The kindergarten discussed in this article is part of the college preparatory program of a K-12 school. The school focuses on a wide variety of developmental skills and cognitive challenges to ensure the mastery of skills by each child/student at every grade level along the way. All teachers emphasize skills development. The kindergarten…

In this article, the author talks about engaging environments at learning centers. A kindergarten (and former first grade) teacher, Lynn Heffley, notes that young children need to be encouraged and taught to inquire, investigate, explore, and to record their learning (pers. comm). Learning will not occur unless the teacher is knowledgeable,…

Addresses major issues in teachers' reluctance to use woodworking centers with young children: (1) too noisy; (2) too dangerous; (3) just for boys; and (4) too expensive. Explains why woodworking can be beneficial to children and how to begin creating and using a woodworking center. (EV)

By adopting the Smart School Snacks program, administrators and teachers at the Nova Southeastern University (NSU) preschool center have prompted a healthy change in attitude about snacks. Simple healthy snacks have become the norm at the center and are welcomed by children and families alike. Family involvement is a critical part of the program.…

Discusses the educational philosophy of learning through projects, and the teacher's role in planning learning centers. Describes several types of kindergarten learning centers which allow for varying degrees of self-directed or teacher-instructed learning. (NH)

Focuses on the independent outdoor pretend play of preschool children. Describes the complex learning occurring in a university child study center's play yard and in outdoor learning centers, how teachers complement children's play, and the importance of space. Illustrates the pattern of pretend play: initiation, negotiation, and enactment.…

Shows how mathematics is integrated into everyday hands-on activities and problem-solving situations in one preschool. Provides examples of how themes emerge from children's interests and are incorporated in classroom learning centers. Asserts that meaningful teaching methods and pictorial demonstrations and manipulatives engage preschoolers in…

Notes that in early childhood classrooms or outdoors, a water center can be the catalyst for building concepts, developing language, and promoting social skills. Discusses how to set up such a center and the teacher's role in facilitating learning through this medium. Includes 25 ideas for promoting discovery learning in water play. (HTH)

Describes the types of classroom art experiences that should be provided for young children and discusses reasons teachers continue to rely on recipe art lessons. Suggests learning center activities and materials, as well as ways that teachers can facilitate creativity. Considers how coloring books dampen children's motivation to draw. (KB)

Describes the use of small sandboxes with toy figures as an activity that helps children cope with the emotional upheaval in their lives. (HTH)

Contrasts experiences of two children during the first week of kindergarten to illustrate the importance of the classroom environment for inviting children to become full participants in the learning process. (KB)

Presents a case study of one kindergarten class in which the mathematics center is the popular area in the room. Focuses on how math is best understood if activities follow the five-C formula: collaborative, concrete, comprehensive, connecting, and cavorting. Describes how children used manipulatives to construct mathematics concepts…

Three kindergarten teachers integrated developmentally appropriate 30-minute daily writing experiences into the curriculum. Both teachers and students came to value writing time, and teachers became more comfortable in making writing an integral part of each day. A modified program in the second year introduced sight words and word walls earlier.…

Discusses the importance of allowing children to become involved in a variety and complexity of play situations so that they may have opportunities to develop and fine-tune their strategies for making decisions. Describes a thematic sociodramatic center created for this purpose in a kindergarten classroom composed of Native American and Hispanic…

Examines the early childhood and primary learning environments and developmentally appropriate practices in light of the findings of brain research in the mid to late 1990s. Focuses on how the brain works, creating the optimal learning environment, developing classroom learning centers, and presenting meaningful learning experiences. Identifies…