Perky Preschool

Family Tree The preschoolers have been busily working on their Family Tree as they continue to inquire about their personal histories. Researching and finding out more about your family's history helps the young learners establish their identity, embrace their cultures and traditions and understand who they are.  They learn about the past and feel a great connection to them as they gain knowledge about them.  It was also interesting to hear them identify their relatives from both sides of parents. They are starting to know these people by name which hopefully could lead to deeper curiosity and search for knowledge about them.  To add a little artistic touch into their presentations, the students were challenged to present the Family Tree not just only as a tree, but rather in a more creative and unique way!  See the great ideas they were able to come up with for their presentations.     "Sea my Family" Some students chose to present the membe...

Our Family Tree What do we take-away in knowing the generations of our family?  This week, the preschoolers looked into finding out more information about their family.  Not just knowing the names, but learning things that could tell more about who they are or who they someday might become. They understood that just like the branches of a tree, they are connected to their uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents.  " We came from the same tree." This sparked the curiosity as they communicated and asked each other questions. They found connections - similarities on having a small or big family, interests, jobs, or hobbies.      They made a significant discovery that everyone was once a child that grows up to become an adult, which someday will (or may become) parents too.  They saw that even if people come from different places, they could meet and stay in one place together.    Some names were given after the grandparents or other relatives....

"Let us save in our children's MEMORY BANK, treasures that cannot be taken away from them.  Be in their past, present and future" - Ms. Faye - Not all of us here are from Japan, or from Kobe. Some of us are from different countries, but we are all here in this classroom. We are right here.  Why do people travel or move to different places? Their responses were astounding! "Our parents want to take us to an adventure" "Because of war. Some wants to be alive."  "To be with their family." "Because they want be with the one they love and get married." "To work." "To study."  They created a space where we can realize that indeed, there is a purpose why people are at the same place at the right time. It gives us opportunity to look at change in different perspectives.  During this inquiry, the word 'LINK' came out.  This extended the conversation to why we are all connected to the past, when mommy was pregnant,...

  "Not all who wander are lost" J.R.R. Tolkien WHO LIVES IN OUR HOME? After learning about their personal history, the preschoolers moved into inquiring about their family's history. They created a simple visual representation of their home and those who lives in it. It is necessary for them to understand the importance of these family members in their lives. Every member plays an important role in their developmental milestones from birth to present and t he reason why they are where they are right now.  JAPAN Everyone in the class had their own histories and stories and reasons why they are here in Japan and studying at DSKI. They aware of their differences and the Preschoolers have embraced their internationality and uniqueness.  By looking at the map and the globe, they developed their curiosity about land forms such as continents, countries and bodies of water. Together, we were all excited exploring Google Earth!  We located the countries that our parents ...