Provoking Wobblers

The Observation

I challenge myself daily while working with my one year olds to offer new experiences. New ideas for provocations, or activities that inspire further investigations and explorations, are constantly flowing through my mind as I watch the children. I love these moments, when I am able to just sit and observe, looking for those little clues that can be built into more. Lately, there has been a lot of focus on lids and jars. While I watch the children remove and try to fit lids on over and over again I wonder many things: Is this a spacial exploration? (physicality of a jar and lid in space); is it the texture of the glass of the jar or plastic of the lid? What would they do with metal containers? What would they do with something inside the containers? Are they more interested when the lid is on the jar first? Or when the two are separated? Are they interested in the colors? Is GW working on this because he saw SW doing it? Does T only become interested in a jar or lid if someone else is holding it? What would happen if....As you can see my imagination is fully engaged and this line in inquiry could keep going on for as long as possible. You might, if the camera is pointed on me (which it rarely is), see me with a note pad, furiously writing. These are the notes I use to document and create provocations.

Point of Interest

Today I set up buckets with water and jars with lids outside. I put a few drops of liquid water color in a few of the jars , but left the lids off. I chose two primary colors. Then I filled the buckets with about an inch of water. Each bucket had one color: red, yellow and clear. I wanted to create a provocation that gave them a chance to practice pouring, something we're practicing during meal times. Now I have covered the second step of creating a provocation. After making an observation of a motive of activity (in this case jars/lids), I've now brought a point of interest: jars and lids. I know the children will be attracted to the activity, because they have been lately.

Invite the Senses

The next step is to take their interest to the next level. My favorite way to do this with infants and toddlers is to add a sensorial or textural component. Since children under 3, and many even older, are highly sensorial learners, it is important to give them an opportunity to experience as much as possible through all of their senses. I think about this a lot while setting up my indoor environment. I like creating opportunities for contrasting textures to come together so they can highlight each other in their differences, and give the children a chance to come to know these textures hands on. Today I've added water, which I also view as an art medium. It is also an important element in our natural world, a manipulative which I hope my boys will come to master, and use in their repertoire of investigation, play, and imagination.

Secondary Learning

Once I get to this point in creating a provocation, I often think about adding in what I think of as Secondary Learning. This is a part of the provocation which might fade into the background of the child's focus while they explore. It's complimentary to what the activity's intention is, yet might simply be absorbed subconciously for the future. So, today I've added a few drops of liquid water color to the bottles. I'm hoping that water gets into the bottles at some point, but they might not. But if they do, then the water will change color. Then, if the water becomes mixed (again, I hope it does), then the magic of color mixing is introduced. From what I know about my boys and their age (12 to 20 months), the color mixing will definitely come second to the water sensation. However, the colors will still come together and create orange, and this reaction will be filed away in there somewhere to be explored later.

Observation

Then comes my very favorite part. The buckets, jars, water and such is placed on the lawn. I move a space away and watch. T notices me first, and points at the buckets. I smile and say, “What do you see? You can use it!” At first there is a bit of hesitation, but soon a older toddler notices what is available as well. She goes right to work, finding a jar as T watches closely. This intrigues GH who is near by, my favorite lover of all things glass with a lid. Soon water is splashing, mixing, pouring and filling. The older toddler begins a cycle of activity: Filling a jar, putting the lid on, singing “Happy Birthday to you”, removing the lid, and pouring into a second bucket, then repeating. T finds a baby food jar and fits a lid that doesn't quite work, yet he doesn't give up. Then he notices the water, and uses both hands to splash. GH comes over and notices his favorite jar, sits down on the grass and works for a long while with each piece in his lap. Later GH walks to the porch, and discovers that the lid makes a lovely noise if he drags it on the cement.

Reflection

Today all of my thoughts come to how do I explain creating an experience like this? It's the biggest challenge for me: explaining how I do what I do. There are so many elements, most of which I go by what feels right in the moment, the amount of energy I have, follow through, and the level my imagination has reached that day. I have gotten really excited about trying to explain my process of creating provocations, and that feeling combined with the children's joy of exploration is highly inspiring. I do make sure to take note of what the children are doing, so that tomorrow when I offer this activity again, I can think of ways to extend, enhance, add a new element, or keep it the same. It is this cycle of inquiry and observation which not only keeps the children engaged, but encourages their own inquiry and sense of joy as they are provoked towards higher understanding and higher knowledge of their world.