Reading Reflection: Beautiful Stuf

Beautiful Stuf by Cathy Weisman Topal and Lella Gandini is a

book about the sequence of events that ensued when educators
decided to explore ways in which to foster meaningful experiences
between young children and materials. Following the principles of the
Reggio Emilia approach, the authors conducted a lesson dealing with
found materials in one preschool class and two kindergarten classes.
Student observations were recorded as well as observation of teacher
processes. Throughout the text, each part of the lesson is analyzed to
help offer the reader ideas and suggestions for implementing their own
meaningful experiences between young children and materials.
To begin, the teachers sent a letter home to parents briefly
explaining the investigation the class was about to embark on. In
addition, another letter was to be sent home from the students. The
teacher invited students to help with the writing process of their letter.
It is important to note that she did not force students to participate.
She gave students a choice. They were welcome to help, and if they
did not want to, that was okay too. The letter sent home evoked family
engagement without really demanding it. When children get excited
about something, adults usually get excited about it as well.
A crucial part of truly understanding student thinking throughout
this activity was documentation. The educators took written notes,
recorded audio and video, and captured photographs. Observation
was not enough. There is so much that goes on during activities, it is
easy to miss significant moments. The documentation also allowed
for further analysis of what occurred. Tapes were revisited to be
transcribed and photos were used when displaying final pieces of work.
In addition, photos were shared with parents so they could see the kind
of explorations the students were participating in while at school and
stay informed throughout the process of this lesson.

When introducing materials, they need to be attractive and

inviting. Materials that are eye-catching ensue provocation and
stimulate a childs thinking. They want to touch the materials, work
with them, manipulate them, create, explore, etc. The possibilities are
endless! Since students brought in an assortment of items, it was
decided that they needed to be sorted in some way. However, the
teachers did not instruct the students on how to sort them. The
students lead this process. The teacher facilitated the assortment by
asking, What do you think about sorting this pile of exciting,
wonderful, colorful materials into smaller piles? But the students
decided what the classification for the piles would be. One started a
pile for balls, one started a pile for paper, and another started a pile for
metal. Once the piles were created, the items were put in clear bins.
The bins were put on a shelf in an area of the room where students
could easily access them and clearly see the colors and textures of the
materials. The teachers wanted to create a studio space where
students would have, a space for exploration, a quiet space for
thinking, and a protected space. (p. 25) The area was termed a
laboratory for thinking. The idea wasnt just to designate an area to
store the materials, but rather set up an environment that would be
inviting to students, foster enthusiasm, and of course, cultivate
thinking.
Time must be given for children to explore. When children
explore, they are becoming familiar with the materials. The educators
in the book allowed children to explore with the materials for a couple
days. Not only are children becoming more familiar with the materials
when exploring, but they are also starting to generate ideas about
ways to use them. It is almost necessary for educators to dedicate a
day to just investigating with the materials so students can get past
their initial curiosity and begin to really delve into further investigating.

When it came time to create with the materials, no model was

given. Students werent shown a specific way to do something or
given directions. This would limit their creativity. Students do not all
think the same way, therefore, why should their work all look the
same? Once again, the teacher only facilitated student thinking by
asking, How could you make a puppet from our materials? Using
open-ended questions is a good way to promote student thinking
without dictating it. The materials sparked many connections, even in
some ways the educators never predicted. The authors state, We
anticipate the childrens delight, but not their deep interest. (p. 31)
They also noticed, that the children seem to build attachments to the
materials without having to own them. (p.18) A faucet was turned
into a horse and ribbons were turned into a marionette. From puppets,
the lesson turned to facial features and how to create them using the
materials. Then, bodies and clothing were added to the faces to
complete their collages. Lastly, students drew representations of
their finished work. By doing so, students are examining their
creations through a different perspective; becoming more aware of
their constructing process, their potential and ability, and their
understanding of form.
An important strategy to note is the saving of students work.
Often when children are working with materials and the allocated time
is up or they have to go home, they are asked to clean up what they
are doing. During the activities in Beautiful Stuf, a work-in-process
shelf was created where students could place things they were working
on to revisit later. Designating a safe place where students can keep
things they are in the middle of working on communicates respect for
their work. It also invites students to continue working on something
for a longer period of time. Not all children work in the same ways or
at the same pace. Allowing a child the opportunity to return to their
explorations fosters a more complex level of thinking. Not only were

works in process saved, but also once completed, they were displayed
for others to view and admire.
The activities explored in Beautiful Stuf were composed of many
components. They included family engagement, social interactions,
cognitive development, fine motor skills, and creativity. They were
intercurriculuar-involving math, language arts, science, and art. Every
aspect of the lesson was guided by student interest. There was no set
plan of events because young children can be so unpredictable,
especially with their thinking! It was amazing to see the journey the
students went on just from the introduction of found materials.