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"Play is the highest form of research." - Albert Einstein

Play-Based Learning

While planning instruction, it is essential to observe and interact with the children to identify their interests, strengths, and any opportunities for growth. At this age, it is important to consider the different types of learners and offer a variety of materials and experiences that include sensory exploration, art, music, constructing, and dramatic play to cover the various interests and abilities of the entire class. 

 

Play provides children with opportunities to problem-solve, negotiate, take turns, and understand others' perspectives by actively listening to each other's ideas and strategizing together. They are free to investigate their findings and observations about the world. 

Activating Prior Knowledge

At the beginning of the study, we gather the information the children bring. We encourage them to share any of their experiences or ideas related to the topic. Their words are recorded on a chart as a visual representation. 

Block Construction

Open-ended materials such as blocks provide children with the opportunity to use their creativity and imagination to execute an idea with a visual, hands-on representation. They can explore various possibilities rapidly, while also making connections to their knowledge of the world and experimenting with new concepts. Building with blocks encourages children to consider how many blocks are needed to create a ramp as wide as their structure and what shape will provide a flat surface. It also promotes communication and teamwork as children work together to negotiate where each block should go and whose turn it is to go up and down the ramp.

While learning about wheels, the children were very interested in the workings of a fire station. We had an exploratory activity about how wheels roll on ramps of different heights earlier in the week at the science center. We came upon the children's block play and noticed they had built a ramp-like structure. When asked to share their work, the children explained that the firefighters could rescue the animals faster using a ramp. They added an empty bin at the end of the ramp to stop the rescuers and animals from rolling away.

Science/ Inquiry

Science and inquiry activities encourage children to make predictions and provide them with the hands-on tools to test those predictions while encouraging further exploration, discovery, and observation. The log rolled faster on the taller ramp; what else can you roll down the ramp to see if the same thing happens? How can we show this information we discover using paper and pencil?  

At the science center, the children investigate questions about how and what if while replicating the same scenario repeatedly to see if the outcome is always the same. In the wheels unit, the children worked in pairs to build a low and tall ramp. They were able to test which ramp was the fastest while trying different items. After their experiment, they were invited to draw their observations on paper with a pencil. 

Sensory Exploration

During play, children actively engage all of their senses. I offer my students activities encouraging them to touch, taste, smell, see, move, and hear. Sensory exploration is a platform for children to express their creativity, problem-solve, gain confidence, establish connections, and enhance social skills. It also aids in the development of hand-eye coordination and both fine and gross motor skills. Furthermore, sensory play strengthens muscles necessary for daily tasks like dressing, eating, and writing. By providing various sensory exploration opportunities, I strive to stimulate and support my students' development of skills, understanding of concepts, language acquisition, and communication abilities.

The children explore the tracks that different wheels on vehicles make by running the tracks through different-colored paints. They place the vehicles in a box with white paper and use gross body movement to make the wheels roll and create tracks. They listen as the wheels roll and crash into the sides of the boxes. When they are done with their work they observe with their eyes and tells us the story of their wheel track art.

The children work together to juice oranges on the electric juicer. They can feel the motion of the wheel spinning under their palms as the juice slowly squeezes out. They talk about how sticky the juice feels on their fingers and how the oranges smell yummy. They notice how the spinning sensation tickles their palms and makes them laugh. They discover that the juicer stops when they do not apply enough downward pressure.  

Language & Literacy

Exposure to environmental print in 3K students provides a rich learning experience with various skills and benefits. Through exposure to environmental print, the children start to recognize and associate letters, words, and symbols with their meanings. This lays the foundation for early literacy development, including letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and understanding print concepts. They learn that print carries messages and can be found in various forms and contexts.

Recognizing environmental print exploration can start from their immediate environment, the classroom, broaden into the school building, and connect to the outside community.  

Print in the classroom and school building

Print in the classroom that transfers to print in our community. 

Creating our own signs an print for our classroom.

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