Toddler Program

march 2023

Exploring Houses

Establishing Connections Through Replicatory and Reflective Play

Over the course of the Month of March the children have really been reflecting on the concept of “Houses.” We really feel like the children's explorations into cooking and kitchens very much lead and paved the way for this intensive investigation. They have really been focusing on how to build a house, what is in our houses, who is in our houses, and the different materials and rooms in our houses. This lead to the children using reflective practice to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between their own home environments. The children seemed to take so much joy and sense of belonging in making those connections in those similarities to their peers. To support this, we have tried to make all the materials available to the children so they can explore these new discoveries with all their languages. We have made visual representations using paper, pencils, and markers. We have made 3D representations using the blocks with visual representations of houses and their parts. We have explored making visual representations using modeling media like playdough and plasticine. We placed keys and locks into our loose parts for the children to openly explore the concept of open and close, and we have added large boxes for the children to create large enclosures and connect all of their learning and investigations together.

This exploration is still ongoing and we are using our observations and the inquiry cycle to help support the children’s discovery and investigations by adding materials and setting up experiences and the environment to support their learning.

Lauren Dewar RECE, Selena Martin