We are all a part of many systems, large and small. Larger systems can be neighborhoods, schools, or our own bodies. Small systems can be found right in your own classroom, such as the block area. Systems help us organize and connect information and experiences. They are integral to our daily lives and recognizing how systems […]
Unconventional Measurement Before using conventional units of measure such as inches or feet, children use unconventional units of measure to organize the world around them. There are many ways to support this in the classroom and experimenting with various unconventional units of measurement can be so fun! There’s lots of measurement and observation when using […]
The Growhaus, in Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood is changing Denver’s food system. Their mission, as stated on their website: “The GrowHaus is a nonprofit indoor farm, marketplace and educational center in Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood. Our vision is a world where all communities have the means to nourish themselves, and our mission is to create a community-driven, […]
P.H. Miller Elementary School, a diverse Pre-K through 1st grade school in Plano, IL, is making big changes. The school’s principal, Laurel Mateyka, has engaged the teachers in reflective practice. They are looking at how their philosophy shapes the school environment and how those spaces impact children’s learning. To kick off this journey, they decided […]
mak·er·space a place in which people with shared interests can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge. Spaces for making, tinkering, and exploring passions and interests are nothing new to an early childhood classroom. Makerspaces have been a hot topic in education and a large part of bringing this […]
A Maker Story: The Giant Squid To kick off National Maker Week, we wanted to share a story about a maker moment that happened right here at Kodo headquarters. Often young children jump right into making. They don’t stop to make a plan or a drawing but rather they let the materials inspire them. This […]
Caring for June Bugs As the weather warms up, you may notice some old friends reappear- June Bugs! June Bugs are small beetles that emerge from the ground in spring and summer. They can be fascinating to observe and learn more about. This interest can be a wonderful opportunity to explore empathy, compassion, and caring. […]
How can we honor children’s works in the construction area? Our last blog focused on how we can create storage solutions that promote autonomy and communicate value around the process for children’s work. This week, we continue with that lens but in a different area of the classroom, the construction area. Summer tends […]
How can we use classroom storage systems to honor children’s works in progress? Summer is a great time to re-evaluate storage in the classroom, especially when it comes to providing children options for storing items they create. Finding a place for extra bins and shelves may not be easy. Consider using the backs of […]
P21, a leading organization in promoting 21st century skills in education, describes 4 foundational skills for worker success: Collaboration Communication Critical thinking Creativity In January of this year, the Washington Post wrote a great article on Google’s research into what skills make the most successful employees. The Post writes: “Sergey Brin and Larry Page, […]
