Thinking Together

Today we introduced our floorbook! I learned about this great idea after finding Clair Helen Warden's facebook page called Planning Through Talking and Thinking Floorbooks. "Claire Warden created the concept in the late 1980's whilst researching scientific thinking in young children." What pulled me into this style of documentation is the fact that it is inclusive of the children.

This tool pulls the children into the thinking, planning, and documentation process in a way that is all their own. It encourages collaboration, sharing of thoughts and thought processes, dissecting ideas, and thinking deeply.

As I introduced the large floor book, the size alone attracted children, I told them that I had something to show them, to share with them. They began to gather around the book. We thought together about our upcoming trip to a new forest location. There were some very interesting ideas and conversations happening. One child thought that the forest would be spooky with an owl " but he will not see us cause his eyes will be closed", he said as he closed is own eyes and began to well up with excitement as if he was actually in the forest in that moment experiencing what he held in his imagination.

Another child chimed in with " Cause he's nocturnal, nocturnal means that he sleeps in the day and opens his eyes at night!"  another said there would be lots and lots of trees then he thought out loud "How do trees grow? We pondered that question for a while and then another child said " They grow with seeds!"  Together we drew trees and water, spiders and owls. This was a great start to our inquiry floor book. We have a wonderful question to take into the woods to investigate "HOW DO TREES GROW?"

As the children talked and thought, I heard many hypothesis, theories, and ideas. One child wondered if there would be water, and if so what color the water would be. One child said "purple, cause purple is my favorite color". Another argued that it would be blue.

I could have told them how trees grow, or what color the water really is, I could have whipped out my phone, or iPad, or computer, I could have filled them with facts... but is it really about that?? NO, it's about instilling a love of learning, feeding their curiosity with deep thought and investigation through play, allowing them to discover new ideas, ask new questions and answer their own questions through hands-on exploration. If I give them the flat facts... then the process of learning is over, it's halted.. they ask the question, I give the answer.. THE END... I'd like to instead make this just the beginning.. they have FOREVER to learn all of the facts.. right now, they are learning the ways to learn and acquiring facts along the way. I am NOT here to fill their buckets up, I am here to pass them the shovel and watch them work.

-Lakisha Reid 

Owner/Educator 

Discovery Early Learning Center 

www.facebook.com/Discoveryearlylearning

Founder of Play Empowers ( Sharing the POWER of PLAY) 

Co-Host of Dirty Playologist Podcast