Kindergarten – Progressive Education and What We Are Learning

Building lessons that are grounded in progressive education provides a rich and varied learning environment where children construct their knowledge through experiences.

The previous blog post titled “Kindergarten – Minnehaha Falls Study” is about a Kindergarten field trip and how the students reflected on their experience. These experiences are thoughtfully created by our teachers and morph and change over time based on student interest and reflection and/or teacher experiences and/or reflections. Below we have outlined the skills that students learned and practiced in developmentally appropriate ways as part of the Minnehaha Falls Study.

Literacy Skills

Writing and Dictating: Through the creation of the “list poems”, students practiced forming ideas and expressing them through writing. They built their vocabulary by generating descriptive words.
Reading and Comprehension: As students reflected on their experiences, they connected spoken language with written words, strengthening their understanding of how stories and ideas are communicated.

Fine Motor Skills

Drawing and Painting: While drawing and painting the item they chose to focus on, students used fine motor skills. They focused on coordination, both in drawing and using watercolors.
Creating a 3-D Model: The students worked with materials like blocks, fabric, and natural elements to construct a detailed 3-D model of Minnehaha Falls. Because it was a hands-on project, they practiced their dexterity and spatial awareness during building.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Decision Making: When selecting their poem subjects and choosing materials for the 3-D model, students made thoughtful decisions based on what stood out to them and what they observed.
Model Building: Constructing a model of the falls and surrounding area required the students to think critically about how to represent different elements (how do we represent a creek, or a bridge, or a cave, or a waterfall?) and how they all fit together.

Collaboration and Social Skills

Working Together: The model-building activity was a collaborative effort. The students had to share materials, communicate ideas, work through disagreements, and work together to achieve a shared vision of Minnehaha Falls.
Listening and Sharing: Throughout the project, students practiced listening to each other’s ideas and sharing their own thoughts and reflections during group discussions.

Environmental Awareness and Stewardship

Connection to Nature: One of our favorite quotes is by David Sobel, “if we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.” By experiencing Minnehaha Falls firsthand and having fun and exploring and being allowed to follow their curiosity, students deepened their connection to the natural world.
Stewardship: As they explored the falls, they also talked about how important it is to take care of natural places.

Creative Expression

Artistic Exploration: Through drawing, painting and building students were able to express their feelings and experiences in creative ways. Art became a meaningful tool for communication and reflection, allowing students to represent their learning visually.

Reflection and Self-Expression

Reflection on Learning: The students had the opportunity to reflect on their field trip experiences, using their observations to guide their art and poetry. This allowed them to make personal connections to the trip and begin to understand their learning process.