Case Study 7, Question #3

There are several ways Dalia involves families in the new Library construction project. One of the is by merely sparking the children's interest in the project. This caused the children to reflect and express their interests in the project at home by telling their parents. Another way the families were involved is by sending home permission slips for the field trip and asking for parent volunteers to help her assist her to keep the children safe during the trip. Dalia also sent home a letter to parents letting them know about the new Library construction project. In this letter she explained how she plans to approach the project, she indicates how the study of digging equipment has emerges, and, also, asks for input of their children's interests about construction. Many of the parent talk to Dalia about their child's excitement about the topic and some bring books to share in class. Dalia actively involved the parents in their child's learning and even asked for their input, allowing them to feel included in their child's learning. One parent felt open enough to ask her how they can continue their child's interest at home and provided feedback telling her that their child has shown interest in her brother's trucks at home, when previously did not. Finally, Dalia encouraged parent involvement by inviting them to the library open house on afternoon.

Toddler Observation #2

The other 4 hours of my toddler observation was conducted at The Montessori Community School of Charleston. I observed a primary classroom, which is composed of 3, 4, and 5 year olds. I am quite familiar with the Montessori method, but mostly by working with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. It was really great to be able to see where the children in my classroom are coming from. What fascinated my the most was how the children naturally were drawn to doing their choice of work. With all of the young children, I was under the impression that they would need persistent guidance and supervision, but they all went from doing one work to doing another with minimal delay. They were not distracted by the other students presence, even when some were noisily socializing. They reminded and corrected their classmates in what they needed to be doing. It is so cool to see how the classroom seems to run itself with children so young!

Toddler Observation #1

For 4 of my 8 hours of toddler observations I visited ECDC. I thought that the observation rooms were fantastic! It was great to watch without disturbing/distracting the children. What I found interesting among all of the age groups that I watched was the sense of child independence. The work that they did in their classroom was chosen by each individual student. I am sure that there are group work and activities, but I neglected to witness them. The children seemed very self-sufficient in choosing the things they wanted to do and were very independent. I was some children were reading, while some painted, others were playing instruments, while some were doing puzzles. They each had their little "cliques" of students who followed each other around and worked together. I suppose I was expecting more of a structured, teacher-centered environment.