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Helpful Hints: Creating Interest Areas
Setting up interest areas with in the classroom is important for
the making of a classroom that promotes the growth and development for a child.
Here are areas that are typically in an early childhood classroom:
• Blocks (unit blocks, people and transportation)
• Dramatic Play (kitchen set, dress-up clothes & dolls)
• Fine Motor or Manipulative (tables, puzzles, pegs & beads)
• Art (easels, paint, crayons & paper)
• Sand & Water (sand and water table, funnels, measuring cups & sponges)
• Library (book display, books & soft cushions)
• Music and Movement (dance/prop storage, musical instruments/players)
• Storage for Personal Belongings (lockers, storage bins, etc.)
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Helpful Hints:
Why color sheets and/or craft projects,
using models, hurts the creative expression
Art should be a creative experience in which children initiate the activity,
select their own materials and make whatever inspires them.
The frustration involved in working to someone else's standards,
the infringement on spontaneous choice and the intrusion of
teacher plans into children's tasks are also negatives.
The teacher's role in this activity should be to offer a variety of materials,
model a variety of age appropriate techniques and discuss ideas with the children.
SOURCE: (Developmentally Appropriate Practice, p.257, Second edition)
Teaching Concepts
Pointing concepts, such as color and letters,
through games and in stories that are age appropriate would reinforce them to the children.
Cutting out letters, as an activity, would set the preschool age children up for failure
because they do not have the manual dexterity at this age to master this task.
Instead, let them cut out magazines and newspapers
that do not have defined shape to cut.
They will enjoy learning new concepts and skills
when they are in control of the pace at which they can learn them.
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The aforementioned are professional opinions. All of these are the sole property of WDM, Inc.
Any use of the contents, above statements, or ideas requires the written permission of WDM, Inc. Violators will be prosecuted.
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Helpful Hint of the Month...
The Infant Pull Up Storage (WD40400)
is a great product to use in the infant room
to protect the non-mobile infants from the mobile infants.
Just place two Infant Pull Up Storage shelves
in an "L" shape and place the needed material
for the non-mobile infants within the sectioned off area.
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Shown above:
WD40400 Infant Pull Up Storage
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Check us out in this article on the web...
The Ultimate Early Ed Blueprint
Creating an ideal early childhood education space in your school district is a no-brainer,
once you understand how to see and think like a tot.
By Julie Sturgeon, DistrictAdministration.com, May 2004
http://www.districtadministration.com/page.cfm?p=734
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Teacher Resources: Helpful Hints Archive
Our past Helpful Hints articles, organized & archived
for your convenience in setting-up your own classroom.
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Enhance interest areas by providing enough shelving & storage bins
for the amount of materials provided in the classroom.
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