Sharing Ideas and Working Together

The teachers notice the children in the Rocks Class growing in their friendships. They look for a friend to sit with on the nest or to play with at the park. Blocks are an activity where we often see friends playing together.

Last week I used the word "strategy" when talking to a child about a jigsaw puzzle. He asked, "What's that?" I replied, "It's a plan." He asked, "What's a plan?" After giving it some thought, I answered, "A plan is when you decide what you're going to do, before you do it."

So, when working with a partner at blocks, the children need to make a plan before building. We model how to share ideas and be flexible in including your partner's idea into the plan. This is hard for some children who have a set plan in mind. Would a princess live on a train? Could the house also have a stable for a horse?

Once there is a plan the children build together on the same base board. Teachers check in to see if the children are communicating clearly and following their joint plan.

A small group of students visited the Trees Classroom to view their collaborative block structure. A student gave us a tour of the castle, describing battlements, flags, and a working portcullis. Inspired by this visit, the Rocks students began to build up, using connector blocks to make the building strong.