Magical Days

Every teacher knows that sometimes you plan a lesson/activity that you think the children will love, and it falls flat.  Then there are the magical days.  The days where you THINK the children might like (and learn) from the activity, and then magic happens.  It goes beyond your expectations.

We’ll be walking to the Post Office (when the weather permits) to mail letters home. We’re tying in addresses, mail, the Post Office, and maps.

Children learn from the concrete to the symbolic.  (Which is why workbooks, worksheets, and sitting for long periods of time are not appropriate for preschoolers.)   Maps are symbolic.  They represent real things.  How do you explain that to a preschooler?   By starting with something they can see, explore and touch.

I started off with ribbons, creating “Red Street” and “Yellow Way” on the floor of our classroom. I put cards with the numerals 1-7 along the way. First, the children explored, walked on it,  tried to figure out what it was.  (A racetrack perhaps?)  Then in our “Mystery Box,” there was a piece of paper with a drawing of the streets.  A map!   Children were shown cards with different “addresses,” such as 4 Yellow Way, and 7 Red Street.  They walked to the corresponding “houses” on the streets.     Each child was assigned an address, and they walked to their houses.

 

 

Then it was time to create mail for a friend.  Writing a friend’s name (or their first initial) and their own name on mail is far more interesting than on a “sign in” sheet! Folding paper and putting them into envelopes (fine motor) then writing their friends address (it could be 1 with a yellow scribble next to it) then DELIVERING it to their house was SO exciting!   (Numeral recognition!)

 

Walking down the street!

Opening the mail was even more exciting! Here, one child is thanking the other for the wonderful letter, and the other is explaining what she did.

 

One of the most exciting things (for me!) is that EVERY SINGLE CHILD was able to look at the map and show me where they “lived” and where their friends lived!  (Which I was not expecting!)

Then they extended their learning on their own.

 

The girls are making a pool.  Here, they’re deciding whether or not they need a wall to keep the water from splashing out.  The cartographer is on the left.

 

There was a shallow end, and a deep end.

 

“Here’s the pool and here’s the rug.”

Another structure and map.

I have to say again that this was a VERY magical day!  There aren’t photos, but I was surprised when I heard them at a their “houses,” saying, “Can I come to your house to play?”  and my favorite: “Hey! You live across the street from me!”