Full Environment Set-Up Planning Sheet

To Be Completed In Full During Block Week

Student Name: Helena Toolsiedas Course Code: ECS 3030

Age Group: Preschool (2.5-4 years) Date: Oct 2nd 6th

When planning a full room set-up, you should incorporate a minimum of four (4) centres and/or Learning
Experiences. In completing the write up of your full room set-up, you must make a list of the areas with a general
description of each. You must also plan and implement one (1) Learning Experience in addition to the four (4)
centres.

The purpose of the centres and/or Learning Experiences may derive from:

(a) Observations of children

(b) Extension of a previous experience

(c) Providing a new experience.

Objective:

Children will develop their sensory, cognitive, emotional and gross motor skills. They will also be able to do an
activity at the water table which will aid in their sensory engagement. With center one, the objective is for the
children to explore shapes, colours and magnets. They will develop an understanding of basic shapes and colours
from this. In center two, the objective is for the children to put their observation skills to the test by searching
through different cards to find similarities. They can do so by finding identical images or by organizing the cards
based on colour. Additionally, they will be able to enhance their ability to identify patterns throughout each card.
Next, the objective of the third center is to help the preschoolers express their emotions on a paper face. They will
be able to show me if they are feeling happy, sad, angry etc. They will also learn about the 5 senses (taste, touch,
sight, hearing and seeing) because they will be able to place each attribute onto their paper face as well. In the
fourth center, the objective is to let the children express themselves through a gross motor activity. They will be
able to walk and jump over the bubble wrap. By doing so, they will be moving the primary colours underneath
around, creating secondary colours. The children will then learn more about colours and what happens when you
mix them. Lastly, the objective of the fifth activity is to help the children learn about problem solving. I will give
them the dirty farm animals and see if they use the materials provided (toothbrushes, sponges etc.) to clean the
animals. They children will also gain phonological awareness when we talk about what sound each animal makes.
Overall, the children will have fun whilst developing important skills.
Centre or Learning Experience #1: Magnetic Foam Blocks

Purpose: Modifications:

With this activity, the children can understand two-dimensional and three-
dimensional shapes, 4.17 in the ELECT. Each block is a 3-D shape such as a
Stabilize:
cube or a rectangular prism. However, the purpose of the activity is for them
to learn each two-D shape. They can be successful by counting the sides, or
recognizing the name and attributes of each shape. For example, a triangle
has three sides. Additionally, the preschoolers can use sensory
discrimination, 5.3 in the ELECT, to identify the different properties of each Simplify: Counting sides wasnt
block. The blocks are foam; they are softer than what they are used to. Also, successful, instead we focused on
the blocks are much smaller which can help them with their fine motor skills. shapes & colours
The blocks are also magnetic, due to this, the children will learn about which
blocks attract each other and which blocks repel. There is also a magnetic
board that the kids can use to build something onto. Enhance:
Materials: Tweak: The group was large so I
- 100 foam blocks had to focus on each child to ask
- Magnets questions instead of asking
- Magnetic boards everyone.

(Holland Bloorview, 2014)

Centre or Learning Experience #2: Matching Memory Cards

Purpose: Modifications:

The purpose of this activity is to enhance the preschoolers classifying skills.

In the ELECT, 4.10 classifying can be accomplished when they can compare,
Stabilize:
match and sort according to properties. With this activity, the children can
match two identical cards by the image or colour. Also, they can sort the
images into related categories. 4.18 in the ELECT states that the preschoolers
can identify patterns by identifying and creating different patterns such as Simplify: Didnt get the kids to
colour or shape. By matching the different coloured imaged on the cards, memorize each card
they will enhance their pattern skills. Lastly, I want the preschoolers to Enhance: Focused more on colours
develop their observing skills. 4.5 in the ELECT explains that allowing them to and images rather than
have more time to describe the things they see and focusing on details can memorization
help them achieve this.
Tweak:
Materials:

- Matching Memory Cards

Centre or Learning Experience #3: 5 Senses Face

Purpose: Modifications:

The purpose of this activity is to help the preschoolers express how they are Stabilize:
feeling by placing a wide variety of emotions onto their paper face. For
example, if they feel happy, they can use a smile, if they feel sad, they can
use a sad smile. In the ELECT, 2.4 discusses recognizing and expressing
emotions which is what I hope the children will be able to do with this Simplify:
activity. In addition to this, they will be learning about the five senses,
hearing, touch, smell, taste and sight. Each child will get to put ears, a mouth,
a nose and eyes onto their paper face. I will then explain why each are
important and ask them open-ended questions such as what can you use Enhance:
this for? This activity will help the preschoolers learn about identity
formation, 2.2 in the ELECT. This encompasses physical characteristics such
as a nose, a mouth, hair etc. To help encourage all the kids, I will be using
colourful paper to show that everyone is different and that no two children
are the same. I will also be creating a diagram to show the children where Tweak: Focused more on senses
each sense is on their body and what it is used for. than emotions

Materials:

- Colourful construction paper faces

- Paper eyes, nose, & ears
- Different emotions of smiles
- Scissors & glue

Centre or Learning Experience #4: Bubble Wrap Paint Runway

Purpose: Modifications:

The purpose of this activity is to improve the preschoolers gross motor skills.
Also, this activity involves sensory engagement. In the ELECT, sensory motor
Stabilize:
integration, 5.3, is used to help children work on hand-eye coordination.
With this activity, the kids will get the chance to walk over a bubble wrap
runway that has paint under it. They can even roll trucks over it or use their
hands to mix the paint. In addition, I want to increase the preschoolers gross Simplify:
motor skills, 5.2 in the ELECT. By walking, hopping and jumping on the bubble
wrap, they will be able to gain more coordination and speed. With all the
jumping and mixing, the children will also see the paint colours mix. By using Enhance:
sensory exploration, they can identify the assorted colours that the primary
colours create. I will explain that red and blue make purple etc.
Tweak:
Materials:

- Bubble wrap
- Assorted colours of paint (primary, white) (Holland Bloorview, 2014)
- Tape
Centre or Learning Experience #5: Farm animal washing station

Purpose: Modifications:

The purpose of this activity is to encourage the preschoolers to explore the

water table and the concept of dirty vs clean. I want them to use their
Stabilize:
problem-solving skills, 4.2 in the ELECT, to figure out what to do with the
dirty animals. Maybe they will wash them in the water table or maybe they
will wipe it off onto something etc. Also, they can use phonological
awareness, 3.10, in the ELECT to learn about the sounds each animal makes.
Due to this activity being very hands on and in the water table, they will be Simplify: Only used sand
exploring different sensory attributes such as the feeling of sand, mud and
water. They can also use varied materials to wash the animals with such as a
sponge, a toothbrush and soap.

Materials: Enhance:
- Water table
- Water
- Mud/soil/sand
- Farm animals
- Materials to wash with (soap, tooth brushes, sponge) Tweak:

(Holland Bloorview, 2014)

Set-Up:

Carpet
(Memory Card Matching)

Matching
DRAMATIC AREA
Cards

Main Sensory Carpet

(Bubble Wrap Runway)

Sensory Table 1
(Farm animal washing
BUBBLE WRAP + station)
PAINT &
CONSUTRUCTION BIN WITH

(Farm animal washing station)

PAPER TAPED SAND
DOWN
Farm

WATER TABLE
animals

Sensory Table 2
Art Table
(Magnetic Foam (5 Senses Face)
Blocks)

Faces +
features
BLOCKS
Role of the Educator:

Teaching Strategy #1: Modeling

One of the teaching strategies I will be using is modeling. A lot of the movements I make around the preschoolers, I
notice that they repeat it. For example, if I build a tower with a block, they will too. Due to this, the strategy of
modeling will encourage the preschoolers to imitate the positive things I do. For example, if I hop on one leg on the
bubble wrap, they will do so as well. This will also help when they are not sure how to do an activity. For example, if
we are doing the farm animal activity, if I start to wash the mud off the cow, they will try to do it as well. In addition,
if there is an activity that they arent sure about, maybe it will encourage them to try if they see myself doing it first.

Teaching Strategy #2: Guided Practice

Many of the activities that I do are not always easy if I give it to them all at once. Due to this, if I split the activity
into smaller parts based on the difficulty level, then they can slowly enhance certain skills. For example, with the
farm animals, first I will let them observe the animals. Next, I will let them explore the textures of the sand and soil.
Then they can take them to the water table and clean them; if that is what they choose to do with it. After this, I will
add on the next difficulty level where they can learn about the different sound each animal makes. If I asked them
to do this all at once, it will confuse them. Therefore, using guided practice, I can identify if they are ready to move
onto a harder stage or if the activity needs to be simplified further.

Supportive Strategies: Behaviour Reflections, Sensory Engagement, Questions, Challenges

Behaviour Reflections:

With this, I can encourage the preschoolers by explaining what they are doing so that they can understand it
themselves. It will also show them that they are doing something positive. For example, I may say I see you put the
car into the water and then it sunk. They can even learn unfamiliar words that will develop their vocabulary.

Sensory Engagement:

This will be used throughout every activity because they are all hands on. They will especially understand their
senses in the activity where I explain what each sense is used for. They will be playing with paint, water, farm
animals and many more objects that will help them explore different qualities.

Questions:

I will ask many open-ended questions such as what are you making how did you do that etc. This will encourage
the kids to create their own ideas rather than myself doing so.

Challenges:

By asking the children questions such as can you show me how you did that or can you make me a plane they
will be given a challenge to create something they may not have thought of themselves. For example, if I say can
you hop on one leg while we are on the bubble wrap paint, they will try to hop on one leg which will enhance their
balancing skills.