Making Choices

Children sitting in one of the classroom corners, creating buildings and bridges with wooden blocks, making estimations about the sizes and shapes of blocks. Some engrossed in expressing their imagination and feelings through spreading vibrant colours on paper sheets. In the process, touching , mixing and feeling the colours. Little hands using scissors to cut paper and create patterns,sticky hands with glue and pasting the cut shapes on paper to create more patterns. These streamers will be put outside our Class and add to the liveliness of the room. Two little figures walking around the room wearing over sized T shirts and hats- a role play is in the air. A few serious faces sitting on little stools and writing words to add them to our "word Box". These would be shared in the morning circle time. As I step out in the play area, muddy hands mixing water in the sand and offering this as ice cream, a beautiful and serene temple being created in the sand pit and fallen flowers adorning the temple peak. Confident and sturdy feet running up and down the grass mound. Well! these are images of 'choice time" in my Kindergarten. Memories of days I so much cherish!!

Choice time was a very significant part of my day with children. They had made their choices and were creatively and meaningfully engaged, abundant learning was happening.

In all the activities being explored by them,there was space for inquiry,manipulation,imagination,expression and cognition.

Choice time for children would have different meaning at different age levels. Also the nature of choices and challenges for children at various age levels has to be thoughtfully planned. The question to be answered by a teacher at all times should be "Am I taking my children forward?"

Choice time according to me can be defined as the time where a teacher provides meaningful choices to children,which help in the development of skills like thinking abilities,application,creativity,observation and building lasting relationships with Language,Maths and Science around them.

Three significant stages of creating choice time corners are:

*Planning and preparation of corners.

*Orienting children about the choices.

*Meaningful implementation and monitoring the choices made by children.

What teachers should keep in mind:

*How do we interpret and implement choice time?

*Do we initiate children to the choices available?

*Do we observe how children respond to the various corners?

*Do we observe children creating and manipulating?

*How do we encourage children to explore more corners in case they move to the same corners?

*If children show trends during choice time,do we incorporate them in our lesson plans as themes?

*Do we talk about changes in choices during our circle time?

*Do these choices enhance the skills and take the children forward?

Suggestions for choice time corners:

*Discovery Corner - Box with magnets,magnifying glass,measuring tape,small weighing scales,threads,strings,torch,plastic cups etc.

*Beads and strings - creating jewellery

*Project activities done in the Class - Children like to revisit activities,some of them who have been absent miss out on them.

*Reading corner - Books relevant to the theme can be kept.

*Making resources and games - Word games,number games,riddles and board games

*Knitting and stitching corner.

*Art corner.

*Math aids and games.

*Gardening - creating a flower bed or vegetable patch.

*Not to miss playing out and outdoor games.

*Role plays using props.

Happy Choice Time with your Choices!!