Tuesday SOL: What about home?

I am participating in the
Tuesday Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day.

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

It is no surprise that, at the beginning of the school year, home is ever-present on preschoolers’ minds. As children play and explore in the classroom, I see a great deal of fascination and curiosity about home. In dramatic play, the children play family, with pretend meals, bed times, and doctor visits. In the block area, children create homes for animals and people. We decided to delve into the topic. We wondered,

What is home?

What makes a home?

What do you love about home?

Preschoolers are beginning to discern what is the same and what is different, stretching their thinking muscles. I posed the question, “What is the difference between home and school?” and the children truly struggled with this. I loved listening to the preschoolers, as they tried to tease these two concepts - home and school - apart:



“You run at school.” (O)

“But not inside!” (S)

"Dirt is a kind of home." (M)

“I have a bouncy ball at home.” (C)
"I have a grabber at home." (J)

“You not bring your toys to school." (N)
"I like to play with my sister." (L)

"Home – watch cartoons!” (E)

“Yes, watch T.V. at home” (A)

“Home and school are the same because you are warm.” (C)
“At home, Mommy has a bed.” (B)
“Mommy is home.” (Z)
"Mommy picks me up." (I)


We are finally on to something! Our families are at home!

I think it is oh so sweet that the children struggled to figure this out. Perhaps there is a great deal that is the same about the early childhood classroom and children’s own homes? 

sol17-10 What is today's surprise?

I am participating in the
Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC).
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day of March 2017. 

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity
for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

The day did not bode well. 

A five a.m. text from my Teaching Resident that she was home sick with the flu. 

I left my house later than I should have and I just missed a metro train.

The morning air was much cooler than expected and I felt chilly throughout my commute.

Darkening skies, I knew the rain wasn't going to hold off for outdoor recess.

The day did not bode well.

Look! 

A surprise at my classroom door!

A treehouse! 

Yes, for real.

A colleague's children and home had outgrown this treasure and she knew my preschoolers would welcome it. Just looking at it made me break into a smile. It was adorable.

I set it up on the center of our welcome carpet and just let it speak for itself. 

The children's delight was as instantaneous as mine. They brought dolls, animals, toy furniture, shells, dominoes, all their favorite treasures to visit the new treehouse. They opened its doors, looked through the floors, walked dolls up the stairs, touch, feel, open, shut, turn, spin, wonder.

For the first few minutes of their play, I was able to sit and listen and take notes. I love to eavesdrop on children! What are they thinking about? Here's what I overheard - 

"I saw something missing."

"Where is the Mommy?"

"We don't have a baby."

"We can have many Mommies.

"It's a treehouse."

"Mommy, I have to go to bed."

"You are not going outside, come back inside."

"There's no room."

"Open the door!" 

"Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me."

"Hey, what's the problem?"

"Close the door." 

"There's a moment."

"I wanted to check the door."

"It's a surprise."

Children consumed with thoughts of family and home. Beautiful. Loving. Magical. 

We were only a few minutes into our day together and I felt that I had set a huge "reset" button from my earlier moments. One never knows what surprises a day holds!