Ashcraft Afterschool – Doing it Right, Making it Big & Giving it Class

Mike and Chelsea Ashcraft run a weekly afterschool program, Children’s Choice Child Care, for kindergarteners through second graders in Cedar Grove, New Mexico. They bring science into the lives of young children in a science enrichment program. Children aren’t their only students, the Ashcrafts also hold workshops and seminars for teachers.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpVZecLZRso[/youtube]

Each week, the Ashcrafts teach a science lesson complete with themed snacks, music and literacy to complement that day’s experiment. After the class, they borrow the assistance of their 10-year-old daughter to blog about what happened.

A recent class on polymers offered zoo crackers and gummy alligators for snack, Alligator Hedgehog by Pete Seeger for music and Zack’s Alligator by Shirley Mozelle for a literature connection. The science portion involved growing Giant Alligators (made from polymers), gardening with super-absorbing polymers and several other experiments.

The students are also encouraged to participate in discussions, ask questions, follow directions and express ideas.

The Ashcrafts go beyond making science fun and make learning fun. For more on their program and activities, visit their Ashcraft Afterschool blog or watch the video above.

2 replies
  1. Lisa S
    Lisa S says:

    Both my daughters are members of the Ashcraft’s Science Club. My kids can hardly wait to discover what cool science they will be “doing” each week. It is extrordinary fun…the way science should be taught and explored!

    Reply

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