Invitations

Invitations for learning: A place to start!

Tree invitation created by Kim Briand.

Invitations for learning (often called "provocations") are a great place to begin inquiry-based learning and pedagogical documentation.  An invitation for learning is usually set out by the educator team to intrigue or entice the students for further exploration and investigation.  Since students are invited to learn, not all of them may be interested.  To make the learning visible, educators can document it by taking photographs, transcribing what students say, recording observational notes, and collecting work samples related to the provocation.  This information can support the team to plan next steps for a potential inquiry.

Here are some examples of invitations for learning created by Mrs. Ham and I or other Early Childhood Educators in the field (including my wonderful York University Kindergarten AQ students):

A blue provocation for mathematics and sorting.

An invitation to draw and wonder about flowers.

Planets: A sensory exploration provocation created by Mara Visentin and Maria Locantore that might 
intrigue students to learn more about space. 

Pumpkin provocation by Trista Dutt.

Growing seeds invitation by Michelle Wiggers, Natalie Lysyk, and Carol Ayres.