children’s ongoing play. Someskills need explicit teaching (e.g., using a magnifier, posing questions, analysingdata, using graphic organizers), whereas others may be reinforced or practised usingdifferent types of activities and investigations (e.g., sorting and categorizing).8


Elements of theKindergarten child’sinquiry process

Initial Engagement– noticing, wondering, playing

Exploration– exploring, observing,

questioning

Investigation– planning, using observations,

reflecting

When children areengaged in the inquiryprocess, they:

• raise questions about objectsand events around them

• explore objects and eventsaround them and observe theresults of their explorations

• make observations, using all oftheir senses, and generatequestions

• gather, compare, sort, classify,order, interpret, describeobservable characteristics andproperties, notice patterns, anddraw conclusions, using avariety of simple tools andmaterials

When teachers aremodelling or supportingthe inquiry process, they:

• observe and listen

• act as facilitators to guidechildren with thoughtful, open-ended questions

• encourage children to observeand talk among themselves and to the teacher

• provide a rich variety of materialsand resources, and strategicallyquestion and observe children toclarify, expand, or discover thechildren’s thinking

• model how to plan, observe,and reflect

Continued…

8 Ontario Ministry of Education. The Kindergarten Program. 2006 (Revised), p. 11.


Elements of theKindergarten child’sinquiry process

Communication– sharing findings, discussing

ideas

When children areengaged in the inquiryprocess, they:

• work individually and withothers, share and discuss ideas,and listen to new ideas

When teachers aremodelling or supportingthe inquiry process, they:

• listen to the children to help themmake connections between priorknowledge and new discoveries

• demonstrate how to share anddiscuss new ideas

Ontario Ministry of Education. The Kindergarten Program, 2006 (Revised), p. 12.

Inquiry skills are not to be taught in isolation. Instead, these skills provide a guide forteachers to use as they design science experiences for all children. Whatever the topicof study, these skills are used in the process of pursuing that study.

Since Important Inquiry SkillsAs a result of their science experiences, Kindergarten children should develop theirabilities to:

• raise questions about objects, and events around them

• explore materials, objects, and events by acting upon them, and noticing whathappens

• use all senses to make careful observations of objects, organisms, and events

• describe, compare, sort, classify, and order in terms of observable characteristicsand properties

• use a variety of simple tools to extend their observations (a hand lens, measuringtools, eyedroppers, a balance)

• engage in simple investigations, including making predictions, gathering andinterpreting data, recognizing simple patterns, and drawing conclusions

• record observations, explanations, and ideas through multiple forms ofrepresentation, including drawing, simple graphs, writing, and movement

• work collaboratively with others

• share and discuss ideas and listen to new perspectives

Adapted from Worth, Karen, and Sharon Grollman. Worms, Shadows, and Whirlpools:Science in the Early Childhood Classroom. 2003, p. 18.

Learning through Inquiry …continued

The teacher needs to monitor and encourage all children to take advantage of thelearning opportunities that the Sand Centre provides.

To support the planning of specific activities at the Sand Centre, Appendices 2 and3 provide models that teachers may find helpful.

Literacy at the Sand Centre

Oral LanguageSince experiences at the Sand Centre involve working with others, there are manyopportunities for children to use and expand oral language.

Teachers cannot set the stage and then play laissez-faire. While they know it isimportant to let the children discover their own resources working with sand,they are a vital part of the whole interacting community of learners. Withsensitivity and imagination, teachers may enter the children’s play. However,they need to be very careful not to take the play away from the children.9

When children work with sand, they demonstrate their knowledge about the world.Observation will indicate appropriate situations for the teacher to interact and engagechildren in dialogue. These interactions (often informal) allow the teacher to assesschildren’s knowledge and understanding, reinforce new insights, and make futureprogram decisions that facilitate further opportunities at the Sand Centre. The questions/comments that teachers use need to promote thinking, help children constructknowledge, and expand language, rather than elicit minimal responses.

Using comments similar to examples, the teacher can:

• acknowledge what the child is doing in order to help the child sustain interest(especially important for young learners)

I see you built a tunnel in the sand.

• support children as they work through a process

You found a way to stop the tunnel from caving in.

• reaffirm vocabulary the child has used

You’re right. That bucket full of wet sand is heavy!

• introduce new vocabulary informally/formally

I see you made a pattern with the animal shapes.

• ask for clarification, elaboration, or justification

What makes you think that the water will stay in your pond this time? Yes, you haveput only a small amount of sand in the bottom.”

I see you have made a zoo. Tell me about the places I could visit at your zoo.

• challenge children’s thinking

You found out that it took 8 cups to fill the round container. How many cups do youthink it will take to fill the square container?

• prompt children to retell (describe, identify, label, summarize)

Tell me about what you’ve been creating. Tell me what you did first.

Tell me about what you’ve been making. Tell me what you did first, next… last.


9 Hill, Dorothy. Mud, Sand, and Water. 1990, p. 12.

• guide children to connect (compare, contrast, apply)

Your farm looks just like the one where the new baby calf lived in the book we readthis morning. How is your castle different from Carl’s?

• lead children to reflect on experiences, helping them to question, wonder, and infer

I wonder why…

I wonder what would happen if…

Why do you think that happened?

Additional Language SupportBecause of the “hands-on” nature of activities at the Sand Centre, the teacher is able toobserve children demonstrate what they can do, know, understand, and value. This isespecially significant with children who do not have the oral language skills to describeand explain what they have been creating.

Children developing or learning a new language need to hear and see demonstrations;for example, if the teacher names, shows, and uses a material prior to children using it,they are more likely to understand the concept and use the associated vocabulary.

Some young children entering school may be hesitant to speak for a variety of reasons.Teachers need to remember that in most cases, receptive understanding exceeds the abilityto express orally. Children can be encouraged to demonstrate what they know. Forexample, the teacher might say:

Show me a very large pail.

Which measuring cup is the smallest?

As children feel more confident with oral language, they may be able to expressthemselves in single words or short phrases.

At this stage, the teacher can support the child by:

- presenting choices, for example,

Which will hold more sand—the bottle or the box?

- scaffolding the responses by replying, for example,

Yes, the box holds much more—you needed 6 scoops of sand to fill it.

As children begin to speak in longer sentences, they can be encouraged to use morevocabulary, for example,

Tell me about the farm you’ve made.

In listening to all children use language, the teacher needs to consider children’s levelof language (Stages of Oral Language Development 10) and the level of proficiency withEnglish.

Appendix 4 describes the various ways children use language.


10 Education Department Western Australia. First Steps® Oral Language Developmental Continuum. 1994.

Reading and WritingOpportunity to practise and expand oral communication skills is the most natural literacyoutcome of sand play, but there is also scope to link to other literacy areas. Children canbe motivated to engage in reading and writing activities if such materials are within easyaccess. Topical fiction and non-fiction, previously introduced, might be displayed at thecentre and used for reference; for example, a story map generated by the teacher in ashared writing session might serve as a model for children attempting to create their ownin the sand. Charts and graphs that children have generated, an illustrated explanation ofa centre routine, could all be part of the relevant literacy displayed at the centre. Children’srecording attempts and scribed explanations could be part of the display.

Many opportunities will arise for modelling different text forms, for example, after avisit to the zoo, making a list of materials needed to recreate it in the sand; a survey offavourite sand toys. During shared/interactive writing, the teacher and children mightrecord observations from a sand experiment, such as how sand flows through a sieve ascompared to a funnel.

The need for environmental print, such as labels, warning signs (Beach Closed),directional arrows (Lions � ), give children authentic purposes for writing at this centre.Materials to make these need to be readily available.

Sand is an effective medium for children to experiment with writing letters. It is aneasy, risk-free, and tactile experience to make letters and numerals with a stick inmoistened sand. Children can also make letter shapes with plastic alphabet moulds.

Other suggestions for supporting literacy are provided in Appendix 5.

Reflecting and CelebratingAll learners need opportunities to reflect on their experiences in a variety of ways in orderto make personal connections and deepen their understandings.

Time for sharing understandings and celebrating accomplishments needs to bescheduled. Sharing may occur with a partner, in a small group or large group.

Note: For very young children and those who are developing facility withEnglish, sharing in a large-group situation can be intimidating. To accommodatedeveloping language skills and short attention spans, several brief sessions atdifferent times are more appropriate.

Appendix 6 lists ideas for engaging children in reflection and celebration.


Organizing the Sand CentreInquiry in physical science is very active. As opposed to living things, nonlivingobjects and materials can be acted upon. Children can manipulate them indifferent ways and observe what happens. They can repeat what they havedone to see if the same thing happens each time. They can do simpleexperiments and investigations and collect data, draw their own conclusions,ask new questions, predict, and theorize. In a classroom with carefully selectedmaterials and the time and space to use them, children can pursue their ideasin quite independent ways in many contexts. 11

The potential for play at the Sand Centre, and recognition of its value as a learningexperience, is determined by the physical set-up. Creating an organized space, providingmaterials to stimulate experimentation and discovery, scheduling sufficient time at thecentre, and establishing routines to help children maintain it, will impact on the extentand quality of the learning experiences.

The teacher needs to consider:

• size of sandbox and type of sand

• materials to be used

• amount of material in relation to thenumber of children

• when to introduce certain materials

• location of the Sand Centre inrelation to other classroom centres

• organization and storage of materials

• establishment of routines

• how the centre will be accessed by allchildren

• time available for children to work in the sand

MaterialsThe quality and extent of the play at the centre, and the opportunities for children todevelop concepts and skills, are directly related to the materials available.

Teachers need to identify content that intrigues children and arouses in thema need and desire to figure something out. In short, teachers create awarenessand foster interest in children by planning the environment and introducingnew and stimulating objects, people and experiences. 12



12 Bredekamp, Sue, and Teresa Rosegrant. Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessmentfor Young Children. Vol. 1. 1993, p. 10.


Materials should be selected to:

- meet a range of children’s needs and interests

- encourage children to experiment, discover, and reflect

- promote the development of simple mathematical and scientific concepts

- provide the hands-on experiences necessary to understand future complex concepts

- enrich the learning experiences.

Note: Sand should be of a type approved for children’s use and should bechanged regularly.

To avoid mould in the sand, it should be left uncovered when very wet. Teachersneed to be mindful that dry, dusty sand may affect children who have allergies.

Materials should be introduced gradually to allow children to become familiar withthe possibilities of a few at a time, and to avoid overwhelming them initially with toomany choices. Materials need to be changed regularly to reflect changing interests andincreased ability levels. Some pieces of equipment are “stock items,” flexible in their usage,and popular with the children. These may be made available throughout the year.

At times, the teacher may choose to place specific materials at the centre, to encourageexperimentation or to relate to current classroom focuses, for example,

- different sizes of planting pots and labels after a planting experience

- different kinds of sieves to experiment with and observe which lets sand flow easily

Thought must be given to providing open-ended materials so that children have manyopportunities to create and self-direct. The addition of props will help direct the play.

Note: Children need to have time for exploration and discovery before specificactivities are initiated by the teacher.

The storage of the materials can provide valuable learning experiences for thechildren, for example, opportunities to sort and match, to check for missing items, andto leave the centre ready for others to use. Some materials may be stored on shelves, withshaped plastic mats and/or labels to indicate what belongs there. Larger equipment maybe stored in labelled plastic bins (excess sand falls off inside the bin, not on the floor).

Note: For safety reasons, glass containers should not be used at the SandCentre. All recycled materials, such as milk containers and planting pots, shouldbe thoroughly cleaned.

A list of suggested materials with accompanying descriptions of their learningpotential is provided in Appendix 7.

SpaceThe Sand Centre needs to be located in a place where the teacher can easily observechildren as they work.

Note: Sandboxes located in hallways or cloakrooms make it difficult for teachersto observe and assess the needs of the children.

The most appropriate area for a sandbox or table is on tiled floor (for ease of sweepingup spills). Children need to have enough space to walk around to view their sand “projects”from different perspectives, facilitating development of spatial concepts.

The size of the designated area and the sandbox will determine how many childrencan effectively play at the centre. Most classroom tables will accommodate up to amaximum of four children.

TimeChildren need extended periods of time to engage in play at the Sand Centre.

The teacher needs to consider the following:

• Has sufficient time been provided in the daily schedule for children to engage insand play? (Longer blocks of time are more appropriate.)

• Has time been allotted for children to put materials away?

Note: It is effective management to include a five-minute reminder that tidy-uptime is approaching. This prepares children to bring closure, and avoidsfrustration.

• Has time for sharing and celebrating been planned for?

• Are children given opportunities to talk about what materials they used, experi-ments tried, and what they learned? (during or at the end of the activity period)


ExpectationsTo promote independence, and ensure safety at the Sand Centre, clear expectations needto be established.

The teacher needs to consider the following:

• How many children can work safely and productively at the sand table?

• What are the expectations regarding safety, noise, the handling of materials, andtidy-up?

• How will the children know where the materials belong and how they should besorted for storage?

• How will the expectations be communicated to the children?

• How will routines be introduced to the children, and how will the routines bemonitored and reinforced in different ways?

• Will there be a system to ensure that all children have opportunities to experimentwith water and provided materials?

• Does the organization promote or inhibit interaction with other children?

Assessing

Assessment relies primarily on procedures that reflect the ongoing life of theclassroom and typical activities of the children. Assessment avoids approachesthat place children in artificial situations, impede the usual learning anddevelopmental experiences in the classroom, or divert children from theirnatural learning processes.13

While children are working at the Sand Centre, the teacher has optimumopportunity to observe their social interaction, development of math and scienceconcepts, language level, and problem-solving strategies. As children work with thematerials, the teacher can watch them in the process of constructing knowledge, testinghypotheses, and drawing conclusions. It shouldbe remembered with young children that theemphasis is on the process of constructing andcreating, rather than only on the final product.


The teacher: � looks � listens � records � analyzes � reflects


Observation allows the teacher to:

• see growth over time

• determine patterns of behaviour

• determine the scaffolding required to extend each child’s learning

• make the changes that may be necessary in the available equipment

• plan developmentally appropriate activities based on curriculum expectations

But activity by itself is not enough: teachers need to observe children’s activityand their dialogue, and they must get a glimpse into how children think aboutand explain the events they see. The better they understand children’s thinking,the more opportunities they can find to extend their work and foster thedevelopment of more complex theories and understanding. They may presenta challenge, help children to notice relationships or patterns of cause and effect,or encourage them to make reasoned connections between their experiencesand their ideas of how and why things happen.14

Observations need to focus on:

• interest and engagement in selected experiences

• interaction with peers

• use of materials

• responsibility and independence

• development of oral language and vocabulary

• ability to problem-solve

• development of knowledge and skills

Observation needs to be planned:

While daily informal observations areongoing, at the point of occurrence, moreformal observations need to be planned sothat teacher time is set aside to observeselected children for a specific purpose,and, over a specific time period, observeall children. These purposes will varyaccording to the time of year, theopportunities at the Sand Centre, andchildren’s identified needs.



The teacher needs to consider:

• what to observe

• which children

• how many children at one time

• when to observe

• how often

• what to record

• how to record

Observations can be recorded in the form of:

• anecdotal records

• teacher notes attached to children’s work samples

• photographs or videos of children engaged in activities

• audio tapes of children’s conversations, retellings, etc.

• documentation panels

Records, including samples of self-assessment and reflection, can be stored inchildren’s portfolios.

Using Observation Information The interpretation of data collected through observation will help the teacher plan aprogram that meets children’s identified needs and interests in relation to curriculumexpectations.

When we assess, observe, and get to know the strengths, interests, needs, andpassions of the children we teach, then we can design and negotiate useful andchallenging learning experiences that both help the child move along thelearning continuum related to the objectives of the curriculum and identifyand carry out activities that are important to the child. 15

Guides to help focus observations can be found in Appendices 8 and 9. These guidesprovide specific examples of what teachers might possibly see children do, or hear childrensay. Appendix 9 outlines indicators that children are meeting the expectations as listed inThe Kindergarten Program.



Additional Sand Ideas

It is important to keep the centre stimulating and reflective of children’s changing interestsand developing abilities.

The teacher might consider:

• taking the sand table outside

Note: Using an outdoor sandbox can provide different experiences forchildren.

� Children have the space to use larger equipment (dump trucks, cementmixers, larger-sized pails, shovels, rakes, etc.).

� Children can also create wet areas and observe what happens to thewater and sand on a much larger scale than in the classroom sandbox.

• taking some of the materials outside for creative use during outdoor playtime (pails, shovels, ropes, trucks)

• adding a frame with pulleys for children to move sand in buckets

• providing different kinds of sand for children to explore, compare

• providing individual sand trays for children to draw and write in




Specific Teacher-Guided Activities/Experiments

Consider providing:

� pieces of Plexiglas for children to place on top of the sandbox to draw a “map” of what they have created

� plastic models and other props for children to recreate and retell stories, for example, The Gingerbread Man

� multiple containers of the same size (yogourt cups, medicine measures) to enablechildren to record concretely for example, the number of yogourt cups of sand tofill a litre container)

� materials for children to make

• sieves and funnels with different sizes and shapes of holes (to observe rate of flow, and the effectiveness of their product)

• sand timers (using different plastic cups and containers)

• sandpaper

• sand pictures

• shakers (using varying amounts of sand)

• simple machines (to move sand, to make patterns, etc.)

� experiences for investigation, such as

• putting sand in a jar and adding water to observe what happens

• comparing the mass of two containers: one filled with wet sand, the other with dry

• finding out how long it takes for wet sand to dry, and what happens to the sand as it dries

• investigating ways to make sand flow (as fast as possible/as slowly as possible)

• devising ways to move a small container of sand from one place to another

• ordering containers from heaviest to lightest

• sorting containers to find out which ones hold less than a yogourt cup, which hold more

� specific topics for discussion

• what sand is made of

• how water and sand are the same, different

• places where sand can be found

• sand “life”


Stages of Play 15 Appendix 1

When children are engaged in play, the teachers will observe levels of social development.It is important to recognize that children in the same age group will be at different stagesof play. Development may depend on the child’s experiences, language, and temperament.These stages are not necessarily sequential.

Solitary Play

• The child plays alone, generally to satisfy own immediate needs.

• There is little or no interaction with others.

Exploratory Play

• Children play alone or watch others.

• They may begin to play alongside another child without interaction.

Associative Play

• The children may imitate others and attempt to exchange ideas ormaterials.

• Children are not working toward a common goal.

Co-operative Play

• Children become members of a group and have a role in the group. They assume the roles of leaders and followers, with leadership qualitiesbeginning to emerge.

• Children work toward common goals.

16 Adapted from Weininger, Otto. Play and Education: The Basic Tool for Early Childhood Learning. 1979.


Sand Centre Term: Fall

Materials or Resources

• for digging (shovels, scoops)

• filling and pouring and measuring (buckets, shovels, graduated containers, milk cartons, plastic containers)

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Observation Points

• stage of play/interaction with others

• use of language/language proficiency (refer to Appendix 4)

• use of sand/the materials and engagement with the materials

• strategies for solving problems

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Planning Model 1 Appendix 2


Centre: Sand

Assessment

• Observe children at the Sand Centre. Are they attempting to recreatethe story? Are they using language from the text?

• Listen to children playing. Are they using mathematical terms such asbig/little, short/tall?

• Do the children talk about a plan and describe the steps? Do they carryout the plan?

Specific Materials

• Text for The New Baby Calf

• Collection of plastic farm animals

• Material for building fences and farm buildings

Specific Teacher-Guided Activities

• Read A New Baby Calf and talk about illustrations.

• Retell the story using props with the children.

• Discuss using props. Place props along with a copy of the book at the Sand Centre.

• Make a story map of A New Baby Calf.

Planning Model 2 Appendix 3

How Children Use Language17 Appendix 4

Children can be observed using language to:

• self-maintain includes children communicating needs and wants, being protective of self, criticizing or threatening others

I want that shovel. Give it to me.

• direct children direct the actions of self and others

I’m going to build a big castle, and dig a moat around it. Then I’ll pour water in the moat.

• report on past and present experiences includes labelling, relating and comparing, analyzing the process, reflecting on an experience

I put sand it in the sieve, and it’s sticking. Last time it ran through. Maybe this sand is too wet.

• reason includes explaining the process, for example, identifying problems and solutions, justifying judgments, and drawing conclusions

First I filled the yogourt cup with sand, but it took too long to fill up the jug. It’s too small. Maybe I should use this bigger measuring cup.

• predict children anticipate what might happen, identifying potential problems and possible solutions, predicting the consequences of actions

I have to wet this sand to build the castle. This dry sand will keep falling down.

• project children project into feelings and reactions of others. They may project into past experiences or those new to them.

Samar’s mad because Conor won’t share the sand wheel.

• imagine children create imaginary situations that may have a basis in real life or may be purely fantasy


17 Adapted from Toronto Board of Education. Observing Children Through Their Formative Years. 1980, p. 1.


Ways to Support Literacy Appendix 5

• Communicate routines to the children through visual cues and symbols, forexample, shelving “maps” that guide the children to return materials to their proper place by matching shape and size or through pictures and/or words.

• Add materials to encourage social interaction and communication

- equipment that needs to be used with another person, for example, a sandwheel, pulleys

• Add materials that encourage talk or dramatic play to expand vocabulary and extend learning

- models of people (Ensure that genders are represented in different roles andthat materials are inclusive of different cultures.)

- models of vehicles; animals

- natural materials (rocks, shells, twigs, etc.)

• Introduce books related to the focus at the Sand Centre—books about tunnels, thebeach, animal habitats, sand castles, etc.

• Provide materials that encourage functional reading, such as standardized road signs,visual symbols that indicate the routines, visuals related to the sand interests(pictures of construction sites); children’s recordings or signs made, related chartsthat children have generated

Note: Ensure that visuals are representative of a variety of genders, ages, andcultural groups in different roles.

• Provide materials that will encourage writing—for making signs, labels, directions,recording information.

• Provide props and building materials that encourage children to retell a story(models of animals from I Went Walking)—props that encourage children to recount an experience (the farm animals seen on the farm trip).

Note: If the literacy materials are first introduced to children before being addedto the centre, they will be more likely to incorporate them into the play. With somematerials, the teacher may need to demonstrate how to use them, perhaps byengaging in the play itself, and informally introducing specific related vocabulary.

Reflecting and Celebrating Suggestions Appendix 6

• Have children talk about their work at the Sand Centre, either informally with asmall group during activity time, or more formally in the class group at the end ofthe activity period.

• Invite the children to make drawings or recordings of their activities.

• Take photographs of the Sand Centre activities to illustrate what children arelearning. Take beginning, middle, and end shots to demonstrate the process and tohelp children describe it. Photos could be displayed within the classroom or outsidefor others to see. You might choose to send some of the photographs home in theform of a book.

• Ask children to choose a material from the sandbox to bring to the group and eithershow it, tell the name of it, and/or how they used it or how it could be used.

• During sharing time, have children talk about their activity, problems they mayhave encountered, and how they solved them. Allow time for others to askquestions.

Note: Having children speak to the actual sand activity provides concretesupport for them to describe what they have done. It may be necessary forthe teacher, through prompting or questioning, to move children beyondthe descriptive phase to talking about the process. Some children may findit difficult to pose questions, and the teacher may need to model a varietyof questions.

• Make a video of children at the centre. Show to children and have them talk aboutwhat they were doing. Show to families at “Curriculum” presentations, and/or make it available to borrow for home viewing.

• Make a documentation panel to reflect children’s inquiry at the Sand Centre.



Potential Material

Moulding • brick-making set with a scraper and trowel• pails and shovels• jelly moulds, cake pans, muffin tins,

plastic containers, cookie cutters

Observation/Examination • magnifying glasses or magnifiers(to examine different kinds of sand/dirt)

Sifting • sieves• cones• plastic rakes in different sizes • sand combs• colanders, kitchen sieves, various-sized slotted

spoons • pieces of screen, cheese cloth, or muslin• inside pieces of coffee percolator, watering can• salt, pepper, or cheese shakers

Exploring Movement • funnels of different sizes, of Sand • plastic tubing of different thicknesses and lengths

• sand wheel

Printing, Patterning • alphabet letter and numeral moulds• animal shapes• cookie cutters, different-sized lids and containers• other classroom/kitchen materials suitable for

print-making

Scraping, Rolling, • mallets, rakes, sand combs, trowels, shovelsPressing, Smoothing • wood blocks

• rolling pins• spatulas• pieces of dowelling, spools • thick pieces of cardboard, heavy cardboard rolls

Measuring Standard(exploring capacity, volume, mass, time) • plastic measuring spoons

• medicine measures• graduated containers of different shapes• litre containers (empty, clean milk cartons,

empty sugar bags)

Non-standard• different-sized plastic containers and lids

(yogourt, cottage cheese, etc.)• plastic planting pots• different kinds of balance scales• various sand timers

Continued…

Suggested Materials for Sand Play Appendix 7


Potential Material

Dramatic/ • animals—zoo, farm, pets, prehistoric, bugs, reptilesSymbolic Play • vehicles—cars, trucks, farm equipment, airplanes,

construction vehicles• buildings—material for children to create their own

models (pieces of wood, heavy cardboard, etc.)• vegetation—plastic trees, plants, twigs, pine cones• people—multiracial, familiar characters• found/natural materials—fence building materials,

string, pieces of wood (to encourage bridge andramp building), shells, dishes to contain water,pieces of coloured plastic (blue to resemble water)

Making Connections • plastic models to recount events or retell a storyto Literature (farm animals after a farm trip; characters for

The Three Bears)• items for burying (dinosaurs, plastic bones, etc.)• materials for digging up buried models, bones, etc.

(shovels, small gardening tools, egg lifter)

Tidy-up • whisk, broom, dustpans

Suggested Materials for Sand Play …continued


Interaction Does the child share?Does the child negotiate?Does the child work alone, with a partner, or in a group?Does the child take responsibility for part of the group work?How does the child cope with problems in the group?Does the child engage in conversations with adults?

Use of Materials Does the child use the materials in different ways?Does the child use only a few pieces of equipment?What kinds of landscapes or structures does the child make?Is the child adding detail? What does the child know about the materials and how they

are used?

Interest and Does the child enjoy the Sand Centre?Engagement Does she/he choose it often?

Does the child sustain interest for periods of time?Does the child have a plan for using the materials?

Knowledge/Skills What mathematical and scientific concepts is the child developing? Development What skills does the child have in measuring?/in recording

information?What methods of communication does the child use

(verbal, pictorial, written)?Is the child able to evaluate his/her activity in co-operation with

the teacher?What does the child know about sand?

Oral Language What kinds of questions does the child ask (permission, Development curiosity, negotiation)?

How does the child use language? (see Appendix 5)Can the child sustain a conversation with other children?/

with adults?Is the child easily understood?Is the child able to communicate needs or wants?What vocabulary does the child use and understand

(heavy, light; wet, dry; full, empty; balanced)?Is the child using vocabulary to describe actions, materials,

learning?Does the child engage in dramatic play?

Continued…

Focused Observations Appendix 8


Focused Observations …continued

Problem-Solving Is the child setting own problems to investigate?Skills How does the child deal with a problem (using materials?/

working with others?)Does the child have strategies for problem solving (suggestalternatives?/listen to and accept others’ ideas or solutions?)

Development of Does the child take responsibility for tidying up by participating Independence and in the storage and organization of materials?Responsibility Does the child understand and follow the routines?

Does the child contribute ideas to the play?


Kindergarten Program Expectations Appendix 9

The following are some samples of what the teacher may see the child doingor hear the child saying in relation to the expectations.

PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Expectations in Specific Areas

Oral Communication The child may:

Self-awareness and self-reliance

Social Relationships

- demonstrate a willingness to try newactivities

- begin to demonstrate self-control andadapt behaviour to different contexts within the school environment

- use a variety of simple strategies to solvesocial problems

- demonstrate the ability to take turns inactivities and discussions

- experiment with new materials/tools- select and persist with challengingactivities

- be aware of and label their own emotions- tidy up appropriately- follow the routines (regarding number ofchildren at the centre)

- use materials safely alone and with others

- talk about possible solutions to problemsthat develop around equipment use(suggests taking turns to use the tube and funnel)

- engage in play activities with others, listento peers and adults

- say, You can use the shovel now.


Kindergarten Program Expectations…continued Appendix 9

LANGUAGE

Expectations in Specific Areas

Oral Communication The child may:

- use language in various contexts to - talk to peers about what he/she is doingconnect new experiences with what they - as materials are exploredalready know - make comments such as, I know how you

can fix that.

- ask questions for a variety of purposes - say, The sand looks like rain falling down.and in different contexts When you put sand in there, the wheel

will spin just like the wheel at the watertable.

Reading

- respond to a variety of materials read - use models to take on roles, e.g., say, aloud to them - You be the big goat and I’ll be the troll.

- retell stories in proper sequence that have - investigate the properties of sand after been read by and with the teacher, using - hearing a non-fiction text about sandpictures in the book and/or props - retell an experience he/she has had

- retell information from non-fiction materials - with sandthat have been read by the teacher, and using pictures and/or props

Writing

- write simple messages using a - make signs/labels to go with own combination of pictures, symbols, - creationsknowledge of the correspondence - make a drawing of own creation, writebetween letters and sounds (phonics), - about it (label, phrase, or sentence)and familiar words


Kindergarten Program Expectations…continued Appendix 9

MATHEMATICS

Expectations in Specific Areas The child may:

Number Sense and Numeration

- begin to use information to estimate the - estimate how many scoops it will take number in a small set - to fill a container

- demonstrate understanding of the countingconcepts of stable order (that is, theconcept that the counting sequence isalways the same—1 is always followedby 2, 2 by 3, and so on) and of orderirrelevance (that is, the concept that thenumber of objects in a set will be thesame, regardless of which object is used to begin the counting)

Measurement

- compare and order two or more objects according to an appropriate measure, and use measurement terms

- demonstrate awareness of non-standard measuring devices and strategies for using them

Geometric and Spatial Sense

- demonstrate an understanding of basic spatial relationships and movements

- build three-dimensional structures using a variety of materials, and begin to recognize the three-dimensional figures that the structure contains

Patterning

- identify, extend, reproduce, and create repeating patterns through investigation, using a variety of materials

- count the number of scoops it will take tofill a container

- count the number of animals in their zoo

- use measurement terms (empty, full, heavy,light)

- use small plastic cups to fill a biggercontainer

- say, Ten cups filled it to the top.

- say, I put the sand inside the pail.- say, I put my sign beside the road.

- create cones, cylinders, cubes as part of a structure

- explore patterning using a variety ofmaterials for printing, or decorating sandcreations

- say, I made wavy lines.

Continued…


MATHEMATICS …continued


Data Management and Probability

- sort, classify, and compare objects, and describe the attributes used

- collect objects or data, and make representations of their observations, using concrete graphs

- compare wet and dry sand- sort and classify objects, and describe ordemonstrate his/her sorting rule (I put all thezoo animals here and the farm animals there.)

- contribute to a class graph- record his/her observations, for example,using pictures, labels, diagrams

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY


Health and Well-being

- talk about safe and unsafe situations as they arise in the classroom, and discuss ways to be safe, including identifying and applying basic safety rules

Physical Development and Activity

- begin to demonstrate control of small muscles in activities at a variety oflearning centres

-- discard broken materials-- know that to throw sand is unsafe-- use the materials safely and appropriately-- help with sweeping up the sand

- grasp handles on containers when pouring - mould and sculpt with wet sand- trace letters, numerals, patterns in the sand

THE ARTS


Visual Arts

- explore a variety of tools, materials, and processes of their own choice to create visual art forms in familiar and new ways

Drama and Dance

- explore a variety of tools and materials of their own choice to create drama and dance in familiar and new ways

-- make sand sculptures, using variouscontainers

-- use some found materials to create

-- use props to create a drama with zoocreatures, farm animals, etc.,

Meeting the Expectations…continued Appendix 9

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


- pose questions and make predictions and observations before and during investigations

- describe some natural occurrences, using their own observations and representations (e.g., drawings, writing)

Use of Technology

- experiment with simple machines and common objects, and describe their investigations

- investigate and use familiar technological items, and describe their use in daily life

- select and use materials to carry out their own explorations and communicate their intentions

- investigate various materials that have different properties by manipulating and comparing them safely in individual and small-group explorations, and describe their observations

- talk about and/or record sandinvestigations

- say, I made a tunnel for the trucks to gothrough. It took me a long time to do itbecause the sand kept falling in.

- talk about what happens when too muchsand is put into the sand wheel, whathappens when too much water is added tothe sand

- use materials (tubing or sand wheel) andwatch what happens; repeat several times

- use the materials at the sand table indepen-dently, without prompting from an adult(makes ramps, explores the use of a sandwheel, uses different sizes of sieves, etc.)

- explore (use of rake, spade, sifters)- say, I need a roller to make the sand smooth.

- express intent, I am going to use these rocksand twigs to make a forest for my fox.

- choose materials ahead (collects animals,rocks, etc.)

- say, First, I’m going to….

- explore wet and dry sand



Bibliography Appendix 10

Bredekamp, Sue, and Teresa Rosegrant. Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum andAssessment for Young Children. Vol. 1. Washington, DC: National Association for theEducation of Young Children, 1993.

--- . Reaching Potentials: Transforming Early Childhood Curriculum Assessment. Vol. 2.Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1993.

Davidson, Jane. Emergent Literacy and Dramatic Play in Early Education. Toronto:Delmar, 1996.

Education Department of Western Australia. First Steps® Oral Language DevelopmentalContinuum. Melbourne, Australia: Longman, 1994.

Hill, Dorothy M. Mud, Sand, and Water. Washington, DC: National Association for theEducation of Young Children, 1990.

Mathematics in the Early Years: Washington, DC: National Council of Teachers ofMathematics, 2000.

Norris, Doreen, and Joyce Boucher. Observing Children. Toronto Observation Project.Toronto: Toronto Board of Education, 1981.

Observing Children Through Their Formative Years. Toronto: Toronto Board ofEducation, 1980.

Ontario Ministry of Education. The Kindergarten Program. Toronto: Queen’s Printer,2006 (Revised).

Richards, Roy. An Early Start to Mathematics. Hemel Hempstead, England: Simon &Schuster, 1990.

___. An Early Start to Science. Cheltenham, England: Stanley Thornes, 1995.

Weeks, Ronald C. The Child’s World of Science and Technology. Scarborough, ON:Prentice Hall Allyn and Bacon Canada, 1997.

Weininger, Otto. Play and Education: The Basic Tool for Early Childhood Learning.Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1979.

Weininger, Otto, and Susan Daniel. Playing to Learn: The Young Child, the Teacher andthe Classroom. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1992.

Worth, Karen, and Sharon Grollman. Worms, Shadows, and Whirlpools: Science in theEarly Childhood Classroom. Heinemann, EDC and NAEYC, 2003.

Documents

Sand in the Kindergarten Program - sw1math SAND.pdf/316650488... · Program Coordinator, Early Years: Lynn Blanche This edition of Sand is based on a document of the same name from