There are four Guiding Principles ( Wonder Discover Feel, Inquiry, Integration, & theLanguage Wheel) designed to focus instruction. They function as a barometer and help determine what is most important in teaching and facilitate alignment of values and beliefs. All the Guiding Principles are linked together, woven into every second of day, and always stand at the forefront of instruction. These ideas are not new, however the way they fit together, along with some new structures to discover on this Web site (e.g. Choice Reading, Talk on the Oval, Morning Discovery) create a unique and powerful instructional framework.
What is Wonder, Discover, Feel?
Wonder Discover Feel developed after years of observation and self-reflection of the 5-6 year old. All day long they question, learn new things, and express feelings. Young children are naturally captivated by the dried up worm on the sidewalk, the roly-poly that snaps into a ball, or the spider crawling across the floor in the middle of a read aloud. They operate in the here and now…constantly wondering, discovering, and expressing a gamut of emotions in any given day. They are alive! This is how they operate in the world. I teach from this perspective.
Listening to children’s words and paying careful attention to body language as they enter the classroom in the morning allows me to reflect on…”What are they wondering about? What new discoveries have they made or will make? What are they feeling?”
It is imperative to draw out children’s thinking—to know what is going on in their constantly percolating heads, to encourage questions to be brought forth, and empower them to articulate new learning with others.
Expression of emotions adds a new dimension to cognitive interactions (e.g. excitement, confusion, frustration, sadness, happiness etc.), bringing richness and a deeper understanding to learning. Emotions are what make us whole and give meaning to our experiences. They are the glue that holds learning together. All authentic learning is personal. When children are deeply attached to a subject area, they are more connected and invested in understanding, and learning naturally occurs and lasts.
The paradigm of Wonder, Discover Feel creates a foundation for the love of learning and knowledge by emphasizing the deep connection of thinking, learning, and feelings.
Environments that draw out these natural attributes harness the pure energy of children. The materials, how they are arranged within the classroom, and the structures carved out in the day draw out Wonder, Discover, Feel.
What is Inquiry?
Inquiry is the process of successive questioning leading to depth and breadth in understanding, and is integral to effective teaching. Starting with basic questions and transitioning to more challenging learning, as opposed to delivering information to children, is a powerful stand from which to teach. By asking questions and discovering what children know, don’t know, or misconceptions that need to be addressed, informs next steps in instruction with concept and language development. This approach opens windows into children’s thinking and passions.
Inquiry promotes empowerment, self-confidence, and self-discovery. Through critical reasoning, children realize how resourceful they are, empowering themselves in their learning.
What is Integration?
Integration is based on the notion that all learning is connected and can be integrated from one discipline into another if we slow down and look at the common threads that bind ideas together. A spider’s web is a beautiful metaphor for this visual integration. The key is to listen for opportunities to connect language, concepts, and experiences, minute by minute, day by day, every day of the year.
The focus in teaching is to revisit and deepen content by exploring concepts in depth. Children need to see how learning today connects to something the class investigated yesterday to something studied at the beginning of the year. When children experience how various concepts are related on every level, learning has a far better chance of being retained leading to deeper understanding. Children view the world holistically; they don’t compartmentalize learning…this is the way we need to think and teach.
What is the Language Wheel?
The Language Wheel is a model created that connects talk, writing, and reading. It’s expressed this way: what we think, we can say; what we say, we can write; what we write, we can read. We want to capture and remember thoughts, feelings, experiences, and learning that matter. Everything is aimed at promoting thoughtful talk. As children open up and begin taking risks with language, more opportunities arise to connect their thoughts to writing and reading.
There is no mandatory point on the wheel. You can start with writing and then jump to reading, initiating talk. Or, begin with reading, then move to talk, and writing. Children frequently toggle back and forth between talk and reading, and then write.
The power of the Language Wheel lies in its recursive nature. The more children talk, write, and ready about a subject, the more complex language, ideas, and understanding become.
