This week, we began our new topic "Transport - 'The Little Yellow Digger'". We have read the story The Little Yellow Digger and the students learned key vocabulary: "digger, stuck, yellow, little, bigger, mud." The students have actively taken part in a variety of hands-on experiences and provocation play areas as they have learnt what diggers are and what they are used for. They have made imaginative and complex small worlds, developing their own plan and sharing their ideas with one another.
After learning about the role cement mixers play in constructing buildings using cement, the students used shaving foam--to represent cement--and building blocks to build their own structures. They have thrown themselves into the messy play areas, such as chocolate mud to help the diggers get un-stuck and learning how to use diggers and other construction vehicles in a tray of oats. Maths has been incorporated into the children's learning as they discussed the different digger sizes in the story of the week and arranged diggers in order of size. They are beginning to recognize which objects/people are taller/shorter than others.
As we continue through the week the students will share what they have learnt. They will design and/or decorate their own large scale digger using resources and materials of their choice. As they build, they will be encouraged to listen to their peers' ideas and find new ways to make their structures more complex. What a wonderful week of constructive learning through play it has been!
By Kate Grosh
Nursery Angelfish Teacher
