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Activities at Runabouts are play-based and open-ended.
I work hard to keep the curriculum emergent, hands-on, & developmentally appropriate!
Play based because I recognize that children learn best through play. Children learn from the experience (touch, taste, sounds, feelings, etc) related to the activity. Play provides opportunities for all the “basics” and then some. Through play children can learn math, science, language, literacy, and history… but that’s not why they do it. And they don’t just do it because it’s fun (though often it is!). They do it because that’s what drives them. Being in the world, growing with other people, soaking in information about the world around them and the people around them. Play involves exploration, risk, trial and error, concentration, dedication, motivation, negotiation, inspiration, maybe cooperation or leadership… all the things that grow a healthy human, a life long learner, and someone who can accomplish great things. We should all play more, I suppose!
Open ended means focusing on the process not the product! It means that when I set out a project I don't have an end product in mind and there are lots of directions it could take. Emphasis on "process not product" is important for young children. Open ended means that when a child is painting and I see an amazing work of art, I grit my teeth let them continue their work until they decide it’s done, even if they decide to turn it into a globby grayish brown mess. (Some times I am better at this than others!) It means that although we might have specific ways to take care of materials, we don’t have specific ways that they have to be used. At times it’s hard to trust their process, but if I’m patient often what they come up with is SO much more amazing than what I would have imagined! I provide materials that, for the most part, have lots of different uses. (Called “loose parts.”) I also don’t make models for young children to copy.
Emergent means that it comes from the kids. If they are into pirates, we sing about pirates. If they are into fire fighters, we dress up like firefighters. If they are into dogs, we pretend to be dogs, and play with toy dogs, and read books about dogs. Initially, the things that I provide (the loose parts, dolls, blocks, sensory, and art) are based on what I know about kids in general… but I try to pay attention to what the individuals and group are into and incorporate that into the classroom. I also look at the seasons and what’s going on in the children’s world, and bring that into the classroom in a play-based, open-ended, developmentally appropriate way. For example: during an election that everyone is talking about we might make a voting box and cast ballots. Or around Halloween/Harvest we have pumpkins for painting, drawing on, pounding golf tee’s into, carving, cooking, planting seeds, etc. I recognize that children learn reading, writing, math, history, physics, etc as it becomes relevant to them in their real life and/or "play." If they are surrounded by people who are learning and thinking, and are given the space, time, and materials to explore their passions, they will learn the basics and more importantly they will learn how to learn and to pursue their ideas.
Developmentally appropriate means taking a look at brain development and what young children are and are not capable of. It means looking at children's needs and human needs. Focusing on “process not product” is a lot about being developmentally appropriate. Other ways to make the day developmentally appropriate include: making circle times short, planning to move around a lot, planning for messes, making sure they can reach the sink, the toilet, and the materials, having a place for things so they know where to find what they need, having a rhythm to the day (a consistent but flexible schedule), keeping things predictable, hugging a lot, having soft places and things that smell good, having sensory activities every day, etc. This shouldn’t be used to limit children, for they can often do a lot more than we expect… but to meet them exactly where they are. It is a subtle balance between presenting new challenges and being with them exactly where they are.
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LEARNING TOOLS INCLUDE:
Paint and Crayons
Sand and Shovels
Dolls and Balls
Blocks and Tape
Play-dough and Water
Songs and Stories
Lots of Good Books
A listening ear, trust, and respect!
(we don't use computers, movies, or t.v.)