Daily Documentation from Tigerlily Preschool
March 8, 2023
Word has definitely spread that some clay items aren’t getting balled back up as usual- but saved. P wants to make a snowman and rolls some balls, stacking them quickly.
S (moving to the chalkboard): Oh, I think I know about what you’ve done.
S thoughtfully sketches out a drawing of his friend’s work
Then he draws about his own work, comparing the two, and explaining about having added arms and eyeglasses to his.
S (noting the arms and eyeglasses): Here’s some things I also added to mine.
Back at the table, I encourage the children to think about working bigger- tiny tiny bits of clay will be tricky to attach securely (scoring joints will be a skill to add in, soon I think, but for now I’m so pleased with the big leap we have made into the concept of attaching pieces together, with intention)
P adds pieces to his snowman that make S think of wings.
P: It’s a bird-snowman.
Marie: What’s so great about clay is that you can use it to make pretty much anything you can think of.
L (happily rolling a fat coil): I am making a snake!
S: I’m going to make a duck. No one’s made a duck yet.
Marie: Oh fun! Before you get started, can I show you something that might be useful in your work?
I pull out the ballpoint pen I had in mind from yesterday, showing S how it can be a handy tool when you are working with clay and want to be able to, basically, draw on the clay.
Marie (making some tiny marks in my own bit of clay): It’s really good at adding details to your work.
P: What are details?
Marie: Hmmm. Details… are small things, so interesting to notice. Details show more about your idea. Adding details can make a good idea even better.
We admire how clearly the duck’s eye came out.
P: It looks a little bit like a snowman.
Marie (excited to highlight this use of variation on a known structure because…possibilities!): What I think we’ve figured out is that you can stack circle shapes to make different kinds of bodies.