Activity 2: Thinking and Clothes

This is one part of the reflection on the lesson “Introducing Challenge to Pre-School Children”

Procedures

1. First, children are given worksheets with the outlines of different cloth items. Students are asked to colour what they will wear in winter. The time limit is set. Children have to name those clothes they coloured. 
2. Then, children are asked to colour those cloth items they will take if they have to go Egypt. The time limit is set. Children have to name those clothes they coloured. 
3. Children are asked to select three items and prove they go together. What makes them similar?

Students’ response and Teacher’s role

1. Students colour those clothes which are needed for winter and learn how name them in English.
2. The same as above.
3. One child quite quickly identifies the three items (3 hats) and says they go together because these are hats. The teacher accepts the solution.
4. The second child selects the 2 items (trousers) saying that these are for the lower part of the body. The teacher accepts the solution.

The two other children feel stuck. One tries to use the same explanation used by the second child. The teacher asks him to find another explanation. The child is stuck for few seconds. Then he asks if he can use 2 items. The teacher agrees and the child identifies the similarity between the 2.

Overall reflection on the Activity 2

• The task of identifying similarities between the items of cloth had the thinking potential. 
• For some children the task was not challenging since their first answer was accepted as a solution. The second child found only 2 items that go together and the solution was accepted. 
• The teacher increased the challenge for one child, not allowing him to use the same criteria used by his peer. But the challenge had to be decreased since other children solved their tasks and the group dynamics had to be kept. 
• From my point of view, creating a more meaningful context for the children for grouping the items would help to make the children accept the challenge, keep them on the task for a longer period and would allow raising the challenge for all the kids, including those who found the first solution easier. 
• When only staring working with the thinking tasks, it would be useful to think of a task formulation (context) before the lesson as it might be difficult to come up with the meaningful scenario on a spot.