How does learning happen Archives | Creating Together Parkdale

This month’s information sessions helped parents and caregivers understand the benefits of water sensory play, and how to encourage this kind of play with children. Below are some tips from staff at Creating Together, which were shared with families this month:

WHERE: You can provide opportunities for your child to play with water in the bath, in the kitchen sink, in a washing up bowl or a baby’s bath, weather permitting, in a paddling pool or bins with water.

PREPARE FOR A MESS: This type of play is likely to lead to some mess, but your child should not feel under pressure to keep dry or not make a mess. It is better to try to encourage children to limit the mess and for them to help clean up afterwards.

THE VALUE OF SENSORY PLAY: Sensory play is a valuable part of quality early childhood programs. Children are provided with sensory materials used to enhance their senses of touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing. The use of sensory materials allows children the opportunity for hands-on and self-directed play to encourage the development of fine / gross motor skills, creativity, self-esteem, social development, and cognitive development.

A FEW THINGS CHILDREN LEARN WHEN PLAYING WITH WATER:

To improve their skill at pouring by developing their arm and hand muscles
How water behaves when you pour it from one container to another
How water feels and that it can be squirted
Objects either float or sink
That containers hold the most or the least
That water leaks from containers with holes
Eye-hand co-ordination

*Water play in a basin, with measuring cups and toys for hours of fun!*

The staff at Creating Together are trained in helping children achieve indicators of success in a number of key areas of development. While many of these were shared in our information session this month, we wanted to include them here so you can be more informed when playing with your child, so you too can encourage their development and success!

Fine Motor – holding objects with hand.
Coordination – holding and transferring object from hand to hand; manipulating small objects with improved coordination.
Autonomy – initiating activities.
Tactile – tracking moving objects with eyes; touching, rubbing, squeezing.
Words with Gesture – speaking with words and gesture.
Vocabulary – repeating words.

Moving forward, we hope you’ll take the dive and explore the benefits of water play with your children!

Next time you’re in Creating Together, look up – you’ll see a number of signs designating areas as stations for different kinds of learning.

This month, staff are offering information sessions on one of these stations – Building Blocks. The first session held November 8th was a great success, and if you weren’t able to make it, you can attend the next one on the 12th at 1:30pm.

Did you know that building blocks with your child has a number of benefits?

Benefits of Block Play

Teaches children concept of weight, height, balance, space, shape, size, mass counting, and colours
Enhances language skills, such as labelling
Improves motor skills, such as stability and coordination
Supports their social skill development, by helping them communicate ideas and cooperate with their peers
Encourages problem solving, creativity, and imagination
Fun!

Did you know that there is a guide that Creating Together uses in their programming, to ensure they are meeting guidelines and best practices for child development?

Learning Domains and Skill Indicators for Block Play

The 2007 provincial publication of Early Learning for Every Child Today: A framework for Ontario early childhood settings (2014) describes how young children learn and develop, and offers a guide for curriculum in Ontario’s early childhood settings, such as child care centers, regulated home child care, nursery schools, Ontario Early Years Centres, family resource programs, parenting centres, etc.

When we do Block Play, we tap into a number of learning domains and areas of skill development, according to this guide. Below are some examples of learning domains and consequent indicators of skill development, which Parents and caregivers can use, as the staff of Creating Together do, to support each child’s learning and development.

Problem Solving (4.2): Use blocks to experiment with balance and positions
Classifying (4.10): Move from random classification by one, or more
Cooperating (1.6): Exchange ideas and material during play
Interacting with Adults (1.9): Seeing adults as resources in exploration and problem solving
Vocabulary (3.3): Using new words
Language (3.5): Using descriptive language, such as sentences, to explain, explore, and describe objects

Block Play Tips for Parents and Caregivers

Parents and caregivers can do a number of things to help children get the most of their block play:

Play at the child’s level
Use blocks to experiment with balances and positions
Expand interests with the use of pictures, books, and other aids
Build the world’s tallest / widest tower
Try to blow the tower down
Build small cities, trains, roads, castles, boats, buses
Have building blocks lead to pretend play (e.g., the houses of the 3 little pigs, the wheels on the bus)

Water Sensory Play

Building Blocks With Your Child

Benefits of Block Play

Learning Domains and Skill Indicators for Block Play

Block Play Tips for Parents and Caregivers

For more tips and some hands-on mentorship in Block Play,

please come to our next Information Session on November 12th at 1:30pm!

Creating Together Parkdale Family Resource Centre

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