By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Union City Elementary School students in Melissa Jones’ Pre-K class have drawn a line in the sand.
And that’s a good thing.
Newly installed sandboxes at UCES have become a learning tool for Jones’ students in addition to a fun playground option.
Specifically, students have been practicing size attributes and improving/developing their motor skills. That learning will be extended to standardized math skills taught later in the school year.
Jones regularly has her class draw shapes and sizes with their finger in the sand rather than working on the lesson in a traditional manner with pencils and paper. The teacher insists a “more hands-on” approach has proven to be more effective.
“It keeps them interested, for sure,” she said. “They (sandboxes) have certainly had multiple usages for us.”
Students have mainly focused on ‘circle,’ ‘square,’ and ‘rectangle’ images. They’re also learning to distinguish between small, medium, and large shapes.
Jones also said that the sandboxes have been a tool in teaching students simple rules that will serve them well in all classes.
“They’re learning to follow instructions, to take turns, and to pay attention,” she insisted. “You can see them growing in multiple ways each day — and the sandboxes have been a wonderful aid in that.
“It’s amazing how something so simple can be so helpful.”