Friends exploring  around the room with magnifying glasses.

The work of kindergarten is exploration – exploring spaces, ideas, feelings, friends, imagination, materials, and so much more! Exploration is built deeply into everything we do in kindergarten, as students take their rightful place as fellow explorers in their own education. By teaching children how to explore, we are teaching them the lifelong skill of how to learn, building a foundation of curiosity and a joy of discovery.

A huge leaf!

Div. 27 will spend this year wondering – asking questions and figuring out how to seek answers. We won’t always be right, but we will be determined to have fun! And every mistake we make along the way is an opportunity to learn and grow.

So far, we have been busy exploring fall (Science), patterns (Math), and letters (English Language Arts). We are exploring what it means to be a member of our classroom community by tapping into our inner super powers for calm and kindness (Social Studies). We are exploring how to use our bodies inside and outside the classroom and how to help keep each other safe at school (Physical and Health Education) .

Exploring the playground equipment in the courtyard at recess.

At home, our families can help us develop as explorers by exploring with us! When we have adventures as a family, we do a number of things:

– Model what it looks like to look closely, ask questions, and be excited about learning new things.

– Develop new experiences to draw from when making connections to books or when writing stories.

– Growing important vocabulary (foundational both for students whose first language is English and for those who English is an additional language).

Exploring in the forest.

When you have adventures as a family, whether it be a trip to the beach, a backyard bug hunt, or a family vacation, engage your child by having them draw about what they experienced. This representation is a form of early writing, and as they develop in their skills, they will begin to add letters and inventive spelling to their paper. You can also take pictures of your adventures and review them later with your child, having them orally describe what they did and explored. Ask them questions, engaging them with thoughts on what they discovered and what they still wonder about.

 

Enjoy exploring, friends!

-Ms. Osiris