All the Planets

June 29, 2012 at 9:17 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Earlier this month I decided to undertake introducing the three and four year olds to the Solar System. I wasn’t sure if this topic would be a little hard for them to grasp but I figured that if they began hearing the planets’ names now, maybe it would help them remember the planets better in school later. I made a few planet/solar system books and found several more at the local library. I made small pictures of the planets to have the children put the planets in order. I also found a short planet song video on YouTube that taught the order/names of the planets. Sufficiently prepared, I decided to give it a try. I introduced the planets on a Wednesday and had the children make a space picture. The next week I read some more planet books. As I went through a flip-up book, saying the name of each planet and then reading a short fact about it, I was astonished when one of the younger 3s called out the name of Jupiter before I did. I was even more surprised when we were talking about the sun and he said “it’s hot.” This same student who remembered Jupiter and the sun from the previous week had struggled with being able to put his shoes on when he first graduated to the 3 year old room. In that moment I was reminded that children will perform to the bar that you set for them. I will not make the mistake of setting the bar too low but will continue to expect miraculous things (like a three year old learning the names of the planets). Now every time I go into the room that student greets me with a hug and puts out his hands and says “All the planets, Miss Faith.” Then we go back to the science table where his teacher hung up the pictures I made of each of the planets. I ask the boy to find each planet and now he recognizes them by sight, although he usually mixes Neptune and Uranus. It has been such an amazing learning experience to be a part of and I am looking forward to even more before the end of the year.

– Written by Faith

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