Children Gain Powerful Knowledge Through Play Children learn through play. You hear us say this often, but what does it mean? From birth, children are active participants in building their own understanding. They do this by experimenting, observing, and participating with other children and adults. Children construct knowledge and build on what they already know. Adults observe each child. They watch the children work with the materials and toys. Teachers prepare the environment to help each child build on what they already know. What does this look like in the early childhood classroom? Here is a quick tour of what a child is learning as they play with the different materials, media, and toys. In the manipulatives and games interest center you may see your child working a puzzle or building with Legos. They are learning:
Small muscle control
Eye-hand coordination
To increase their focus ability and concentration skills
Parts-to-whole concepts
One to one correspondence and sets
In the writing/art center you may see your child doodling on paper with a marker or a pen. They are learning:
Utilization of fine motor skills
Visual discrimination
About shape, color, space, and texture
To express their thoughts on paper
To experiment with letter sounds (invented spelling)
To construct words, phrases, and sentences
The power of print
The importance of literacy
The joy of reading and writing
In the dramatic play center your child may be dressing up or pretending to serve a friend food. They are learning:
To interact with others
Empathy through role playing
To take turns and to share
Relationship of home, school, and the community
Language skills and new vocabulary
Math concepts, such as more/less
In the block center you may see your child building a "farm" or making a "road." They are learning:
Spatial relationships and physical properties of objects
Cooperation
Problem solving skills
Math concepts such as size, shape, weight, and volume.
