Wasting Paper

I had to stop myself the other day. I had put out paper and scissors and glue sticks and punches. My plan was for the children to explore with the materials. I had a vague idea of "making cards for others," but even that was just a vague idea.

After all, the "rule" in my classroom is to use the materials to express your own ideas. A few weeks ago we explored punching holes as a new skill. So that's why I was at this point. We added some shaped punches to explore that idea and had scissors because - well, who doesn't like to cut up paper?

As they began to explore, I found myself thinking, "They are wasting paper. They punch one or two holes, they cut a large loop around the paper, they toss paper aside. Waste."

I almost said something aloud to them, but I didn't.

I watched. I commented or narrated occasionally. I let them make choices about what to do and how to do it.

And I realized that, yes they were "wasting" paper - no real concrete product was achieved. In fact, I'm not sure many took anything home that day.

But they were not wasting paper because they were learning and discovering more about what they could do, what the tools could do, and how they could manipulate paper to be what they wanted. Those are all great results from this exploration.

And the paper? Some I could salvage for the scrap box and another day. Some I tossed. But either way, the paper didn't care.

But the children did. They loved it.

Coffee Filters Three Ways

I love coffee filters. First, I love using coffee filters to make coffee. But that's not the purpose of this post. I love using coffee filters for other things. Because they are so lightweight, they are perfect for some art explorations that just wouldn't work as well with regular paper.

Here are three ways we've used coffee filters to explore and create.

Coffee filters are perfect for making snowflakes. Or cutting designs in general.

They are easier to cut since they are so thin. And that thinness makes them easier to cut when folded a couple of times.

Coffee filters absorb water. Water also flows through them easily. So we drew on coffee filters with washable markers. Then we painted water over the drawings.

The colors run and bleed together to make interesting designs. Here we were exploring fiery designs.

Since water flows easily in the coffee filters, we discovered that liquid watercolor paint does, too.

We used pipettes to draw up watercolors and dispense them onto the filters. Sometimes we saturated the filters and caused "overload"!

Coffee filters make a great addition to our art supply. We've even used them to make angel wings.

What have you used them for?

Cutting in the Blocks Center

When working with the kids in my church kindergarten class, I have a couple of rules for myself. I try to be interested and involved in what the kids are doing without interrupting or changing things to be my ideas. I try to follow their interests and allow them to explore their ideas. And, while I will tell kids my own intent behind an activity (if they ask), I always encourage them to think and explore as they choose.

And, oftentimes, that means that my plans give way to their plans. And that's okay.

This week, since it was Palm Sunday, I set up materials in the blocks center to think about that particular story. I had some small coat shapes (cut from felt) and some leaf shapes. I had figures of Jesus and the crowd. My intent was for kids to explore and play out the story, if they chose. Also I thought they could build structures for the city and so forth, if they chose.

One boy laid out a coat shape. He looked around the center for a minute. Then he asked, "Where are the heads?"

Now I was confused. I asked him to repeat the question. Then I thought I got it.

I asked, "Are you looking for something to make a head on the coat figure?" He nodded.

I told him that I had not planned for that. "What do you think we could do?" I asked.

He and his friend pondered what to do. They talked about a few possibilities for what they could use. Then he said, "We could use paper."

I said, "Paper. How would we use that?"

He said, "We could cut paper to be heads."

"So," I said, "if I put out some paper and scissors, you could make heads?" He nodded.

So out came paper and scissors. I emphasized that cutting should only be for the paper. Not the coats. Not the leaves. Away they went.

After a while, they cut and cut. They cut shapes. They cut robots. They cut arms and legs.

"How will we get it together?" they asked.

"What could you use?" I asked.

They first decided to use glue. I only had glue sticks. Then another said, "Tape." I pulled out the masking tape.

They moved to a table to work, mainly because they wanted to add color and needed the markers in the writing center.

What resulted - the concentration, the conversation, and the final products - would never have happened without the scissors and manila paper appearing in the blocks center.

I continue to be amazed by the power of yes in my classroom. I'm glad I can say yes to these great ideas. And I must continue to remember that I'm not the only one with ideas in my classroom.

The kids have pretty great ideas, too.

"What Do We Do Here?"

A question I've been hearing a lot in my church kindergarten class - "What do we do here?"

A child will walk up to a table or to an area on the floor with materials and ask that question.

My thinking: make a "nighttime" picture

My past answer: "When I put these things out, I thought you might _____, but you may want to do something else."

My new answer: "Look at the materials. What do you think you might do with these?"

Drawing before cutting

I've written before about my agenda vs the kids' agenda or encouraging kids to use their own ideas.

My church kindergarten classroom is a pretty open-ended place. You can choose to use the materials in just about any way you choose - within safety limits and "infringement" limits (not disturbing someone else's work).

The pen (for writing names) becomes part of the experience.

So why do I get this question so often? I think it's an expectation from their school classroom.

Teachers put out materials and tell kids how to use them. (This is just my logical conclusion from my experiences with these kids--and those from past years.)

Cutting, gluing, then a plan emerges

I hear a lot about critical thinking and creativity. It seems I need to encourage [some] kids to exercise that creativity or practice thinking about how to use materials.

I'm always amazed at the ideas that kids have. And the way they express their thinking. And the different ways they can use a group of simple materials.

"They put a stop sign because there's a shark."

I'll keep putting out a variety of stuff. And hoping they will show me new ways to use it.

"Good for Me!"

One of my favorite benefits in working with younger kids is to see how capable they are. Sometimes they surprise themselves. Sometimes they could always do it but did not have much opportunity. Sometimes I just enjoy seeing them do the things they do.

This week we made shakers - clear bottles, rice, masking tape, stickers. As we set up, we realized that we did not have a funnel. Pouring rice into the small opening of the bottles can be a little tricky. And messy. Now, I don't mind mess but try to minimize it whenever possible.

Cindy saw a small scoop in the rice bin. Perfect, she said. We'll just use that over the bin. 

It was great. The kids focused on pouring the rice in. Such concentration. They were very capable.

After getting rice into the bottles, they were ready for the outside. We had stickers but few wanted to use those. They wanted to use the colored tape!

Cutting lengths of tape can be tricky. Especially when using scissors may still be a developing skill.

A couple of times, I would offer to hold the end of the tape, to make a firm cutting line. Once, I said, "Would you like for me to hold the end of the tape?" Just then he snipped the tape off. "Good for you!" I said. "You did it."

Another boy quietly working nearby said, "Good for me!" as he continued to work.

Many eventually adopted the gravity technique. Hold the end of the tape and let the roll fall down; snip across the tape (and hear the roll hit the table!). 

While I would like to think that making a shaker was the activity here, I think cutting sticky tape was the real achievement. Sometimes the tape got folded on itself and was rendered useless. 

Our tabletop trash cans got lots of use. But that's okay.

I can always purchase more tape. I will not always have the opportunity to help kids develop competence and confidence. 

That sounds rather lofty. But I think that's just what was happening. 

And we got some really great shakers to play later with our music!

Literacy and Play

It seems that when I'm reading or thinking about something, the kids in my classroom always do something that fits into that. I'm reading Literacy Beginnings for our book study blog party. As you can read in Vanessa's post today, part of chapter 1 emphasizes that play is an important part of all learning including literacy. And the authors emphasize that literacy should be infused within all parts of the classroom.

This week we were making mountain collages. I had the word mountain on the table. And a pencil for writing names when the children completed their collages. (Not a lot of literacy integration, but okay.) I moved to the table at one point and saw this.

I was truly amazed. I asked her if she had drawn the letters or just cut them out. "Just cut them out," she said.

Now granted, these kids are 6 and preparing for first grade. But I still think this is quite an achievement. B has shown she knows how letters are shaped and can think about letters more 3-dimensionally. This was a great intersection of literacy, art, and small motor skills. Perhaps our approach to playing with letters and words throughout the classroom gave B the "permission" to experiment in this way.

How have you found kids playing with words and letters in your classroom?

Using Their Own Ideas

When I plan, I plan with a purpose. We have the focus for the week. I choose activities that help the children explore the concepts related to that focus. And as I choose activities, I think of some specific ways the children may do those activities. Then...when the children arrive and take possession of the activities...I let the explore and use their own ideas with the materials.

We take this approach with all of the activities in the room, but I especially emphasize this at the art table. Why? Well, some teachers I know are so focused on producing a specific end-product that the experience loses any creativity or exploration. So I tend to go the other way.

My kids ask, "What do we do here?" I respond: "When I put these materials out, I thought you could _____ but you may think of something else." (Or something like that.) Usually kids explore in the direction I suggest (still using their own ideas to create whatever). And sometimes they go in an entirely different way.

I'm always trying to evaluate what I do and change tactics if something seems out of place. And I worry that I'm not helping them expand their ideas enough--helping them go beyond their limited knowledge into other areas that will take their imaginations and creations to new heights. (Can you tell that I sometimes think too much??)

This week I received confirmation that leaving them to their own ideas is a valid method. We were talking about showing love to family members (and recognizing when we hurt someone and what to do to correct the situation). In art, we were making "love notes." I put out some folded white paper note cards, other paper scraps, heart punch, scissors (regular blades and shaped blades), glue sticks and markers.

Many kids made cards, valentines, or other variations of my original idea. Then "B" came to the table. He worked for a while. Then, as he carried his creation to place on the take-home table, he showed it to me. He made this.

An alligator. No adult was at the table when he was working. (We were busy in other areas of the room at that time.) He decided to create it, searched among the scraps for paper that was the same color, put shapes together, cut other shapes, and created a masterpiece.

My favorite part is the mouth. It is only a slit cut with shaped scissors. Lying flat, the mouth stays closed; but you can carefully pull the mouth apart for chomping, eating, talking, or whatever else the alligator may need to do.

Never could I have suggested or even implied that "B" create this. I was surprised and joyful. And so was he. Long live the child's imagination.

Keeping My Eyes Open

Last week when we were making our angels I observed one of my guys folding and cutting a coffee filter, making something that resembled a snowflake. So this week, I decided to follow his lead and put those things on a table for kids to use.

I told kids to fold and cut pieces from their coffee filters.

Some decided to experiment with cutting different ways or folding only once before cutting.

Results were impressive.

Lesson: Keep your eyes open and watch what your kids are doing with the materials. Never underestimate the power of observing your kids' actions and following their lead. You may discover some wonderful activities.