At the Doctor’s

Last week we noticed an interest in our senses developing from our inquiry into reflections and light. The children were noticing their pupils dilating. A Halloween skeleton song sparked an interest in bones, and a week- long school-wide healthy schools challenge had us talking about healthy living. So this week, we co-constructed a doctor’s office with the children. It turned out to be a very, very busy place! Lots and lots of learning and fun. The children delved deep into their play. The dialogue between doctor and patient was well-developed. There was a richness to the oral vocabulary as the children listened and responded to one another. We had expected to see empathy but the children really put themselves in the place of others as they took care of one another compassionately. It was well-seen that they all had had experiences being sick and being well looked after. We also found that there was a whole lot of self-regulation in the play as they negotiated ways to extend the play experience. When there were too many patients and only one doctor, one of the children declared that he would be a doctor too so they wouldn’t have to wait so long. And the times when there were more than 2 doctors per patient, saw a tricky negotiation of the responsibilities of each doctor.
We had expected more math play but as it turns out the measuring tools (scale and cubes) seemed to develop legs and marched off to other areas of the room where the children interacted with them. They were not missed at the doctor office. We find it interesting how the play emphasis can change with different groups of students.

For more information about play and inquiry within the classroom please visit our website;

http://www.journeytogetherfdk.com/play-4/play-2/