Sparking Curiosity in Young Children's Spaces

Photo by Anastasia Zhenina on Unsplash

An article from Edutopia discusses how varying where project materials are kept can spark curiosity and creativity for children and help build their social connections.

Julie Hunter, writing for Edutopia, talks about the care early childhood educators put into the placement and arrangement of their classrooms. However, when children don’t respond straight away and start using the materials, whilst there can be value in leaving them for a while to wait for them to catch the attention of the children, Julie has had “amazing results with small, delicate changes that have proven to be monumental and extremely beneficial to [her] students with regard to social interactions and imaginative enquiry”.

 The author comments on the value of documentation in this process, documenting “strategies used and redesigned for optimal learning for pre-K students on a weekly basis or longer, depending on the level of wonder and layers of investigation by students.” They suggest that the educator first determine the number of invitations to be offered each week and then note the extent to which the students accept the invitation and choose to interact with the resources that have been presented. “If this spark ignites, engagement, then you have a provocation”, but if the invitation is not taken up, it offers an opportunity for reflection:

·      Could it be that the children were just not interested?

·      What happens if children respond in a completely different way than expected?

Julie suggests, “These questions should spark reflection and professional enquiry, along with detailed documentation.” Her suggested ideas for documentation include”

·      Keeping a journal or simple clipboard with blank sheets of paper to write down notations.

·      If available, use a camera to take photos of students and their actions.

·      If possible, use a recording device to capture unique moments spoken during group gatherings or during sharing presentations.

·      Create computer files for each student in order to keep long-term, school-year documentation.

·      Use portfolios to house a section designated for student documentation records, notes, and printed photos.

·      Create a classroom documentation area by hanging a bulletin board where photos, student quotes, teacher notes, research materials, and extraordinary curriculum connections by students and teachers can be displayed.

·      Use these observations and documentation to support school-home connections.