Sometimes it only takes a little suggestion. . .

Dear Parents, Fellow Educators. . . 

I am a big fan of the philosophy of "never wake a sleeping baby" (or adult for that matter!) and if children are happily, joyfully, creatively, safely and cooperatively playing, leave them be!  BUT it is perfectly acceptable to join in their play or make some provocations.  In Reggio Emilia speak, the word provocation takes on a very positive definition, meaning to place a material or make a suggestion that might enhance what the children are doing.  We can also get a bit academic here and sight a Vygotskian term, the zone of proximal development, where we mark the elevation of a child's experience by carefully placed adult interaction. Below, is a bit of an example of how a provocation was made during shaving cream play at Milestones Preschool summer camp. 

As children are playing throughout the room, I, unceremoniously placed dollops of shaving cream on the "Big Round Table" (the table we always do the most fun and messy activities).  A fun aside, I never intended, but the children always know, when I say, "Go to the Round Table!" they rush with an ubridled excitement of the anticipation of some wonderful (very often simple) delight - are we making waffles? play dough?  Guacamole..?

But this day, I just placed the shaving cream on the table without saying anything.  Eventually, along comes a child, tentatively exploring this substance, at first quite hesitantly.

A few others join in . . .

 

And then it's a "shaving cream party!"  The whole class is involved.  Yet,  ultimately, one child decides, "This is too messy.  I'm going to wash my hands." And, all too often, all the children follow suit, and then its over.  

So I made a few simple suggestions, hoping to extend the experience.  I modeled making swirly designs and writing my name with my finger, making a smiley face.  They liked that.  Then I modeled stretching my arms in the shaving cream as far as I could across the table, making round motions with my arms and criss crossing my arms over each other (the benefit, other than fun, being crossing the midline).  They really liked this...

Then, I suggested they all stand up and walk around the table, moving the shaving cream along the table as they walked.  This was really fun.

But we all knew that snack time was coming up and we always have snack time at the Round Table, so I suggested the children make the shaving cream "disappear" by rubbing it really hard into the table.

 All gone!
So what did we accomplish having mentioned the Reggio term, provocation, and the Vygotsky term, zone of proximal development?

The children took a risk by trying a substance that initially looked "ickey".

They experimented.

They watched, listened to and mimicked suggestios from an adult and extended their experience.  

By extending their experience they played together, conversing, making their own verbal observations to one another.  

They problem solved when someone "took" their shaving cream and realized it was more fun to play with it together. 

They moved their bodies in large motor ways that help develop their brains' abilities to cross the midline (an important step necessary to be able to start the reading/writing process.)