I walk into Mother Kalindi’s classroom, camera ready to take pictures of exciting happenings in her classroom. What an amazing surprise! I see such fast progress in their academic abilities!
Boisterous Krishna Chandra, only 5 years old, is the class’s advanced reader. He is peacefully working with contractions. You are = you’re. He reads the word cards and quietly matches them.
Jamuna is working with Vishakha on writing words on the Art Board. She guides her hand and Vishakha quietly follows and asks questions. Brinda shows me the map of landforms and succinctly reads all the different types and explains them to me. Jamuna starts working on a map puzzle of the 7 continents and oceans. She names and labels the continents and oceans as she does so.
Drona and Vishakha, both 4, have already learned all alphabets, and all the beginning sounds! They match little objects to the beginning sound on their mats. S-s-star and s-s-snake. The little snake slithers over to the S on the yellow felt mat. Vishakha’s work is b b buffalo, f f foal and e e elephant.
Vishakha completes it quickly and goes on to bring out a writing board to do her spelling activity. She brings out a spelling container with cute mini objects in them. P-o-t – her lips form the sounds as she holds the mini clay pot with her tiny fingers and writes the corresponding letters onto her writing board. P. O. T.
All these students are individually working on their Essential Knowledge and Skills. They’re above average in what they need to know and they’re quietly and diligently working on their own. Where is the teacher? I finally see Mother Kalindi, seated at the far desk working with 6 year old Gopal tying together sentences! It has only been two months since I’ve visited and he’s already learned word formation and now sentences! After he arranges the words correctly, with the capital letter at the beginning and the period at the end, he writes the sentences on a dry erase board. Using blue for vowels and green for consonants. Mother Kalindi’s eyes fill with tears as she tells me how quickly her students are developing and how proud she is of their accomplishments.
Brinda has completed her Social Studies project and heads to the reading corner, where she reads her Level 6 Mini book, using all five vowel sounds. Drona, done with his work decides to join in! He peers over the book and starts sounding out the words with Brinda. Vishakha, shows M. Kalindi her spelling words completed and joins Drona as well! Brinda reads to both of them, and they help in sounding out the words every now and then. By reading to her younger friends, Brinda is learning leadership. By listening and helping, Drona and Vishakha become motivated to want to read just like Brinda.
All the students are so engrossed in their work, they forget that it is even break time now and time to go and play! Why take a break from something you’re enjoying doing!
