In the month of May, Preschool 2 has been fascinated with all things bugs! With the introduction of our very own pet butterflies and the insects we find on our playground, there’s been no shortage of bug exploration in our classroom.
When our caterpillars were introduced for the very first time, our children immediately took an interest in them. They asked questions like, “Do they have legs?” “Are they a baby?” “What do they eat?” and “Can they move?” The children also displayed empathy and compassion when they recognized that one of our caterpillars were dying and would ask frequently, “Is he okay?” “Is he eating?” “Is he sick?”
To scaffold the children’s wonder in our caterpillars, we branched out to other insects like bees, worms and our favourite - spiders! Myles and James worked together to safely capture and release a spider that decided to pay our classroom a visit. They fondly cradled the bug catcher, but some children had a different reaction to the little visitor and promptly ran away as the spider was being released.
The next day, a provocation was set up for the children to discover more about insects. There were displayed books, life cycles and real resin encased critters for the preschoolers to look at. They were in awe of how a “baby caterpillar” turns into a “big beautiful butterfly”!
In our reading nook, A new favourite book in our classroom is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. One day, a fond moment between Shivansh and Andi was shared. They laughed and giggled loudly while they cozied up and read the story together. Andi and Shivansh said, “He’s eating too much! His tummy is gonna hurt!” The Very Hungry Caterpillar is now a book that is never sitting on the shelf for too long.
In June, we hope to extend the children’s love and compassion for all insects that they will carry long after their time in Preschool 2!
