The kindergarten students have progressed in many ways this year. Through community-building activities and morning meetings centered around kindness, kindergarten students have learned social skills, such as taking turns, conversations with peers, and listening and respecting others’ responses.
They are always excited to learn, happy to share their thoughts and ideas, and are very inquisitive. They teach us something new every day. Specifically, they have taught us, and showed us, their creative side while completing their academic choice activities. The children remain engaged, creative, and enthusiastic about learning and sharing their knowledge with peers. They show ownership of their work and are very proud of what they have completed. Whether they are learning in-person or learning virtually, academic choice time is an important part of their day.
During academic choice time, the kindergarten students have a choice of drawing a picture, making a craft, playing with blocks, creating a game, taking a nature walk, or thinking of their own activity to explore. Some of the things our kindergarten students have done this year are created Lego sets, made reading forts, completed puzzles, created ramps with blocks, made origami, wrote stories, made a paper collage, created beautiful watercolor paintings, and designed snowflakes. They have even acted out stories using stuffed animals and sometimes have included their family members. Through academic choice, students are given an opportunity to share their interests with their teachers and classmates. Choice time has given the teachers insight into the children’s interests and unique ways of thinking, as well as provided opportunities for children to have a voice in what they choose to do.
The academic choice activities reinforce that learning is all around us even in the most unexpected places. The kindergarten teachers are impressed by the process and imagination the kindergarten students have shared with them. The pictures below capture some of the many amazing academic choice projects they have produced.
