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Learning From The Preschool Classroom |
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Learning from the Preschool Classroom One thing many adults do not realize is that preschool age children live in a learning lab. They are learning all the time. Developing relationships with adults, especially loving relationships with parents and others helps build a framework for learning. However, play becomes the learning stadium for these young children. While as adults we see preschoolers living a playful life, they are actually engaged in learning. Preschool workers have the wonderful and sometimes arduous task of providing the right opportunities, suitable for play and learning for preschoolers. These opportunities provide our best avenues to provide age-appropriate learning for preschoolers. Visiting many preschool rooms you will find various play items situated around. You may see a play kitchen in one corner and a little further down the wall a suitcase or laundry clothes basket with articles of clothing for dress-up. Perhaps there is a mirror hanging at the children’s height in front of the clothing. In another corner will be a shelf with age appropriate jig-saw puzzles. Not far away is a shelf of books (mainly pictures). In another area is a box of non-descript blocks. I call these areas learning stations. Two of our God-given, natural learning abilities are discovery and imitation. At each of these play stations children use the materials to create, imitate and discover for themselves. In the kitchen area preschoolers imitate what they have seen at home, preparing meals cooking, serving, washing their imaginary meals. All the while they are interacting with other children and learning social and interrelation skills. At some stations (such as blocks, legos) children learn by using their creative skills and repetition. Puzzles and books also help the children develop skills by employing repetition, retention, and recall. Play centers like these allow children to function in “their world” and helps meet the educational needs for physical, mental, emotional, and social experiences. A Preschool leader operates within a framework of not her own learning devices, but those of the children in her care. She is capable of learning through reading and using other more intellectual skills. However, she understands the children will learn best if allowed to discover answers through “their world” at their level of cognition. Here is where we switch. What if adult and youth Sunday School teachers taught with the same acumen. Not that we need play centers in our class rooms. Could we not still use learning stations? What if our teaching was structured to allow our learners to use his/her God-given learning skills at each one’s level of cognition? Jesus knew people learned best when they were allowed to discover answers for themselves. Jesus did not tell Peter to not get out of the boat. He also did not advise Peter, “Keep your eyes focused on my eyes.” The lesson that night was ingrained in Peter through discovery learning. Allow your learners to use their God-given Discovery learning abilities. Always giving the answers not allow your listeners to use their higher order thought processes for discovering the answers, will not create life-changing learners. It may create robotic learners, but robots are not known for making change. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me…for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” This is teaching to change lives. This is Teaching That Bears Fruit. . |
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Life is a learning lab for preschool age children |
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Christ's Awareness Raised Everyday |
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For more information on Discovery Learning or other topics in this article contact SonC.A.R.E. Ministries at: |
