Fun Science in Reception (4-5 years old)

Children are naturally curious about the world and want to find out as much as they can. They want to know what makes the wind blow, how trees grow, why fish have fins, and where turtles go in the winter. But they don’t want adults to give them the answers. They want to be the discoverers, the experimenters, and the theory builders.

They don’t want science to be something that is imparted to them; they want it to be something that they do. They want to be scientists; not just consumers of science. They want to ask their own questions, collect their own data, and arrive at new and wonderful ideas. These “wants” should shape the foundation of an early childhood science curriculum.

I noticed their interest in our science classes, when they were more than curious to use magnifying glass, to observe natural phenomenon that are happening in the nature, to take part at experiments and to find more about the world around them.

Our purpose is for the children to discover ‘wonderful ideas’, to be able to answer to questions in order to develop their scientific thinking: ‘What is it doing?’, ‘How many/much/heavy?’, ‘What if…’, ‘Why do you think..?’ etc.

Productive Questions to Foster Scientific Thinking

Type of Question	Purpose/Examples	Examples
Attention-focusing	Calls attention to significant details	What is it doing? How does it feel?
Measuring & counting	Generates more precise information	How many? How much? How heavy?
Comparison	Fosters analysis and classification	How are they alike? How different?
Action	Encourages exploration of properties and events; also encourages predictions	What if…?
Problem-posing	Supports planning & trying solutions to problems	How could we…?
Reasoning	Encourages reflection on experiences & construction of new ideas	Why do you think? Can you explain that?

Children are viewed as “intellectual explorers” (Lind, 1999) and “theory builders” (Chaille & Britain, 2003).This approach assumes that as they interact with the world around them, young children develop their own complex and varying theories about this world.

Performing a simple science experiment, making predictions and observations, understanding the parts of a plant, learning how water moves through a plant, drawing simple conclusions from observation and noticing changes in appearance.

Science activities can teach children to form their own opinion, rather than taking those of others for granted.

It helps children to think about what could happen before they do it, to create a simple hypothesis in their mind.

Then, the children can learn that not everything works from the first time. Some experiments fall in a heap and you have to find out what went wrong, and try again.

Science in school also teaches children about the way the world works eg, how clothes are made or why volcanoes erupt.

It can spark ideas in children's minds that they, too, may one day be capable of creating solutions to big problems!

Happy Grandparents Day @ Little Learners

• 'I love my grandpa' because he plays with me' (Amza, 4 y.o.)
• 'I love my grandma' because she is my friend' (Ianis, 4 y.o.)
• ''My grandma' plays with me with the puzzle' (Irina, 3,7 y.o.)
• 'We play peek-a-boo' (Claudia, 3,7 y.o.)
• 'I like to skate with my grandma' (Teodora, 3.6 y.o.)

New Start!

We are ready for a wonderful 2013-2014 educational year!
An environment created especially for your children and an enthusiastic team is waiting for you today, September 2nd, 8 AM!

Day 9: Little Friend

Day 8: Little Astronomer & Role-play games

Teddy bear picnic

Day 7: Water play

All the little children had fun playing with water: they painted with colored ice cubs and made the ocean into bottles.

Day 6: Little Writer

Literacy skills provide a child with the building blocks necessary for reading and writing and learning more generally. Through exposure to books and stories, babies and toddlers acquire the vital preliminary tools for learning to read and write.

Firstly, they equip themselves with a sizable spoken vocabulary which helps them to listen, understand and remember what they hear.

Secondly, children at a very young age start to become aware of the existence of books. Toddlers and even small babies will turn the pages of storybooks, and look at the pictures in them.

Thirdly, children become aware of what a book is and how to handle it, i.e. that print looks different to pictures, that we read from top to bottom of a page and from left to right, and spoken vocabulary is linked to print.

Finally, children develop specific skills for learning to read: what alphabet letters look like and sound like, and that when put together in a certain way, they make up words.

Day 5: Little Sportive

A healthy mind in a healthy body!

We know that healthy food and physical activity stimulate growth and lead to improved physical and emotional health.

Day 4: Little Musician

Learning with music.

We had fun, we made some noise and we learnt some new words! “ Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education” (Plato).

Skills that music and movement can help develop: participating in a group, social skills, express emotions, awareness of movement and body positions, creativity and imagination, learn new words and concepts, develop gross and fine motor skills.

Day 3: Mind Lab/Manipulative Play

Mind Lab:

Mind Lab's unique concept is based on the principle that thinking games serve as a powerful educational tool.
http://www.mindlab.ro/

Manipulative play:
Manipulative play is a play that involves children building on fitting things together. This play is important as it helps children develop their fine motor skills and hand co-ordination hence becoming more confident and competent in using all the different tools and equipment they use in life.

Day 2: Little Artist

All children love to create art and make things. In younger children playing with arts and crafts inspires creativity while helping them to focus their mind and complete a set task while older children can begin to gain an understanding of artistic and design skills .

Day 1: Little Chef

We have been enjoying funny cooking activities in all the groups! We made crispy pop s'mores and a healthy and delicious fruits salad! We also made an ice cream craft and played with the dough that we prepared. It is fun to be a Little Chef!

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