February 11, 2025
When B walked into the classroom she saw the space provocation on the tuff tray. She turned to her peer and said, “look,” as she pointed to the tuff tray. At free time she went to look at what was on the tuff tray. She picked up the kaleidoscope and looked up towards the light. She said, “red, blue, yellow,” as she was looking in. She brought it down and started to turn the end of it and put it back up to the light. B turned the end of the kaleidoscope this time, and said, “I did it.” The educator responded with, “great job.” B turned the kaleidoscope upside down and said, “I see star,” as she looked at the end of the kaleidoscope. B picked up the model space car between her finger and thumb and started moving and driving the car on the moon while making “vroom” noises for the car. She looked around and found the astronaut, picked it up and said to the educator, “look, I find.” The educator asked, “what is that?" B in a low voice said what sounded like, “astronaut.” The educator said, “you're right, it is an astronaut,” and she smiled. B found the space car and placed the astronaut on the car as if they were driving it and made “vroom” noises by bringing her lips together. She walked over to the other side of the table and found the space monkey. As she picked it up to bring it to the space car, she said, “who-ah-ah,” making monkey noises. With the monkey in her hand, she walked over to the space car and tried to put the monkey on the car. It kept falling off and when B finally got it to stay, she had a great big smile on her face. She grabbed the kaleidoscope and knocked the astronaut and monkey off the car and responded, “fall down.” Her peer grabbed her space car and monkey and B said, “no mine.” Her peer replied, “sorry,” and B gave her peer a hug and the carn with a smile. Next, she and her peer played with the gems. B put the gems on Mars, saying, “rocks.” She shone the flashlight on them and as she did this, the button fell off the flashlight. She tried to put it on. The fourth time she turned to the educator and said, ”help,” and handed the flashlight to them. The educator asked B, “do you need me to help you fix the flashlight?” She responded, “yeah.” The educator handed her back the flashlight. B picked up the rocks and dropped them and said, “wow,” as they fell onto the table and the floor. She cleaned them up and walked away.
BELONGING: B felt included and safe participating in ways that were comfortable to her at the tuff tray. She took turns playing with the flashlight with her peers. B looked to the educator for support when she asked for help when she could not fix the flashlight.
ENGAGEMENT: B focussed her attention as she placed the space monkey onto the space car precisely so it didn't fall off. She created and represented ideas of the world around her through play as she manipulated the space car driving it to, and all around the moon on the tuff tray. She also used the gems to represent rocks on Mars.
WELL-BEING: B showed a sense of competency and increased coordination when she looked up into the light and turned the end of the kaleidoscope at the same time and said, “I did it.” B showed a sense of agency, recognizing that she had the right to make the choice to go to the tuff tray where the space provocation was and she decided to play with the items that she wanted to play with, showing she is capable of initiating her own play.
EXPRESSION: B started and continued a conversation with her peer when her peer grabbed her car and monkey she was playing with and said, “no mine.” Her peer responded, “sorry,” and B gave her a hug and the car. She developed abilities that will support later reading and writing when she picked up the car between her thumb and finger, practicing her pincer grasp and dexterity that will help her when she is holding on to a pencil and writing.
Written by Melissa Mansley, RECE
January 6, 2025
A approached the mailing station in curiosity while observing another peer in play. She was attempting to place a piece of paper in an envelope and appeared to be struggling. Her peer picked up a piece of paper and began placing it in the envelope saying, “This is how you put it in.” A and her peer continued placing paper in the envelopes and then A said, “I am stamping it!” Her peer said, “Can I have a turn stamping mine?” A handed her the stamp and said, “Here you go.” They continued sharing the stamp and then began using the pencils to write on the outside of the envelope. As A placed her envelopes into the mailbox, her friend pretended to deliver the mail by throwing one envelope at a time in a circular motion next to the post office. After writing on a few envelopes, A decided to move on to another activity.
Well-Being: A showed confidence in her growing abilities in fine motor skills, as she accepted her friend’s shared knowledge of how to place the papers into the envelopes and continued to put paper in the envelopes.
Engagement: She was able to focus her attention on her peer’s lesson as she learned a new fine motor skill. A was able to share materials during their dramatic play and collaborate on what happened next.
Belonging: A felt included and safe as she approached the mailing station and her peer included her in play. She was able to maintain social interaction with her friend, as they shared the materials and took turns.
Expression: She wrote information on her envelopes as they prepared them for delivery. This will support A in future reading and writing skills.
December 4, 2024
This week in exploring how other cultures celebrate, we had a focus on Hanukkah. The colours for Hanukkah are white and blue so right away K’s interest peaked because he loves all things blue. He made his way to the tuff tray and said, “Blue!” He excitedly started scooping up the blue rice and slowly pouring it back into the tray. Soon he discovered a candle. He held it up to the teacher and said, “White.” His educator responded, “Yes, that's a white candle.” Suddenly, one of his peers grabbed the white candle from his hand. “Oh no," he said, putting his face in his hands. An educator guided him to ask for it back. “Please have it back,” he said to his friend. His friend kindly gave back the candle and K said, “Thank you.” His educator praised him for using his words. He proudly said, “words,” and smiled at his educator. Then he continued playing happily until it was time to clean up.
BELONGING: He had a number of social interactions with his educators and friends while playing at the tuff tray. He was very concerned when his friend took the candle he was playing with. He was relieved when he asked, “please have it back?” and his friend gave it back.
ENGAGEMENT: He focused as he played carefully with the blue rice in the tuff tray. He liked the sound of the rice hitting the tray when he poured it out slowly. He was able to work with the educator to get his candle back when a peer took it from his hands.
WELL-BEING: He was able to manage the stress he felt when his friend took the candle he was using. With his educators' help he was able to ask for it back and manage his big feelings.
EXPRESSION: He was able to express himself through reciprocal conversation with his educator and one of his peers. He was able to express what he wanted to his friend and have him return the candle he took.
By Brianna Wall
November 26, 2024
The children had an idea that they wanted to build a playground outside. All the children discussed at gathering time what type of structures we were going to build. Some of the children said we could build a swing, teeter totter and a basketball net. The girl said we could build a slide. We went outside and she went to the gazebo and helped put the rope through the hole in the board for the swing. She had a big smile on her face and laughed at the educator when they only tied up one side of the swing. She said, “we need to tie the other side,” and another peer added, “so we don't fall.” The girl enjoyed a ride on the swing when it was her turn.
Next, she and her friends carried all the wooden blocks down the hill to where the ground was flat. There was a big stump on the playground and she and some of her peers decided to use it for the slide. She put a small block on top of the tree stump and, with a peer, placed a long board on top of it. The peer said, “you're going to fall off,” so the girl removed the small block and placed only the long board on the stump. She climbed up on top of the stump with help from the educator and tried to slide down, but her legs fell off her slide. She looked at the educator and the educator asked, “what else could we do?” After thinking about it, the girl and some of her peers responded, “use two boards.” The girl put another long board leaning on the stump. She used her gross motor skills and climbed up on top of the stump and sat down with the help of the educator. She had a great big smile as she slid down the slide.
The girl and her peers then wanted to make a teeter totter. They went over to the pile of blocks and she grabbed for a big block but it was too heavy for her, so she asked the peer, “help please,” and the peer responded, “yes.” The two of them carried it over to where they were going to build the teeter totter. Then the girl and her peer carried another block and placed it on top. She grabbed a piece of rope and said, “we can use it.” She placed it at the end of the board. The educator came over and sat on the rope. The girl laughed at the educator and another peer said, “it is not strong enough to hold you.” The girl placed a long board in the middle of the blocks and her and the other peer climbed on and went up and down, using their teeter totter. The girl said she had a great time making a park.
BELONGING: The girl made a connection between the community and the daycare. For example, she and her peers wanted to make a park in their playground like the ones they visit in the community. She felt included, safe and comfortable participating in a way that she wanted to help build the park.
ENGAGEMENT: The girl expressed joy with a big smile on her face as she swung on the swing she helped make. She did some problem solving when she helped make the slide and eventually figured out that she needed two boards so that both her legs fit on and she could go down.
WELL-BEING: The girl made choices and decisions with her peers on what to build in her park and how she was going to build it and where she put the slide and teeter totter, showing agency over her choices. She and her peers took on the challenges and tackled making a play park with persistence and enthusiasm.
EXPRESSION: She started and continued conversation with her peers as they built their park. For example when she asked her peer to help her carry the heavy block and her peer replied, “yes.” When she and her peers were planning to make a play park, they worked together using ideas from experiences that they all had.
By Melissa Mansley, RECE
October 1, 2024
The girl went over to the shelf and looked around for a minute before grabbing the 3D hexagon blocks off the shelf. She picked up one block using her palmer grasp and placed it on the floor. She grabbed another block with her right hand, placing it on top of the first block on the floor. She used her verbal communication skills and said, “Miss Missy, I am building a tower.” She focused and concentrated on placing the third block on top so it did not fall off the other two. She said to the educator, “It did not fall, I did it!" Her peers came over to help her build her tower, and she confidently said, “no,” with her eyebrows lifted and communicated to them, “I want to do it myself.” The educator praised the girl for using her verbal communication skills to express that she wanted to do it herself. When she was finished, she placed a 3D triangular prism on top of her tower.
Belonging: She felt safe and confident enough to let her peers know that she wanted to do it herself. She chose which materials she wanted to use to build a tower, making use of items available to her in the classroom.
Engagement: She focused her attention on placing the 3D blocks on top of each other so they did not fall, taking notice of how to keep the tower balanced.
Well-Being: The child used her fine motor skills to build her tower with the blocks. She showed self-regulation skills by communicating to her peers that she wanted to build her own tower.
Expression: She communicated to her peers that she wanted to build her own tower and did not need their help when they asked if they could help her. She used her verbal communication skills to tell the educator that she was building a tower.
Written By Melissa Mansley, RECE
September 4, 2024
The educator asked all of the children to come join the table. The girl was the first one there. The educator had two bags of play dough. The educator divided the play dough between each child. As the educator distributed the coloured play dough, she asked the girl if she likes the colour purple. The girl used her verbal communication skills and replied back, “yes.” The educator placed a variety of tools on the table for the children to use to mold and cut the play dough. The girl eagerly grabbed a circle cutter. Next, using her right hand, she grabbed the tool and placed the purple play dough into it, making a circular shape. While she practiced her fine motor skills to manipulate the play dough with the tools, she took turns sharing the tools with their peers. She showed the teacher what she had created by taking the teacher by the hand to the table where she was sitting. After cleanup time, she practiced her personal hygiene skills and washed her hands.
Belonging: The girl showed belonging by feeling safe and included in the activity, where she was able to share the different tools and interact with her peers
Engagement: She expressed joy and excitement when the educator handed her the play dough and tools. She was able to create what she wanted and showed it off to the educators and peers.
Well-being: She used her fine motor skills to mold the play dough into shapes to make her art piece. She was able to form connections and include her educator in her accomplishment by bringing her over to show her what she had made.
Expression: The girl practiced her verbal communication skills by saying, “yes,” when asked if she liked purple play dough.
Written by Missy Mansley, RECE
June 13, 2024
There was one friend already here when the girl arrived. She said goodbye to her Mom and used her hands to motion for her to leave. As she walked across the room, the friend said to her, “Hey [child], come see what is over here with me.” They walked to the table where a provocation with a few books on butterflies and insects had been set up, along with a Very Hungry Caterpillar game. She said, “let's feed the caterpillar.” The child and her friend took turns feeding the caterpillar pieces of food. As they fed the caterpillar, they named off each type of food they gave the caterpillar. I stopped and asked them how much the caterpillar was eating. “So much food,” said the girl. I asked her if our caterpillars ate the same kind of food. She said, “no, they only eat the leaves from their plant.” They emptied the caterpillar and fed him again, counting as they put pieces of food into his belly. Once he was full, the child took one book at a time to one of the educators in the room to read to her. Slowly, other friends started to join. The child examined the pictures as she read them out loud. She stayed for each book to be read. There were five books in total.
Belonging: The child quickly does what she needs to get ready and shoos her Mom away, showing she is ready to join the classroom. She shows confidence when talking with her peers and teachers. She shows a willingness to participate and explore materials provided.
Well-Being: The child shows confidence in her fine motor skills as she picks up the small laminated food pieces and feeds them to the caterpillar. She shows she has the competency to follow through with her task from start to finish.
Engagement: The child is able to keep focused attention while she works with her friend to feed the caterpillar. She sat through five books being read, showing us she is engaged and focused. She shows us she has confidence in engaging with her friends and her educators.
Expression: The girl shows she is having meaningful interactions with her peers and her educators. She plays and listens to books read aloud. Listening to stories read aloud will support the child in her abilities for later reading and writing skills.
Written By Mandy Bertling Beres, RECE
May 1, 2024
As soon as I pulled the cover off the sandbox, the boy went into it and started digging. As he was making shapes in the sandbox, he pointed to the shapes saying, “Look Miss Mandy, a circle, triangle and a square.” He then noticed behind him that I was helping some friends build a ramp for their cars. He quickly came over to join in. The child took turns with some friends, pushing the big monster cars down the ramp. One of the children had a smaller matchbox car and was using it on the ramp. The boy was watching this child, and a few seconds later he looked up at me asking, “Miss Mandy, I want the red, yellow and cyan car.” I said, “Oh,” with a puzzled and intrigued look on my face. I then said, “do we have one in the shed?” He said, “yes we do,” as a smile grew big across his face. I said, “oh, ok. Let’s go and look.” To my surprise, when I opened the shed he reached down into a container and picked up a car. The car was cyan with red and yellow on it. He also picked up a truck with a flatbed. He brought them up to the pavilion and drove them along the blocks and into a wooden box. I asked him, “What are your vehicles doing in that box?” He said, “they are hiding from the monster trucks.” I said, “oh, why do they have to hide?” “Because the monster trucks will get them and then they will be crushed flat as a pancake,” said the child. “What would happen if they did get flattened? Then what would you do?” I asked. He replied, “Then I would have to fix them. I would need to take them to the repair shop to be fixed.” I said, "oh, have you ever seen someone fixing cars before?” He said, “No, but my Daddy has to fix cars sometimes.” Once the vehicles were done hiding, the child drove his car around the different blocks. Then a friend came along and built a smaller ramp and asked if the boy wanted to try out the ramp. They continued to play for a few minutes longer before cleaning up.
Belonging: The child went from playing on his own in the sandbox to joining his friends on the ramps inside the pavilion. He was able to communicate with his peers in order for turn taking to happen. He shows interactions both with his friends and his teachers during his play. He also shows a connection between play and home as his daddy sometimes has to fix cars.
Engagement: The child is showing he can represent some of the ideas of the world around him through his play. He is also able to negotiate with his peers and take turns during play. He shows an understanding of different colors and shapes which can help support him later when it comes to literacy.
Expression: He was able to have a back and forth conversation with me as he played out his scenario with the vehicles. He has a large variety of words, even surprising me with his knowledge of colors. This can then later help support him in his reading and writing.
Well-Being: During this play time, the child has shown us both his fine and gross motor skills, showing confidence in his physical abilities. He is able to share and show he has control over himself and his decisions in his transitions from playing alone and with his friends. He is developing a sense of self in knowing what he is comfortable with.
Written By Mandy Bertling Beres, RECE
April 2, 2024
The child attempted to join play with some peers on the carpet, as they engaged with little people in a playhouse. He then wanted to play on his own and tried to remove the playhouse from the center of the play group, where an educator redirected him. He appeared upset as he made sad noises, but when he saw the educator building something out of blocks, he decided to collaborate with the educator on this creation. One block at a time, the child and the educator created their own block house for him to play with. Content with his creation, the boy picked up the farm animal bin and placed it next to the house he created. He began singing “Oh McDonald had a farm,” and as he placed one animal in his house at a time, he sang, “Oh McDonald had a farm, e, i, e, i, o…. And on his farm he had a cow, e, i, e, i, o. With a Moo Moo here and a Moo Moo there, here a Moo there a Moo everywhere a Moo Moo.” He continued this song and activity for multiple farm animals. Many children were so interested in the boy’s song and creative play, that they were drawn into his play area. He was okay with them singing with him but did not want them to remove any animals from his house.
Belonging: He shows a sense of belonging by participating in a way that is comfortable to him. The boy really enjoys singing and playing independently.
Engagement: He was able to express his joy as he picked up each animal and continued his singing while peers came to join, one at a time. He was able to negotiate his comfort level of play with his peers, where they could join his play space to sing but not remove any of his animals or blocks from the house he created.
Expression: He was able to express excitement while singing and smiling at his educators and peers. If his friends attempted to take something away from his creation, he made it known that he was upset by saying, “No,” or by taking it back and placing it where it was.
Well-Being: The child shows confidence in the classroom through engaging in positive ways through play. He has been developing a sense of competency in following the routines and engaging with peers. He was able to state his wishes clearly by telling his peers what he didn’t want them to do when they tried to take an animal.
March 18, 2024
Today, a child joined a friend who was playing with some valentine cards. They started putting a valentine in each windowsill. Next, the boy took a few and left a few with his friend, going his own way. The child took his valentines over to the play house. He opened the door to the house and placed the valentines inside. Next, he opened the whole house up and turned it around to see where the valentines ended up. He did this a few times and even asked his friend to look at the house, saying, “look, it’s inside,” while pointing to where the valentines ended up. Next, he bent down and started pushing the buttons in the house. He then stood up and took the house to a table and started pushing the buttons again saying, “working, working.” I said to him, “the buttons are not working.” As he continued to push the buttons he would say, “no working,” over and over. He tipped the house upside down, touching the parts where the house goes together and saying to me, “look, look.” I said, “Yes, that is where the house is built together." He continued examining the house and flicked a switch that was in the house. He then flipped the house upright and started pushing the buttons again. One of the buttons turns the light on inside the house. He pushed it a few times saying, “It’s working.” He picked up the house and walked over to his friend. As he got closer, he said, “look, look (friend), it’s working!” As he said this, his voice went up and a big smile came upon his face. He showed his friend how he could turn the light on.
Belonging: The child has been able to show his belonging through sharing his thoughts with his friends and educators. He showed the other children where his valentines ended up in the house and then as he discovered the buttons he was able to show his educator that they weren’t working, and then showed his friend when the light was turning on.
Engagement: He kept his focus on the doll house, exploring all parts of the house and how they work. He used his words and his expression to show his engagement. He was able to problem solve through his observations and investigations of this doll house.
Expression: Using his words to think out loud, as well as listening to my words, the child was able to communicate with me about what was happening with the house as he went along with his investigation. He was able to express his excitement through his voice and body language, and share it with his friends by showing them his discovery of the light on the house working.
Well-Being: As the child independently investigated the doll house, he showed a sense of self and well being. He was able to work out the problem of the buttons not working on his own. He showed he was proud through changing the tone of his voice and his smile, as he ran to show his friends that the light was working.
Written By Mandy Bertling Beres, RECE
