Ticket to Learning

Ms. Jennifer Peak, Gaffney Elementary School Kindergarten Teacher, shares how her safari-themed play center helps young learners develop key literacy skills while having fun.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? How long have you been teaching in New Britain?

I have been teaching in New Britain for a total of 21 years, with a little break in the middle to stay home with my own children. All 21 of those years have been in a kindergarten classroom.

What do you love most about teaching kindergarten? 

It sounds cliche but it is that aha moment. When the lightbulb finally clicks on. There is so much growth in kindergarten: socially, emotionally, and academically. It is a very rewarding grade level to teach. In addition, it’s the relationships that I have with my parents and students. Only in a kindergarten classroom are you told that you are beautiful, your singing is pretty and mistakenly (lovingly) called Mom on a daily basis. 

What inspired you to create a safari-themed play center for your students? How did you set up the safari play center?

We are working in Unit 3 of the kindergarten ARC framework. This unit is all about ecosystems. We studied the savanna, the ocean, the desert, and the forest. Next week, we will begin the rainforest, and we will be adding a week about the Arctic. It seemed natural to have our developmental play connect to what we are learning in ARC.

How does this play center connect to the current literacy unit? Were there specific books or stories that helped shape this theme?

We read books about the savanna, watched videos, and went on virtual safari field trips. This gave students the background knowledge that they needed to be able to roleplay in the center.

Can you walk us through how the safari center works? What different roles do students take on?

Students can choose the safari center as one of nine centers in the classroom. Four children may go at a time. Students can choose if they want to be a tour guide, a tourist or the ticket officer. There are materials there for students to play the part of each of these roles. This includes: a jeep, binoculars, maps, inflatable animals, safari hats, cameras and walkie talkies.

How do students use language and literacy skills while engaging in the safari center?

While in the center, students are writing as well as reading. Students need to sign in at the ticket office by writing their names on the check-in list. The ticket officer then needs to be able to read those names to call the tourists when their jeep is ready. While on the safari tour, students have materials to write the names of the animals they see. There is a special word wall at the center for students to reference if needed.

How does imaginative play like this support early reading and writing development?

Students are able to immerse themselves into the learning that we have been doing in our ARC lessons by creating their own safari scenarios. They are using the vocabulary and concepts from the stories that we have read. As they play, they are using functional print and expressive language. They are fully engaged and don’t even realize all that they are learning!

How does this kind of hands-on, play-based learning enhance your overall approach to teaching literacy?

This type of learning, through play, enhances our teaching of literacy by immersing children actively with language through imaginative play, storytelling, and role-playing. Through this they are expanding their vocabulary, grammar, and communication skills while also learning in a fun and meaningful way. 

Do you plan to create similar themed play centers for future literacy units? If so, what ideas do you have in mind?

In addition to the safari play center in the classroom, we have also created a forest habitat. This station includes animals that live in the forest, a tent, a campfire, and various props. There are also trail maps, a vocabulary wall and a nature hunt checklist. This center also includes math activities such as counting and sorting pinecones and leaves allowing conversation around comparing quantity and practice with writing numbers. Our final ARC unit is Entomology. I am really hoping to set up an Entomology lab where students can explore different types of bugs. While continuing to practice literacy and math skills as well.