My Machine

Creativity with blocks leads to positive caregiver/child interactions.

NAEYC

Areas of Development: Language Development

2.D.03- A boy in Ms. Romig's class has opportunities to develop competence in verbal...communication by responding to questions...and...describing things...

A boy demonstrates his verbal competence when he describes the function of a machine he constructed from wooden blocks to a classroom associate. She asks questions for clarification about the nature of the machine, giving him the opportunity to elaborate.

Curriculum Content Areas for Cognitive Development: Creative Expression and Appreciation for the Arts

2.J.06- Children are provided...varied open-ended opportunities and materials to express themselves creatively through...three-dimensional art.

A boy in Ms. Romig's class chooses wooden blocks to realize his conception of a machine that makes other wooden blocks.

Using Instruction to Deepen Children's Understanding and Build Their Skills and Knowledge

3.G.08- A classroom associate helps a boy identify and use prior knowledge.

A boy shows a classroom associate a machine that he constructed out of wooden blocks. She uses this as an opportunity to ask questions that encourage him to access knowledge he has about how machines work and relate that to how his machine operates.

 

IELS

9.3-Relationships with Caregivers

Children relate positively to caregivers who work with them.

A boy relates positively to, interacts comfortably... with and shows trust in familiar caregivers.

A boy builds with blocks and wants to show his creation to the classroom associate. He built a machine from blocks and explains to the associate how the machine works and what it does.

10.1-Language Understanding and Use

Children understand and use communication and language for a variety of purposes.

A boy in Ms. Romig's class shows a steady increase in listening and speaking vocabulary... listens and responds appropriately in conversations with...caregivers...speaks in sentences...and answers a variety of question types.

A boy in Ms. Romig's class listens to questions the classroom associate has about the machine he made from blocks. He responds to her in complete sentences and answers the different types of questions that she asks.

12.1-Art

Children explore art through a variety of media.

A boy uses a variety of...three-dimensional media (...wood...) to create original works, form, and meaning and...expresses ideas about his artwork.

A boy uses wooden blocks to create a machine that makes other wooden blocks. He explains what the machine does to a classroom associate and answers her questions about how the machine works.

 

IQPPS

Areas of Development: Language Development

2.15- A boy in Ms. Romig's class has opportunities to develop competence in verbal...communication by responding to questions...and...describing things...

A boy demonstrates his verbal competence when he describes the function of a machine he constructed from wooden blocks to a classroom associate. She asks questions for clarification about the nature of the machine, giving him the opportunity to elaborate.

Curriculum Content Areas for Cognitive Development: Creative Expression and Appreciation for the Arts

2.32- Children are provided...varied open-ended opportunities and materials to express themselves creatively through...three-dimensional art.

A boy in Ms. Romig's class chooses wooden blocks to realize his conception of a machine that makes other wooden blocks.

Using Instruction to Deepen Children's Understanding and Build Their Skills and Knowledge

3.18- A classroom associate helps a boy identify and use prior knowledge.

A boy shows a classroom associate a machine that he constructed out of wooden blocks. She uses this as an opportunity to ask questions that encourage him to access knowledge he has about how machines work and relate that to how his machine operates.

 

HSPS

1304.21(a)(4)(i) – The teachers in Ms. Romig’s class provide for the development of each child’s cognitive and language skills by supporting each child’s learning, using various strategies including experimentation, inquiry, observation, play and exploration as the children self-select from a variety of activities.

The boy in Ms. Romig’s class has built a machine using blocks. The boy was able to explore the materials in the center to create something unique and of his own choosing. The associate teacher asks him questions about his creation and he demonstrates his ability to communicate by explaining certain features of the “machine”.

1304.21(a)(4)(ii) – The structure of the classroom schedule in Ms. Romig’s class ensures opportunities for creative self-expression….

A boy uses wooden blocks to create a machine that makes other wooden blocks. He explains what the machine does to a classroom associate and answers her questions about how the machine works.

1304.21(a)(4)(iii) – The teachers in Ms. Romig’s class promote interaction and language use among children and between children and adults during center time.

A boy demonstrates his verbal competence when he describes the function of a machine he constructed from wooden blocks to a classroom associate. She asks questions for clarification about the nature of the machine, giving him the opportunity to elaborate.

 

HSCOF

Language Development

Listening and Understanding

  • Demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.
  • Understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Speaking and Communicating

  • Develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions, and for other varied purposes.
  • Progresses in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversation and discussions with peers and adults.
  • Uses an increasingly complex and varied spoken vocabulary.

 

Creative Arts

Art

  • Gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation.
  • Progresses in abilities to create drawings, paintings, models, and other art creations that are more detailed, creative or realistic.
  • Develops growing abilities to plan, work independently, and demonstrate care and persistence in a variety of art projects.
  • Begins to understand and share options about artistic products and experiences.

 

Social and Emotional Development

Self Control

  • Demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use materials purposefully, safely, and respectfully.

 

Approaches to Learning

Initiative and Curiosity

  • Chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities
  • Develops increased ability to make independent choices
  • Approaches tasks and activities with increased flexibility, imagination and inventiveness.

Engagement and Persistence

  • Grows in abilities to persist in and complete a variety of tasks, activities, projects and experiences
  • Demonstrates increasing ability to set goals and develop and follow through on plans.
  • Shows growing capacity to maintain concentration over time on a task, question, set of directions or interactions, despite distractions and interruptions.

Reasoning and Problem Solving

  • Grows in recognizing and solving problems through active exploration, including trial and error, and interaction and discussions with peers and adults.