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Our exploratory centers in the classroom are purposefully designed to
incorporate theme-based curriculum, active problem solving solutions,
independent exploration, descriptive and receptive communication, and hands-on
experiences.
Art Center: Art provides children with many opportunities to express
creativity, observe cause and effect with a variety of mediums, increase small
muscle development, establish eye-hand coordination, discover colors, shapes,
sizes, and textures, and to formulate aesthetic appreciation and independent
work skills.
Math and Manipulative Center: Children express creativity with open-ended
materials. They match, sort, sequence, seriate, and classify materials by color,
shape, size, and texture. They improve small muscle development, eye-hand
coordination, increase cognitive ability, and inherit social skills such as
taking turns, sharing materials, cooperating while creating, and joining in play
activities. Problem solving and applying acquired information to a new context
is exercised in this area. It is here that children begin to understand the
concept of numbers and their meaning as it relates to real events and ideas.
Library Center: Children develop reading readiness skills, build
vocabulary, participate in conversation, and acquire conceptual development.
They begin to identify roles and relationships as they pertain to characters in
stories, listen and participate as a member of a group, and enjoy listening and
recreating narratives. The library area is the place children learn to be
receptive to the written word and emergent literacy is the key component.
Children's literate acts emerge from their wealth of experience with oral
language and their attempts to enter the rewarding world of print. The process
of becoming literate is developmental. There is no reader or non-reader, but
literacy development starts early and is ongoing on a continuum of increasing
competence.
Computer: Capitalizing upon the children’s fascination with computers
makes it fun and interesting for them to familiarize themselves with components
and how they work, and develop concepts with variety of programs appropriate for
their developmental level. Word processing allows children to explore typing
numbers and letters as well as investigate educational games.
Science Center: Children explore, experiment, hypothesize, question,
discover, and develop concepts using real objects. As discoveries are made,
observations are written and connect the importance of literacy skills. Research
shows that children learn best through their senses. At the tactile table,
children develop sensory awareness with materials such as sand, water, beans,
rice, flour, dirt, pasta or oatmeal. They explore and distinguish textures by
sifting, pouring, comparing, measuring and experimenting with a variety of
materials. This also develops math concepts, weights, and comparisons.
Dramatic Play Center: Often the most popular center, this area encourages
children to develop creative expression, vocabulary, imagination, role playing,
problem solving, social interaction, small muscle control, and eye-hand
coordination. Children acquire ways to work through problems by reenacting real
life experiences. Dramatic play offers safe and purposeful situations for
children to rehearse life skills.
Block Center: Designing and creating structures with the blocks helps
children with muscle development, eye-hand coordination, conceptual development
of size, number, shape, weight, width, and function of the block, and how to
work cooperatively with others. Children learn to manipulate objects to create
open-ended ideas and formulate problem-solving skills. It is in the block center
that children initiate weights, measurements, and comparisons. Unit blocks,
Lincoln logs, cars, trucks, people, animals, and theme-related habitats are
found in this area. Paper and writing material is readily available to add
literary dimensions, implement street signs, or to record measurement amounts.
Music and Movement: Children experiment with a variety of mediums to
increase large motor development. Cooperative games, dances, rhythms, and
activities that promote body movement are emphasized. Music is important to the
overall atmosphere by creating a vibrant environment of creative thinkers.
Research suggests that music may enhance intelligence, academic achievement,
self-esteem, and improve self-discipline. It is closely associated with the
patterning necessary for math skills.
Writing Center: The term emergent literacy is a better descriptor of this
area. Writing does not wait for reading; the two are related, each influencing
the other in the course of development. The primary role of this area is to
introduce and support children’s experimentation with print. Print awareness
depends on an environment rich in print. Children begin by scribbling and soon
the drawings become more representational. Literacy learning proceeds naturally
at this point as children construct their own knowledge into stories and print.
Teachers assist children in developing reading and writing abilities by helping
them produce narratives to go along with their pictures. Whether it is by
modeling writing, encouraging print or spelling phonetically, children learn the
power of the written word. This is an active process.
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