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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Why There Is No "Science Area" in my Play-Based Classroom




Children are natural scientists. They constantly explore, question and create knowledge about their world. Play gives children real world experience upon which to build their hypotheses and theories. Just like scientists in a lab, children at play observe and investigate. Just like scientists, children at play think creatively and explore new ways of thinking.


photos taken in The Little Room at Garden Gate Child Development Center
                                                    teachers: Leigh Ann Yuen & Renee Dutton



According to an article from the University of California at Berkeley’s website, understandingscience.org, there are several scientific habits of mind that can be applied to everyday situations. By allowing children plenty of time for uninterrupted play, with open-ended materials, we are cultivating these habits of thinking that will encourage children to continue their scientific pursuits. 

In our classroom, we're not limited by a few magnets on a science shelf. We’re not just teaching science, children are learning how to be scientists!




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