As in many schooling contexts around the world, children in Morocco are often faced with too much too soon. Too much sitting down, too much control, too much memorization, too much pressure, too much inside. At Hayati we took the idea of 'kindergarten' literally, as it was always intended to be understood - 'children's garden.' The children spend their day outside in the garden playing and playing and then playing some more. They sing, dance, do art workshops, mud experiments, play in the sand, cook, go on adventure walks, climb trees, dress up and much more... Basically what childhood is supposed to be all about. And yes in that time and certainly BECAUSE they have this time, they build their literacy and numeracy skills ready for their next learning adventure to begin.
Here is a taster of life for 2-6 year olds in the Tent (it's pretty sweet!):
Splashing in puddles
Harvesting saffron
Obstacle courses
More saffron! It pops up every morning in November
Nature walks
Exploring the garden
Sensory games
Running is exciting!
Building a fort
Swimming pool converted into a den/sandpit for the winter
Dressing up
The kids cook everyday too making a part of their meals for the day.
Chicken filo crackers with salads
Pizza hearts with a ton of veggies blended into the sauce
Our pumpkin and chocolate chip cake
Art workshops and experiments take place every day:
Print making with styrofoam and toothpicks
Painting with marbles
Dot to dot painting
Making leaf people
Making nature collages
Name card with washi tape and water colours
Painting with balls
Making clay bowls
Discovery tables are set with different materials each day
Inviting the children to explore, manipulate and create as they please
They scoop, pour, twist and bend
They learn to cooperate, to try and try again and to communicate with their peers
In Reggio settings these are called 'provocations' designed to provoke a child's imagination, engage them and let them be completely in control of how to use the materials
It encourages the children to build their knowledge of a range of materials
Exploring shape, colour, texture, density, smell...
The children sort, build, break, mix, stick, balance (to name a few)
They create freely while adults observe - taking notes and photos
We change the materials everyday to keep it fresh and interesting
The children are motivated, focused and free from adult interference
They can add materials to the table if they choose
At the end of the year the children each get a book which records their inventions and explorations at the discovery table and around the school
While observing we ask questions, collaborate if invited and place other materials on the table to extend their learning
Making a mess is a sign that important discoveries were made here
Feeling free to explore and invent is an important component of happiness too!
Numeracy and literacy skills are mainly taught through games, songs and art projects but each day the children have one on one time with a teacher to complete task sheets. The children are given a choice of three task sheets, they choose what they want to complete and the teacher is there to work through it with them. This allows us to see where more support is needed and ensure the child does not feel lost or confused. At the end of the year each child has a school folder of task sheets along with our comments to take home.
Then it's back to the most important business of all, play.
