help

shanae1983

PPT_Bullard.8.ppt

Home >Education homework help >help

Creating Environments for Learning Third Edition Julie Bullard

Book Cover will be inserted here.

Chapter 8

Developing Manipulative and Sensory Centers

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Fine motor skills are critical for everyday activities as well as school success

By the time children reach elementary school 30%-60% of their school day is spent participating in fine motor tasks (McHale & Cermak, 1992).

Children who have difficulty with fine motor skills are often

teased by classmates

experience a poor self-concept

viewed more negatively by teachers (Rosenblum, Weiss, & Parush, 2003; Wehrmann, Chiv, Reid, & Sinclair, 2006).

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Did you know?

Children with physical disabilities, ADHD, Down’s syndrome, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome often have fine motor deficits (Bruni, 1998; Yochman, Ornoy, & Parush, 2006).

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Handwriting is still considered an important skill

Neuroimaging showed more brain activity for a group of preschool children who wrote letters rather than only learning letters through visual means (James, 2010).

Neuroimaging shows more areas of the brain are activated when writing rather than typing (James & Atwood, 2009).

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Fine motor skills are linked to cognitive achievement

Research reveals a strong link between fine motor skills and later reading and math achievement (Grissmer, Grimm, Aiyer, Marrah, & Steele, 2010).

Brain imaging shows that areas of the brain needed for math, reading, and other cognitive functions are activated when children engage in fine motor skills.

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Fine motor skills are enhanced

in both the manipulative and sensory centers.

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

An effective manipulative center:

contains a quiet, uninterrupted area for children to work

is well lighted, preferable with natural light

contains low open shelves for materials

includes trays or baskets to hold all the materials needed for a discrete activity

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

An effective manipulative center:

provides horizontal and vertical work surfaces

contains attractive, enticing, diverse materials and high quality tools

contains enough materials for four to six children to have several choices each

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Household items can be very effective, enticing, attractive manipulative materials as demonstrated at this Waldorf school. After these eggshells are crushed they are used in the garden. What other household materials could be used in the manipulative center?

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Manipulative materials need to be available to enhance the following skills:

pincer grasp (using thumb and index finger to pick up an item)

grasping and squeezing

bilateral coordination (using both hands together to perform a task)

eye-hand coordination (focusing and coordinating eye movement and using visual input to control and direct the hands)

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Manipulative materials need to be available to enhance the following skills:

wrist rotation

wrist stability

finger dexterity (ability to move individual fingers in isolation)

general hand development

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Teachers facilitate learning in the manipulative center through:

keeping the center interesting by adding new materials

introducing new materials

providing encouragement and recognition

providing challenges

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Teachers facilitate learning in the manipulative center through:

scaffolding learning

participating in conversations with children

teaching the correct way to use tools

assisting with proper positioning

encouraging crossing the midline

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Teachers facilitate learning in the manipulative center through:

being aware of the effects of object size

providing assistance to children who are struggling

meeting the needs and interests of all learners

observing and documenting individual children’s learning

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Did you know?

Children are likely to use more advanced manipulation when the objects are ½ inch to 1 inch in size (Exner, 1992).

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

An effective sensory center contains:

a water or media table that is accessible from all sides

low storage shelves

a variety of props, smocks, and literacy materials

an easy to clean floor and child-size cleaning tools

a near-by sink or water source

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

An effective sensory center must meet health and safety standards:

empty water after each group of children is done playing

wash and sanitize the tub and toys daily

make sure that children with cuts, scratches, and open sores do not use the table or that they wear disposable rubber gloves

have children wash their hands both before and after playing in the sensory table

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

To keep children healthy and safe while using the sensory center

avoid any materials that the children in your classroom might be allergic to

do not use materials that pose a choking hazard if working with younger children

clean up the floor when spills occur

make sure that bleach is not added to the water

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Appropriate materials for the sensory center include:

water

sand

dirt

a combination of these

What else?

Did you know?

Diverse media allow children to learn new scientific concepts and vocabulary.

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Teachers facilitate learning in the sensory center through:

extending children’s learning

creating new puzzlements

promoting new vocabulary acquisition

asking open-ended questions

creating challenges

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Teachers facilitate learning in the sensory center through:

facilitating pro-social play

creating limits and simple rules

meeting the needs of all learners

observing and documenting children’s learning

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

Did you know?

Because sensory play is so open-ended, it meets the needs of learners at a variety of different levels. It is especially important for children who have sensory integration dysfunction (SID).

Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3e Bullard

The sensory center is an area that is soothing, tension releasing, and open-ended, thereby making it failure proof for children