Next week we will start a new Unit of Inquiry.
Our Central idea is: Children play to learn, explore and have fun.
Our lines of Inquiry:
- Communicating through play
- Imaginative use of everyday materials
- Games and toys
The Attitudes
- Cooperation
- Creativity
- Confidenc
I found this information from: Smart Start The Parents’ guide to Preschool Education by Marian Edelman
What are children learning when they play?
Circle time
These “chats” are an opportunity for the youngsters to learn how to organize their thoughts. As they talk about their experiences, children learn how to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end.When a child learns the words to “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or ” I know an Old Lady who swallowed a fly”, this is an important part of a child’s informal education.
Music Appreciation/ Creative movement
Music helps children connect the outer world of movement and sound with the inner world of feelings and observations. Playing games or moving to music is a powerful first experience in theartistic process. Children learn music the same way they learn language – by listening and imitating. Young children are proud when they sing a song and can do the accompanying finger movements.
Art Projects
A good art project teaches a child that his creativity is limited only by his own imagination. By transforming everyday objects, such as empty paper towel rolls and egg cartons into sculptures, imaginary bugs, or spyglasses, a child discovers that he can create a world of play. Art projects build a child’s self esteem. The finished product, on display on the refrigerator, validates a child’s sense of worth. It’s another opportunity for a child to say “I can do it”.
Outdoor play
Outdoor play refines a child’s gross-motor (large muscle) skills. The cross-lateral movement (right arm/ left leg) involved is critical to a child’s later success in reading and writing. Playground time is also an opportunity to explore and manipulate a different environment. Youngsters also love outdoor play because they can let loose their imaginations while getting physical. They can turn the jungle gym into a rocket ship, a castle, a firehouse – anything they choose.
Free-play activities
Free play sounds vague, but is very much a planned activity. The child has the freedom to choose among many different activities, but the teacher has created the classroom environment and arranged the choices the child will find. Free play is not time off for the teacher. On the contrary,she should by paying close attention to the children, interacting with them, offering guidance and help where necessary, noting progress and difficulties.
Building with blocks
Blocks help children learn scientific, mathematical,art, social studies and language concepts; use small-motor skills; and foster competence and self esteem. Building with blocks also teaches life skills. Just putting away your groceries in the cupboard is using the same concepts of spatial relations, stability, and balance that you learned in the block corner. Blocks are also important in developing math skills. A child learns about depth, width, height, length, measurement, volume, area,classification, shape, symmetry, mapping, equality (same as ) and inequality (more than,less than )- all from building with blocks.
Dramatic play
Playing make-believe lets a child bring the complicated grown-up world down to size. Research demonstrates that children who are active in pretend play are usually more joyful and cooperative, more willing to share and take turns, and have larger vocabularies than children who are less imaginative. Imaginative play helps youngsters to concentrate, to be attentive, and to use self-control. When children pretend they also learn to be flexible, substituting objects for those they do not have. Through imaginative play, children learn empathy for others. Children will often act out a whole range of emotions when playing pretend, offering sympathy for a stuffed animal that is hurt or for a doll that fell off the chair.Dramatic play encourages children to think abstractly, which is an important pre-reading skill.
Puzzles
Puzzles require abstract thinking: the ability to see a space and envision what belongs there. Puzzles also require fine-motor control in order to place the pieces into place. Having puzzles for varied skill levels permits children at all stages of development to experience success.