Codebreakers! Engaging Enrichment

Codebreakers: A Reggio-Inspired Investigation

In the Codebreakers enrichment class, our youngest students became detectives, using curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking to crack a case! Inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, the class invited children in Pre-K through Second Grade to explore real-world problem solving through play and investigation.

The excitement began when two special guests—Detective John and Officer Jason from the Boston Police Department—visited The Advent School. They shared some of the real tools and strategies police officers use to gather evidence and solve mysteries. But soon, a mystery unfolded right in our own classroom: the Goldfish crackers and toy police cars that the officers brought had disappeared!

Students carefully examined the “crime scene,” sharing observations, forming hypotheses, and piecing together clues as a team. Through dialogue and discovery, they practiced key skills in reasoning, communication, and empathy—hallmarks of both detective work and Reggio-inspired learning. After successfully identifying the culprit, the young sleuths were officially sworn in as members of the Boston Police Department’s Junior Detectives.

The experience blended imagination and investigation, showing children that learning is an active, joyful process of asking questions, testing ideas, and making connections. In Codebreakers, every child became a thinker, a collaborator, and a problem-solver—ready to take on the next mystery that comes their way.

Watch as Advent’s young detectives investigate the case!