Memories of a kindergarten Family inquiry: "What do families do?"
When we noticed many of our students playing together about babies, siblings, cousins, pets, and parents, we thought it would be a valuable opportunity to begin a family inquiry. Every day, we played and talked together - outdoors and indoors - about our families. As we played, students discovered that they shared many commonalities with their friends’ families. They were also fascinated to learn about the things that make their families different and special. We learned that family members have different roles and responsibilities, and families work together to help each other. Some students played about being grown-ups who “go to work” and “get money to buy food, or toys.” Some played about being grown-ups who do important jobs at home like taking care of babies, cooking healthy food, washing dishes, or doing laundry. We challenged students to think about the helpful ‘jobs’ they themselves do at home, and students were eager to share about how they help with jobs like baki...