- If you have spent any time in quality preschools, you know that
great preschools have a layout designed to encourage self-directed learning
called "learning centers". Lots of homeschoolers and parents who are
committed to education decide to use this model to make their home play
areas more conducive to imaginative play and learning. Here's how to set up
great learning centers in your home:
1) Identify a space – you can use a relatively small space for learning
centers, but you will need a spot large enough to separate the room into at
least three separate areas. You don't need walls, barriers, or even
bookshelves to do this, though. But first ensure that you have a room or
part of a room that can fit at least three 3' x 3' areas.
2) Pick several learning center "focus areas". Decide what each area
of the room will be dedicated to – you might have one area for arts and
crafts, another for dress up and pretend play, and another for reading and
writing. Anything your child likes to do can be the basis for a learning
center (playing with cars, making jewelry, practicing numbers – all are fair
game!)
3) For each focus area, collect materials needed to engage in that
activity. The idea of a learning center is that a child can decide to go
there, and engage in the activity without too much setup on your part. So
if you have a station designed for reading and writing, you might have an
early reading program like the Funetics Early Reading
Program
child can learn to read whenever he or she
wants to!
4) Use common household items to create storage for the materials and,
if possible, workspace and/or barriers between sections. You can use items
like shoe boxes or milk crates, or buy plastic crates or simple wooden
storage items from Target or Walmart. Use these items to section off the
room and for each of your areas and also to store your materials. For a
nice added touch, you can decorate the storage items and/or the walls to
reflect the activities intended to take place in each area.
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