Planning
Education has been perceived as a significant solution to social, political, and economic problems affecting modern world societies. Therefore, parents, guardians, governments, and non-governmental organizations invest heavily in education for children and even adults. Education extends from informal to formal with children acquiring it both at their homes and in schools. In most parts of the world, children begin formal education in learning institutions at around three to five years.
An effective learning and teaching process should be a learner-centered approach. Therefore, a friendly environment has to be created between the teacher and the child. Learning and teaching resources should also capture the interest and attention of learners for good memorization of the content taught. Pre-school and kindergarten children are likely to enjoy learning when resources such as pictures, toys, and charts, and realia are used in teaching.
At the preschool level, kids are introduced to recognizing numeric and alphabets and counting, colors, shapes, physical education, health, and environmental education. Construction activity for children aged 4-6 years is crucial especially with the advances in technology. The activity can also be helpful in the talent realization of the child at young age and cultivation of the talent. The teacher should take learners through the construction plan sessions both in the classroom and also in the field.
This activity plan is based on the cognitive domain of development of a child, whereby the skills to be developed in a child are mental, such as understanding the environment and language, thinking, and reasoning. According to Zeng et al. (2017), physical activities aid cognitive development in preschool children. Therefore, physical activities such as construction by learners are important activity plans.
Several teaching resources and techniques are to be incorporated by both the students and teachers. Some of the materials needed include a chart, pictures of different blocks, real tangible blocks, toys, pieces of boxes, and a field. The teacher should then control the session directing learners on the steps to follow during block construction. The teacher should also prioritize the safety of learners by ensuring a safe selection of resources and the field.
The teacher should ensure every child understands clearly the indoor activities for the best outcomes in the field to be produced. Therefore, the explanation should be simple and clear for every learner to understand well (Erickson et al., 2019). Learners should also be given enough time for observation as the teacher makes some blocks for them. Consequently, they also have enough time to observe the pictures in the charts. Such observations would ensure that learners familiarize themselves with block activities.
Implementation
The implementation stage involves interpreting the plan into reality. The objective should be clear that by the end of the session the learner should be able to make a block. The implementation stage comprises two levels: learning indoors and outdoors. The theory part of learning is done indoors while the practical part is done outdoors. The indoor activity should start with an introduction of blocks activity to the learners, displaying the chart on the wall where all the learners can see as the teacher explains it to the learners (Pate et al., 2019). The teacher should also demonstrate the making of blocks with a lot of clarity to ensure learners find fun in it and get interested in the subject and making for themselves.
During the outdoor activity, the teacher should supervise every learner making their block. After making similar blocks to that of the teacher, they should be allowed to create them out of their own choices. Such activity promotes creativity since the learner is not directed but independent in making their own decisions. This form of learning can also be credited for inclusiveness since it involves conceptualizing facts and applying them into practice. Both physical and cognitive domains work together in the activity.
The Reflective Practice
During the activity, students have learned various skills related to the cognitive domain, such as listening and speaking, observation, creative thinking, and perfect matching of different toys to form a block. Their work can be evidently described as well-organized and self-seeking. The experience made learners understand that things exist because they are made and they are capable of making them.
The process is also successful and safe for learners to use since it produces tangible evidence of learners’ understanding of the content. It also increases the learner’s self-confidence and intrinsic motivation. With such confidence, learners can acquire practical knowledge and skills which make the learning process meaningful since education aims at producing self-reliant persons in society. Therefore, the learning process was successful.
The student educator should seek more opportunities that can lead to learner’s growth in creativity. Field trips and workshops are necessary for a learner to study more in construction activities. Such trips can involve a visit to a building construction site, a carpenter, garage, craftsman, or an architect to observe how they fit different items to make one good thing. For instance, fitting different parts of timber to make a bed or different sizes of stones to make a house can be good examples for learners to observe.
Moreover, the educator should have clear set goals to be achieved during the learning process. After the learning session, evaluation should be conducted as a measure of effectiveness of the activity. Group activities are also important for learners to socialize and share their knowledge and interests in different fields. Therefore, learning would become enjoyable and effective if well planned and learners are actively involved.
Weekly Planning Form
- Date:_
- Study/project: block/construction activity plan;
- Age group: 4-6 years.
Planning for Groups
References
Erickson, K. I., Hillman, C., Stillman, C. M., Ballard, R. M., Bloodgood, B., Conroy, D. E., Macko, R., Marquez, D. X., Petruzzello, S. J., & Powell, K. E. (2019). Physical activity, cognition, and brain outcomes: A review of the 2018 physical activity guidelines. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 51(6), 1242-1251. Web.
Pate, R. R., Hillman, C. H., Janz, K. F., Katzmarzyk, P. T., Powell, K. E., Torres, A., & Whitt-Glover, M. C. (2019). Physical activity and health in children younger than 6 years: A systematic review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 51(6), 1282-1291. Web.
Zeng, N., Ayyub, M., Sun, H., Wen, X., Xiang, P., & Gao, Z. (2017). Effects of physical activity on motor skills and cognitive development in early childhood: A systematic review. BioMed Research International, 2017, 1-13. Web.