Each Kindergarten group creates its own customs, art, and achievements--the group's own unique culture every year. Observing this process is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role as teacher. This year's group began this process right away with their creation of stuffy news--a news time where their stuffed animals get to share. Finding Fred also became an early bonding activity.
It began when one Kindergartner caught a stink bug and put it in a bug catcher. In a short amount of time the stink bug, named Fred, made an escape, as stink bugs are prone to do. Fred's captor spent several subsequent activity times recruiting friends to help find Fred. It became a connection point for new friendships. Over the course of the weeks, the children have come across stink bugs with some regularity. "There's Fred!" they'll declare. They'll gather and admire the stink bug--capturing it is no longer part of the process. One day in art/science, a Kindergartner pointed to the upper windows, "There's two Freds!", as two stink bugs made their way across the window. Fred and stink bug have become synonymous.
In addition to zoologists, this is a also group of authors. A Kindergartner has crafted the first Kindergarten poem of the year and many little books have been created and shared at story time. I write the words children dictate for their poems and stories, but several children are exploring the words they can write on their own. Writers' groups often form at the circle table during quiet toys, when I am assisting snack helpers in preparing our snack. Here is one conversation I overhead from a small group of Kindergarten writers.
"I wrote /a/. Why did I write /a/? I wrote 'I love /a/.'" shared one Kindergarten writer.
"Who is /a/?" asked another.
"This is /a/," declared a third, pointing to their drawing. "/A/ is always sad."
"Well /a/," the first child chimed back in, now looking at the drawing with a smile. "I'm sorry. I don't love you. We've just met."
They are having so much fun with words and phonemes! And I am having so much fun seeing the culture they are creating together!
