Froggie

Reflection Journal: Relationships.

Date: 9th April 2010

Resources: Frog, books,

Activity: Exploration of froggie

Children: M (4), NT (4), N (3) T (4) and J (3)

STOP

A frog was introduced to the early childhood centre as part of “animal week”. The frog had its own case and furnishings. The teacher’s will catch the flies in the net and place the flies into the case. A group of boys M (4), NT(4), N (3), T (4) and J (3) were very interested in the frog and kept on hanging around the case, fascinated by the frog’s long tongue that kept flicking out to catch the flies and their long legs. N (3) says “ewe”, M (4) says “yuck”. I stopped next to them and crouched down so that I was at eye level with the children and asked them “do you know if a frog hatches from an egg or do you think that froggie here was born like that?” T (4) says “dunno”, J (3) shrugs his shoulders in response. NT (4) turns to me and says “hey, where does a frog come from teacher?” I told the group of boys “let me find a book first then we can look at it together”. I went to the centre manager and asked her if I can go to the library to find a book on frogs. Back at the centre, M (4), N (3), NT (4), T (4), J (3) and I sat down at the book corner. Together we looked at book‘s on frogs that had to do with lifecycle of frogs, the different body parts and their purpose. Here the children learnt about the lifecycle of the frog and that animals do not necessarily hatch out of an egg as most children think they do. M (4), N (3), NT (4), T (4) and J (3) learnt that frogs are born as tadpoles. This started up topics on how different animals are born. T (4) says to me “miss where do we come from?” I said to T (4) “you came from your mummy’s tummy?” T (4) replied “wow”.


THINK

This was very interesting not only for the children but for myself. It was good seeing the children take an interest in nature. They were full of questions as to Why? How? By asking these questions the children are being curious that they want to learn more by reading and talking about it (Ministry of Education, 1996). The children are learning to explore not only froggie itself but using technology like the computer to have a visual aid. Having support and trust from the centre and staff, to allow me to go to the library to look up books and use their computers was helpful. Because the children were interested I can in introduce other animals into the equation. Set up at the colouring in corner, paper, magazines where the children can cut and glue different pictures of animals they like and make into a collage they can hang up on the wall. Make animals masks out of paper plates and paint for the children to take home or displayed at the centre.

CHANGE: What would I do differently?

I would Google information on how a frog is born compared to a horse and the children can see the comparison between the two. To ask the early childhood teachers to display books around the frog case on frogs for children to use and look through. To have the children to look at books about other animals, the children are familiar with and how they are born. To have puzzles available at the puzzles corner that illustrates the life cycle of an insect, for example a puzzle on the lifecycle of a butterfly or frog or having colouring pages that children are able to colour in. Ask to arrange a trip to the library for the kids to find books on frogs or other animals or insects that interest them.