ERIC Number: EJ836642
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Mar
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1538-6619
EISSN: N/A
Investigating Rocks and Sand: Addressing Multiple Learning Styles through an Inquiry-Based Approach
Ogu, Uchenna; Schmidt, Suzie Reynard
Young Children, v64 n2 p12-18 Mar 2009
The authors demonstrate how to tailor curriculum to support the varied interests, abilities, and talents of the children in a kindergarten class. Through words and photographs, they describe an in-depth study of rocks and sand, a topic of great interest to the children. The teachers posed open-ended questions that fostered high-level discussions. They documented children's ideas and revisited the questions and ideas later. They investigated new theories outside of children's prior knowledge. Ogu and Schmidt explain how teachers identify and build on children's interests and knowledge and support all children's desire to explore and collect information. "When teachers design an inquiry-based curriculum grounded in documentation and reflection of children's questions and ideas, it can provide a scaffold to support many learning styles."
Descriptors: Learning Activities, Childhood Interests, Prior Learning, Kindergarten, Teaching Methods, Inquiry, Cognitive Style, Curriculum Development, Student Interests, Science Instruction, Scientific Concepts, Reflection, Questioning Techniques, Experiential Learning
National Association for the Education of Young Children. 1313 L Street NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 22205-4101. Tel: 800-424-2460; Tel: 202-232-8777; Fax: 202-328-2649; e-mail: editorial@naeyc.org; Web site: http://journal.naeyc.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Kindergarten
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A