One of the latest accounts about Nate enjoying one of the many planned daycare 'provocations' in July - this one is from Anne. It's really so great to see him trying new things and new textures, and learning as he goes. Especially as he seems to shy away from many textures right now (ie shaving cream, and flubber-like jelly toys, and some food textures). Enjoy!
I always enjoy spending time with Nate as he is engrossed in manipulative and sensory experiences. I previously noticed his huge interest in puzzles and numbers and he often feels more comfortable around paint and drawing as media for self expression. The other day, however, I invited him to the clay table with some other children, Archie and Lucy. Nate first stood at the table next to me, watching his peers use the clay from a distance. I could feel his uncertainty, but after a couple of minutes, Nate took the courage to try something new, and sat down. He looked at the clay in front of him for a bit before feeling it with his hand. He took it off instantly, smiling in surprise.
"Does the clay feel cold Nate?" I asked him, realising the clay was indeed quite cold to the touch.
Nate started by patting the clay the same way Archie and Lucy were as they made their 'banana bread' out of clay. Nate then tried to squeeze it with both hands. He watched the clay with fascination as it slowly changed shape under the pressure of his fingers. As he became more comfortable with this resource, Nate became more adventurous. He picked up the piece of clay with one hand and with the other, started tearing small pieces. Every time, Nate looked at the piece he tore before before putting it on the table. As you can see from the photos, Nate worked hard to pull so many pieces off!
Next, Nate chose a shell that was in the middle of the table and started pressing it down on the clay. He took it off again and noticed the mark he had made. The big smile that came over his face was delightful to watch! He kept pressing down the shell again, using all his upper body muscles to push it down as hard as he could. What a great effort! I could see Nate knew what effect he wanted to see after discovering how he could make patterns in the clay with the shell! He was very determined and had a really satisfied look on his face!
Nate's curiosity about the clay led him to many discoveries and wonderment. The free exploration of this medium of expression has great benefits on a sensory level as well as for his holistic development. It was an empowering learning experience for Nate as he learnt that his actions with the clay had consequences when he saw it change shape each time he touched it. It was also nice to see Nate learn how to use clay by watching his friends first. Once he got the confidence to have a go at it, Nate discovered the great properties of clay work. Clay can help Nate foster his hand-eye coordination and helps extend his attention span and it is really beneficial for the development of smaller hand muscles and other fine motor skills used in other manipulative work and early writing skills. Clay is also a magical tool that can help develop creativity and imagination, the possibilities are limitless! I am looking forward to seeing what else Nate might do with clay next time!
"The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences." - Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia educational approach.
Tino pai Nate!
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