What Happened?
During the small group gingerbread cookie activity, the children had an opportunity to mix, mould, and decorate gingerbread man, Christmas trees and many other shapes.
Child CO noticed that there was no house among their shapes saying "teacher, where are the gingerbread houses?" The staff replied, "Sorry, we don't have any gingerbread house." The child CO shouted "Oh, we have to make one". Another child ZT heard this and said "What about we made one with a big box lie the one we made before with leaves? Remember the leaf house?" The educator replied "OK. Let's make a big gingerbread house together!
So What: What can children learn from this experience?
Children can develop their language skills from recollecting their previous experience of how to build a big structure using big box and leaves as they discuss and communicate to build something together.
Children can use different pro social skills such as sharing, turn taking and negotiating as they cooperate together as a small group.
Children can extend their cognitive skills and abilities as they research about a variety of gingerbread houses in different shapes, colours and deprecating materials.
Children would enjoy decorating a beautiful houses using a various colors, shapes and materials with friends.
Now What: How can we extend their experience and interest through the program?
The educator can in-cooperate stories based on gingerbread man, for instance, "The Gingerbread Man". This will allow children to be introduced to new characters, such as, the wolf, the old grandparents, and rest of the animals.
Connection to ELECT Framework
Craft & Art: 1. Make a 3D shape, a house using a cardboard with roof, window and door.
2. Decorating a gingerbread house using coloured circles, cut out snow icicles and Christmas decoration materials.
Construction: 1. Researching of how to make a house using web resources.
2. Building a gingerbread house with other friends using gluing, cutting and coloring skills.
Oral Communication: 1. Through a small group discussion, putting ideas together to decide where to put windows and the door.