InnovativeECE | Reggio Inspired Educational Practices

From the Classroom of Lise McGuinness,
Suzanne Ryan, and Mary Mulcahy

Union #38 Preschool,
South Deerfield, MA

Lise sent some photos in response to someone on the REGGIO listserve who was asking for light table ideas. She'd love for the curious to see these! She says: We have a small (2'x2') light box, not a full table. We usually keep it on a table, where the children stand. Other times we put it on the floor or on a kneeling-height table.

The Mask

The first photo is part of our recent mask project. We've been studying masks for quite a while. Some parts of this included making photo masks of each child (a parent printed out both the mask photos and the transparency photos for us) and face painting. An extension of those became "face painting" by using projector pens on our transparency photos. We taped a blank transparency to the light box, kids slipped photos (their own or others...they love doing teachers' faces) under the clear one and drew on it. Then you can slide the photo out and put another under your drawing...You can imagine the possibilities.

The Basket

The second photo is of the basket we keep beside the light box. The children use these materials (glass "gems," plastic "gems," stones, clear tops, etc.) to lay on the table in beautiful arrangements and designs.

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