The Tree House staff teaches through many approaches. Skills are modeled for children, children are introduced to topics through literature or interactive stories. An investigation web with questions (KWL) is a favorite strategy when beginning an investigation. Children learn about their environment though sensory and gross motor exploration. Observation and hands on learning is also an important way that children learn in the Tree House.
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| Exploring the ocean with our interactive storyteller |
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| A web detailing what we know about FROGS before our investigation begins |
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| Sensory exploration with rice |
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| Learning about shapes though gross motor activities |
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| Observing live animals |
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| A visit from an entomologist during our bug investigation |
3.G.02
Teachers use multiple sources (including results of informal and formal assessments as well as children's initiations, questions, interests, and misunderstandings) to
a.identify what children have learned.
b.adapt curriculum and teaching to meet children's needs and interests.
c.foster children's curiosity.
d.extend children's engagement.
e.support self-initiated learning.
The Tree House staff rely on formal and informal methods of assessment for the children enrolled in this classroom. These methods include but may not be limited to:
- a developmental checklist/rating scale that was developed by The Children's Center staff
- collection of samples of work
- specimen records of language development (if needed)
- anecdotal notes and running records of children in action
- photographs of children working on activities
- individual interviews with children
- developmental screenings from outside support resources (fine motor screenings and speech/language screenings) may be included to create a complete picture of development
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| (a) Work samples are collected periodically to track development |
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| (b) Exploring numbers through a frog counting game |
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| (c) Observing and drawing live crickets |
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| (d) Extending our bug investigation with pretend play |
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| (e) Following the children's interests to decide that BUGS will be our next subject of inquiry |
Staff uses this information to plan appropriately for investigations. Lessons are developed which lend themselves to the children's needs and interests. Staff work to engage children with their peers through similar interests and skill levels. Skills that children possess are identified and built upon to move them to the next level.
3.G.03
As children learn and acquire new skills, teachers
a.use their knowledge of children's abilities to fine-tune their teaching support
b.teachers adjust challenges as children gain competence and understanding.
(a) Some children are able to play simple instruments independently, while others benefit from a hand over hand approach or more individualized instruction.(b) As children show mastery of skills, teachers challenge them to move on to the next level. For example. When a child is exploring block building they first build one dimensionally, from there they are encouraged to build towers, and then more on to structures which require a more complex plan and function.
3.G.08
Teachers help children identify and use prior knowledge. They provide experiences that extend and challenge children's current understandings.
Before each investigation or topic children are engaged in discussion about their prior knowledge. Then they are encouraged to ask questions which will extend their knowledge. For example: at the beginning of our dinosaurs investigation the children knew that the dinosaurs had died and had some ideas about why but weren't sure. Therefore this became one of the focuses of our investigation.
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| Dinosaur Web |
3.G.09
Teachers engage in collaborative inquiry with
a.individual children and
b.small groups of children.
In The Tree House, teachers along with children are consistently researching the world around them through literature, observation, and experience. During our frog habitat project, staff learned about caring for our pet frog right alongside the children. Through our collective (teachers and children) research, we established an environment for our frogs to grow and thrive in the classroom.
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| (a) Learning what paint feels like |
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| (b) Using the internet to research frog habitats |
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| (b) Learning how to get the water ready for our tadpoles |
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| Visiting another classroom to see their frog habitat. |
3.G.11
Teachers are able to determine the different components of a task and break it into meaningful and achievable parts.
When studying dinosaurs, the children developed their drawing during the investigation. They first looked at and discussed the details of their chosen dinosaur. They next began a rough draft pencil drawing. This was a work in progress which included input from teachers and peers. Finally the children completed a final line drawing of their dinosaur. This process broke down the artistic process into manageable steps and resulted in thought out more realistic drawings.
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| Discussing details and sketching out their plan |
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| Completed project |
3.G.12
Teachers promote children's engagement and learning by
a. responding to their need for and interest in practicing emerging skills, and
b. by enhancing and expanding activities that children choose to engage in repeatedly.
Materials and activities that children hold an interest in are always available. Children are encouraged to choose their own activities during several times within their day. Teachers are nearby to expand and extend repetitive activities. A new component may be added or a unique idea, often peers add to the enhancement of these activities as well. For example, one little boy really enjoyed playing with the plastic dinosaurs. We added blocks to the activity and encouraged him to make a home for the dinosaurs in order to inspire 3D construction, a skill which we had not yet seen from him.
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| (a) Using an interest in dinosaurs to encourage pretend play with peers |
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| (b) Expanding activity with blocks to foster 3D construction |
3.G.13
Teachers promote children's engagement and learning by guiding them in acquiring specific skills and by explicitly teaching those skills.
Staff facilitate the acquisition of skills whenever possible through verbal instruction, modeling, and through children's play. Staff also use explicit instruction when necessary for full understanding of the skills presented. Students are encouraged to practice emerging language, literacy and math and science skills throughout the day.
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| Writing investigation related words on the dry erase board |
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| Encouraging sensory exploration |
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| Using a story to teach children about recycling |
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| Charting the growth of our caterpillars |
3.G.14
Teachers demonstrate their knowledge of content and developmental areas by creating experiences that engage children in purposeful and meaningful learning related to key curriculum concepts.
The Tree House staff plans weekly for meaningful and developmentally appropriate activities across all content areas. A keen grasp of our own curriculum in conjunction with diverse knowledge of our staff offer us a wealth of resources that we can pull from in order to plan experiences that meet each child's needs.Weekly plans, click here to view them, address each content area as well our specific curriculum standards.
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