園長日誌｜鑰匙背後的小發現 A Story of Keys and Curiosity

今天走進豆芽家的教室，迎接我的，是孩子們專注又好奇的眼神。一個小男孩注意到我腰間的鑰匙，那串鑰匙因襯衫遮住，只露出了一點點，卻吸引了他的目光。他指著問：「那是什麼？」

「這是鑰匙呀，」我微笑著回答。話剛說完，他便伸出小手，想要觸摸。我停下腳步告訴他：「如果想摸，可以先問一下：『請問我可以摸一下鑰匙嗎？』」

男孩隨即用清晰的聲音問：「請問我可以摸一下鑰匙嗎？」我點點頭，把鑰匙遞到他面前。他滿足地摸了摸，隨後，我刻意將鑰匙用襯衫蓋住，逗趣地說：「看不到了！」

藏起來再找到的「捉迷藏遊戲」勾起了孩子的興趣，雖然鑰匙被遮住了，但它仍然存在於衣服後面。他小手輕輕撩起衣擺，又一次看到了鑰匙的蹤影。兩到三歲孩子已經具備的「物體恆存」概念—所以即使物品消失於視線，他們知道它依然存在。

旁邊的孩子也被吸引了過來，孩子們開始熱烈地參與這場「找鑰匙、摸鑰匙」的「禮節」遊戲。令人欣慰的是，他們一一遵守「先詢問、再觸摸」的規則，每個人都用一句「請問我可以摸一下鑰匙嗎？」來表達自己的意願。在反覆的遊戲中，他們不僅練習著禮貌用語，還感受到合作和分享的樂趣。

兩到三歲的孩子正處於語言運用的敏感階段，這是一個對環境充滿熱情探索的階段。他們喜歡重複行為，因為這種重複不僅能幫助他們掌握動作，更能滿足內在的動機。對於他們來說，成人無需要求或催促，這些活動本身就是最好的學習過程。

一串小小的鑰匙，在成人眼中或許只是生活的一部分，卻成為孩子們學習禮節與發展自我認知的重要工具。這樣的時刻，提醒我：教育並不一定來自於刻意的教學，許多時候，一個簡單的互動，就足以點亮孩子內心探索的火花。我們所能做的，是耐心地陪伴，靜靜觀察，並為他們創造更多可以自由探索的機會。 A Story of Keys and Curiosity

As I stepped into the Sprout classroom today, I was greeted by the children’s focused and curious gazes. A little boy noticed the keys hanging at my waist, slightly hidden by my shirt but peeking out just enough to catch his attention. Pointing at them, he asked, “What is that?”

“These are keys,” I replied with a smile. As soon as I spoke, he reached out, eager to touch them. I paused and gently explained, “If you’d like to touch them, you can ask first: ‘May I touch your keys, please?’”

Without hesitation, the boy asked clearly, “May I touch your keys, please?” I nodded and handed the keys to him. He touched them with satisfaction before I playfully covered them with my shirt, saying, “Now they’re hidden!”

This little “hide-and-seek” game sparked his curiosity. Although the keys were now out of sight, he understood they were still there, concealed behind the fabric. With his small hands, he gently lifted my shirt to find the keys again, demonstrating his grasp of the “object permanence” concept—understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible.

The other children, drawn by the excitement, joined in this “find and touch the keys” game. What was heartwarming was that each child followed the etiquette of asking first: “May I touch your keys, please?” They practiced this polite routine with enthusiasm, turning a simple interaction into a game of cooperation and sharing.

At two to three years old, children are in the sensitive period for language development, filled with a natural enthusiasm for exploring their surroundings. Their love for repetition helps them refine their skills while satisfying their intrinsic motivation. For them, no prompting or urging is needed—these self-driven activities are the best form of learning.

A simple set of keys, something we adults see as mundane, became a powerful tool for the children to learn etiquette and develop self-awareness. Moments like this remind me that education often doesn’t come from deliberate teaching. Sometimes, it’s these small, spontaneous interactions that ignite a child’s inner spark for exploration. What we can do is to accompany them with patience, observe quietly, and create more opportunities for them to explore freely.