Post on 13-Jan-2016
Learning centres/learning spaces
What are learning centres /spaces?
• Spaces set up in an indoor or outdoor environment to encourage children to make choices, explore, solve problems and investigatewhilst learning
How is the learning environment set up?
The indoor rooms are divided into learning centres that remain in place at all times
• These may include: a creative and writing area, a music area, a science and nature area, a manipulative equipment area, a construction area, a dramatic play area and a quiet comfortable book area for the development of language and literacy
Outdoor learning environment
It should be and have:• As natural as possible• Have ‘loose parts’• Quiet places and active places• Learning experiences and provocations• Experiences to encourage learning about the
natural world
Creative, sensory & writing area
Dramatic play area
Dramatic play area
Music area
Science and nature area
Reading and quiet area
Manipulative area
Construction area
Areas of interest, investigation/project work
What about outdoors?
Or this?
Or this?
Or this?
The value of learning centres
• Children are active learners andlearning centres are planned to encourage active involvement
• Learning centres easily address children’s individual learning styles – visual, kinasthetic, auditory
The value of learning centres
Learning centres are a symbolic representation of the world that surrounds children
Benefits of a learning centre
• Allows opportunity for free and independent play
• There are a range of materials to explore and make choices
Benefits of a learning centre• Caters for a range of developmental levels• Children can revisit their play and practice their
emerging skills – revisit their interests/investigations
Benefits of a learning centre
• Children can make choices, develop confidence in problem solving skills
• Develop social skills as they work together
Benefits of a learning centre
• Enhance creativity by determining their direction of play & selection of materials
Benefits of a learning centre
• Understand others as they try out roles & participate in play sequences
• Develop responsibility as they build and care for materials
• Learn how to make plans & carry these out to completion, developing persistence in task
Benefits of a learning centre
• Teachers can program and plan for a range of interests, abilities and emerging skills
• Children can control the amount of time they spend in a area
Designing & planning learning centres
• Select props & materials to meet the range of developmental levels of children
• Use real objects and open ended materials
Designing & planning learning centres
• Use items such as plants, screens, fabrics• There should be opportunities for specific
learning by children• There must be plenty of time available• Follow interests
Designing & planning learning centres
• Consider location and space• Materials – self selection• Aesthetics-provocations• Organisation of materials• Display of children’s work• Documentation and photographs of children playing• Posters of the value of play in learning centre
The role of the educator
• As observers of children• As listeners of children• As a resource for children• As designers & assessors of the learning
centre• Change, rearrange & add new material to
maintain their interest• Write a letter to families about learning
centres and their value
Educators observe and interact with the children and the materials developing the children’s learning.
Each day we set out pre planned activities in the learning centres based on our observations of the children from the day before. What the children are interested in and how to
extend their learning and development.
Courtesy of:
• Randwick College Playsession• Let the children Play blog• Northern Nursery School• Moverley Child Care Centre