Explore is the word we use most often to describe the actions that take place in The Experiential School. It and all of its synonyms as listed above provide insight into the ways our students learn. These pictures and accompanying stories below illustrate just how this happens.
Friday Exploring
Though the three-year-olds in Alpha and four- and five-year-olds students in Junior Kindergarten explore every day through the activities and materials available during both center and free choice time at school, Exploring – with a capital E – is extra special. These are the times when the children from all the classes in their grade interact with each other and all the teachers as they move freely from room to room engaging in investigation and experimentation.
In Alpha, it was all about purple as the children used mice feet with paint (as in the book Mouse Paint), colored water with pipettes and even colored crystals in pudding to see what happens when red mixes with blue.
In Junior Kindergarten, some of the activities required working cooperatively as in rock ‘n roll painting, while other activities proved more enjoyable when near with or near a friend. Watch as these marbles in a box create a new paint canvas for our preschool students!
What is a Pattern?
Just ask some of our Junior Kindergartners who may tell you that it is something that repeats itself in a series. After a basic introduction through demonstration, the teachers provided a variety of natural materials to see what the students might do. Many of the he children quickly demonstrated their creativity and understanding of the concept by making up patterns that ranged from ABAB to ABCCDE repeated several times!
Tending the Garden
Students learned the difference between their sprouting plants and weeds as they tended the squash and pumpkin plot. The plants were flourishing but were threatened by weeds, which the children removed in short order using both hands and hand rakes.
Sense of Touch
What fun it is to work in small groups and discover and describe what's in the squishy bags! This was just one of the many sensory and tactile experiences of the Alpha students as they continued learning through and about their senses.
![JK on the Run [Photos]](/Images/1px.png?command_1=url&url_1=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shorecrest.org/userfiles/shpsmvc/images/news-images/JKontherun.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "JK on the Run [Photos]")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Alpha Ice Cream Social")
