MANCHESTER – Township preschool students having been enjoying their time with a special monthly creative curriculum series that incorporates studies on different educational topics throughout the school year.
Early Childhood Education Director Lori Burns noted that these studies bring classroom lessons to life by encouraging critical thinking and working together as a class to explore as they learn and grow.
After studying trees in November, classes moved into the Buildings Study and although this is a new study for Special Development, the benefit of Creative Curriculum is that it is child-led so no study topic can become outdated.
A Manchester pre-school student enjoys a lesson designed to help him learn critical thinking. (Photo courtesy Manchester Schools)
Child-led means that the learning is coming from student questions and exploration about a given topic. If a preschooler has had an experience with the study before, the experience still can never be the same because they are learning with a new class, classroom, teacher, and experience.
As this study was brand new to the students and staff, Burns said, “it paved the way for extra excitement, learning, and fun.” The classrooms of teachers Andrea Cataldo, Charlotte Yunginger and Phyllis Nardone are part of the program.
At the start of the Buildings Study, students took a walk around the school building to discover the features of where they spend their school days. They then discussed in their classes what they knew about buildings and posed questions to their teachers about what they still wanted to learn about buildings.
The study focused on what types of buildings there are and challenged students to critically think about how buildings may be the same or different. Students then learned about who builds buildings, what tools are used to build buildings, what materials buildings are made of, what makes buildings strong, and so much more.
Burns said, “children are naturally curious about buildings. They build tall towers with blocks, they draw their homes and favorite places, they love construction sites and even visit New Jersey amusement parks that have construction equipment.”
At the conclusion of each study, MTSD’s preschool classes conclude with a fun educational activity to culminate their experience. In Cataldo’s class, a construction professional came to visit the students to talk all about his job with them. The construction worker spoke to students all about the tools on his tool belt, and the importance of safety clothes and accessories. They discussed engineering and saw blueprints. They helped him measure and level items around their classroom and even got to see his work van.
In Yunginger’s class, students performed “The Three Little Pigs” for staff and fellow students. They learned through this story about the importance of choosing strong building materials.
Nardone’s class built a holiday village using a variety of recycled materials.
Two township pre-school students take part in a program that explores critical thinking skills. (Photo courtesy Manchester Schools)
The Manchester Times was provided combined comments from Preschool Instructional Coaches Leigh Ann Neirs and Kayla Potena
“What’s great about our Creative Curriculum studies, such as Buildings, is that they provide opportunities for our students to explore new topics and to engage in new experiences. This then stimulates creativity, curiosity, and the development of multiple skills,” they said. “The study of buildings is especially exciting for our early learners because it expands their knowledge of buildings through various experiences.”
“Children love getting to talk about things that are important to them, such as their home and places they go. This stimulates questions: How tall is your house? How many doors and windows does the restaurant have? Does grandma’s house have a basement? Who built your apartment?”
The Building Study that involved Manchester pre-school students also included a guest speaker with a hard hat in the classroom. (Photo courtesy Manchester Schools)
The Coaches went on to explain, “this study provides teachers with the opportunity to connect student learning to our community and incorporate things that are unique to our schools, children, and families. These experiences then turn into hands-on activities: taking walks and photographing different buildings they see for discussions and writing experiences; comparing various buildings and their characteristics; reading books on how to build a house to learning new words, such as bricklayer and carpenter; and providing various materials for children to create buildings of their own for a classroom community display.”
“The study of buildings stimulates students’ thinking through investigations and exploration. They want to know how different buildings are made and what people do inside of them,” they added.
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