Early Years Learning Blooms on Flower Market Trip

Learning happens everywhere, at every age. The NIS Early Years field trip to the Xianlin East Flower Market was unique opportunity for our youngest students to explore personal interests, develop confidence, and be agents of their own learning in real-world situations. After weeks of research and preparation, our Pre-K and Kindergarten classes visited different shops in the flower market to purchase flowers and plants for the Early Years Centre’s outdoor playground, based on their own shopping lists. This was not only an experience for children to engage in teacher-guided inquiry built upon their curiosity and discoveries, but also encouraged them to step outside their comfort zones and develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Applying agency and problem-solving skills with a natural curiosity to learn about aquatic environments, some Early Years students opted to visit to the fish store. There, based on their research into fish and their habitats, they purchased new additions to the fish tank in the Early Years Centre.  

The flower market trip is a fantastic example of how NIS Early Years teachers design learning experiences in collaboration with our youngest students, based on discussions, careful observations, documentation, and planning. The trip aligned perfectly with Nanjing International School's Reggio-inspired Early Years approach, providing an exciting and engaging learning experience that ignited the natural curiosity and problem-solving abilities of our youngest students – all within the context of our award-winning school strategy of Student Voice, Student Choice, and Burst the Bubble.