Categories
Early Childhood Education

Workshop I

Food experimentation workshop

Workshops are “systematized and very directed activities, with an ascending progression of difficulties, to achieve that the child acquires diverse resources and knows different skills that will later be used in a personal and creative way in the corners or spaces of the classroom” (Fourcade, 2009, p. 4). One of the main objectives of the workshops is to create an object or a product, in other words, it is a place where things are done and where people think about the process that is carried out to achieve that product. Furthermore, holding workshops brings a large number of benefits that promote the integral development of children in the classroom, above all their autonomy, since, as has been indicated, the workshops provide a series of strategies and techniques that allow children to do things for themselves. On the other hand, the workshops are a space for socialisation, where the children meet others, as well as the different objects offered to them (Torio, 1997).

As Quinto Borghi (2005) points out, from the point of view of organisation and use, there are different types of workshops, more specifically three. Firstly, there are the workshops held within the infant school, known as internal workshops. Inside a school there can be two types of spaces in which workshops are held, on the one hand a specific classroom, a specific space where only workshops are held and, on the other hand, the workshops can be held in multi-purpose spaces, that is to say, they are the same spaces in which other types of activities are carried out (classroom, school canteen, etc.). The second type of workshops that can be found are those that take place outside the classroom, known as external workshops. Within this section there are different spaces or contexts in which these activities can be carried out. On one hand, the workshops can be held in the school space, outside the building, but inside the school premises, for example, in the playground. On the other hand, workshops can be held outside the school, such as in the neighbourhood or the city. And lastly, workshops can be held that are linked to an institution, which are carried out in different spaces such as museums, theatres, etc. Finally, the last type of workshop mentioned by this author is the workshop in a suitcase. This consists of carrying all the necessary materials for a specific workshop in a suitcase, facilitating their transport to different places and spaces, both in the school and outside it.  

On the other hand, when carrying out a workshop in the classroom a series of decisions have to be taken, such as, for example, the materials to be offered to the children, which have to be polyvalent, so that the children can carry out different activities with them and develop different skills. Another aspect to take into account is what kind of teachers will be in the workshop, whether they will be specialists in the subject or not. On the other hand, you have to take into account the groupings that you are going to make, this will depend on the activity that you are going to carry out. Finally, you should think about the space in which the workshop is going to be held, the atmosphere that is going to be created, the furniture, etc. (Ceballos, 2018)

On this occasion, in particular, an experimental workshop will be held. As mentioned by Morillas (2014), experimentation and manipulation play a very important role in children’s learning, as it helps them to develop mental activities, contributing to increasing their knowledge. On the other hand, during these moments, not only is learning through manipulation, but also through observation and relationships with other classmates. In other words, manipulation is a tool that helps children to get to know the world around them.Finally, in order to relate the activity to one of the most important moments in the daily life of a school, food, it has been decided that the workshop carried out will consist of experimenting with food and different instruments that will be offered to the children. The aim of this activity will be to make the pupils aware of the different characteristics of food through all their senses. From the sense of taste, tasting the different foods; going through the touch, discovering the different textures; the sight, observing the different colours and shapes; to the smell, discovering the thousands of different smells that these foods can have. In addition, as indicated above, the aim is for the children to establish a relationship, to comment on what they are feeling with each of the foods, to show each other what they are discovering, to play with each other… In conclusion, the aim is for the workshop to be a fun space that allows the children to get to know the world around them and to establish relationships with others.

References 

Ceballos, N (2018). Los talleres en Educación Infantil [Material de aula]. Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Cantabria. Recuperado de https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3qzn101ggp2yvf3/AADfBASFIZXORk_AZvc2pw4Ya/Bloque%204/Presentaciones/ok.Los%20talleres%20en%20educaci%C3%B3n%20infantil.pdf?dl=0

Fourcade, A. (2009). Los talleres en Educación Infantil. Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana. Recuperado de https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/12189/1/Talleres_EI.pdf

Morillas, V (2014). La manipulación y la experimentación en Educación Infantil (Trabajo de Fin de Grado). Universidad de Cádiz, Cádiz, Andalucía. Recuperado de https://rodin.uca.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10498/16622/tfg%20final.pdf

Quinto Borghi, B. (2005). Las características metodológicas del taller. En B. Quinto Borghi, Los talleres en Educación Infantil: espacios de crecimiento (pp. 57-76). Barcelona: Grao.

Torio, S. (1997). Talleres y rincones en educación infantil: su vigencia psicopedagógica hoy. Congreso de Córdoba. Recuperado de https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3qzn101ggp2yvf3/AAAYRwUocQI4LqC4_aVhioZua/Bloque%204/Talleres%20y%20rincones.pdf?dl=0

Authorship

Vanessa Molleda, Sara Ruiz y Ángela Sierra, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Sleep II

The RAE states that the definition of “dream” is the act of sleep, and the definition of “sleep” is to be found in a state of rest that consists of the inaction or suspension of the senses and of all voluntary movement. 

Definition of ‘sleep’

The concept of sleep as stated by Pin (2010) is considered a physiological process highly organized where both the necessary maturity of the central nervous system and the singular and self-adaptation of each child in their family context intervene. 

sleep is a fundamental physiological need for our health (Albares, Alonso, Canet, Cano, Cubel, Estivill, … Villalobos, 2010).

Main ideas: observation, interpretation and visibility of sleep 

A teacher should learn to observe and be able to listen to the movements of the children between 0-3 years to understand their actions and act in consequence with the best professional response to achieve the optimal evolution development in students. 

As said by Albares, Alonso, Canet, Cano, Cubel, Estivill, … Villalobos (2010), both the progenitors and the education professionals should know a series of guidelines that provide the children with emotional and physical stability when falling asleep. 

  • During the baby’s first months of life, most of their day is spent sleeping. while they sleep, they can make involuntary movements or spasms. These movements are normal, and we should not wake the baby up. 
  • It is very important that while the baby is eating, he/she is awake, so they distinguish sleep from food.
  • After the hygienic cares, the baby will be left alone in their crib, so they learn to sleep by themselves and that the last thing they remember before falling asleep is the crib. 
  • We have to establish routines before putting the baby to bed, follow the same steps every time so they interiorize the process of sleep 
  • When the baby is 5 or 6 months old, we will put a stuffed toy in their crib to make them feel accompanied. 
  • If the baby wakes up at night, we should not pick them up or turn the light on. We will soothe him with caresses and affectionate words
  • The room has to be peaceful, dark, and quiet. 
  • We have to make sure that before putting the baby to sleep, he is calm. If he is calm, he will sleep and rest better
  • In order for the baby to have a deep, relaxed, and unaltered sleep, the professional has to know the type of foods that are adequate for that age once they can ingest solid food, like chocolate, or fizzy drinks 
  • Children between 2 and 5 years old should always take a nap, otherwise, they will fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon because they need it, and this will alter their sleeping pattern

Conclusion 

To finish, as we can review, the children take naps after lunch in all schools where we have practiced. Even though there are differences between them, like having beds so children can take a nap in them and in others, they have to take their own sleeping bag and sleep on the floor.

Another difference is the space destined for this activity. One has a separate space, other adapt spaces. Because of this, we want to highlight that sleep is one of the most important procedures in the evolution of the child. It is something we should all observe, know how to interpret it and document it.

References

Albares, J.; Alonso, J.; Canet, T.; Cano, M.; Cubel, M; Estivill, E.; … Villalobos, P. (2010): Informe del Grupo Pediátrico de la Sociedad Española de Sueño (SES) y del Grupo de Sueño de la Sociedad de Pediatría Extrahospitalaria y Atención Primaria (SEPEAP): “Medidas preventivas de los problemas del sueño desde el nacimiento hasta la∫ adolescencia”. Acta Pediátrica Esp. (La Coruña). 2010; 68(4): 00-00. https://www.adolescenciasema.org/usuario/documentos/14_-Higiene%20de%20sueno%20en%20la%20infancia%20adolescencia.pdf

Cádiz, Emilia (2013). Hábitos del sueño infantil en el seguimiento de 0-3 años en Rocafort (Valencia). Pautas educativas. [Tesis doctoral, Universidad de Valencia] https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/71018455.pdf

REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA: Diccionario de la lengua española, 23.ª ed., [versión 23.3 en línea]. <https://dle.rae.es> [17 noviembre 2020].

Vlog No Copyright Music. (27 de enero de 2017) Fredji – Happy Life (Vlog No Copyright Music) [archivo de video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzQiRABVARk

Authorship

Almudena Parra, Nuria Renedo y Cristina Salcines, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Sleep I

“Sleep is a biological state present in animals and human beings that is defined by behavioral and physiological characteristics” (Bernardo, 2018, p.9). In the first years of life, in relation to the first cycle of Infant Education, sleep corresponds to a biological need that allows infants to develop on a cognitive (mental processes), physical (metabolism) and emotional level. 

Below, we highlight some of the main ideas that Garcia (2015) has taken up: 

  • Firstly, although the sleep state apparently has a passive role, it has great relevance at a functional level in the organism, both in mental and physical processes.
  • Secondly, it allows them to recover energy for the activities they carry out in the second part of the morning. 

As indicated by Garcia (2015), the school must follow guidelines to make this moment possible:

  • Firstly, since it is an activity that is carried out in the school environment on a daily basis, it needs to be organized temporarily within the school day. Therefore, a certain amount of time is dedicated to the development of this moment in the classroom. However, the moment of sleep depends on the needs of each child, so you must be flexible with it. In case the children have very different needs, a common time interval will be set during which the children will sleep what they need.
  • Secondly, in order for the child to have an adequate moment of sleep, we must take into account the spatial organization of the context in which the sleep will take place. It will have to be a comfortable place, where there is no noise, excess light, or distractions (computer sounds, toys with sound on…). It must be a space with windows that facilitates the process of ventilation and natural lighting, as well as having a pleasant temperature. In addition, it must meet safety conditions (decorated with few furniture, avoid plugs within reach of children …). In this way, it seeks to provide optimal moments of rest. 
  • Thirdly, the school must have the furniture (cradles for children of months of age and sleeping pads for children of three years) necessary for the moment of sleep, varying the place and resources according to the age. 
  • Finally, the importance of teachers in the moments of rest will be highlighted. To anticipate the moment, the teacher will play relaxing music, lower the blind to diminish the natural light, and try to reduce the appearance of stimuli. Depending on the age, the children will be accompanied more or less time.
References 

Bernardo, M. (2018). Aprendiendo a dominar el sueño en Educación Infantil (trabajo de fin de grado). Facultad de Educación de Segovia, Castilla y León, España. Recuperado de:  https://uvadoc.uva.es/bitstream/handle/10324/30477/TFG-B%201110.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

García, M.D. (2015). Importancia del hábito del sueño en la etapa de Educación Infantil. Innovación y experiencias educativa, 63, pp: 1-13. Recuperado de: https://archivos.csif.es/archivos/andalucia/ensenanza/revistas/iee/Numero_63/M-DOLORES-GARCIA-RUIZ-03.pdf

Authorship

Lorea Aranguren Márquez y Fran González González, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Interpersonal relationships

Interpersonal relationships
in the 0 – 3 stage

We understand interpersonal relationships in the stage of 0 – 3 years as a fundamental part of children’s development in their first years of life. We think that they’re not given the importance it has in the classroom and they’re not paying enough attention to it.

We consider that from the observation of the different relationships that are established in the classroom between equals, we can obtain a great deal of information about the personality of our kids, their preferences, etc.

Based on this information, we can introduce dynamics in the classroom to include less integrated children, encourage the establishment of relationships between those who normally don’t play together, enhance the feeling of belonging to the group, etc.

Relationships at this stage go far beyond words; we must observe the contact, the looks, the smiles, the games, the complicity between the children, the voluntary groups, etc. Paying attention to all these factors will make it easier for us to understand and analyze the relationships that are established in our classrooms.

Authorship

Marta Alvarado Jiménez y Lucía Fernández Gutiérrez, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Equal relationships

Equal relationships 0-3 years

The human being is formed throughout his life and develops certain aspects that make him unique. One of the most important aspects for human development is the way you learn to relate from birth. During the early months, interpersonal relationships play  a fundamental role in the development and psychological well-being of human beings (Amar, 2004).

Peer relationships are essential for favourable social interaction. These relationships are developed with the main caregivers, the family and the environment, and later, with the companions and teachers in the school, all promote social  adjustment. As a result of this interaction, children experience an increase in social behavior and are immersed in an environment of social organization with dominant  and cohesive networks in which they strive to reach an agreement (Federación de Enseñanza de CC. OO. de Andalucía, 2010).

The age at which boys and girls come into contact with other children in their lives outside the home (for example, when they are at school) is getting younger. Vigotsky’s approaches (cited by Campo, Estrada, Ochoa, Pérez & Rodríguez, 2011), maintain that children’s intellectual and cognitive growth is stimulated by different aspects related to the environment in which they develop, as well as by the people with whom they spend most of their time. Therefore, the parents are not the only social  media with which the child interacts, but the school context and their peers.

As Ternera (2014) says; “Through the relationships that the boy and the girl experience with the objects in their environment and the interactions with the people around them, they progress in the knowledge and appreciation of themselves and, consequently, in the formation of self-concept and self-image, which play such an important role in child development”. The nature and quality of peer relationships also favour overcoming egocentricity and the feeling of belonging to a group. Therefore, healthy peer relationships are essential for social, emotional and intellectual development.

From the first months of life, children show interest in their peers, actively seek attention and initiate communication through behaviours such as touching, vocalizing, looking, and smiling. Later, the interactions of young children progress from the moment they focus on objects, they react to the behaviours of their peers trying to regulate them with action-reaction episodes, to reach true social exchanges at 18 months of age. Those who seek to influence their peers, take turns and adopt complementary roles in games.

From the age of 2, children begin to feel attracted to their peers who are most similar to them in age, sex, race and behaviour (Hartup, 1992). They also choose as friends children who have prosocial behaviours (they help, share, cooperate), while they reject those who show unpleasant behaviours (take away toys, fight or quarrel). At these ages, different levels of acceptance or isolation within the group begin to emerge, although it will be later that it becomes more stable and filled with content (García Pérez, 2014).

Each child is at the center of a more or less broad social network to the extent that himself creates (or is helped to create) relationships with his peers and to the extent that he is sought out by others. The interpersonal relationships that are created in this way define their personal role within the group. (Cagliari, Castagnetti & Giudici, 2017). In subsequent years, the role of peers as socialization agents is consolidated.

To encourage the establishment of relationships between equals, the teacher  must be attentive, since they can perceive the development of bonds and relationships that go from simple knowledge to friendship, passing through different stages of affinity. These relationships are not born only of selective affinities and can transform into rivalry and hostility. The very absence of relationships has its importance and meaning: the isolated child, ignored or rejected by others represents a case that needs to be seriously addressed (Cagliari, Castagnetti & Giudici, 2017). These moments constitute privileged occasions for observation, early detection of possible behavioral inhibitions and, thus, establish interventions and moments that attenuate possible socialization problems and / or subsequent disorders (Méndez, Espada &  Orgilés,  2006).

We must bear in mind that adult-child relationships are essentially complementary, while child-child relationships are based on reciprocity. In addition, children who have had difficulty relating to their peers are more likely to have adjustment problems (Coie & Dodge, 1988).

In contrast, those children who have positive relationships with their peers “have experienced higher levels of emotional well-being, have a secure conviction of themselves, value forms of prosocial behaviour, and their social interactions are  stronger and more adaptive (Wentzel, Baker & Rusell, 2009, cited by Lancuza, 2010).

All the arguments exposed above suggest that the school must facilitate and take care of the spaces, materials and times where the kids have opportunities for interaction among equals. For Reggio Emilia, the environments are considered as the “third  teacher” (Strong-Wilson & Ellis, 2007). Thus, spaces should be considered as places where relationships are permanently built and rebuilt and where opportunities for experimentation, encounter, communication and action are configured. It is from this consideration  that  we must  ask  ourselves as  teachers:  how can  we improve relations between equals in Nursery School? The answer to this question brings an opportunity to modify the educational relationships and processes that take place in it.

As Loris Malaguzzi says about the different ways of expression of the little ones: “The child has a hundred languages, (and in addition one hundred one hundred one hundred), but they take off from them ninety-nine (…) And they say that one hundred does not exist. The child says: “on the other hand, the hundred exists” (Appendix 1).

Authorship

Estefanía Damalia Diéguez, Alicia Gándara Quiles y Almudena Moja Larrinaga, 2020.

Appendix 1

Poem by Loris Malaguzzi about the different ways of expression of the little ones:

«The hundred languages of children»
The boy
it is made of a hundred.
The boy has a hundred languages
a hundred hands, 
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking to play and to talk
one hundred always one hundred ways of listening
to be surprised, to love one hundred joys
to sing and understand
a hundred worlds to discover 
a hundred worlds to invent
a hundred worlds to dream of.

The child has a hundred languages
(and in addition to a hundred hundred hundred)
but they steal ninety-nine.

School and culture
the head is separated from the body.

They say:
to think without hands to act headless
to listen and not speak to understand without joy to love 
and be surprised only at Easter and at Christmas.

They say:
to discover the world that already exists
and out of a hundred they steal ninety- nine.

They say:
to discover the world that already exists
and out of a hundred they steal ninety- nine.

They say:
that play and work reality and fantasy science 
and imagination the sky and the earth reason and dream
they are things that do not go together And they say
that one hundred does not exist.

The child says: "on the other hand the hundred exists."

Loris Malaguzzi.

References 

Amar, J. J. A. (2004). Desarrollo infantil y construcción del mundo social. Universidad del Norte. (pp 33). Recuperado de: https://books.google.es/books?hl=es&lr=&id=wP-wwpNejy0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=desarrollo+infantil&ots=uJ29T_oZ-W&sig=S9sZtKVFIkfnXOJdqDuatz9wOac#v=onepage&q=desarrollo%20infantil&f=fa lse

Cagliari, P., Castagnetti, M., & Giudici, C. (Eds.). (2017). Loris Malaguzzi y las escuelas de Reggio Emilia. Ministerio de Educación (pp 94).

Campo, L., Estrada, N., Ochoa, L., Pérez, C., & Rodríguez, D. (2011). Procesos psicológicos vinculados con el aprendizaje y su relación con el desarrollo personal-social en niños de la ciudad de Barranquilla. Revista Duazary, 8(2), 175-189.

Ceballos-López, Noelia, Susinos-Rada, Teresa, & García-Lastra, Marta. (2018). Espacios para jugar, para aprender. Espacios para relacionarse. Una experiencia de voz del alumnado en la escuela infantil (0-3 años). Estudios pedagógicos (Valdivia), 44(3), 117-135. Recuperado de: https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-07052018000300117

Federación de Enseñanza de CC.OO de Andalucía. (2010). Relaciones entre el grupo-clase. Principales conflictos y estrategias para su resolución pacífica. Temas para la  educación (Nº6). ISSN: 1989-4023. Dep. Leg.: GR 2786-2008. Recuperado de: https://www.feandalucia.ccoo.es/docu/p5sd6802.pdf

García  Pérez,  M.  D.  M.  (2014).  Análisis  de  los  libros  de  texto  en  2º  de      Bachillerato. Recuperado de: https://teleformacion.murciaeduca.es/pluginfile.php/4370/mod_resource/content/1/Mate riales/cap5_3.pdf

Hartup, WW (1992). Amistades y su importancia para el desarrollo. Desarrollo social infantil: perspectivas contemporáneas, 175-205.

Lacunza, A. B., Contini, E. N., & Castro Solano, A. (2010). Las habilidades cognitivas en niños preescolares. Un estudio comparativo en contexto de pobreza.

Méndez, F., Espada, J. P., & Orgilés, M. (2006). Intervención psicológica y educativa con  niños y adolescentes. Estudio de casos escolares. Madrid: Pirámide.

Strong-Wilson, T. y Ellis, J. (2007). Niños y lugar: el entorno de Reggio Emilia como tercer maestro. La teoría en la práctica, 46 (1), 40-47.

Ternera, L. A. C. (2014). El desarrollo del autoconcepto en niños y niñas y su relación con la interacción social en la infancia. Psicogente, 17(31). Recuperado de: http://revistas.unisimon.edu.co/index.php/psicogente/article/view/1470/1455

Wentzel, K., Baker, S. A. N. D. R. A., & Russell, S. (2009). Peer relationships and positive adjustment at school. Handbook of positive psychology in schools, 229-243.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Educational couple

The educational couple
in school 0-3 years

We will base our documentation process on the educational couple. We consider this aspect as relevant because it is distinctive of the 0-3 school, where, as stated in Article 92 of Organic Law 2/2006, of May 3, on Education, “1. The direct educational attention to children in the first cycle of early childhood education will be carried out by professionals who have the title of Teacher with specialization in early childhood education or the equivalent Bachelor’s degree and, where appropriate, by other personnel with the appropriate qualifications to care for girls and boys of this age. “

Likewise, based on what Hoyuelos (2004) says in Salamanca (n.d.), there are two people in the same professional category, with the same calendar, the same functions, and a similar salary who work with the same group of boys and girls during the longest part of the working day and that they share responsibility for the relationship with minors and families, having the same decision-making power.

This combination gives rise to virtues among which we find joint decision- making, which implies constant support between both teachers, an improvement in the educational process and the teaching practice arising from a double observation of the situations, of the children and of their own teachers improving day by day, a richer relationship with boys and girls, providing them with more reference figures and richer ideas arising from the complementation of the contributions of both teachers (Salamanca, nd).

However, it must also be borne in mind that it is a work between peers in which conflicts and disagreements may arise, it is a necessary confrontation in which possible ways of doing education are openly discussed. Teams are richer, as it includes more models, more socio-cognitive conflicts and more ideas (Civarolo & Pérez, 2013).

In conclusion, we consider this aspect of the 0-3 school important due to the exclusivity of its presence at this stage and the effectiveness it generates in the educational process of the youngest children.

References 

BOE (2/2006). Artículo 92 de la Ley Orgánica 2/2006, de 3 de mayo, de Educación, https://www.boe.es/buscar/pdf/2006/BOE-A-2006-7899-consolidado.pdf

Civarolo, M. & Pérez, M. (2013). 1+1 = pareja educativa. Rollos internacionales / Argentina. Vol. 4, nº (34), pp. 14 – 24. https://revistas.pedagogica.edu.co/index.php/NYN/article/view/2277/2145

Salamanca, C. (s.f.) Dos docentes, dos miradas: la pareja educativa. Tarbiya. (42). https://revistas.uam.es/tarbiya/article/view/267/253

Authorship

Natalia Sáez González y Lucía Barca Rodríguez, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Natural materials III

Playing with natural materials

“If by materials we want to indicate everything that can be used to make something, that serves to produce, to invent, to build, we would have to talk about everything that  surrounds us, from water to land, from stones to animals, from body to words … even to meadows and clouds ” (Tonucci, 1990 en Vila & Cardo 2005, p.47).

Natural materials are all those objects that are part of our life, give quality to creativity and games, such as kitchen utensils, food, objects that nature offers us, etc. (Vila & Cardo, 2005). However, we are going to focus on those ones nature gives us, among others, we  will mainly have pinecones, sticks and stones.

Since, as stated in decree 143/2007 of the BOC (2007), one of the pedagogical principles, of this stage of Early Childhood Education, is that children discover the physical and social characteristics of the environment in which they live, something that we will carry out through the manipulation and experimentation of these natural materials.

As stated by Vila & Cardo (2005), those materials are beneficial for several reasons: they offer a wide variety of sensations when manipulated, they have various  qualities  that market materials do not offer, they help to create play spaces, they stimulate creativity, curiosity and the desire to learn, they also offer information about the environment in which we find ourselves and make us use the exterior spaces of the school as educational places.  In addition, we have them at our disposal and they are cheap.

And, we cannot forget that, “children need to explore the environment to know and understand the reality that surrounds them, enjoying a manipulative game, while creating their own experiences on the qualities of each element” (Sugrañes et al, 2012, p.74). For  this reason, it is very enriching to open the school to the natural context that surrounds us.

“The persistence of the same material cannot stimulate the child to maintain his interest, nor can it satisfy the lively and tireless curiosity he has for the world around him, of which he is increasingly aware” (Goldschmied, 2000, p.49).

Finally, we would meet one of the objectives set out in article 5 of the curriculum of the first cycle of Early Childhood Education: h) Encourage the development of sensory and

perceptual capacities to promote curiosity about the immediate environment and the elements that make it up. configure, attributing a significance to them.

In conclusion, all these natural materials also allow us to work on the contents of the different areas of the curriculum, such as logical-mathematical or artistic expression.

References 

BOC. (31 de octubre de 2007).  Consejo de Gobierno. Obtenido de https://boc.cantabria.es/boces/verAnuncioAction.do?idAnuBlob=124522

Goldschmied, E. y Jackson, S. (2000). La educación infantil de 0 a 3 años. Madrid: Morata.

Sugrañes, E., Alós, M., Andrés, N., Casal, S., Castrillo, C., Medina, N. & Yuste, M. 2012. Observar para interpretar. Actividades de vida cotidiana para la educación infantil (2-6). Barcelona: Graó

Vila, B., & Cardo, C. (2005). Materiales de exploración. En B. V. Cardo, Material sensorial (0-3 años) Manipulación y experimentación (pp. 47- 49). Barcelona: Graó

Authorship

Tamara Cagigas y Sara González, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Natural materials II

Playing with natural materials

We define materials as «the wide range of objects that are accessible to children. We also include the instruments and objects that might be useful, so that through their handling, observation, reading…learning opportunities might appear. Their value comes from the possibilities they provide, both for performing and relating.» (Red territorial de Educación Infantil en Cataluña, 2012).

Among materials, we can find many types, as some might allow you to experience, others might be better to develop logical thinking, representation or oral language and some might improve your plastic expression. However, this essay is going to focus on natural and daily materials. «Natural materials are those that we can find in our immediate environment. In other words, we are talking about objects that are not only in the nature, but also daily life objects” (Materiales sensoriales 3-6 años: manipulación y experimentación, 2005).

Besides, there is a wide range of natural materials, more than one could imagine. For example, some of them could be stones, sand, pasta, sticks, grass, soil, shells or cooking utensils, among many others. Thanks to natural materials, kids have a chance to explore the world they are surrounded by while interacting with these objects. This type of materials offer numerous benefits, from the sensory point of view to the playful one. 

One of their greatest benefits is that they allow children to learn the real properties of each material. For example, if a classroom works with natural sand, kids will learn about its texture, smell, weight…while purchased or false materials do not give us that chance. On the other hand, if we discover reality through its properties, we must give children the opportunity to interact with natural materials and see what happens. 

It is also worth noticing that one of the great benefits that comes with taking natural materials to the classroom is the great sensory capability that provides. Purchased materials cannot provide that, even when they try to imitate natural ones. In fact, these natural materials teach children about their environment, as well as helping them establish relationships between what they will find both inside and outside the classroom (Red Territorial de Educación Infantil en Cataluña, 2012 quoted in Ceballos, 2019). 

To sum up, natural materials promote action, playing, curiosity, experimentation and learning. They also spark critical thinking in them, as they decide how to use those materials freely as they are presented to them so they can handle them. (Materiales sensoriales 3-6 años: manipulación y experimentación, 2005)

References 

Ceballos, N. (2019). Materiales. [Material docente]. Recuperado del sitio web de Universidad de Cantabria, Aula Virtual, Moodle.

Díez Navarro, MC. (2008). ¿Materiales pobres? ¡Materiales ricos! Cuadernos de pedagogía, 379, 24-27.2

Florez, C. C., & Saborit, B. V. (2005). Materiales de exploración. En Florez, C. C., & Saborit, B. V. Material sensorial (0-3 años): Manipulación y experimentación (Vol. 8) (47-49). Barcelona: Graó.

Authorship

Sara Aragón Ruiz de Villa, Rebeca Barros y Celia Gómez, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Natural materials IV

Set with natural materials

Before we start explaining and going deeper into the natural materials in the game, we must start from the premise that natural materials are an inexhaustible source of stimuli for children. 

The use of natural materials in the Infant Education classroom is the theme chosen for the documentation process. We are interested in knowing the benefits of the use of natural materials in the classroom, discovering their advantages and how to use them as learning tools.

Natural materials are all those materials found in nature. There are three types: vegetable, animal and mineral materials.

Natural materials as an educational medium allow the child to get closer to the environment, to the context that surrounds them and to know its characteristics. In addition, thanks to them they learn that it is possible to play with elements provided by nature, they discover that the same material can be used for many things, that it is not necessary to buy materials or toys since these are always at their disposal and they discover that they are just as interesting, if not more so, than artificial materials.

These natural materials allow children to know and enter into one of the problems that is affecting us most, the environment. That children learn the value of reusing and recycling is essential to curb these environmental problems, such as climate change, pollution, deforestation, water shortages, species extinction … is fundamental, since they are the future and the sooner they understand the importance of having an environmental view, the greater the change.

In addition to the above, natural materials benefit and enhance children’s ability to observe, explore and learn by discovery.

We emphasize the importance of learning by discovery, through which students will possess knowledge or ideas as they discover them for themselves. The school has a fundamental responsibility and it is to manage to make each child think critically and creatively.

One way to guide children towards the construction of their own schemes is that they discover the knowledge by themselves, since in this way they will be able to organize the information and relate it to previous knowledge. In conclusion, they will be able to learn and organize information in order to use that knowledge later in the most correct way.

Learning by discovery generates and strengthens children’s self-confidence, as well as intellectual stimulation and motivation for conflict resolution, which will lead to the formation of creative thinking. 

Therefore, working with natural materials, materials that are normally known by the students, simple, easily accessible and with numerous possibilities of use, is fundamental for them to construct their own meanings.

In the daily life of the youngest, there are an infinite number of experiences and materials that can be used to enhance the acquisition of knowledge and the development of critical thinking, such as, for example, a leaf floating in the water, how the leaves of the trees change according to the season?

As teachers we must start from these situations and use the different natural materials with activities that promote different knowledge and learning. We must program and plan the activities in relation to the stage of Infant Education to which it is directed and always taking into account their own interests; collect, organize and prepare the natural materials that we consider appropriate in relation to the season, the knowledge we intend to convey, etc. 

It is essential to present the different materials with care, well organized, clean and with an easy access to them. In addition, to create a good atmosphere in the classroom, it is necessary to take into account the richness and variety of the materials, which are familiar to them, and, above all, we must avoid over-stimulation or, on the contrary, the absence of it. A safe, comfortable environment, with good lighting and temperature so that infants can, thanks to the possibility of these natural materials, group, sort, classify, manipulate, introduce, roll… relate and interact with their peers and with adults, perform symbolic play, concentrate and develop skills with different challenges that these involve, and a long list of etceteras.

Authorship

María Ateca y Sandra Bustos, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Materials

The documentation refers to “a process that makes the daily activities, challenges, possibilities, processes and thoughts of children and adults visible and that is open to debate and reflection” (Carr and Lee 2012; Dahlberg, Moss and Pence 2007; Picchio, Di Giandomenico and Musatti 2014; Rinaldi 1998).

This process is relevant both to give visibility to the work of the school to people outside it or not, and to study the processes that are carried out within it. Since the documentation process allows to show the idea of school and childhood, it allows people to have a glimpse of what idea of education they want to show. This is why this documentation process is going to focus on the materials used by children in children´s school (0-3 years).

Materials are a fundamental part in the 0-3-year stage, they are instruments that serve as a resource for manipulation, observation, reading, etc., in this way offering different opportunities to learn, due to the possibilities of action that these provided to students. Authors such as Doménech and Viñas (1997), consider that materials have a very important role in the teaching-learning process and considering their mediating role between the educator and the surrounding environment.

In the 0-3-year stage, the children spend much of their time playing, and it is important that they in turn unconsciously develop different capacities in their development. For this development to take place it is necessary that the materials are presented in a way that captures their attention and it is at their disposal as long as they require it, it is also essential to make a good choice of the materials that are going to be presented to the students in the classroom, so that in this way learning, action, the relationships between equals, play, etc. are promoted.

The materials on which we will focus to carry out this documentation process will be natural materials, that is, objects that come from nature and, therefore, the child can find in their daily life, such as leaves, rocks, sand, sticks., etc. We will also focus on artificial materials, these are made from natural materials, such as paper, cardboard, glass or plastic.

Authorship

Andrea Llata y Rebeca Pereda, 2020.