What Children Learn from their Environment

Children are natural learners and love to explore new environments and the materials they contain. We are committed to providing children with environments that will stimulate a life long love of learning while utilizing guidelines outlined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Early Childhood Classroom criteria. Our classroom environments are organized into learning or interest centers that are rich in age appropriate materials. You can use many of these ideas in your own home when providing children with different experiences and/or organizing a play space.

Blocks/construction zone: This center provides children with the opportunity to recreate the world around them. Children use a variety of materials, which include, but are not limited to, wooden, foam or cardboard blocks, construction and other traditional vehicles, plastic people who represent different cultures and road signs. These materials reflect the themes and topics discussed in our circle time or morning meetings or found in the community. Children develop an understanding of size, weight and number concepts, and coordinate and control their muscles buy stacking blocks in dump trucks, building towers or houses and balancing blocks on top of one another. For example, when children create a zoo, building or other structure, they are working to develop geometry and social awareness skills.

Dramatic play: Children love to practice what they see everyday. To encourage this practice, this area can include props such as: table and chairs, stove, sink and refrigerators, dress up clothes for each member of a family, dolls, cooking instruments and equipment, play food and pictures of all varieties of families. Children use their small muscles, self help skills, socialization skills, abstract thinking, and math concepts in this area. This center is designed in a way which allows it to be transformed to enhance the theme discussion of the week. In a classroom setting, it provides opportunities for children to explore and experience new ideas, thoughts and concepts introduced at circle time or morning meeting.

Sensory/creative art: Children explore their world through many different means. This center provides the children the opportunity to learn through touch and hands-on experiences. Reading and writing readiness is developed as children receive satisfaction and a sense of self when completing a creative art project using a choice of a multitude of materials. Art projects are presented with the process a child experiences rather than the end product. This self-serve center has scissors, markers, pencils, colored pencils, chalk, playdough, finger paint, regular paint with brushes, sponges, stamps and stamp pads, stencils, stickers, colored paper, lined paper, tissue paper and the list goes on.

Water and sand play: A popular area of any classroom is sand and water play. These two mediums are changed regularly to continue to stimulate children in the areas of cause and effect, logical thinking, social skills, and physical coordination. This area helps children develop these skills by providing a space for children to sink and float objects, pour from one size container to another, bury items to find, and dig with shovels or other objects. This is a small center and can only accommodate a few children at a time in order to support the practice of social skills, sharing, taking turns and negotiation.

Library/independent reading area: Soft pillows and other additions create a place where children can go to work individually away from the larger group. Books of all topics, interests, and abilities are displayed on bookshelves for easy access. Children who look through a book by turning pages from beginning to end develop reading and writing readiness. The children mirror how the educator or their parents read a book to them and recognize that a book is read from left to right and other concepts about books in print.

Circle time/morning meeting: This is a time when children come together in small groups to discuss the theme topic of the day. The teacher uses a variety of strategies to stimulate a child's logical thinking, language development, social skills, and problem solving. Children love to sing songs, listen to stories and share their experiences at home with their families and friends during this time. All of these events help to prepare children for school, by expressing ideas, remembering details, participating cooperatively in a group and thinking creatively to answer questions about a story, idea or topic. It guides children to make choices by leading them into learning centers designed to practice the topic discussed.

Computer/technology: Children have an opportunity to work on a computer with developmentally appropriate software to practice a wide variety of skills. Each computer program comes equipped with its own skills to develop. The manipulation of the mouse while utilizing these programs develops eye and hand coordination skills. Children must follow directions, apply prior knowledge to new situations, and understand cause and effect in order to be successful at a program. Taking turns, sharing and playing cooperatively with a friend practices social skills as well.

Outside play/gross motor: Children need many opportunities to exercise, get fresh air and move their bodies freely. This is a time when they can vocalize their range of voice and tone. Development of gross motor skills can be stimulated through use of a safe climbing structure, a variety of balls, bikes and other riding toys, organized games and art or sensory materials for outside use. Eye and hand coordination along with cooperative play is developed when throwing, kicking or catching a ball with a friend or group of friends. Experimentation of using bodies in challenging tasks is encouraged when climbing on a play structure. All activities enjoyed outside build self-esteem and coordination.

Manipulative/fine motor: The development of fine motor is the precursor of writing in young children. Puzzles, Legos, matching games, lacing cards, bead counters, stacking toys, and classification games are some of the materials found in this center. Children receive the feeling of satisfaction and self-worth when completing a puzzle, sorting or matching game with little or no assistance from an adult. Children use these materials alone or with another child. The use of manipulatives encourages fine motor skills, eye and hand coordination, and reading, writing and math readiness.