Date: February 10, 2009
Today I watched as the afternoon preschoolers participated in non-structured play or centers. As always they had a ton of different options to choose from. What I find most interesting as I watch this type of play is how truly different and unique each of the children are. I find it fascinating how they can all take the same activity and each of them does something completely different with it. None of them really seem to get out a hand during this time either. They don't have a need to get out of control because everything they are doing is a choice. They pick where they play and for the most part what they do.
My favorite memory of this day was watching one of the kids play on the computer. He sat there for a while and was playing his own Diego game. After a while the kid on the other computer got up and left, leaving that same Diego game still running. The next time I looked he had one hand on each mouse and he was controlling both games. It was so funny to watch as his eyes went back and forth from both of the screens. When the next kid came up and wanted to play he willingly handed over the mouse and went back to his original game.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Structured Play
As I observed structured play in the afternoon preschool the other day, I realized that preschoolers change so much in a short period of time. I think that just since last semester a lot of them have matured a lot and are much better in these structured situations. Many people probably wouldn't consider circle time a play time, but I think it really is because if you sit through one, you will definitely see how much the children are really using their imaginations. Each day as we listen to stories I am amazed at the questions that these kids can come up with. They think of things so differently than adults do and it's really neat to see first hand. I think the children that really show this imagination are ones that are then able to take that into non-structured time or outside time and really let their imaginations soar. Some of the children that you really notice not focusing on the book or not being able to sit that long are the ones that are just doing what is told of them during centers and not going anywhere with it to show their own creativity. I think a lot can been seen about a child just based on structured play time.
Today (February 5) I observed "outdoor" play when I went to the gym with the students. There was a lot going on and a lot of things that I noticed. I think it's obvious that this split up based on gender. The boys play with the boys, while the girls play with the girls. Every once in a while though, they will come together and the girls with chase the boys or the boys will chase the girls. But it's as if they are on two separate teams and they can't actually be with the other gender.
The other thing I noticed is that even outside play seems more structured than when we were young kids. I don't know, but I feel like when we were younger outside play was more rough and tumble. I remember play "King of the Mountain" when there was snow and I remember the boys even sometimes sneaking in some "tackle football." I feel like nowadays we need to be so concerned with everyone's safety, which don't get me wrong is a good thing, that children aren't being able to fully release all of their energy.
The other thing I noticed is that even outside play seems more structured than when we were young kids. I don't know, but I feel like when we were younger outside play was more rough and tumble. I remember play "King of the Mountain" when there was snow and I remember the boys even sometimes sneaking in some "tackle football." I feel like nowadays we need to be so concerned with everyone's safety, which don't get me wrong is a good thing, that children aren't being able to fully release all of their energy.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
structured play time
Who: morning preschoolers
What: observation of children playing in a structured play time
Where: Children's Center on St. Norbert campus
Ages: 4 and 5
Gender: female and male
Demographics: all caucasian, mixture of low to middle SES
Today, I observed the morning preschoolers during their openening circle time. It took a little while for circle time to start, since Miss Bonnie was talking with preschoolers and helping them with check in. I waited on the carpet with a few of the children during this time. Some of the students were waiting very quietly. Some boys were singing to each other, while another kept getting up and changing spots.
While Miss Bonnie did finally come, she told them to quieten down and everyone did, right away. They talked about how they are going to a play tomorrow. Most of the preschoolers were participating in this discussion, since they seemed fairly excited about it. They had a lot of questions about it and kept wondering if they would have the same bus and bus driver as they did for the last field trip. There was one boy who was wearing a pair of bright orange shoes. He kept getting distracted by these and had to be told to pay attention. Once Miss Bonnie mentioned that she could take them away, however, he started to listen.
Then, they read the book The Rainbow Fish. Most of the students seemed to be paying attention, although there was one boy who had frequently had to be told to quieten down by one of the workers. The other students were listening and talking about the book. There were some comments that were very off topic, such as when one boy talked about going to Florida, but Miss Bonnie pointed this out, and they got back to the book.
After reading it, they talked about the moral of the story and how friends are supposed to share with one another. Some of the students raised their hands and talked about what toys they like to share. One boy talked about sharing his power rangers, which made all the other boys start talking about whether or not they had power rangers.
After this discussion, they reviewed the concept of odd and even numbers, which they had started earlier in the week. They counted dots on cut out mittens, saying whether or not they were odd or even. There was one little boy in particular, that knew the answers immedietly. Some other students were more quiet during the activity, particularly the girls.
Then, Miss Bonnie briefly went over the morning anouncements. When we introduced the art activity, all of the students started to get excited. They couldn't stop talking about it.
After this, circle time ended and the children went to the different centers.
What: observation of children playing in a structured play time
Where: Children's Center on St. Norbert campus
Ages: 4 and 5
Gender: female and male
Demographics: all caucasian, mixture of low to middle SES
Today, I observed the morning preschoolers during their openening circle time. It took a little while for circle time to start, since Miss Bonnie was talking with preschoolers and helping them with check in. I waited on the carpet with a few of the children during this time. Some of the students were waiting very quietly. Some boys were singing to each other, while another kept getting up and changing spots.
While Miss Bonnie did finally come, she told them to quieten down and everyone did, right away. They talked about how they are going to a play tomorrow. Most of the preschoolers were participating in this discussion, since they seemed fairly excited about it. They had a lot of questions about it and kept wondering if they would have the same bus and bus driver as they did for the last field trip. There was one boy who was wearing a pair of bright orange shoes. He kept getting distracted by these and had to be told to pay attention. Once Miss Bonnie mentioned that she could take them away, however, he started to listen.
Then, they read the book The Rainbow Fish. Most of the students seemed to be paying attention, although there was one boy who had frequently had to be told to quieten down by one of the workers. The other students were listening and talking about the book. There were some comments that were very off topic, such as when one boy talked about going to Florida, but Miss Bonnie pointed this out, and they got back to the book.
After reading it, they talked about the moral of the story and how friends are supposed to share with one another. Some of the students raised their hands and talked about what toys they like to share. One boy talked about sharing his power rangers, which made all the other boys start talking about whether or not they had power rangers.
After this discussion, they reviewed the concept of odd and even numbers, which they had started earlier in the week. They counted dots on cut out mittens, saying whether or not they were odd or even. There was one little boy in particular, that knew the answers immedietly. Some other students were more quiet during the activity, particularly the girls.
Then, Miss Bonnie briefly went over the morning anouncements. When we introduced the art activity, all of the students started to get excited. They couldn't stop talking about it.
After this, circle time ended and the children went to the different centers.
Monday, February 16, 2009
unstructured play time
Who: morning preschoolers
What: observation of children playing in a structured and non structured setting
Where: Children's Center on St. Norbert campus
Ages: 4 and 5
Gender: female and male
Demographics: all caucasian, mixture of low to middle SES
Today I observed the morning preschoolers during their unstructured set of free time.
When I first came in a lot of the students were over in snack with Miss. Bonnie. They were making french toast, which many were excited about, since they got to help flip it. Dramatic play was empty, which I don't usually see. There was one girl wandering around, aimlessly trying to decide what to do. There were a few others off on their own as well. One girl spent most of the time at the art table, painting with shaving cream, and another girl was playing alone with the fake snow. There were a few boys over the block area. They were all pretending to be police men and were driving their block vehicles around and arresting people. They had to be told a few times to quieten down, since they kept making loud siren noises. There was also a group of boy playing with manipulatives at one table. They were making ships and talking about going into battle.
As the time progressed some students did eventually go over into the dramatic play area. They started setting the table and putting on the outfits. A different set of students went over to the manipulatives this time two girls. They were making gymnasts and houses out of them.
There were also two girls on the computers. They stayed there for a while, then went to the writing table (which is a requirement), where they practiced writing all of the names. When it came time to clean up one of the girls wouldn't start until she could finish her writing.
The snack table stayed pretty crowded the entire period. There was also a table with puzzles, however these were never taken out.
What: observation of children playing in a structured and non structured setting
Where: Children's Center on St. Norbert campus
Ages: 4 and 5
Gender: female and male
Demographics: all caucasian, mixture of low to middle SES
Today I observed the morning preschoolers during their unstructured set of free time.
When I first came in a lot of the students were over in snack with Miss. Bonnie. They were making french toast, which many were excited about, since they got to help flip it. Dramatic play was empty, which I don't usually see. There was one girl wandering around, aimlessly trying to decide what to do. There were a few others off on their own as well. One girl spent most of the time at the art table, painting with shaving cream, and another girl was playing alone with the fake snow. There were a few boys over the block area. They were all pretending to be police men and were driving their block vehicles around and arresting people. They had to be told a few times to quieten down, since they kept making loud siren noises. There was also a group of boy playing with manipulatives at one table. They were making ships and talking about going into battle.
As the time progressed some students did eventually go over into the dramatic play area. They started setting the table and putting on the outfits. A different set of students went over to the manipulatives this time two girls. They were making gymnasts and houses out of them.
There were also two girls on the computers. They stayed there for a while, then went to the writing table (which is a requirement), where they practiced writing all of the names. When it came time to clean up one of the girls wouldn't start until she could finish her writing.
The snack table stayed pretty crowded the entire period. There was also a table with puzzles, however these were never taken out.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Observation of Play
February 10, 2009 3-3:30 PM
Who: childcare and preschool children
What: observation of play on a playground
Where: SNC children's center
Ages: 2.5-5
Gender:female and male
Demographics: mostly caucasian, one african american child
I was with Liz, yesterday, at the Preschool. We watched as they had went outside and played on the playground. It was interesting to see the various types of play and groupings that were going on. The younger children seemed to stick near each other. They would either cluster around the little play houses, or simply run around in circle. It was harder to sense exactly what they were doing. One boy, for example, simply closed his eyes and turned around in a circle most of the time. Some of the older children went off on their own. One girl spent most of the time sitting on a tree trunk, singing to herself. Every once in a while another child would join her, but it seemed as though she was content just to be by herself. A lot of the older students really wanted to interact with us. You could tell they wanted to include us in what they were doing. As Liz mentioned, there was one little boy who, at first, wouldn't let go of her. He was very attached and didn't want to go off on his own. I also had one little girl who kept running up to me with issues about her socks getting wet or her snow pants getting stuck. She kept asking me for help, even though I couldn't tell what she was always talking about.
Another thing I noticed was that there were some students that kept having to be reminded what they could or could not do. There were certain rules about going down the slides or avoiding certain areas. A few children had to be told this over and over again.
Also, towards the end one student tackled another. This had to be stopped and dealt with. Other than that, there weren't too many discipline issues, though.
Who: childcare and preschool children
What: observation of play on a playground
Where: SNC children's center
Ages: 2.5-5
Gender:female and male
Demographics: mostly caucasian, one african american child
I was with Liz, yesterday, at the Preschool. We watched as they had went outside and played on the playground. It was interesting to see the various types of play and groupings that were going on. The younger children seemed to stick near each other. They would either cluster around the little play houses, or simply run around in circle. It was harder to sense exactly what they were doing. One boy, for example, simply closed his eyes and turned around in a circle most of the time. Some of the older children went off on their own. One girl spent most of the time sitting on a tree trunk, singing to herself. Every once in a while another child would join her, but it seemed as though she was content just to be by herself. A lot of the older students really wanted to interact with us. You could tell they wanted to include us in what they were doing. As Liz mentioned, there was one little boy who, at first, wouldn't let go of her. He was very attached and didn't want to go off on his own. I also had one little girl who kept running up to me with issues about her socks getting wet or her snow pants getting stuck. She kept asking me for help, even though I couldn't tell what she was always talking about.
Another thing I noticed was that there were some students that kept having to be reminded what they could or could not do. There were certain rules about going down the slides or avoiding certain areas. A few children had to be told this over and over again.
Also, towards the end one student tackled another. This had to be stopped and dealt with. Other than that, there weren't too many discipline issues, though.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Observation of Play
February 10, 2009 3-3:30 PM
Who: childcare and preschool children
What: observation of play on a playground
Where: SNC children's center
Ages: 2.5-5
Gender:female and male
Demographics: mostly caucasian, one african american child
It was interesting to see how the large mix of ages play together. I noticed that the 2.5 year olds played by themselves. They did not mix with the older children. I think they felt more comfortable playing with children their own age and size. The 3,4, and 5 year olds all generally played together. Their is own girl who is almost 6, so older than all the rest and she seemed to keep to herself. When the middle ages played together many personalities shown through. It became obvious which children had very dominant personalities. During outside play the boys tended to get very physical and demonstrated more rough and tumble types of play.
One boy played into a discussion we had in class about children clinging to adults instead of interacting with their peers. As soon as we got outside, he clung to me and did not want to leave my side and play with any of the other children. It took him a bit to get used to the change of scenery, but he did warm up to his environment and start playing with some other boys his age. He tends to be a clinging child no matter what environment he is in. He loves to have an adult with him. I think the reason for this is that he is an only child and at home, he has his mom all to himself and is used to adults catering to his needs.
Who: childcare and preschool children
What: observation of play on a playground
Where: SNC children's center
Ages: 2.5-5
Gender:female and male
Demographics: mostly caucasian, one african american child
It was interesting to see how the large mix of ages play together. I noticed that the 2.5 year olds played by themselves. They did not mix with the older children. I think they felt more comfortable playing with children their own age and size. The 3,4, and 5 year olds all generally played together. Their is own girl who is almost 6, so older than all the rest and she seemed to keep to herself. When the middle ages played together many personalities shown through. It became obvious which children had very dominant personalities. During outside play the boys tended to get very physical and demonstrated more rough and tumble types of play.
One boy played into a discussion we had in class about children clinging to adults instead of interacting with their peers. As soon as we got outside, he clung to me and did not want to leave my side and play with any of the other children. It took him a bit to get used to the change of scenery, but he did warm up to his environment and start playing with some other boys his age. He tends to be a clinging child no matter what environment he is in. He loves to have an adult with him. I think the reason for this is that he is an only child and at home, he has his mom all to himself and is used to adults catering to his needs.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Observation of Play
February 9, 2008 from 1 to 3
Who:afternoon preschoolers
What:observation of play during structured and non structured time
Where:SNC Children's center
Ages:4 and 5
Gender:female and male
Demographics:all Caucasian, mix of lower and middle SES
Today the afternoon preschoolers were full of energy. I noticed that during the structured closing circle time, it was very hard for many of the preschoolers to sit still and hold their thoughts in their heads. They were very intrigued during opening circle time and loved watching a movie about trucks. They were fascinated by the different types of trucks and knew most of them on their own before they even watched the movie.
During free choice time, the preschoolers had many exciting things to choose from. Once again, the new boy had a lot of difficulty staying in one area for even a short period of time. He is such a busy body. I loved watching the children in the wood working area. They talked all about this area last semester, it is so neat to finally see it in action. I think that it is amazing that the preschoolers are able to see an every day object, like a VCR player, and take it apart. It always fascinates me to see how things like that work. That definitely helps the preschoolers with their motor skills and with their critical thinking. Another area that I loved watching them in was the science area where they had the gears out. They attached so many gears together it was awesome to see them all turn at the same time. For two of the boys, playing at this area together proved to be a little difficult. They are ones who always like to do things their own way. This was a time where they were able to practice working out their problems and taking turns, which are important skills for children to learn. This also brought a lot of questions about with how does it turn and why does that move and how does it work. All great questions to show that they are thinking.
Who:afternoon preschoolers
What:observation of play during structured and non structured time
Where:SNC Children's center
Ages:4 and 5
Gender:female and male
Demographics:all Caucasian, mix of lower and middle SES
Today the afternoon preschoolers were full of energy. I noticed that during the structured closing circle time, it was very hard for many of the preschoolers to sit still and hold their thoughts in their heads. They were very intrigued during opening circle time and loved watching a movie about trucks. They were fascinated by the different types of trucks and knew most of them on their own before they even watched the movie.
During free choice time, the preschoolers had many exciting things to choose from. Once again, the new boy had a lot of difficulty staying in one area for even a short period of time. He is such a busy body. I loved watching the children in the wood working area. They talked all about this area last semester, it is so neat to finally see it in action. I think that it is amazing that the preschoolers are able to see an every day object, like a VCR player, and take it apart. It always fascinates me to see how things like that work. That definitely helps the preschoolers with their motor skills and with their critical thinking. Another area that I loved watching them in was the science area where they had the gears out. They attached so many gears together it was awesome to see them all turn at the same time. For two of the boys, playing at this area together proved to be a little difficult. They are ones who always like to do things their own way. This was a time where they were able to practice working out their problems and taking turns, which are important skills for children to learn. This also brought a lot of questions about with how does it turn and why does that move and how does it work. All great questions to show that they are thinking.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Observation of Play
February 6, 2009 from 1 to 3 PM
Who: afternoon preschoolers
What: observation of children playing in a structured and non structured setting
Where: SNC Children's Center
Ages: 4 and 5
Gender: female and male
Demographics: Caucasian, mixture of low to middle SES
This week, the afternoon preschoolers had a new child join the class. It has been interesting to see how he interacts with the other children and with his completely new environment. He has seemed very over stimulated to me. He is unable to play in one center for more than a few minutes because everything is just so new to him that he wants to do everything. I feel as though he has never been exposed to a structured environment and being in preschool is definitely an adjustment for him.
I love watching the children play in the dramatic play area. They come up with the greatest scenarios. They usually act like little adults in the dramatic play area because they are acting out what they see occur in the world around them. It was interesting to see a few of the children playing house and the way they grounded the other children. That must be the way they hear their parents talk. I also love watching them in the blocks section. The children make the greatest zoos and towers. The first thing that everyone does in the block area is stack the blocks, which is a sign of constructing and building their architectural skills.
Who: afternoon preschoolers
What: observation of children playing in a structured and non structured setting
Where: SNC Children's Center
Ages: 4 and 5
Gender: female and male
Demographics: Caucasian, mixture of low to middle SES
This week, the afternoon preschoolers had a new child join the class. It has been interesting to see how he interacts with the other children and with his completely new environment. He has seemed very over stimulated to me. He is unable to play in one center for more than a few minutes because everything is just so new to him that he wants to do everything. I feel as though he has never been exposed to a structured environment and being in preschool is definitely an adjustment for him.
I love watching the children play in the dramatic play area. They come up with the greatest scenarios. They usually act like little adults in the dramatic play area because they are acting out what they see occur in the world around them. It was interesting to see a few of the children playing house and the way they grounded the other children. That must be the way they hear their parents talk. I also love watching them in the blocks section. The children make the greatest zoos and towers. The first thing that everyone does in the block area is stack the blocks, which is a sign of constructing and building their architectural skills.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Observation of Play
Today I observed children in the Children's Center during circle time as well as center time. There is a new student, so it was interesting to see how he acted compared to other students. The students who have been there a while are used to sitting and listening and know what the schedule is. The new student wanted to play, had difficulty sitting during circle time, and kept wanting to leave the room to play with a toy from the other room. However, I loved how he interacted with his environment. He was hesitant to play at certain centers but once he did he really enjoyed it. I noticed that some children played on their own, while some preferred to play with others. A student was working on a puzzle by himself so I went over and talked with him and he showed me how to put the puzzle together. He could pick up any piece in the puzzle and knew where it went. If he wasn't sure, he looked at the picture until he found the exact position. I observed the children during circle time when each child had the opportunity to write his or her phone number. The children sat and patiently waited for their turn. I was impressed, because the Kindergarten students in my Sophomore Block classroom would never have sat still that long.
On Monday I observed preschool students playing outside. They mostly played on snowhills. A few built a fort together. They went around looking for snowballs large enough to use for their fort. 2 students were looking for the snowballs while the friend put it together. I related this to Knowledge Under Construction because even though they weren't working with blocks, they were doing something very similar.
On Monday I observed preschool students playing outside. They mostly played on snowhills. A few built a fort together. They went around looking for snowballs large enough to use for their fort. 2 students were looking for the snowballs while the friend put it together. I related this to Knowledge Under Construction because even though they weren't working with blocks, they were doing something very similar.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Observation of Play
February 2, 2009 from from 1-3 PM
Who: afternoon preschoolers
What: observation of children playing in a structured and non structured setting
Where: Children's Center on St. Norbert campus
Ages: 4 and 5
Gender: female and male
Demographics: all caucasian, mixture of low to middle SES
I was able to observe the preschoolers in both the more structured setting of circle time, but also during their non-structured free choice time. During the structured setting of circle time, the children are less likely to creatively play because they realize that it is time to sit and pay attention. During free choice time you are truly able to see how they interact. It was interesting to see three of the girls playing with the animals in the block area. It started off with two girls, and they were not very happy to include the third. When the girls play, it usually seems to be more loving and kind. That is of course not always the case. There are definitely exceptions. When the boys are interacting, they are usually more physical and playful. There are many other times when most of the preschoolers play very independently. They like to do things on their own or with teachers.
Who: afternoon preschoolers
What: observation of children playing in a structured and non structured setting
Where: Children's Center on St. Norbert campus
Ages: 4 and 5
Gender: female and male
Demographics: all caucasian, mixture of low to middle SES
I was able to observe the preschoolers in both the more structured setting of circle time, but also during their non-structured free choice time. During the structured setting of circle time, the children are less likely to creatively play because they realize that it is time to sit and pay attention. During free choice time you are truly able to see how they interact. It was interesting to see three of the girls playing with the animals in the block area. It started off with two girls, and they were not very happy to include the third. When the girls play, it usually seems to be more loving and kind. That is of course not always the case. There are definitely exceptions. When the boys are interacting, they are usually more physical and playful. There are many other times when most of the preschoolers play very independently. They like to do things on their own or with teachers.
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