Kindergarten vs. Third Grade

As a blog discussion of my choice, I want to reflect on my field work that I completed previous to this semester. For my EDU classes last semester, I was required to complete twenty hours in a Kindergarten classroom, and twenty hours in a third grade classroom. I knew from previous knowledge that these two age groups would differ in several areas. My experience in both of these classes with a difference in age was quite educational. In particular, I realized that the attention span of a five year old is quite shorter than the attention span of an eight year old.
 I had to complete two, full lessons within the Kindergarten classroom, and I had to remind myself to limit my time. I noticed that Kindergarten students need to constantly move around and perform new, spontaneous activities in order to stay focused. For example, one of my lessons required me to read a book, and discuss parts of the book with the class. I was able to keep the class focused by consistently asking each student questions, dramatizing my voice, and allowing the students to ask questions that suddenly came to their minds. Once I started to notice that some of the students were becoming "antsy" I decided to add on a new activity to the book reading. The book I read, Sweet Little Potato, contained several characters that were vegetables in a garden. So, I decided to make copies of the main character, Sweet, Little Potato, and allowed the students to individually draw and make designs on their own worksheets. After the students completed their drawing, each student shared their drawing to the class. In conclusion, I realized that these young children can't sit for long. It is important to consistently keep them entertained and on track so that they are successful and learn.
During my fieldwork within a classroom filled with third graders, I realized that these students had a longer attention span. Working in small groups with these students, I realized that these third graders enjoyed projects, and activities that consisted of several parts. For example, students were placed into groups to work on a science project. These students had to grow their own plant, study it, and use their knowledge of data to record any physical changes within the plant over a span of two weeks. I watched these students work together in groups, and the majority of students stayed focused during the block of time that was dedicated to this project. Overall, I have learned that age is a factor that needs to be considered during lesson planning.