Whats Happening at Wild Roots?

The children have been spending months engaged in Independent work, and in the coming weeks we will witness the balanced interplay of individual work and projects, and how skills acquired in the classroom are applied and explored through projects!

In this beautiful month of January, we at Wild Roots are beginning 2018 with a fresh perspective on the work we are engaging in each day. Emphasizing order and clarity in our daily routines and lesson work, we are ensuring that children and teachers are achieving the most we can each day in our lessons, individual work, and projects.

We love the beginning of the calendar year, as it is a time to observe the children’s processes, take note of what is in our material sets, and make improvements where necessary. It is imperative that our environments provide a sense of security, predictable order, and thoughtfully planned out work, promoting independence and daily routines.

When individual work is clearly defined and repeated by children, they begin to feel a sense of purpose within the classroom and their “flow state” is heightened. This is noticeable when the children get into a rhythmic state of work that is absolutely beautiful and harmonious, which aids in an apparent sense of productivity and mental clarity. A collective consciousness of care for one another and the environment is created!

At this point, the children are building the skill sets needed to enjoy meaningful project work in the classrooms and Atelier! We notice that as concentrated independent work increases, the further the children’s individual interests and curiosity grows. They seek meaningful modes of discovering the world that surrounds them and how they can be an integral part of it!

The act of working respectfully and independently with materials, as well as learning the foundations of language, mathematics, science, and social studies, will pave the way for rich experiences with projects. Each child can contribute his knowledge and acquired skills into a project that spontaneously arises. And when the children begin to connect their individual interests and collective knowledge base, it becomes meaningful group work, and that is when the MAGIC HAPPENS!!

Project work is reinforced and enhanced through individual work, and through the return to individual work to further knowledge and skill, projects are scaffolded in a constructive cycle. Projects allow the child to apply skill and experiment with knowledge. It allows the child to bring his self confidence into a community setting to find his niche and positively contribute to a larger whole.

We are beginning new projects in the classrooms and Atelier as the children begin to progress with many ideas they’ve been discussing and exploring and it is exciting to witness the unfolding of each child’s special place in the process.