Classroom Close-Up
“Now that it’s spring, kids are also beginning to explore the changes outdoors. They’re starting to notice the new leaves pushing through the soil. I brought a few wild flowers inside and kids are looking at them with magnifying lenses and drawing pictures of them. Sometimes kids just make a squiggle and say ‘done’. I’m learning to always say, ‘Tell me about your drawing,’ so I know what kids are seeing and thinking. Then I might say, ‘Oh, the line is a stem. What other parts of the flower do you see? Can you draw that, too?’ I watched one child peer at the flower through his magnifying lens, then put down the magnifying lens and draw a little, then pick up the magnifying lens again. He really knew how to look closely at the details!”
—Terry, preschool teacher