"Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment."
-Maria Montessori
As we work with children and watch them grow, we are amazed by how much they learn. They can learn a lot through our teachings, but also through their own way of thinking.
As adults, there are times when we offer them play experiences and expect specific outcomes. Then, suddenly they think of something completely different and they manipulate and play with the materials in their own way!
On January 13, the children were given several pieces of wooden sticks. We let them use their imagination to create their own play.
The first two pictures show how the child tried to build something by lining up several pieces of sticks on the floor and putting some more on top. Now, look at the bottom three pictures. After a few tries, she thought of a different way to use the sticks. She held one stick in each hand, tapped them on the floor, and pretended to play the drums!
Another child played with the wooden sticks in a different manner. He gave several pieces for the teacher to hold. As the teacher was holding some pieces in an upright position, he tried to put one stick inside the pile. He kept on putting one in until the pile was full and another piece would not fit. He repeated this several times then hestarted piling them up one by one.
Through this play experience, the children learned to create their own play through their imagination.
-Mrs. Javier-
What a wonderful blog post. I love the way you think, right, and observe and think about children. I can't imagine a much more inviting place for a young child to be if indeed they can not be with their parents. You staff are such a blessing to these children and families. BRAVO!
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