The beginning of ideas gathered

I have always liked the idea of learning centers. In my third grade classroom we had at least fifteen different learning centers, and I remember all of them being great.  I think that one of the best things about elementary school is that you get to explore a little bit of everything, and much of it is done through making things, playful activities, working with your peers, and using your imagination. There is something for everybody. All the activities children engage in have the power to teach them something—whether it is through greeting their classmates in morning meeting, listening to the way an advanced reader’s voice makes words flow together, or listening to their classmates share their ideas.

Anna Lyon and Paula Moore (2003) describe two learning centers in a preschool classroom in the book Sound Systems. Each center served as a multimodal response to a book their teacher had been reading aloud about farm animals. One station had a bucket of mud, a bucket of water, and plastic animals. Children could get the animals all muddy, and then wash them—just like in the story. This gave them the opportunity to physically engage in the task, play in the mud, and have a similar real-life experience. In another station they could paint paper animals, make puppets, and use them to act out the story—another great opportunity for preliterate students to show their understanding and respond to a text. I thought it was so wise of this teacher to have options for all kinds of learners. I liked how these activities used many senses and have the potential to reach all learners.

I also noticed that on multiple occasions the teacher in this particular text, Ms. Douglas, was so flexible to change her plan and use the students’ ideas, constantly teaching on her feet. By listening to what the children are thinking and ideas they have to offer, she is able to connect literacy lessons to her students. In one instance, a student suggested they make a list to prepare for their field trip the following day. As a group, they made the list beginning with Don’t forget your jacket, each student contributed what they knew about letters and sounds—an f here, and a j there—they found great successful working and learning as a community. This teacher’s pedagogy gave me many ideas to think about.

Another idea I found intriguing in Sound Systems was using the egocentric nature of children. I often imagine how children think, and I had never thought about this before. It makes sense that everything should be about them—it’s what they know about, it’s what they are comfortable with. Even as adults, we often find it easier to talk about and write about ourselves. This is a starting place. Children have a collection of sounds and words that are familiar, like their names, the names of their family members, and the words that they use in everyday speech. We can guide them in making connections to other sounds and words to make sense of the printed alphabet, and of language. I look forward to learning from more fantastic examples like these.