Learning Environment!
Imagine what can
happen when children are given interesting, real, open-ended materials,
which are thoughtfully chosen and arranged in their classrooms and outdoor environments!
Imagine having another teacher in your classroom! It has been said that a carefully planned learning environment can be as valuable as another teacher in the classroom.
A key word here is learning; and we don't mean rote learning or teacher-dictated sharing of information (aka lectures), or drill practice, but real, active,
engaged learning where children can interact with materials in ways that make
sense to them!
Consider your own
classroom-
Here are some
thoughts on...
Metal
This challenge
comes from Sandra Duncan and Mickey MacGillivray in their article, "Metal:
A Perfect Play Material for Children's Improvisation."
Loose Parts:
"Ever wonder why so many images of ‘paradise’ show palm trees, ocean
waves, and a sandy beach? It’s the endless mud pie, sand castle, and sand
sculpture possibilities, of course! Infinite fun and creativity…
Just what you want in paradise, right? And just what you want for
your children when they go outside everyday — to have rich materials and loose
parts for constructive collaborations and discoveries of nature.
"We want children to have the freedom to create their own worlds,
structure their own play, and change their environments according to their
ideas and inspirations. We do this by saying 'yes' and offering spaces
and materials that invite spontaneous creativity. Loose parts in your
play-scape do this and sand, yes, humble sand, is the ultimate loose part.
Children can mold, sift, sculpt, dig, and pile. Through the pouring
and sifting of sand, they see cosmic properties of the planet. They touch
the universe in a grain of sand and the sand creations they make reflect their
imagination and spirit."
retrieved
11/24/14
from: http://www.childcareexchange.com/eed/news_print.php?news_id=3665
Water:
Water and a few
inexpensive tools can provide a sensory and learning experience of immense
proportions. What is it children get out of their water study, which
looks so much like fun? Free play with water can build the foundation for
understanding of a multitude of scientific concepts, including those in
To read more about
water play, follow the link below
retrieved
11/24/14
from: http://www.southernearlychildhood.org/upload/pdf/Science_Concepts_Young_Children_Learn_Through_Water_Play_Carol_M_Gross.pdf
Final thoughts:
What can you add to enhance the learning in your classroom simply by providing different kinds of materials, essentially giving an open invitation for children to engage?
Learning Environment!
Imagine what can
happen when children are given interesting, real, open-ended materials,
which are thoughtfully chosen and arranged in their classrooms and outdoor environments!
Imagine having another teacher in your classroom! It has been said that a carefully planned learning environment can be as valuable as another teacher in the classroom.
A key word here is learning; and we don't mean rote learning or teacher-dictated sharing of information (aka lectures), or drill practice, but real, active,
engaged learning where children can interact with materials in ways that make
sense to them!
Consider your own
classroom-
Do you have a
variety of open-ended, real, multicultural, natural, non-stereotypical,
materials with different textures/properties, made of different substances?
Here are some
thoughts on...
Metal
Do I have metal objects in my classroom?
"Be alert to
ways to increase children’s opportunities to experience new and unique
materials in the early childhood classroom. Metal is an important example
of a rich material filled with endless possibilities — both visually and
kinesthetically. Metal has boundless potential to engage children’s
interest and promote sensory experimentation, relevant investigations and
experimentation, and life-long learning."
How about wood or fabric?
This challenge
comes from Sandra Duncan and Mickey MacGillivray in their article, "Metal:
A Perfect Play Material for Children's Improvisation."
Loose Parts:
What loose parts can you provide inside and
out?
In
his Exchange article, "Sand, Sand, Sand," Rusty Keeler
observes...
"Ever wonder why so many images of ‘paradise’ show palm trees, ocean waves, and a sandy beach? It’s the endless mud pie, sand castle, and sand sculpture possibilities, of course! Infinite fun and creativity… Just what you want in paradise, right? And just what you want for your children when they go outside everyday — to have rich materials and loose parts for constructive collaborations and discoveries of nature.
"We want children to have the freedom to create their own worlds, structure their own play, and change their environments according to their ideas and inspirations. We do this by saying 'yes' and offering spaces and materials that invite spontaneous creativity. Loose parts in your play-scape do this and sand, yes, humble sand, is the ultimate loose part. Children can mold, sift, sculpt, dig, and pile. Through the pouring and sifting of sand, they see cosmic properties of the planet. They touch the universe in a grain of sand and the sand creations they make reflect their imagination and spirit."
retrieved
11/24/14
from: http://www.childcareexchange.com/eed/news_print.php?news_id=3665
Water:
How often do I have water available for
play in my class room?
In an article by
Carol Gross entitled; "Science Concepts Young Children Learn from Water
Play," C. Gross says,
Water and a few
inexpensive tools can provide a sensory and learning experience of immense
proportions. What is it children get out of their water study, which
looks so much like fun? Free play with water can build the foundation for
understanding of a multitude of scientific concepts, including those in
•
Physics (flow, motion),
•
Chemistry (solutions, cohesion),
•
Biology (plant and animal life), and
•
Mathematics (measurement, equivalence, volume).
To read more about
water play, follow the link below
retrieved
11/24/14
from: http://www.southernearlychildhood.org/upload/pdf/Science_Concepts_Young_Children_Learn_Through_Water_Play_Carol_M_Gross.pdf
Final thoughts:
What can you add to enhance the learning in your classroom simply by providing different kinds of materials, essentially giving an open invitation for children to engage?
Take note of how
children engage, learn, and explore as they interact with the real, natural,
open-ended materials you provide. You may find they will go way beyond what you
could have ever imagined.
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