Class Observations
From “Kazenoko Letter” No.434 - March 2014
| We held class observations in our new facility this year. This playroom
is bigger than the old one, so the children performed without restriction,
and the guardians were able to sit comfortably and enjoy watching them. I was impressed and almost cried at the sight of the youngest three-year-old children understanding their roles despite their younger age and putting their efforts into performing. I was also surprised by the growth of the four-year-old children when reflecting on their performance from last year. I was impressed by how much they had changed. The Wadaiko (Japanese drum) performance by the 5-year-olds was a sight to see. The composition is “Oni-daiko”, the same as last year. “Honen-daiko” had been played for the few years preceding this. I’m impressed that a five-year-old child can remember the rhythm of a drum so well. I felt my chest grow tight seeing the children with their drumsticks and a serious expression on their faces. Our class observations are held by each class around February, at the end of the school year. In other daycare centers and kindergarten, they hold it as a recital and big annual event. Since we provide childcare in mixed-age groups, each group has children that differ in age and ability. Therefore, we can’t hold an event that takes the shape of a competition. We want you to see the results of childcare in mixed-age groups as an extension of our daily childcare. Actually, when I see the children’s play at the class observation and the 3 and 4-year-old children playing while 5-year-old children lead, I feel that they play with ease and in harmony, as a group. That’s the world of children. Like in school, if a task is set all at once and common understanding is demanded, it takes time for the results to be seen when the ages of the children are different. We don’t expect for everyone to do the same thing in childcare with mixed-age groups. 4-year-old and 3-year-old children should try to understand and react to the best of their abilities what the 5-year-old children can do. In the play in which 3, 4, and 5 year-old-children take part together, their forms are different, and we can see each age group achieving a different level of mastery of their expressions. The class observation is a very good opportunity to understand the child’s development from that perspective. |
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