Developing a Sense of Self in the Young Child

At Trinity School for Children curriculum delivery is based in the social studies meaning the study of world around them.

The Social Studies program in our pre-school is based on the daily life experiences of young children.  The sources of the several studies over the course of the school year arise from teachers’ observations of and discussions with the children. These ideas develop around the everyday experiences familiar to the children such as: shopping, dining, transportation for people and materials, working at action-filled jobs.

These interests reveal the importance of home, family, the widening world of school, neighborhoods and workplaces which encompass the children’s experiences so far.

At this stage of their development, children want to find out about people, places and things that affect them personally.  Through dramatic play, they have opportunities to imagine and imitate what it feels like to be a parent, doctor, firefighter, or shopkeeper etc.

Teachers plan for school and neighborhood trips, which are followed with play and re-creations with open-ended materials such as blocks, paint, clay, collage, sand, water within the classroom environment.  In their work with materials, children create symbols that support and represent the integration of inner thoughts and feelings with their observations and understandings about the world around them.

Early Childhood Classrooms as Laboratories

Can you imagine the young child in a place where they can discover, learn and experiment with their own realities and build their own knowledge?  A place where a child's development can grow.

From our youngest children (infants) through our 8^th grade classes, our classrooms are working and living representations of the scientist’s laboratory and the artist’s studio. From their observations, experiences, and research, children collect and record scientific data.  They make and then discuss hypotheses that will be subjected to further testing and analyses at different stages of development.  As children work with the censorial materials of art, they can imagine and project themselves into the time and space of the culture being studied and make sense out of it.  This is why a young child's development is critical.

Ultimately these experiences allow the students to integrate and accommodate their own personal feelings and ideas; those experiences in the here and now of families and friends, and from the far away and long ago such as present day Africa, India, China or of ancient Mexico and Egypt.

The Role of Social Studies in Early Childhood Education

For the successful development of the pre school child, an environment must be constructed so that young children can investigate their own questions and their own realities. We develop this environment through the use of “social studies”.

It is through this “social studies” that we develop children’s skills in relationship thinking, problem solving, making generalizations out of details, posing questions, answering questions, working collaboratively and independently, developing a sense of caring and social responsibility, and integrating the use of skills from other academic areas. We begin developing these skills from our very youngest children in our classrooms by creating the environments that will help support these skills.

An important part of the basis of our social studies curriculum at Trinity is referred to as implicit social studies – the life of the classroom itself.  How we organize and manage the classroom – as well as the whole school – sends a powerful message to the students about values and community.  As the children bring to the school a wide array of experiences and personal knowledge the information becomes a part of this spontaneous, “implicit” curriculum. All ideas generated from our organization and thoughts of children make for opportunities to further our teaching and learning.

The Early Childhood Learning Environment

How do you create an appropriate environment?

The most important aspect of a classroom is how it encourages the health and safety of the children and adults who use the space.  Covering electrical outlets, keeping materials in good repair, locking up cleaning products, and maintaining good hygiene are just a few components to classroom safety.

The space also must accommodate for a variety of learning experiences.  Work spaces for art, dramatics, writing, math, blocks, and reading should be incorporated into the space.  Room arrangement impacts learning and social interactions.  Placing quiet centers near each other and nosier centers together reduces conflict.  Cooperation among children is supported by arranging furniture to create small spaces for a few children.  Large group areas help develop a sense of community.  It is also critical to have a space where children can go to be alone. 

It is important that the classroom has a rhythm to the day.  Creating a daily schedule that meets the developmental needs of the children is essential.  Children find comfort and security in predictable routines.  The key to an effective schedule is balance; balance quiet and active times, balance group and individual times, and balance indoor and outdoor times.  The timing of snack, lunch, and rest should reflect the developmental needs of the age group.  When children have their physical needs met, they are then able to explore and learn.  The educator must remain flexible in the daily schedule and recognize when a change is needed. www.trinitysfc.org

The Early Childhood Learning Environment

Why is the learning environment important for early childhood development?

The learning environment is comprised of the physical space, the objects in that space, and the organization of time.  Wherever the space is located, be it a home, a school classroom, a center, or outdoors, these elements are a powerful force.  The environment shapes the behavior and feelings of the people who live and work in it. 

Children learn through interacting with the people and things around them.  Interaction and learning are promoted by creating an environment that simultaneously supports and challenges children.  Room arrangement can facilitate cleaning up and encourage social interaction. 

The classroom environment speaks to the educator’s philosophy and curriculum.  Displaying children’s art work communicates respect.  Parent message boards welcome families into the space.  How a classroom is cared for indicates an educator’s pride, understanding, and commitment to the children and families in their care. www.trinitysfc.org

An Example of the Developmental Interaction Approach In Action

The 4/5’s class had time in the day for story reading.  The teacher asks the children to choose a book they would like her to read to them.  They chose a book on the human eye.

They read a portion of the story that discussed how the eye dilates and the amount of light that filters through the eye. The children began looking at each other’s eyes and asked many questions such as “what happens in the dark?”; “Do cats’ eyes do the same thing?”; “How many different colored eyes are there?”  After the story reading was over the children went back to work.  As the teacher moved around the room, the children were continuing to talk to each other about “the eye”.  This was a signal to the teacher that further study on this subject was necessary.

With the teacher as facilitator, a study was developed around the human body and the five senses.  The children drove the conversation and participated in the planning.  The teacher prepared the classroom with books and materials that would support the study.

After much conversation and collaboration, the study began with a discussion about skin.  The teacher listening to children’s conversations heard the topic of germs come up frequently.  They read books about germs and discussed the illustrations showing the germs being blasted by toxins from the white blood cells.  The teacher explained to the children that “germs are like the bad guys.” They get into our bodies and want to eat up all our energy. The white blood cells are the good guys. They protect our bodies so we don’t get so sick. When the bad guys (germs) get into our bodies, the good guys (white blood cells) rush over to fight them away.” 

The Teaching Approach to Education of Young Children

Our philosophy empowers the creativity of the teacher to organize the physical classroom and implement instruction in order to reach children at all learning levels with an integration of auditory, kinesthetic and visual techniques.  Because the development of well-rounded individuality is paramount for young children, a child’s individuality is effectively nurtured and reinforced by communicating ideas so that all children can understand and apply concepts.

Our Early Childhood program’s main focus is preparing the children to become active learners and responsible citizens beginning within the classroom.  The classroom dynamic created serves as preparation for the development of the good citizen who is able to interact in the world as leaders.

The program creates a curriculum that coincides with the capacities and the needs of children at various stages of development, providing opportunities for interaction with the environment – materials and people – that are so important for learning and growth.  An integrated curriculum with social studies (encompassing the world in which they live) as its core, develops a rich study in emergent literacy, mathematics, science, art, music and physical education.