Tag: Documentazione

“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.

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.