Engaging kindergarteners in making a hospital waiting room child friendly
Abstract
After the pediatric wing in the local hospital closed, a kindergarten class from Sullivan Elementary School in North Adams, Massachusets, helped make the existing emergency room more child friendly. The children drew original artwork to hang on the walls, created a book explaining hospital procedures, and brought in new toys for the waiting room. This service-learning project helped the students develop citizenship, express themselves, cultivate problem-solving skills, and understand the monetary system. Excerpted from Community Lessons: Promising Curriculum Practices by Julie Bartsch.Issue
When the pediatric wing in the local hospital closed, many children had to use the emergency room as their primary care facility. Children expressed fear and discomfort around their experiences in the hospital.Action
Kindergarteners in North Adams, Massachusetts, engaged in a service-learning project to make the existing emergency room child friendly. Activities included the following:
After touring the hospital with their teacher, the children created artwork to decorate the walls and purchased toys for the waiting area.
The class also wrote a book to be read by parents and children while sitting in the waiting room. Interviewing hospital personnel, from the CEO to members of the housekeeping staff, the children collected pertinent information to include in the book and made discoveries of their own regarding medical careers, safety precautions, and germs. The book also explains the emergency room procedures.
Working cooperatively in small groups, the children developed interpersonal skills as they drew pictures to decorate the walls of the hospital. Collecting data regarding hospital procedures, the students developed listening and oral language skills as they interviewed hospital personnel.
The students studied math by earning the funds to purchase toys for the emergency room and practicing comparative shopping strategies to purchase the toys at an affordable price.
Throughout the project, speaking, listening, writing, math, and thinking skills laid the foundation necessary for the children to be able to complete the multileveled tasks.Throughout the project, students evaluated their own performances with rubrics and checklists. The teacher assessed student growth through direct observation, questions, and answers. Students and teachers reflected before, during, and at the completion of the service-learning project.
Timeline
February
- Brainstorm questions about the hospital facilities
- Develop partnership with local hospital
- Have children draw pictures to decorate emergency room walls
- Bring in guest speakers from the hospital to discuss safety precautions and things not to touch in the hospital
- Organize a field trip to the hospital
- Brainstorm "how to make money to purchase toys" and do a lesson on germs
- Have class interview hospital personnel to determine hospital procedure
- Have class write and illustrate a book describing hospital procedures
- Have class collect money and toys for the hospital waiting room
- Have class decorate voting boxes and nametags
- Have class representatives purchase toys for the waiting room
- Bind the class book
- Develop field trip rules
- Invite a local newspaper to the celebration at the hospital
- Celebrate at the hospital
Context
The community service-learning project was a partnership between the Sullivan School and the North Adams Regional Hospital Day Care. The students' project was guided and supported by the classroom teacher, the school librarian, and the regional hospital personnel.Citation
Bartsch, Julie. "Emergency Room," Community Lessons: Promising Curriculum Practices. Massachusetts Department of Education, March 2001: pp.1-10.Outcome
The children in the kindergarten class changed the hospital room experience for all their peers. In addition to helping students be aware of other people who may be in need, this project also helped the children develop the necessary skills to work as a team.
Students learned to:
- Develop characteristics of caring, compassion, and good citizenship
- Express themselves through writing and art
- Develop problem solving and cooperative learning skills
- Develop an understanding of the monetary system
Posted On
October 26, 2001For More Information
Resources
From The Resource Center library:
Community Lessons: Promising Curriculum Practices
Item number: C1977
Also check out the Community Service-Learning Promising Practices projects from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for more project ideas.