Discovery Time

Discovery time in Autahi

During Discovery time in Autahi children are doing a mixture of things.  They are learning through play in which they make up games and play with their classmates, create pieces of art, build, construct, get physical and so much more.  This is an opportunity where children get to explore the room, their interests and guide their own learning.  They can choose from some provocations that are set out--some connected to our Inquiry focus others curriculum areas--or alternatively they can choose to play games, make, do puzzles, play music and explore.  At times we provide "brain challenges" where children are encouraged to try something that is practise towards some of our goals. 

Here was one of our provocations this week: It was a PE challenge.  In pairs children worked together to time for one minute while their buddy counted how many jumps, claps, toe touches and squats they could do.  

The learning here:

Measurement of time

Forward counting

PE and Health-- gross motor skills and fitness

Perseverance, Teamwork and Collaboration

Here was a brain challenge: how many different numbers can we build using the pipe cleaners and beads? Some children explored teen numbers, making tens and some more, others found different ways to make 10 and others explored how many beads could fit on a pipe cleaner.

The learning: Number Sense

Forward counting

Facts to 10

Teen Numbers

  

Literacy Play: These guys were having some fun with the magnetic words.  They were seeing how many they could read and were writing silly nonsensical sentences!

The Learning: Practise reading High Frequency Words

Sentence composition

Teamwork and Collaboration

Imagination: We have some pictures out to spark our imaginations and these guys decided to create their own pictures and stories about a dragon!

The Learning:

Creative thinking

Exploring the arts through drawing

Literacy links--writing 

  

Games and Puzzles: Some of us explored a new game we have, called Guess Who.  We have to put the masks on and ask questions to get clues about who our characters are.

The Learning: 

Asking questions

Taking turns

Active Listening

Team work

That's just a snip-it of the types of things we have going on in Autahi.  Our discovery time provides opportunity for following passions, trying new things, consolidation of concepts, working with others.  It also creates learner agency as children are able to choose their challenge, their passions, their direction.  Stay tuned to find out way more about our learning through play and exploration journey!