Cut and Paste The Yellow School Bus

The yellow school bus project appears to be nothing more than child's play.
But does it serve a purpose more important than mere entertainment?

      Earlier this week, our young students experienced their first cut and paste art lesson. During the lesson, we discovered how much dexterity each child possessed. Each student was also observed while given a set of simple tasks:

• Could the student remain seated during a ten to fifteen minute project?
• Did he or she listen to directions attentively while the teacher was speaking?
• Did the student follow the directions to the best of their ability?
• How did he or she handle the scissors or glue stick?
• Did the student appear to identify the colors easily? (yellow, black, grey, white, and red)
• Did the student know and/or name the shapes?
• Did the student appear happy or frustrated by the activity?
• How much did the students engage with children sitting at the same table?
• Did the student loose interest quickly?

      This kind of informal assessment helps teachers evaluate how much to expect initially of their students and to what point their learning skills need to progress within a reasonable time frame. It is typical to ask very young children to perform a simple series of tasks at the beginning of a school year in order to make this general analysis. Parents should not be alarmed to learn of it because it is a sign of quality control on the part of the staff. It means that your child's environment with be adjusted to their specific needs. Your son or daughter's growth and welfare will be ensured by those who are trained to meet his or her individual constitution. This is one of the primary differences between childcare/daycare and early learning.