In your school growing up, you probably had something called "Show and Tell" ...
We have it too, but at Mustard Seed School, in the Nest, we call it ...
Sharing.
Can your child bring anything ol' thing in to share? No.
Anything your child brings in must be:
1. Something that they made (a piece of art, an experiment, or a construction)
2. Something that God made (something from Nature, or a story about your life or family)
3. Something related to what we are studying or talking about at school. (Even if it is a toy or something they/ God didn't make.)
But also ...
Children are being given the opportunity to sit still and listen...
Children are getting braver, stronger, voices...
Children are learning about the many different kinds of questions.
The two most popular now are, How? ("How did you make that?") and, Where?
This is what we hear almost every time a child brings in something that God made, such as the ever popular rock, stick or leaf:
Where did you find that?
...In the park.
Where in the park?
...On the ground.
Where are on the ground?
...In the grass.
"In the middle of the grass or near a tree or near the sidewalk?
...Near the sidewalk.
How close to the sidewalk?
... and so it goes on.
I am not exaggerating. Almost every time. Ask any Nest teacher.
As ridiculous as this seemingly mundane series of questions might seem, this builds wonderful skills across the board. Know that some of the deepest and most profound observations and questions come from sharing time as well, many of which you have read in this blog.
"Does anyone have a question or a comment?" a child or a teacher will often ask at the end of a sharing or presentation.
Knowing the difference between a question and a comment is harder than you think. Most three- and early four-year-old children think that a question is anything that you might raise your hand for, such as, "I have one of those at home."
Understanding that a question is asking about something that you don't know or understand yet is a complicated idea and one that is essential for the greater understanding of what research is.
Understanding these two popular question words, as well as "when," "why," "who," and "what" will be a large part of our sharing time in the next coming weeks.
Please know that there are days when there is no time for sharing and that we ask for flexibility from the children as they wait to share what they have brought in. On a day when there is no time to share, we give the child the choice to take their item home and bring it back another day or leave it at school until there is time to share.
Stay tuned in coming weeks for more on this...
Please encourage your child to bring something in to share!
