EARLY LEARNING CENTRE LEARNING

EXPERIENCE
Student Name: Krystina Telesca Date: October 5th, 2017 Age Group: JK/SK 3-6

Purpose: Reason for

developing learning
experience. This could be Purpose:
in response to an
observation, discussion The purpose of this experience will be for the children to engage in
with the site supervisor, a thanksgiving activity where they can think about and describe
Ontario Curriculum what they are thankful for, as well as what they love most. It will
Objective, etc. also refine and enhance fine motor skills as children finger paint,
and use their palms to create a tree painting.
Observation
Discussion:
- Document what you
saw and heard My site supervisor and I had a discussion about my experiences for
- Document non-verbal
communication (i.e., block week. I brought up implementing an art experience that
body language, facial consisted of the children creating fall trees with their palms and
expressions and voice fingers, to introduce them to the new season and new colours of
tone) leaves. We decided that this could be a thanksgiving fall experience,
- Document in detail:
who, what, where, and where the children will create fall trees, as well as be encouraged to
when write what they are thankful for on the trees. We thought this would
- Documentation should encourage the children to think about what they love, and what they
be written in past would like to say thank you for.
tense, objective, and in
anecdotal format
OR

Discussion

Document the discussion

between you and your site
supervisor that led to the
planning

OR

Curriculum Objective

Describe the curriculum

objective youre aiming
to meet/enhance through
this experience

Learning Experience

What are you planning in Thanksgiving Trees:

response to your purpose?
I will create an art experience where children will be encouraged to
- Label your experience create fall trees out of their hands and fingers, as well as be
(e.g. Painting with encouraged to think about what they would like to say thank you
cars).
- What are your 3 for. This activity will take place indoors, during small centers time
objectives for this at a large group table. I will encourage all of the children to do it at
experience? (i.e. What some point so that they can take it home for thanksgiving weekend.
interests are you I will give each child a piece of paper, and I will assist them with
extending? What
strengths and using their painted hand print as a tree. Once they have their tree, I
opportunities for will encourage them to draw a trunk with their two fingers, as well
growth are you as using single fingers to create multicoloured fall leaves on their
enhancing/supporting?) trees. I will write, I am thankful for at the top of each art piece,
Please Note: You
and encourage the children to think about what they would like to
should refer to
appropriate pedagogy say thank you for, and write it. For children that need assistance, I
to support your will help them spell or write the word, whatever it may be. This
discussion around experience will allow the children to work on fine motor skills as
strengths and they paint with their hands, as well as encourage them to cognitively
opportunities for think about what they are thankful for. It will also be sensory as
growth (e.g. ELECT, they will be able to feel the sensation of paint on their fingers and
How Does Learning hands.
Happen, Ontario FDK
Curriculum, etc). Materials:

- Construction paper
- Red, yellow, orange, and brown paint
Describe the experience:
- Markers and crayons
- Who will be involved - Pencils
in the experience?
- Where will the
experience take place?
(e.g. Indoors or Implementation:
outdoors? In the
dramatic centre, the 1. I will introduce the activity by talking about the new
creative table, etc). season, and asking the children what happens to the
- List the materials and
resources you will use trees. I will also talk about thanksgiving, and talk about
- Describe the how we eat turkey and talk about what we are thankful
implementation of the for.
 experience, with a step
by step description
- List and describe 2
teaching strategies.
How will you use
them? Why have you
chosen these
strategies?
2. I will give each child a piece of construction paper.
3. I will help the children paint their palms, and push them
on the paper for their trees.
4. I will encourage the children to use their fingertips to
create a tree trunk and fall leaves on their trees.
5. I will write I am thankful for at the top of each
childs paper.
6. I will assist the children in describing what they are
thankful for, as well as help them write or spell if
needed.
7. I will create my own tree and be an active participant.

Objectives:

1. The children will (Self-Regulation and Well-Being: 8.4)

demonstrate control of small muscles while working in a
variety of learning areas, and when using a variety of
equipment, as they carefully finger paint leaves onto their
fall trees. They will also use and refine small muscle skills
as they grasp the pencil, and write the word they are using to
describe what they are thankful for at the top of their page
(The Kindergarten Program, 2016, pg. 180).
2. The children will (Problem Solving and Innovating: 1.9)
describe personal experiences using vocabulary and details
appropriate to the situation, as they explore and describe
what they are thankful for. A child may explain, I am
thankful that my mommy reads me a story every night
before bed. This will allow the children to think about and
use vocabulary to describe what they love (The Kindergarten
Program, 2016, pg. 264).
3. The children will (Problem Solving and Innovating: 10.5)
experiment with a variety of simple writing forms for
different purposes and in a variety of contexts. The children
will investigate writing simple words to describe what they
are thankful for and what they love (The Kindergarten
Program, 2016, pg. 280).

Teaching Strategies:

Questions: I will introduce the activity by asking the children what

is the new season that we are welcoming. Once they describe that
the new season is fall, I will ask them what happens to the leaves
and the trees in fall. These questions will help the children think
about the new season and the changes that happen during the
season. I will also ask them what they are thankful for. I may word
it by saying, what do you love that you would like to say thank you
to God for? This will encourage the children to think about what
they love and what they would want to write on their fall tree.

Scaffolding: I will scaffold the children throughout the experience,

and especially as they describe what they are thankful for, and
attempt to write simple words on their thanksgiving fall trees. I will
do this by helping children come up with words to use, as well as by
sounding out words slowly in order to help the children figure out
which letters to write.