Full Environment Set-Up Planning Sheet

To Be Completed In Full During Block Week

Student Name: Helena Toolsiedas Course Code: ECS 2040

Age Group: Toddler (18 months- 2.5 years) Date: January 30th- February 3rd

When planning a full room set-up, you should incorporate a minimum of four (4) centers 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)
centers.
The purpose of the centers 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 social skills by involving themselves in parallel play (1.3) and showing social interest
by observing and imitating their fellow toddlers (1.1) (ELECT, 2007). Furthermore, they will be able to develop their
gross motor skills such as balancing, running and jumping (5.1) in center one. In center two, they will develop
communication skills in relation to expressive language (3.2) such as learning new vocabulary and asking questions.
They will also develop their pretend play skills (4.7). In center three the children will develop cognitive skills in
relation to sorting colours and shapes (4.9). Moreover, in center four, they will develop their senses (5.3) using
sensory exploration and sensory discrimination. Lastly, they will develop their emotional skills of empathy (2.3) and
expression of feelings (2.1)

Centre or Learning Experience #1: Freeze Dance (Gross Motor)

Purpose: The purpose of this experience is to give the toddlers an opportunity to release pent up energy by dancing.
It will also allow them to develop their gross motor skills such as balancing, running and jumping. They can also
develop their coordination. This activity is an extension of a previous experience where they were only dancing.

Materials: - Appropriate music (ex. Gummy bear dance, Macarena etc.)

- Music playing device
- wide space to move around

Centre or Learning Experience #2: Doctor (Dramatic Center)

Purpose: The aim of this experience is to develop their pretend play skills by acting as either a doctor or patient.
They can also learn new vocabulary such as stethoscope or syringe. Furthermore, they can develop their language
skills by asking questions such as what does this do? Lastly, they can develop social skills by acting out scenes with
their friends. This will be a new experience for the toddlers.

Materials: - Laboratory coat

- Stethoscope, Syringe
- Thermometer
- Mask
Centre or Learning Experience #3: Colour Sorting Caterpillar (Cognitive)

Purpose: The purpose of this experience is for the toddlers to further their knowledge of sorting. Now they will be
sorting colours as well as shapes to help learn about shape identification and colour recognition.

Materials:

- Construction paper for caterpillar body and head (yellow, blue, green and
- Construction paper for caterpillar features (black, white, brown)
- Different shapes (triangle, circle, square) cut out into the colours (yellow, blue, green and red)
- Tape to keep the caterpillar taped to the table
-Scissors
- Glue

Centre or Learning Experience #4: Play Dough Letters (Sensory)

Purpose: This sensory experience is for the toddlers to enhance their sensory exploration skills by exploring the
properties, textures and functions of the playdough. They can also use sensory discrimination to use the alphabet
cutters to cut out letters in the playdough. This can encourage them to see the letters in the alphabet and even
possibly make words. This is an extension of the letter factory video that they watch in class.

Materials:

For the playdough: - 4 cups of plain flour

- 2 cups of salt
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 2 cups of cold water
- 4 drops of food colouring
- Cookie cutters in the shape of the alphabet (26 letters)

Centre or Learning Experience #5: Happy & Sad Face Sorting (Emotional)

Purpose: The purpose of this experience is to help the toddlers learn about expressing their emotions by sorting
different facial expressions into a happy or sad category. They can also learn about empathy by showing that they
are aware of the feelings of others. This will be a new experience for them.

Materials:

- The words happy and sad cut out onto construction paper
- Tape to hold it down on a table or wall
- Images of happy expressions (babies, animals, teeth smiling etc.)
- Images of sad expressions (adults, babies, crying etc.)
Role of the Educator:

Teaching Strategy #1:

Sensory engagement

Centers 2, 3, 4 and 5 are all hands-on experiences that incorporate an aspect of sensory engagement. I will use this
strategy to ensure the toddlers can use their senses to enhance their learning. By being able to touch the objects
and physically use them they will gain more from the experience. Furthermore, if the experiences have several
aspects to it, then the children may be more engaged in it. Sensory engagement can also help to develop fine motor
skills when they use the different objects with their hands. For example, squishing the playdough or picking up the
different shapes and sorting them. They can also use their sense of sight to differentiate between colours in the
caterpillar sorting experience. In center three they can hold the different objects and see the different colours. In
center four they can mold the playdough and turn it into different shapes. In center five, the children can use their
sense of sight to differentiate between a sad face and a happy face.

Teaching Strategy #2:

Modeling

Children learn by imitating others, due to this modeling is one of the teaching strategies I will use. A lot of the
experiences the children will do are new to them, therefore if I am modeling it for them, they will have a better
understanding of what to do. Also, if they watch their peers do something interesting, they may want to try it
themselves. Modeling will also help because children can observe what I am doing and try to either imitate me or
build off what I am showing them. For example, if I use an alphabet cookie cutter in the playdough, another child
may try to do the same thing. In center one, if I stop dancing when the music stops, the children might stop along
with me and continue to do so. In center 3, if I show them that the yellow square goes into the yellow part of the
caterpillar, they may grasp the idea of matching the colours and try to do it themselves. Furthermore, in center five,
if pick up an image and make either a happy or sad face they may notice the similarities and try to do it themselves.

Supportive Strategies:

I will ask them questions to see if they are grasping the experiences for example in center three I might l ask them
where should you put the yellow square?

I will also explain or inform them of the names of different objects to help develop their vocabulary. For example, in
center two, if I explain what the different objects are they can learn new words.

I may also use behavior reflections to make statements about what the children are doing to help prompt them. For
example, in center four I may say you rolled the playdough out to make it flat so that you can cut a letter out of it.