Billy Goats Gruff fairy tale and block play in preschool

Today, the children were exploring the fairy tale – The Three Billy Goats Gruff – through their play in the block center.

The teacher set out some blue tissue paper next to the block center and a few plastic goats. The teacher invited the children to see if they could make their own bridges across the water for the goats to cross over…

The bridge building started off a little slow at first. Most of the children went off to try other centers that were available in the room…

I kept an eye out to see if we would have any takers and after a bit we certainly did. One child started which grabbed the attention of another child, then another, and before long we had an entire bridge-building crew…

The children had to rebuild their bridges often because they discovered that to get the goats to cross the bridge – some reconstruction and reinforcement would be necessary. Well, of course, those are my words – not theirs. The children just worked by trial and error…

I noticed that the billy goat ended up pinned up at some point…

And I am not sure what the plan was here but it is pretty cool…

In the book titled, “Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice,” Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp state:

“In everything good teachers do — from setting up the classroom to assessing children to planning the curriculum — they are intentional. Teachers are purposeful and thoughtful about the actions they take…”.

This teacher was intentional in her planning today. She added the tissue paper and goats to the block center to integrate the fairy tale the children had read earlier in the day. As the teacher observed the children, she was able to see their ability to recall the story, to retell the story, and to expand the story into their own ideas.

See this fun little Hickory Dickory Dock Clock!

Hooking up with The Play Academy.

Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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