Planning Learning Opportunities

When planning learning provocations it is best to follow the interests of the students. If you find that your students are interested in dinosaurs, trains, meteorology, fish, lizards, etc. then you will need to follow their lead. As an educator, I know it can be difficult to be spontaneous when planning learning opportunities especially when we make a conscious effort to follow the children’s lead. Too many times we fall back on thematic units or planning learning that doesn’t pertain to their world. For instance, I live in a very warm (near the beach) climate. I no longer teach about snow in January because most of my students will never see it. Instead, I embrace the learning in my area and we learn about ocean tides and the migration patterns of whales.

4 Principles of a Reggio Inspired Classroom. Emergent Curriculum, In-Depth Projects, Collaboration, and the Environment.

When planning learning opportunities to appease my administration and also my own sense of being “ready” for the year/month/day I follow a loose guideline of themes and ideas. Then I begin with a generic learning map to help guide me and allow the children to lead me where they need to go. I have also gone into a theme or unit of learning by asking the children, what do you know? This way I don’t go over the information they already have an understanding of, but instead can deepen their understanding of a concept.

Follow Their Lead

The best description of planning learning outcomes gone wrong was the year I planned an entire unit of space-related activities (it was one of our districts’ themes). Then I realized I hadn’t actually asked the students what they knew about space. This particular group of students actually knew about planets, their names, why Earth was special (oxygen) and the planet sizes in relation to the earth. They were curious about the solar system as a whole and space travel.

Once the children told me what they knew we were actually able to create a clay model of the solar system rather than learn about just the earth or just the sun as I had in years past. We also created rocket ships and the children were able to tell me stories of life forms on their imaginary planets. Without first filling out our LWK chart I would have taught a very different BASIC lesson. Instead, we were able to delve deeper into space, since my students already had a basic understanding.

Planning Learning with a Mind Map

Planning learning using a basic map before you begin will help you see where the interest lies, and then be able to develop your plans accordingly. I also want to point out that I have been in the classroom for 24 years. Basically, I have been gathering “things” for 24 years. I have 4 children of my own and I have been raiding their toys and personal items for 21 years! If you are a first-year teacher or do not have access to many of these items please DO NOT feel the need to change your items out as regularly as I do. Find some quality items that you can use for multiple ideas, themes or units and go from there.

The students also really love to help create the materials you do not have. One year I asked the children to please help me create a computer. Their creations were fantastic and something I was able to use for about 5 years after that (until they fell apart). I have had students create dollars in the art center, and bring in boxes from home because they told their parents what the plan was. Although I give some ideas for changing our areas on a monthly or bimonthly schedule, the children do not necessarily need items changed that frequently. I just have that much stuff!

The following lists are merely places to start with your provocations. Remember you do not need everything on the list. If you find you have all of the items rotate them to keep the learning exciting and engaging. Come back next week for some in-depth math provocations and planned learning experiences.

Literacy- Planning Learning Activities

• rocks with ABC’s
• name cards
• small booklets, notepads, calculators
• buttons with letters
• magnet letters
• paint sticks with written letters
• pencils, highlighters, crayons, markers
• letter word cards
• books
• letter mats and mini erasers

Science Learning Activities

• microscope, magnifying glasses
• small glass jars for special treasures
• class pets
• real rocks, flowers, insect collections
• a small aquarium for natural found items (snails, bugs, rocks, etc.)
• glitter jars
• science Books

Planning Learning- Math Center

• sand timers
• clocks
• numbers on rocks
• magnet numbers, metal cookie sheets (Dollar Tree)
• ten frames with small manipulatives
• counters (rocks, shells, sticks, etc.)
• rulers
• cooking timers
• dice and spinners
• hands-on math activities
• mini erasers and number mats
• Books about math

Planning Learning Using the Atelier

Used for creativity plus as a nontraditional writing center

• vertical space for drawing
• whiteboards, chalkboards, chalk
• drawing Manikin
• mirrors (handheld and stationary)
• various styles of paper: tracing, cardstock, construction, small, large, paint chip samples for color matching,
• stickers-used to strengthen small motor grasping and pinching muscles
• Bingo daubers
• watercolor paints
• paint pods for mixing (color chemistry)
• clay, kinetic sand, slime, playdoh with and without tools
• paint brushes, scissors, pencils, pens, highlighters, markers, slix sticks, colored pencils,
• art books
• still life items, flowers, fruit, class pets
• books about actual artists for children (Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Eric Carle, Matisse, Warhol, Pollack, Picasso, Monet, O’Keefe)

Learning Activities in the Block Center

Balance, engineering, planning, architecture, cause, and effect

• various sizes of blocks, round, square, and irregular shapes
• ramps and balls
• tree cookies
• rulers, paper, pencils, grid paper
• books about engineering

Writing manipulatives

Helping small motor muscles develop through nontraditional writing activities

• use golf pencils
• short crayons
• small hammers to pound golf tees into pumpkins/watermelon/corkboard
• use push pins to poke holes in printed names

Library Learning Activities

• flannel stories (Little Mouse, Monkeys jumping on the bed, counting pieces)
• books on CD
• headphones or earbuds
• books, grow your library with Scholastic points

If you are looking for even more sensory bin ideas, my friend Amanda, from Sparkling in Primary shares her Sensory Bin Master Guide and Freebie with early educators.

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