The Communique

Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Maggie Te Grotenhuis Isabel Meade, left, points out the details of Preschool B's cardboard school bus to Debby Holverson.

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town.



Not only are those words part of a children's sing-along song, they could also be considered the theme song for the Kirkwood Kids recent school bus project.

"This is a little different approach to learning," Sherri Koch, lead teacher for the 4- and 5-year-old children at Kirkwood Kids, said. "We start with what interests the kids and then we try to incorporate the skills that you want them to learn. Because they are interested, their learning is so much greater."

The children embarked on a month-long learning expedition that featured none other than a bright yellow school bus. After taking an interest in school buses, the 4 and 5-year-olds toured a bus, built a classroom model and planned a party for Sept. 19 to show family and friends what they learned. While having fun the kids worked on skills including cutting, hand eye coordination, conflict resolution, measuring and counting.

"We made invitations for all of the different rooms and then after the celebration we brought out the bus to share with everyone," Koch said.

This was a unique way for the children to learn, Koch said. "But also it was good for parent learning. A lot of parents think that the kids are just playing but they are also learning," she added.

The children were excited about the completion of their project. "They are thrilled," Koch said. "They loved making it and worked very well together and they are so excited about sharing it; they are just on cloud nine. Their self-esteem went up and they are gaining confidence that they can do theses things and teach others about it."

The classroom model includes a moveable steering wheel, a door complete with a 'watch your step' warning, an emergency door, a gas pedal, a radio and a mirror. "Their pride in the whole thing is the greatest thing to see," Koch said.

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