Spark Insight Journal – Page 3 – Circle Time Discussions

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Circle time in the studio is a crucial time for our young learners to develop their listening skills, learn new vocabulary, practice language skills, practice following directions, build self-confidence, learn group and grace and courtesy lessons, and learn about being a member of a community, often indirectly through discussions, stories, play, and practice.

This is done differently in different environments and at different times. Most guides begin their day with a circle, some end their day with a circle, some do it during transitions- between work cycle and lunch, lunch and play, etc. In our current schedule at Ascent Spark, we have a full-studio circle at 8 a.m. and a small circle time to transition into lunch at 11.30 a.m. We play games, practice mindful breathing, practice grace and courtesy lessons, read books, sing songs, have discussions, and more. In the afternoon, Mr. Tom leads an end-of-day circle whereupon he socratically discusses the learners’ experiences outdoors and their reflections from their play journal, which they write/draw in, post-Spark Playtime.  

With today’s post, we want to share reflections from a discussion we had during our morning circle time focused on the question, “What does it mean to be a part of a community?” The brief discussion included what a community means, what different communities look like, and that we are indeed part of so many communities. As the culmination of the discussion, the learners shared their answers to the anchor question. Please enjoy their responses: 

  • Samantha -“If people were hurt and wanted to go to the hospital, I can help.”
  • Grace- “Help mom, clean the house, my brother too. And help our neighbor to clean up her house with her so that the rats don’t come.”
  • Max- “Be kind to the little person so they don’t get sad and be nice to them. You can hurt your feelings if someone hits you. If the person doesn’t want to play, he can hit you and that’s not very nice”. 
  • Dezmond- “Being nice to my dad, because he is working really hard.”
  • Ruben- “Being nice around others.”
  • Anay- “Being kind around each other.” 
  • Colin- “Picking litter to be a good member of the Earth.”
  • Sawyer- “Ask if people need help.” 
  • Koa- “Ask if they were okay if they got hurt.”
  • Aero- “I will be nice to my sister.”
  • Ayla- “Being nice to people and helping them when they are sad.”
  • Saylor- “Being nice to everyone.”
  • Remy- “Picking trash from the ground to be a community member of the Earth.”
  • Zinnia- “Help when they are hurt.”
  • Abby- “Being nice to my mom because she has a lot of work, so help with the house and help with the chores list.”

These discussions from these sprouting minds will turn into larger discussions upon their foray into the Discovery Studio, and the world at large; as they evolve into the various roles they play and eventually become a part of the community-Earth. 

 

Spark Insight Journal – Page 2 – Spark Play Highlight – Sand Pit Area

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With today’s post, we share a peek into our Spark Playtime of the day. Spark Play is an integral part of our learners’ time in their space. They choose from small loose parts play, large parts (think- large planks, blocks, ladders), sandpit area, other in-built structures like the stumps, swinging ropes, tunnels, hills, and the orchard. Each area comes with a particular focus in mind in that they are more and less conducive to different types of play.  We often think of that in reference to play that encourages ‘feet on the floor’ vs ‘feet off the floor’, gross motor vs fine motor movement, etc. Today we highlight – the Sand Pit Area!

Since the introduction of the sandpit this year, it has definitely been a place of action and learning. Guides are strategically placing themselves outside the sandpit to hear and note the great growth in communication that happens while learners communicate critical thoughts.  The water from the pipe runs down on the hill course until it reaches the sandpit, allowing gravity to create another fascinating object for the children’s observations… On most days, on average, there are around four-five parallel plays going on in the sandpit area, with four-five different groups. Some days the members within the groups change and some groups have had the same members for weeks. We’ve not only witnessed some interesting decision-making, conversations, and conflicts but also, so much of creative-thinking and strategizing. Learners have banded together in various ways for their creations; From building dams and digging tunnels to making canals for the gushing water. They make sand-castles and dig until they reach the bottom of the pit. They are experimenting with using the white strips you see below as pipes and making courses for the water. Their experiences have ranged from wanting the same equipment to not wanting water in their section, to, also wanting water in their section!  They bring in the math and the science, engineering, and technology, language, and love all at once, all so powerfully through hands-on learning. They make sure to fill this daily experience with some heated moments, heartbreaks, tough conversations, and buckets and buckets of fun. This is why, they flock there again the next day, and the next, and every day, without a doubt.



With grateful hearts, 

Spark Guides.

Spark Insight Journal – Page 1 – Gratitude

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Welcome to the Spark Insight Journal! This journal is our attempt to share the beauty and the magic, the highlights and the lowlights, our stories of successes and failures, moments of joy and peace and other big feelings; largely, a peek into our Spark world. What you can expect is a bi-weekly post to bring you into our world in small bites. We hope that these little posts of ours can fill your heart with amazement and joy. 

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