Running head: LEARNING CENTERS 1
Child Directed Learning Centers
Daneen McGarry
ECE611 Early Childhood Curriculum and
Methods Dr. Allison Rief
April 10, 2017
, LEARNING CENTERS 2
Introduction
Early childhood education plays an important role in the development of cognitive and
social understanding. Program design should take into account the whole child, their interest in
play and their excitement over newly presented information. Curriculum should benefit
intellectual growth but needs to recognize the importance of positive and fun experiences.
Through carefully designed programs and appropriate developmental strategies, teachers provide
these young learners with a strong sense of individuality in addition to confidence by allowing
children to learn with personal exploration.
Learning Center #1 – Lets make…
This study resource
Description: Learning center #1 is where students learn to explore their senses through various
pre-designed curricular activities. Every week, children will create an art project, participate in
was
a music lesson, and make a healthy treat.
Materials/Equipment: beads and string, various food items, flour, salt, water, sand, glue,
musical instruments, CD player, child friendly CD’s: An art table is available for children to
sit to complete certain projects. During the music lesson, the table is put away to allow room
for dancing, singing, and being silly.
Contribution to Learning: Children would have the ability to initiate their own examinations
of the contents and/or activity, constructing “their own knowledge rather than simply taking in
information supplied by others” (Kostelnik, Soderman, Whiren, & Rupiper, 2015, sec 3.6).
Activities such as these will encourage additional development of gross motor skills through
musical lessons, eye-hand coordination with beading, recalling short step sequence,
creativity,
imagination, and communication skills (‘Leap Frog, 2017).
Reason for Center: The purpose for this center is to enable children to engage in exploratory
play. Exploratory play is defined as using the senses to discover and understand the world they
live in (‘Reference.com’, n.d.). Through each activity, children choose the speed at which their
tasks are completed and are given the freedom of decision-making.
Learning Center #2 – What shall we build today?
Child Directed Learning Centers
Daneen McGarry
ECE611 Early Childhood Curriculum and
Methods Dr. Allison Rief
April 10, 2017
, LEARNING CENTERS 2
Introduction
Early childhood education plays an important role in the development of cognitive and
social understanding. Program design should take into account the whole child, their interest in
play and their excitement over newly presented information. Curriculum should benefit
intellectual growth but needs to recognize the importance of positive and fun experiences.
Through carefully designed programs and appropriate developmental strategies, teachers provide
these young learners with a strong sense of individuality in addition to confidence by allowing
children to learn with personal exploration.
Learning Center #1 – Lets make…
This study resource
Description: Learning center #1 is where students learn to explore their senses through various
pre-designed curricular activities. Every week, children will create an art project, participate in
was
a music lesson, and make a healthy treat.
Materials/Equipment: beads and string, various food items, flour, salt, water, sand, glue,
musical instruments, CD player, child friendly CD’s: An art table is available for children to
sit to complete certain projects. During the music lesson, the table is put away to allow room
for dancing, singing, and being silly.
Contribution to Learning: Children would have the ability to initiate their own examinations
of the contents and/or activity, constructing “their own knowledge rather than simply taking in
information supplied by others” (Kostelnik, Soderman, Whiren, & Rupiper, 2015, sec 3.6).
Activities such as these will encourage additional development of gross motor skills through
musical lessons, eye-hand coordination with beading, recalling short step sequence,
creativity,
imagination, and communication skills (‘Leap Frog, 2017).
Reason for Center: The purpose for this center is to enable children to engage in exploratory
play. Exploratory play is defined as using the senses to discover and understand the world they
live in (‘Reference.com’, n.d.). Through each activity, children choose the speed at which their
tasks are completed and are given the freedom of decision-making.
Learning Center #2 – What shall we build today?
