Phyllis Wilson was among the people who planned activities for Lake City Head Start’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration held Jan. 14.
During the celebration, the children at Head Start were given a paper crown to decorate and were asked to wear their pajamas. The crown represented King, and the pajamas represented the fact that he had a dream. The children had stories read to them about King, learned a song about his dream for the world, and watched a movie called “Our Friend Martin.”
By the end of the activities, the children were able to recall several facts about King. The planned activities resulted in the children being able to explain why they weren’t going to be at school on the following Monday, which was Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Holidays are recognized in a very relaxed manner at Lake City Head Start. The students can be easily fatigued by the excitement generated by celebrations and often are not able to understand the meaning behind them. Typically, a child’s first experiences and exposure to holidays stem from interactions and observations at home, and they learn the meaning of holiday traditions from their individual families.
“We encourage children to explore and question, through their play, art, and interactions, their knowledge of family celebrations on the day of the holiday and the days following the holiday,” said Yvonne McFadden of Lake City Head Start.
In order to develop activities that respond effectively to children’s specific interests and questions, it is first necessary to understand what a child is asking, wants to know, or means by questions or comments. Moreover, children must be free to ask questions about any subject or topic, use their own ideas in problem solving, engage in real dialogue with adults, make choices, and have some say in their daily school life.
“If we are to foster the children’s sense of self-esteem, critical thinking and ability to understand the world around themselves, then we must try to allow children to experience their power as having a constructive effect on their world,” said Catherma Simon of Lake City Head Start.
The Head Start staff tries to foster the children’s questions and ideas by classroom activities, materials or projects to enhance each child’s understanding of his or her family’s holiday celebrations and traditions. Classroom celebrations and activities may occur within each classroom community at Lake City Head Start, but will be guided by the interests of the children.
The Lake City Head Start staff encourages parents to share any family traditions with the teachers and children. To share holiday cultures with Lake City Head Start, please call the center at (843) 394-5466.
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