"Seeds of Perseverance" • MOE Kindergartens
Overview
Children who have perseverance are not easily discouraged from learning and do not give up even though it is challenging. With continual effort, they can acquire knowledge and perfect their skills which can help them progress or excel in their learning.
Find out how you can nurture the learning disposition, ‘Perseverance’, in your children while carrying out your day-to-day learning activities. Children will have opportunities to explore three learning areas through an integrated approach in this learning experience.
| Learning Areas | Learning Goals |
| Discovery of the World (DOW) | LG1: Show an interest in the world they live in LG3: Develop a positive attitude towards the world around them |
| Language and Literacy (L&L) | LG2: Speak to convey meaning and communicate with others |
| Motor Skills Development (MSD) | LG2: Demonstrate control, coordination and balance in gross motor tasks |
Learning Objectives
Children will be given opportunities to:
- Respond to questions about a story
- Follow simple instructions to germinate seeds and care for plants
- Demonstrate hand-eye coordination as they toss and catch newspaper balls
- Work with their friends and persevere to complete a challenging task
#1 Show an example of what it means to have 'Perseverance'
Help children to understand what ‘Perseverance’ is, by choosing a relevant book or real life example of a character displaying the learning disposition.
For example:
When children are learning about the topic “Plants around Us”, choose a relevant book or story that shows the character patiently caring and waiting for the seed to germinate and grow into a plant.
Facilitate children’s understanding by asking questions such as:
- How did the character feel when the plant did not grow at first?
- Did the character give up? How long did you think he/she waited for the plant to grow?
- How would you encourage the character?
Teacher reading the book “Carrot Seed” by Ruth Krauss to the children
#2 Engage children in authentic experiences that require them to demonstrate 'Perseverance'
Engaging children in an authentic experience helps to make their learning real, relevant and meaningful. Careful throught in planning experiences that require some time and effort for children to complete will provide authentic experiences to highlight the value of perseverance. Such activities should provide opportunities for small successes, to help children to persist and not be easily discouraged.
a. Plan a hands-on activity that requires substantial time and effort for children to complete.
For example:
Get the children into groups and allow them to choose from a variety of seeds (e.g. raw ground nuts, pearl beans, broad beans) that they would want to grow. Provide each group with the necessary materials (e.g. recycled plastic containers, soil and the seeds) and have them plant the seeds.
Children planting seeds in a recycled plastic container with soil
b. Lead children in a discussion about what they need to do in order to complete the task or to taste success.
For example:
Lead the children to recall that plants require care and need time to grow from the story they had read or heard. Have them suggest how they should care for their plants and record their responses.
Children suggesting how they should care for their plants
c. Put in place a schedule for children to carry out small tasks over a period of time to complete the hands-on activity.
For example:
Based on the children’s suggestions on how they should care for their plants, guide them in creating a duty roster. Get members in each group to volunteer for the various duties to take care of the plants.
Duty roster for taking care of the plants
#3 Provide opportunities for reflection to reinforce understanding of ‘Perseverance’
Facilitating meaningful discussions and singing songs are great ways to reinforce and extend children’s learning.
a. Reinforcing children’s learning through reflection and sharing:
- Learning dispositions can be encouraged through reviewing children’s progress towards achieving their goal. Encourage children to share and listen as they recount their challenges, and model appropriate behaviour and language by celebrating their efforts and not just their achievement.
For example:
Facilitate reflection and sharing by asking questions such as:
- “How did you feel when your plant did not seem to grow on the first and second day?”
- What made you press on without giving up?
- How did you encourage one another to continue to care for the plants?
- “Towards the last few days, have all of you been watering your plants? Why is it important to press on and continue watering them?”
Teacher facilitating a reflection with the children on their planting process and what perseverance means to them
b. Reinforcing children’s learning through songs and rhymes
- As children respond quickly to songs and rhymes, teachers can use them to teach and reinforce concepts. Choose a simple song that children can sing and remember the lyrics easily.
For example:
Teach the children a song about ‘Perseverance’ by first playing a recording or singing for them twice. Have children sing by echoing and pitch-matching.
