Learning Centers in an Early Childhood Special

Education ClassroomCarrie ZaherSpEd 635-OL

Professor Y. Morales

Learning centers are spaces within the early childhood setting where materials or equipment are gathered and arranged in order to promote specific types of learning skills, such as large and small motor skills, literacy skills, creative thinking skills, and math and science problem-solving skills.

Definition

Safety is one of the major considerations in the arrangement of learning centers in the setting.

Noise level is another factor to consider. Active, noisy centers should be placed away from quiet learning areas such as the writing center, reading center and science/math center, if room allows.

Learning centers and the equipment in them should be accessible to all children, including those with temporary or permanent disabilities.

Teachers can promote positive social interaction and cooperative work by designing learning center spaces that are suitable for small groups of various sizes, because it is in small groups that children best learn to cooperate.

Arrangement

Science and Math Discovery Learning Sensory Learning Housekeeping and Dramatic Play Large-Muscle Learning Area Blocks Learning Area Small-Muscle Area Creative Process-Art Media Area Music and Movement Literacy and Library Areas

Basic Learning Centers

In this area one would find:◦ groupings of plants, small animals such as fish,

guinea pigs or snails◦ Items from nature◦ Pictures and books relating to current interests of

children◦ Tubbing, graphing and counting materials◦ Tools for observation and measurement by

children

Science and Math Discovery Learning

Children learn about the needs of other living things and beings by helping to care for plants or nonhuman animals.

This center also promotes problem-solving skills.

What do children learn?

This center would include a table or bins of sensory materials that are rotated for children’s exploration, as well as the sand table, the water table and clay or playdough.

Items used in the sensory table include:◦ Cups◦ Funnels◦ Sponges◦ Shovels and other containers for dumping and pouring◦ Rice and oatmeal (dry and wet)◦ Dry beans◦ Shaving cream◦ Goop◦ Dirt

Sensory Learning

They learn to use their senses through:◦ Smell ◦ Taste◦ Touch◦ Sight ◦ Sound

The sensory table promotes tactile exploration

What do children learn?

This learning center usually includes:◦ Toy kitchen with appliances◦ Dishes, utensils, pots and pans◦ Iron, broom, dustpan◦ Telephone◦ Dress-up clothes and costumes◦ Baby dolls◦ Crib, stroller, high chair◦ Stuffed animals◦ Pretend food◦ Baskets and small shopping cart◦ Fake money

Housekeeping and Dramatic Play

This area promotes children’s use of ◦ Imagination◦ Dramatic play◦ Adaptive skills

What do children learn?

Ample space, such as circle time area, is ideal for this area.

Active play equipment includes:◦ Climbing apparatus◦ Balance beams◦ Tumbling mats◦ Tricycles◦ Balls◦ Swings◦ Slide

Large-Muscle Learning Area

Children’s motor skills are developed and enhanced through play

They have a certain amount of freedom of movement

What do children learn?

This area is a good place to observe how children play. Materials usually found in this area include:

◦ Wooden blocks of various sizes and colors◦ Cardboard blocks◦ Toy garages, farm buildings, and other buildings◦ Cars and trucks of various sizes◦ Toy trains and train tracks◦ Boards◦ Toy people, action figures, or other characters◦ Snap together blocks◦ Building sets◦ Puppets◦ Toy nonhuman animals

Blocks Learning Area

The daily and appropriate use of unit blocks teaches:◦ Cooperation and social skills◦ Creativity and dramatic play◦ Spatial relationships◦ Perceptual skills◦ Math, science and language skills

What do children learn?

This area or learning center is defined for the use of:◦ Table toys◦ Manipulatives◦ Bristle blocks◦ Puzzles◦ Stringing beads

Small-Muscle Area

Materials should support both success and challenge for children.

It helps strengthen skills such as:◦ Strength◦ Eye-hand coordination◦ Dexterity

What do children learn?

The art learning center will include space for tables and easels and should be located near the storage of art media materials of all kinds.

Activities at this center can include:◦ Clay or playdough◦ Painting◦ Many types of collage◦ Fingerpaint◦ Construction with recycled materials◦ Drawing◦ Cutting

Art Area

Creativity and individuality Imagination Master simple shapes and colors Communication skills Enhances prewriting skills, squeezing and

gripping, enhancing muscle development and coordination

What do children learn?

This is a learning area that usually doubles with the large-muscle/active play area, and which includes:◦ Tapes and tape player◦ CDs and CD player◦ Musical instruments

Accessories for movement such as:◦ Paper pom-poms◦ Scarves◦ Ribbons or streamers

Music and Movement Area

During movement activities, motor skills are developed and enhanced through play.

Children learn new vocabulary and concepts through music, even when they do not grasp the meanings of the same words when those words are used in conversation.

Songs facilitate vocalization and increase the number and spontaneous use of vocabulary words.

What do children learn?

The reading center should be:◦ Quiet, attractive and comfortable◦ Books and picture books should be:

Age-appropriate Free of bias Include multicultural subject matter Accessible Properly stored so that children can see their choices

Literacy and Library Areas

In the writing center children will need materials such as:◦ Old greeting cards◦ Paper◦ Envelopes◦ Big pencils◦ Crayons◦ Markers◦ Individual journals

Literacy and Library Area cont’d

The computer can be can be used in conjunction with many of the learning centers themselves.

Computers can also be it’s own center.

Computer Area

The best thing to keep in mind is that the centers should make the children feel successful!

Remember to be flexible and change your centers to fit the children’s needs.

Conclusion

Dunlap, L. L. (2008) An Introduction to Early Childhood Special Education: Birth to Age Five. In V. Lanigan (Ed.). The Importance of Play (pp. 352-388). New Jersey- Pearson Education, Inc.

Petersen, E. A. (1996) A Practical Guide to Early Childhood Planning, Methods, and Materials: the what, why, and how of lesson plans. Where It Happens: Basic Elements of the Setting (pp. 112-130). Massachusetts-Allyn & Bacon.

References