Day one of action research

While typing up the required curriculum for children in baby class (ages 3-4) I ran across this important learning area that covers what I am trying to accomplish by reading to the children...

Learning Area 5: Language Development 2: Developing and using language appropriately

1. 1. Reading to enjoy, acquire knowledge and understanding
      1. Recognizing similarities and differences in objects, pictures and letter shapes
   2. Writing different kinds of factual and imaginative tasks depicting appropriate letter formation creativity and writing skills
      1. Coordinating my eyes and hands effectively
      2. Reads and writes the letters

 

Today was the first day of the research in action! Changed things up and went down to the area where the children eat lunch so I had about 12 children from age 3 to 9 years. Due to the language barrier for some of the children... I started off with simple picture books and the guy that is filming also was able to translate if the children didn't understand. I read Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert and From Head to Toe by Eric Carle. Both are picture books based on animals. Color Zoo also went through the basic colors and shapes. I did not video the first book but asked questions of what the animal was... what the shape is on the page... what sound the animal makes... At first the children all stood around and looked at the pictures with very few word. After a couple of pictures, the children started responding to the shapes and the animals that they knew. For monkey... the sound made here is cawcaw and that is reflected as I ask the children what sound a monkey makes. Very different from the oohooh ahhahh sound that the American children would make.

For the second book... From Head to Toe... I had one of the guys video for me so it took several attempts before he figured out what he was doing. Instead of just responding to the questions, I asked them to move like the animal in the book. Many of the children didn't know what I was asking so again my video guy had to translate and model... so you hear him in the background. By the second or third animal, some of the children were interacting with the story. At the end I had brought paper and colored pencils for the children to draw their favorite animal. There was reluctance but after I modeled and one child tried they all wanted paper and laid down on the porch to draw. Many had excellent memories of the shape picture of the cow and chose to do that as there are many in the village. Once they started they didn't want to stop. I had the children write their names on their pictures and turn them in so that I can have a progressive record of what they are getting out of the story.

Personal reflections: As the only muzungu in the village there is still a trust that has to be build. I had more than 12 children curious of the book but what surprised me is that all the adults in the area were also very curious and joined us. They were sitting in the back making the animal sounds and movements which was comical to me. Some of these things I have taken for granted but in a village where there are no storybooks within the classroom much less at home, they are intriguing to the people of Nabisooto!