Pre-Primary: Grading Cylinders…
Four brightly colored, wooden boxes appeared on the sensorial shelf. Red, yellow, green and blue lids rest on top of the beechwood boxes, indicating the color of the cylinders hidden within. The children gazed in apt silence as Debbie presented this work at the first circle, grading the red cylinders from the thickest cylinder to the thinnest cylinder. The thinnest cylinder is so narrow that it wobbles on the work rug. The class takes a collective breath as Debbie manages to stand the thin cylinder up with the others. Even the simple task of putting the cylinders back in the box keeps their attention!
During work time, every cylinder box is in use. The children grade the cylinders horizontally and vertically, building what looks like colorful walls and towers. Each cylinder box possessed cylinders that create different challenges in grading; based on height, width or both height and width. One child built a tower from largest to smallest and then from smallest to largest!
