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Kindergarten 1 Integrity
Welcome to K1 Integrity! Based on our class name, we practiced honesty, speaking the truth and having the courage to stand up for ourselves!
For Term 1, the topic was Types of Rainbows. For Term 2, the topic was on Flowering and Non-Flowering Plants and for Term 3, the topic was Herbivores.
Term Overview
Term 1
Theme: Rainbow
Topic: Types of Rainbows
During a class activity in the afternoon, a few children pointed outside of the window and made a fuss as they witnessed a rainbow after a rainy morning. They made remarks such as “That is a single rainbow!” and “The rainbow comes out after a rain!”. Another child then mentioned that he once witnessed a double rainbow during his holiday trip in Australia. Thus, their discussion about how a rainbow can appear in many forms sparked off the topic of the term.
Term 2
Theme: Plants
Topic: Flowering & Non - Flowering Plants
The children went on a field trip to Singapore Botanics Garden to embark on a flower trail. They drew pictures of the different plants they saw there and compiled them into a scrapbook for the term. Children were exposed to two different types of plants and learned how to identify and differentiate them based on their characteristics.
Term 3
Theme: Animals
Topic: Herbivores
Our curious children wondered why some animals only eat plants and why some animals did not. Hence, this term’s theme widened their knowledge on a group of animals called herbivores. The children learned about the characteristics of herbivores and categorized the animals that fall under the category. During their field trip to Singapore Zoo, the children took and drew various pictures of the herbivores they saw and created a scrapbook together as a class.
Term 4
To be updated in September 2020
Lesson Documentation
Term 1 Theme: Rainbow
Topic: Types of Rainbow
K1
Lesson Overview
Teacher Izzati started her lesson by showing the Kindergarten 1 children a video about different types of rainbows that can rarely be seen and got them to identify, describe and compare the similarities and differences of the rainbows.
To tap on their learning area ‘Aesthetics and Creative Expression’, the children documented what they saw from the video and the pictures located at each station through their drawings using markers, crayons and colour pencils. The children then tapped on their literacy skills as they attempted to share and describe their drawings of the different rainbows.
Afterwards, to tap on their learning area ‘Social and Emotional Development’, children worked in groups to construct the different rainbows they were assigned to, using playdough and A5 cardboards. Each group then presented their rainbow playdough constructions to the class which was displayed on the classroom wall after the lesson.
Lesson Objectives
Children will be able to:
1. Identify and recognize 3 different types of rainbows and their characteristics. (Full Circle Rainbow, Double Rainbow, Monochrome Rainbow)
2. Compare and describe the similarities and differences of the rainbows
Teaching Technique used
Facilitating:
According to MacNaughton and Williams (2009), facilitation refers to the process of making children’s learning easier. It also includes creating age-appropriate lessons based on observations of children’s needs and interests. To put facilitation into practice, teachers intervene and assist children only when needed, through questioning, providing appropriate materials, providing clear feedback and giving explicit instructions and directions on exactly what has to be done (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). For example, if a child is having difficulty concentrating on a task because of noise distractions, an educator could facilitate the child by providing and setting aside a quiet corner for the child.
Importance of Facilitating in our school:
Our teachers strongly believe in the importance of creating a safe classroom environment in which children oversee their own learning and that teachers should act as facilitators. Through facilitation, it will encourage children to be self-motivated learners and take ownership of their own learning as they learn at their own pace and time.
Teaching Technique:
Facilitating
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For Teacher Izzati’s activity, Facilitation was observed when she provided the children with the appropriate art tools consisting of pencils, erasers, colour pencils, coloured markers and crayons for children to draw and colour at each station. She also facilitated the children through questioning and clear feedback. For example, during the main activity when children have to figure out the name of the rainbow based on half of the picture given, Teacher Izzati asked open-ended questions as hints to help the children when they were in doubt.
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In addition, during the tuning-in when she asked the children if the monochrome rainbow was still considered a rainbow, a child replied that it is not a real rainbow because only the colours red and yellow were mostly seen. She then extended on her learning by pointing out that the monochrome rainbow was still a rainbow because it is still made up of the 7 main colours of a rainbow. She continued to provide clear feedback to the children to explain to them that unlike the other rainbows, the monochrome rainbow usually appears at sunset and sunrise and hence, the colours red and yellow were more visible than the rest of the colours.
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The use of explicit instructions, materials, questioning and feedback she provided throughout her lesson allowed for a much more efficient facilitation of children’s learning to take place.