Cheshire Nursery School

Stories In Motion

When visiting the Cheshire Nursery School you will certainly notice the brightly-colored tape rectangle on our floor. Every Wednesday this simple rectangle becomes anything but simple--transforming into a bakery, a forest, and so many other imaginative settings through our Stories In Motion program. This process grew out of the work of Vivian Gussin Paley, a prominent early childhood educator, author, and theorist.

When students have an idea for a story, they are encouraged to dictate the story to a teacher who will write down their words in a special story portfolio. These stories range from a single phrase from the youngest students to quite complex narratives, depending on the childrens' developmental level and fluency. One day each week, the children's stories are read aloud, then as a group characters are identified and the 'author' determines which students will act out the parts.

Turn-taking, team-building and self-expression, as well as literacy skills, are inherent in the process. The students have really embraced this activity; they are equally excited to act out their friends' stories as they are to have their
own ideas heard. Stories In Motion allows the students to become authors just like the published authors we celebrate in our classroom!

Exploring the Scientific Method

Students at CNS enthusiastically embrace the study of our world through a series of science experiments modeling the "Inquiry Approach" to learning. Students develop understanding of many concepts by making predictions, testing their ideas with hands-on experiments, then discussing and recording their results.

Studies usually begin with an estimation exercise, then expand based on our students' keen interest in further exploration. Each experiment starts with a specific question, followed by some brainstorming. Then ideas are tested and the results come directly from their observations.

Our "We Are Scientists" curriculum has included Sink or Float, What Can A Helium Balloon Hold? What Objects Roll Furthest?, and Weight Supported by Different Shaped Paper Columns, just to name a few!

EXAMPLE:  ROLEY POLEY EXPERIMENT

FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN:

Will a box roll down the ramp?

Will cars? Why?

Which one of these tin cans is the largest?

Sit along the track where you think the object will stop rolling.

Can you find something in the classroom that will roll?

FOR OLDER CHILDREN:

Use a prediction sheet to circle your prediction about which object will roll the furthest.

Measure the distance using a tape measure.

Do heavy or light things roll further?

Does shape help things roll?

If we used a steeper ramp, would they roll further?

Where are other places that you see ramps?

Dramatic Play: Post Office:

Our Dramatic Play area is a versatile space. It has been used for many different scenarios, including a veterinarian's office, farm stand, and camping supply store. With each new incarnation, teachers and children join together to determine what the space should contain, and what kinds of activities the space can support. One popular arrangement is a post office, complete with mailbox, mailbag, stamp collection, stationery and envelopes, zip code directory, mail sorting bins, etc.

EXAMPLE FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN:

What does a postal worker wear?

We write to communicate.

A letter goes inside an envelope, and the envelope gets a stamp.

What size box will that object fit in?

Can you find someone's cubby and put this letter in it?

Walk to our mailbox outside, count and track the mail we receive.

Do you have a mailbox at home? Where is it?

EXAMPLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN:

What happens in a post office?

Why do people send mail?

Emergent Literacy: beginnings of letters and forming words

Who is the letter to? From?

What are the parts of the address? Why addresses?

What is your address?

Do you think a postal worker has an easy job or a hard job? Why?

Construction Site Visit:

An important part of our day at CNS includes exploring our neighborhood. We take walks, observing our community first-hand and noting changes as they occur. We have taken photos of what interests us, and created a map of our
surroundings incorporating our photos. One of the most exciting stops on our walk has been at the site of a house under construction nearby our school. This is a perfect example of a learning opportunity that can be used to open doors to discovery.

EXAMPLE FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN:

How many trucks do you see? What color are they?

Which trucks are the biggest?

What shapes are the building materials?

Would you like to be a construction worker?

What tools do they use?

Have you ever pretended to be a construction worker? (beach sand, blocks)

Are those trucks bigger or smaller than your family car?

EXAMPLE FOR OLDER CHILDREN:

Reading words we see: "Caution, Men Working", "Hitachi"

What materials are they using to build?

Do you think being a construction worker is an easy or hard job? Why?

Why do they use big machines and not pails and shovels?

Do you see a pattern in the pile of bricks?

Conferences and Portfolios

The end of January marks individual parent-teacher conference time. We use a narrative style report developed by Creative Curriculum, as well as a portfolio for each child. Portfolios are continually compiled by teachers throughout the year, and include photographs, and recorded observations of each child's daily experience at CNS, as well as samples of their work.