On Monday the 31st, I observed Ethan, James, Harrison, Chelsea and Caprice making something very big out of the playdoh. I went over and asked them what they were making, Ethan replied; "Making a castle, see". I was very amazed by the castle they had made and their close attention to detail. I just love how they used the rolling pins as walls and even included all four of the castle towers!
So as a follow up to this observation, on Tuesday the 1st I decided to set up a clay experience for the children using the same castle images I used for the collage activity last week to guide them to make some castles out of clay. Clay is a natural material and is much harder to manipulate unlike playdoh which is great for the children's fine motor skills. Clay also provides children with a great sensory experience as it feels alot different than playdoh.
I set up the experience in the morning at 10.25 am, I set up five placemats and five bits of clat on each mat. I placed the images of castles around the table as well as some clay tools including; rolling pins, scalples and other tools that make patterns in the clay.
Alannah, Beau, James, Ashton and Skye join the clay table and begin discussing with eachother about the clay and the images.
Beau: Lets hit it
Tali: Thats Rapunzels castle
Alannah: Yeah but that caslte has a door, Rapunzel's cant have a door she lets down her hair.
Some of the children are making casltes with their clay while others are just feeling the clay and playing with it. I sit down at the table with the children and start making a castle of my own.
Ben and Caileb join the table.
Ben and Caileb pick up straight away on what I am making and then start molding their clay.
Ben: I'm drilling a hole
Caileb: I'm going to do this castle (pointing to an image)
Caileb: It's going to be hard!
The two boys end up being the only ones left at the table but they are happy at work with their clay. I am quite amazed at the boys sculptures, they have really captured the detail of the castle. Ben even used a scalple tool to make a brick detail on the side of his tower. Caileb's castle is also very good, much different to Bens. Caileb has attempted to copy one of the castles in the images and I am very suprised at his great work, in fact both boys really took the time to build their castles. Heres what they did....
Reggio Emilia:
This experience uses the environment as a third teacher, I set up the physical environment for the children and they responded to it through their on dispositions and curiosity to explore and learn. Another Reggio Emilia concept being the 'hundred languages' of children can be seen here within this experience. Children are encouraged to express their understanding and ideas through many different symbolic languages which includes sculpture.
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