You may have enjoyed earlier posts in Inquiring Minds about the explorations our Junior Kindergarten children have experienced with snow, icicles and snowflakes. The curiosity is contagious, and our JK families have caught the Reggio inquiry ‘bug’ and have begun to see the beauty in the world of nature, through a different lens. The photos we’re sharing with you came directly from some of our families, and support and represent the engaged explorations that have occurred at home, in their gardens, and in the park. As one of our Moms indicated in an e-mail, “I had a moment.”
As Katz shares, “Perhaps there is a dynamic phenomenon in this matter such as the good work with children brings in the parents, and their involvement/engagement leads teachers to strengthen their work with children. In other words, I am hypothesizing a kind of cyclic phenomenon such that good in-classroom practices, engage and capture the parents’ interest and provide context for their involvement and engagement. These parental responses encourage teachers’ continued experimentation (exploration), growth, and the learning, which further invite and entice parents’ involvement/engagement, which in turn supports teachers’ commitment, and so forth, in a positive cycle.”  (Katz, 1994) We are grateful for the engagement of our families, and share their enthusiasm for the wonder of learning. If you have any ideas or experiences that you would like to share with us through Inquiring Minds, we encourage you to get in touch!