Effective Environments
Chapters 5, 6, 7
Thematic Unit on
Dr. Suess
Integrated Curriculum
What is a Learning Center?
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A self-contained area with a variety of hands-on materials organized around a
curriculum area or topic.
Also referred to as interest centers, learning stations, workstations or activity areas.
Children SHOULD be able to choose the learning center that they want to
work/play at. This encourages independence.
When teachers give children choices of activities, they are more self-directed have
have less disruptive behavior.
Each center is planned with a purpose in mind. (objectives)
The center helps children develop unique content knowledge, skills and social
skills.
Open-ended and
Closed-ended Materials
Open-Ended Materials meet the needs of a range of
developmental levels. Materials such as blocks,
small toys, natural items such as shells and rocks,
buttons, etc. The children develop their own ways
of using the materials.
Closed-Ended Materials are self-correcting. Items
such as matching games, puzzles, some
manipulatives give the children the “answer” as they
play.
Your centers should have a balance of both types of
materials.
Finding Inspiration
pg 125-126
Think about the places you enjoy being.
Seek inspiration from your favorite place.
Think more than just a classroom.
Churches, buildings, hotels, restaurants!
Example
Science Center
Visual Bombardment =
Overstimulation
pg 131
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Avoid having too many items on the walls.
Having crowded walls can cause visual
sensory bombardment.
Children (and teachers) have decreased
engagement, spend more time off-task and
have fewer learning gains when the walls in
the room are cluttered and over-crowded.
Purpose of
Displays pg 130
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Providing inspiration promotes children’s
learning. Example: Place pictures of
buildings in the block center. Put paintings
near your easels.
Use your walls for “vertical learning
surfaces”. Example: Emotion pictures,
matching games put on the wall with velcro.
Display children’s work on walls respectfully
with the primary focus on the creation itself.
Do not overpower the work with borders and
backgrounds. Allow children to decide what
to display whenever possible.
In Class Assignment:
Theme Related Item
Lists
What materials/items go with your theme?
Which items are open-ended and which are closed-ended?
The remainder slides are
supplemental videos for you
to view for examples. Enjoy!
Writing
Learning
Objectives
Areas of the Curriculum
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Art
Math and Science
Physical Development
Language and Literacy
Social and Emotional Development
Learning Outcomes (Objectives)
Objectives Must be S.M.A.R.T.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Specific
Meaningful
Appropriate
Relevant
Timely
An objective is about what
the child will learn, not
what you will teach.
So… How Do
We Know
What We Are
Supposed to
be Teaching??
Looking at the
Desired Results
Developmental Profile
(DRDP)
Writing an Objective - the Basics
1. Objectives should relate to your chosen curriculum area/goals
2. Objectives should be written in a way that is:
A. Concise – keep your objective short.
For example:
The child will be able to sort buttons according to three colors.
The child will be able to turn pages in a book one at a time.
The child will be able to identify his/her name in print.
B. Measurable – you should be able to see/hear the child accomplishing your objective
– you have some sort of proof.
No-No Words when writing objectives
The child will be able to….
Understand - What proof can you get of understanding?
Learn - How do you know that a child has “learned” something?
Know - What poof can you get of “knowing”?
Remember - How do you know a child remembers something?
Recognize - What skills do children SHOW you that they recognize
something.
How can you measure these skills?? You can’t!
Start your
objective with
“The child will be
able to to……
Why??
Let’s Practice…
Block Center
Provide Open-Ended,
Teacher/Child Created and
Purchased materials in the
block center.
St.
Patrick’s
Day
Block
Building
Sensory Center
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Sand and Water
Needed for children to
be able to be calm
and relax while
learning
See page 180-182
Teacher Facilitation of Learning in Sensory Play pg 182
1)
Develop Goals for the Center
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2)
Extend Children’s Learning
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3)
The goals will help you decide what types of material to place in the sensory
○ Therapeutic
○ Math (measuring cups and spoons)
○ Literacy (small letters or word)
○ Science (experiments such as sink and float)
Add relevant props and materials
○ Watch what the children are doing and add props that they are interested in.
Create New Puzzlements
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Add props that make children wonder and question what is happening. (Sponges,
different sized cups, cups with holes in them, colanders, water wheels)
Teacher Facilitation of Learning in Sensory Play pg 182
4) Promote New Vocabulary
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Label the tools (colander, funnel, eggbeater, ladle)
Label the characteristics of the materials (crunchy, grainy, gritty)
Label relationships (larger than, less than)
Label math terms (numbers or none)
5) Ask Open Ended Questions! (you know this one)
6) Create Challenges - challenge the children to make a boat or a bridge!
7) Facilitate Prosocial Play - encourage children to work together in the sensory table.
8) Create Limits and Simple Rules - Set up the table for two to four kids depending on
the size of the table.
Meet the
Needs of
ALL
Learners:
A neurological condition where children have a
difficulty receiving information from their senses.
Children with this condition may be under or overly
sensitive to sensory stimulation.
These children feel bombarded by stimulation over
which they have NO CONTROL.
Sensory
Integration
Dysfunction
(SID)
Allow children to be in control of the sensory
stimulation they receive. Never force a child to
participate in sensory (or any) activities. Give tools to
help such as gloves, tongs and. long paint
brushes/tools.
Manipulative
Center
Manipulative Center Materials
pages 167-170
Materials to develop:
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Pincer grasp pg 167
Bilateral Coordination pg 168
Eye-Hand Coordination pg
168
Wrist Rotation pg 169
Finger Dexterity pg 170-171
Literacy Centers
Chapters 10
Language and Literacy Include:
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Writing Skills - have different writing tools available
Oral Language - picture cards, feely boxes, microphones
Listening Skills - recording devices
Print Awareness - use environmental print, dictation projects
Phonological and Phonemic awareness - Rhyming, beginning sounds, syllable
clapping
Alphabetic Principle - matching games, ABC puzzles, letter activities
Reading - books in every center of the classroom
Literacy Center (Library Area)
Books Books Books!!
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Fantasy
Theme Related
Alphabet and Number
Books
Cultural Books
Books with Families
Books with people of
different ages
Books in different
languages
Magazines and home
made books
Give the children the opportunity to
make their own books.
In this example, we traced the
children’s hands and made a book
about them. The child told a story
about themselves and we wrote
EXACTLY what the child said in
their story book.
We then gave these books to the
parents!
Learn how to create your own blank book!
See page 224 of the text.
Books in other centers - Literacy goes EVERYWHERE!
In the Block Center have map books or books with different buildings in them.
In the Dramatic Play Area have cook books and menus.
In the Science Center have books about animals and plants.
In the Math Center have books with numbers, colors and quantities.
In the Music Area have sheet music and stories with songs.
In the Art Area have books with colors and books about artists.
Add Books
to Every
Activity You
Do!
Environmental Print Alphabet Cards
Writing Center
Be aware of children’s fine motor development. Not all children can use a
thin pencil.
Use a variety of writing tools from pencils to super fat markers and
highlighters.
Use a variety of paper too! Lined paper feels different to write on than
construction paper does.
Ask your families and local businesses for scratch paper!
Be aware that children have
different levels of writing
based on their experiences
with the tools.
Both of these samples were
written on the same day by
children who are EXACTLY
the same age.
Other Writing Center Tools
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Stamps and Stamp Pads
Hole Punchers
Rulers (also good for math)
Paper clips (watch for kids who put things in their mouth)
Stencils
Envelopes
The possibilities are endless!
Writing Center
Literacy in the
Outdoors
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Signs around the
playground
Labels on plants and
trees
A chalkboard outside
Traffic signs along a
bike path
Clipboards, paper and
writing tools for
writing and drawing
Books on bugs,
animals and plants.
Let’s Practice!
In-Class Assignment - Literacy Activity
In a group, you will develop a literacy activity based on any topic of your choosing.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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Name of the Activity
Materials Needed
Write 1 Objective
Write 1 Open Ended question
Brief step by step instructions.
One person from each group will write down the activity. Write everyone's first
AND last name on the paper and turn in to Canvas.
You will have 20 minutes to plan and discuss.
Science and Math Centers
Chapters 11 and 12
Basic Science
activities for
young
children
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Sink and Float in the water table
Moving Objects - using ramps in the
block center
Magnets - use real objects such as
screws, paper clips, buttons, foil, pennies,
dimes, rubber bands (things that are not
magnetic as well)
Shadows - experiment with light sources
Observing plants and animals - habitats,
gardens, root systems, care of animals
Weather and climate
Nature items - rocks, water, ice
Integrating Language and
Literacy in Science Activities
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Ask OPEN-ENDED Questions during the activity
○ Don’t be a game show host
○ Ask questions to promote in-depth conversation
○ “Why do you think that happened?”
○ “How can you test out that idea?”
Read books/stories to the children about science that relate to the activity
Have children draw pictures about the activity and then write their EXACT
words down and read it back to them.
Teach children science vocabulary. Intentionally plan out teaching science
content and process vocabulary.
○ Examples : experiment, observe, measure, record, discover, test,
Developing Scientific
Concepts
Concepts help children organize
information, acting as building
blocks for learning.
Concepts help with cognitive
tasks of:
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Identifying objects in the
world
Forming analogies
Making inferences that
extend knowledge
Problem solving
Development
of Math
Skills
Jean Piaget - Social-Arbitrary Knowledge
Social-Arbitrary Knowledge consists of “truths”
agreed upon by convention and rules.
Example - Names of numbers, signs and shapes
never change and are “truths”.
Teachers must support children’s learning as they
use math materials, helping them learn
social-arbitrary knowledge.
Piaget said that the only way children can learn
these truths is through adults or more competent
peers.
Yes! That is teacher-directed!
Learning Math
Processes
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Problem Solving
Reasoning
Communicating
Connecting
Representing
Open-Ended and
Self-Correcting
Open-Ended Examples - No “right”
answer
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Buttons to sort/classify
Pegs to stack/sort/count
Self correcting are activities that have “right”
answers
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A puzzle that has numbers 1-10 in
order can only go one way
Number charts/graphs
Basic Math
activities for
young
children
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Counting
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Recognizing Numerals
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Rote Counting
One-to-One Correspondence
Games where children match numerals
Playdough cutters shaped like numbers
Using objects with numerals such as calendars,
calculators, playing cards, magnetic numbers
Writing Numerals
Matching the Correct Number of Items to the
Numeral
BASIC adding and taking away
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Setting a lunch table
Songs/fingerplays
Cooking
Ask Children to
Communicate
Their Thinking
When children
communicate their
thoughts, they construct
new meanings, thing more
deeply and increase their
math competence.
Connect language/literacy
to EVERYTHING!
Outdoors is the best place to conduct
Science (and math) Activities with
children
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Explore wind with kites
Learn about plants and gardening
Recycling
Observe bugs and animals in their habitats
Create water systems using a hose and PVC
pipe
Observe birds by setting up bird feeders
Observe and discuss the change of seasons
Encourage children to create collections of
natural items ( rocks, leaves, flowers, shells, etc)
In a group, you will develop a math and science based
activity on any topic of your choosing.
This activity must be something that can be done
OUTSIDE.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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Name of the Activity
Materials Needed
Write 1 Objective (must be developmentally
appropriate)
Write 1 Open Ended question
Brief step by step instructions.
One person from each group will write down the
activity. Write everyone's first AND last name on
the paper and turn in to Canvas.
You will have 20 minutes to plan and discuss.
Purchase answer to see full
attachment