In the first week, Teacher Flora observed the children and their first interactions with the West Wing Block Area materials.
Then, she engaged them:
Teacher Flora: What kind of building will you build together?
Juliette: It’s a big, big, big building.
Madeleine: Don’t try to blow on it because if you blow on it, we’ll have to do it all over again!
Juliette: It’s a lot of floors.
Bowe: I need this one up high.
Everly: I’m doing all the words.
Madeleine: Everyone put the grass on. I’m putting out the beds. These are for the boys.
Juliette: This is a little rocky.
Madeleine: These are our rocking beds. Everyone, back to sleep!
Juliette: Okay guys, I’m the mommy.
Madeleine: No, I’m the mommy.
In the children’s first experiences in the block space, the materials bridged connections between children who shared building plans, beds, and a family. A shared experience invited multiple points of view and we see the beginnings of social/emotional negotiations as we construct meaningful relationships with each other. Juliette and Madeleine defined roles without conflict and the group worked together easily to meet Flora’s challenge. -Teacher Flora & Kristin