infant paper study (part 4)

Sometimes inspiration hits you in unexpected ways.  Most often ideas on new ways to challenge and engage the little people come from thoughtful reflection and observation.  Sometimes they come through the mail.  I received a box of books recently and it was full of a large amount of packing paper.  I was on the way to the recycling bin when I realized that this would be the perfect provocation for the infant to investigate.

I set up the box with a bit of the paper sticking out on the littlest person's play mat.  I then set the littlest person near the box and he quickly began to explore.  This was an interesting invitation for the infant; it allowed him to explore the paper with the entirety of his body.  Not only that, but as he his reach has continued to develop over the course of this study he was able to pull the paper out of the box and manipulate it around his body.

As I observed the littlest person explore I thought that I would introduce a new challenge.  I set him inside the box to provide a new perspective.  This invitation turned out to provide him with the perfect opportunity to experience risk as I set him inside and sat back.  Inevitably he fell out of the box and though startled continued to explore and engage.  The very beginnings of learning to take a risk, fall, and get back up!

At this point his older brother became curious about what was happening.  His older brother loves to put things inside of boxes and so he took the box and put a few of the infant's toys inside as an invitation to play.  Not only did this provide the littlest person with another way to engage with the box, but as the brother was near and talking to the infant it was the start of a (small) learning community.

As the infant became more excited about the noises and textures the relationship with the paper and the box were providing him, eventually the older brother decided that he too had to experience the box.  In the spirit of community learning, the little person took a cue from the littlest person.

infant paper study (part 3)

The littlest learner has been continuing to engage in relationship with paper.  This week he was able to explore the paper from many perspectives.  While he was sleeping I removed all of the bright plastic toys from his floor mat and replaced them with hanging pieces of brown paper and crumpled up bags on the mat.  When he was ready for floor play I placed him on his play area and began to observe him.

He was rather startled at first.  

But he quickly began to stretch, roll, eat, and grab for the paper.

This was an interesting development in the littlest person's relationship with paper.  By weaving the paper amongst his play space he was able to experience its many properties without too much hesitation. The placement of the papers allowed the little person opportunities to stretch his curiosity and physical reach farther than he has yet.

I'm hoping that with the continuation of this growing relationship among infant and paper that the littlest  person will continue to grow his curiosity, joy, physical capabilities, and knowledge of his surrounding world.

homemade books

One of my favorite ways to help little people learn vocabulary and to remember events is to create personalized homemade books.  I used to make these a lot in the classroom whether it was after a field trip, to document a specific play episode, or to showcase children and their families.  These homemade books always became the children's favorite books to read on their own and were often topics of their conversations.

Here is an example of the book I made for the little person I am nannying after we visited the zoo.