Reggio: Ramp Investigation

Guest Teacher: Kati Nash
Reggio Blog Series 

Hi! My  name is Kati and I am a teacher in a Reggio-inspired preschool that serves the most at-risk children in our school district. Our school is unique in that we have private, philanthropic funding but remain a public school. Our school works with many local foundations and groups including the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. I am so excited that I can share a glimpse of my children’s inspiring investigation from this year with the world.

We first began noticing  children’s intrigue with ramps, bridges, and 

tunnels emerge in the block area.

 Children were building multi-level structures and using objects to manipulate cause and effect relationships with their structures.

 We wondered what would develop if the children’s ideas of ramps were brought

 into another area of the classroom.

 Teachers set up a series of provocations involving ramps and a variety of materials. These started with simple ramps and obvious balls.

 As teachers watched the children’s interactions with the ramps evolve 

they would add or take away materials. 

   During ongoing exploration children began to agree that “a ramp goes down.” And thus the children formed their definition of a ramp.

Kati will be a guest presenter this summer with Fairy Dust Teaching's e-institute! 

Storytelling in Blocks

Oh my word!  I was so excited to discover a lost thumb drive with photos from my classroom in 2007-2008.   I thought I had lost all of my photos when my first laptop crashed.   My daughter found a random thumb drive and . . . well . . . a treasure trove of photos!

One of the folders had photos of Three Billy Goats Gruff "puppet" play in blocks.  I had made two simple Waldorf style troll "marionettes" out of fabric and provided a variety of toy goats.   I read the story every day for a week before putting these props in blocks.  I also retold the story using these props to model how to tell a story.

The addition of story props from a fairy tale spurred a whole new level of building.  Bridges abounded - small bridges, huge bridges, long bridges, short bridges - all inside the telling of the very mean and naughty troll.

 Huge bridges were built for the troll.

 Smaller bridges were built for the goats.

The story took on a whole new dimension as the children expanded the tale.  It was a collaborative storytelling journey.

The most stunning thing about this was the fact that a little boy who had not entered cooperative play yet (or parallel play for that matter) - began to take up the part of a goat.  It was such a moment, even the children stopped to listen to him "trip, trap."

 A few children began to write a new version of the story!

There was even a bit of fighting over who was going to be the troll!

It amazed me how much bridge building began out the simple addition of the story, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff."  The block center was vibrant with activity - with as many as 10 children at a time building bridges.

 "Whose that trip trapping across my bridge?  Who ever you are - I am going to eat you up!"

One student removed all of the goats from the blocks and put them in order of size.  Too cool.

Simple props from a favorite story + blocks = amazing!

Block Habitat Constructions

Block play is so rich.  It can expand to include so many different kinds of constructions.  In my block center I have the following materials (in addition to the blocks):

• large river rocks
• moss covered "rocks" (floral department)
• green grass (floral department - holds flower stems)
• assorted silk flower and plant stems
• small logs
• large pinecones
• fabric birds
• plastic animals
• large mats of wool felt for building -   it helps to define a self-contained construction - clear boundaries.

Here is a glimpse into one day's constructions:

One student gathered a group of animals to feed on the grass.

Great work went into the creation of a "feeding place."

The feeding of the animals continued for nearly 20 minutes.  

Two other students built a flower garden for the birds.

 The birds rested on the rocks as the garden was arranged and re-arranged!

Houses were built for the animals to rest in after eating.

Fabric in Blocks = Magic

I adore block play!  One of the most amazing things to provide block play is fabric!  Here is a student who made a "puppet" theater with the fabric and told a story --- "The Three Giraffes and the Monkey."  It was the story of the three bears retold with giraffes and a monkey. 

I also change out additional pieces like animals and characters related to our current explorations and themes.    These adaptations keep the activity in blocks alive and vibrant.  There are such rich and rewarding buildings, stories, and collaborative play always unfolding.

A Narrative at Block Play

I love to watch little narratives unfold during centers.  One of the best places to "catch" such a narrative is in the block center.  Here is the saga I captured today:

 Four boys are building a structure.  I ask what it is.  S replies, "It is a house."  H chimes in and says, "It is Halloween and they bump their heads."  "Who?" I inquire.  "The beyblades."   One boy tells me, "It is a haunted house with a battle place.  You can battle on top of the house."

"Some people do not know how to spin." C explains.  S warns,  "They can bounce."

H brings over some tigers.  S warns him, "No, don't!"  H spins the tigers like a beyblade.  "Dude, you can't do that." S warns and then seeing H is not going to back off says,  "Pretend he got trapped and can't get out."  S slips the tigers under the block structure.

 Another boy adds, "The beyblades are sick and have to go inside."  The boys make a place for the sick beyblades.   Another boy announces, "The tigers are killed."

 H returns with a new creation.  "Here comes the Electric Shock Ball with two ships." 

 Another boy enters the play asking if he can join them with his car.

 S tells him, "Yes, we will make a home for you."  S opens a section of the structure and J slips his car into its new home.  Meanwhile one of the boys declares "We all have the same powers.  When the beyblades spin, they shoot out fire."

Placing a block over the car, S looks pleased.  "It is a new battle area!"

The narrative lasted the entire centers - nearly 25 minutes.  During that time many children entered the saga and left.  S, C and H remained the constant players.  It is so revealing to watch their negotiation skills and how they work out differences.  It was rich to see how others entered the play and then disengaged. 

Block Play: Wrap it up!

My wonderful intern, Katie, created the best little activity during centers last week.  She pulled out the blocks, a couple rolls of wrapping paper, scissors and tape.  Bam!  A great center for fine motor skills!  How many of you are wrapping present challenged?  It takes something to wrap a present.  The children put their "pretend" presents under our tree.  So cool. 

Building Plans

This week we are dwelling inside the story of the Three Pigs.  This week I will be posting some of my activities for this fairy tale.  First, this is such a perfect story to bring the vocabulary and work of architects.  I have a wonderful book called "Homes" that talks about architects and the planning of a building.

Here is a super idea for blocks!  I put out clipboards with paper and it is a requirement that the children draw a "blue print" of what they plan to build.  It is so much fun! 

 Student drawing his "plans" for block building.

 Students using their "plans" to build a structure.

 Here is a student's blue print.

 Here is his finished structure!

I also put a "city blocks" set out in the block center so children can build a community.

Beautiful Amazing Block Play

Today I was taken back, again, by the amazing learning opportunities in block play.  We are currently in the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  In blocks I put black and brown bear figures, green and blue cloth pieces.  A group of four children began building a "cave" for the bears.  They worked on it for most of free choice.  Little busy bees they discussed, debated, made decisions about how to build this little universe for the bears.

 Here is one of the caves they built with the bear comfortably resting.

It reminded me of the immense power of block play.  It is a dynamic tool for constructing.  In this episode, there was an incredible amount of symmetry at one point in the building task.  This group seemed equally committed to balancing the construction.  There was an impulse to build the bear habitat long - adding cloth to extend the habitat.  The cave was created by the draping of the blue fabric.  There was little upset around these decisions.  It was wondrous as the work unfolded. . .  (I wonder what would be possible if Washington D.C. worked together like the kindergarten?)