The children reflected what they have seen on their neighborhood walks in a collaborative painting. When we asked, ‘What do you know about neighbors?’, they responded:
Everly: I’m pretending Beatrice is my neighbor. We are going to come to each other every day.
Harper: I want to make my house next to Dahlia because I like to. I want to be closer to Dahlia’s house.
Dahlia: I have a lot of windows. I can still walk there (Harper’s house). If you want, you can come to my house ‘cuz you’ve never been there.
MJ: My friend Joseph lives beside me.
Milo: I have a neighbor who lives beside me named Nigel. He’s a grown up.
MJ: Joseph is a grown up, a friend grown up. He is my neighbor.
Olive: My neighbor is grandma.
Ozzie: I have a neighbor. His name is Ken. He lives next door.
MJ: Do you call to him?
Ozzie: I don’t call to him very much.
Luscia: I don’t have a neighbor. They moved.
The teachers intention of this painting was to gather information about what the children knew about their neighborhood. This will serve as a lens to look through as we talk about our NSW neighborhood.
