Topic two: Webbing with Children

Historically, webbing is a process of visually exploring possibilities that lie within a topic. In the past we have used webs to consider the wealth of possible experiences related to a theme that might be explored with children. This approach has been used within both a teacher-directed and a child-led curriculum approach.

As we look at any topic or area of interest, developing a web allows us to understand the breadth and depth of explorations in this area as we map out concepts included in the topic and curriculum materials that could be used to explore those concepts. It is important to be conscious of the fact that the ideas identified on the web may or may not be interesting to children and the interest area or project the children are engaged in may move into a completely different direction than one identified on the web.

Buell and Sutton (2008) discuss the learning of student educators who became quite attached to the ideas on the web rather than keeping their focus on the children as they explored their own interests and curiosities. Students also were observed to ignore children’s ideas when they moved away from the ideas on the web. (Buell and Sutton, p. 101). This research reveals the need to keep our awareness on the children and the significance of designing an environment that responds to children’s interests.

As the ELC Instructors in this college program thought together about how to support students to use the organizational tool of webs in a positive, child focused way, we became focused on articles and research that has been done on creating webs with the children. In this process the web remains focused on documenting the specific interests of a group of children engaged in an exploration or project. The article identified for you to read this week describes the process of developing a web with a group of children.

Once observations and narrations have been completed about a group of children engaged in exploring their interests in play, educators go through the process of understanding the significance of the pedagogical narration, sharing with children, parents and colleagues and interpreting the areas to focus on in the curriculum.

Developing Webs with children

Before making decisions on how to provision the environment, educators meet with the interested group of children and use the pedagogical narration to focus the discussion. They share what they have noticed about the children’s explorations and ask the children what they already know about the topic and what they want to know more about.

The article describes the process of creating webs as a 2 step process

Step 1: Brainstorming or identifying ideas

“The teacher asks the children about their ideas and “wonderings” about the topic. As the children “brainstorm” or offer their ideas and suggestions, the teacher makes notes based on their comments and questions (often in a shortened form) and adds them to the web for all to see”. (Katz, L., 2012)

The article describes how you might explain the process of developing a web to the children so you are sure that there is a shared understanding of what you are doing.
As you begin writing, you may want to call the children’s attention to what you’re doing. There are many ways you might do so:

“When you talk, I’ll write your ideas here.”

“I’m going to write down your ideas and questions and put them on this big sheet of paper with the word Shoes in the middle.”

“One way to keep track of all of your questions and ideas is to make a topic web.”

“When you say your ideas about shoes, I’ll write them on this topic web.” (Katz, L. 2012)

The authors suggest you can copy children’s ideas initially on sticky notes that you place around the topic focus which is written in the middle. You could also write the children’s ideas directly onto the chart paper, summarizing ideas but writing out children’s questions in full.

The article identifies the following questions to ask the children:

Step 2: Grouping the ideas in some kind of order

You can group the children’s ideas as you complete the web with the children or you can take the ideas and questions and then group them after the brainstorming process is finished.
Explaining to the children how you are grouping the ideas is recommended. The article describes the following: it’s a good idea to plan how to explain that process to the children. As you notice ideas that are similar in some way, you can place them in the same area of the paper and state why you have done so. For example, you might say, “Someone said shoes have laces and someone said shoes have Velcro. Laces and Velcro are both parts of shoes, so I’m going to put those words next to each other on the web. Then I’ll write “Parts of Shoes” here. That will be one of our categories. What are some other ideas you have (or things you want to find out) about shoes?” (Katz, L., 2012)

Once children have run out of ideas we can let them know that we will post the web on the wall so that they can look at it, think about it and add to it if they come up with other ideas. In this way the web becomes another tool to co-create learning environments with and for young children.
You will have the opportunity to complete a web with children in your interest area planning document. The directions for the completion of the pedagogical narration are in this module under ‘Observation and Pedagogical Narration”. You need to begin this assignment this module as it will take a number of weeks to plan, implement and evaluate.