While brilliantly planned out lessons are beneficial to your preschoolers, you should never discount the importance of 'play' time. It may seem disorganized and 'all over the place', but as children play, they use these 'unstructured' strings of sensory experiences to help them order their ideas about the world. Sherry and Donna, preschool teachers and creators of Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning, have wholeheartedly embraced this idea and strive to structure their classroom to this end. Instead of creating traditional lessons, this duo creates play 'stations' that students are free to explore on their own. The play station begins with an overall objective, then the two brainstorm activities, tools, and exercises that will help their students accomplish these objectives, they make the display attractive so that kids are drawn to it, and then they watch the learning take place!
Be sure to check out Sherry and Donna's blog for some great ideas!
Irresistible Ideas for play based learning » Blog Archive » tweezers, scales & chopsticks
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