Drawing

High Chair

Amelia comes to school and asks, where’s the high chair?
We don’t see it. Diane asks Amelia what she wants to do about it. Amelia suggests drawing one. As she sits at table with paper and crayons, Asha comes over wondering what we are doing. Diane explains that Amelia wants to have a high chair for the babies, that she had the idea to make one and she is going to draw one.
Asha: I want to draw one too. I need orange too (noticing Amelia using orange) Amelia wants Diane to draw it, she is having trouble with her drawing. Diane offers to find a picture in a book for them to look at. She brings over Jam and Peekaboo Morning and they look at high chairs. Amelia thinks one in Jam is a rocking chair, not a high chair. She also adds that these pictures don’t help her with drawing a high chair.

Later in the morning, when asked if she has a high chair at home, Amelia explains that she has a chair for big girls at her table. Diane asks if she had a high chair as a baby. Amelia says, It had a tray and I had a car seat, a baby car seat.

Caroline is listening to this conversation and she adds, This is my high chair. For my baby. I have to go. Caroline has placed her baby doll in one of our wooden chairs, propped up a bit on the doll’s feet. Amelia seems to like this idea and she gets a chair for her baby doll and brings the doll to the table to sit next to her.

The following week, Saige draws and then folds her paper up, creating a tube-like form with her paper. She says, I wrapped it up.  It’s a high chair. Asha, beside her, says I’m drawing a tiny high chair.

Later, these drawings and a photo of Caroline’s idea of using a regular chair for a high chair are placed on the Wonder Wall by the children.

Brief explanation of the Wonder Wall:

The Wonder Wall is the corner of the room displaying pictures (drawings, photos) that represent what children appear to be wondering about. Each day at our first meeting, we revisit a topic that a child/children have worked on. We show relevant drawings and/or photos to the group, and may demonstrate (or ask the child to demonstrate) what the child was doing. Then those children place the picture/photo on the wall under their name/face. This makes the children’s thinking visible to each other and provides continuity by reminding them of interests from previous days. Ultimately, this encourages the children to go deeper into their play and share knowledge, skills, and questions with each other.

Names

When Caroline notices Mark writing down the children’s language on a clipboard, she asks, Can I write my name? then writes on Mark’s clipboard: C…S…Caroline!

Cal is interested, too: Can I write my name? C…A…L…

Later on, Cal sees designs on the rug and exclaims: There are letters on the floor! Somebody drawed them here.

When Ruthie notices Mark writing on a clipboard, she comments, I’m drawing like you are. Sam, also at the table, concentrates on his drawing, explaining: S for Sam. I’m drawing S for Sam. Kaya, too, says that he is writing words: That says my name. Sam finds a long “big” pencil that Diane had been using and asks to use it. This “big” pencil seems to affect his writing: Look at, I draw a big Sam. Sam works at length on his drawing, and is concerned when it’s time for meeting. Mark assures him he may return to his drawing afterwards, and sure enough, he and Ruthie continue their drawings after meeting for quite some time.

Cards, Steering Wheels, and a Road

Amelia sometimes folds her drawings, explaining: That’s a card. (What’s inside?) Line.

When children need steering wheels (aka, driving thing) for a train or boat that are being built in the large block area, Asha and Travers elect to make drawings. Travers waves his in the air to show how his steering wheel works.

Later, Cal draws a road and asks if it can go on our Wonder Wall, and he puts it up the next day.