Learning Center Design Plan #___________

Learning Center: Student’s Name: Week to be Implemented in classroom:9/18/18

BLOCK CENTER Christi Habben
1. Current Skills, Abilities and Interests: What current skills, abilities and
interests do the children in your room have that you will build off of
(be very specific)? What have you OBSERVED about children in the
room (or what data has been collected) that makes you think this
center design is a ‘good fit?’
INTERESTS: I have noticed that the children all like to gravitate towards the
block center for work time. They enjoy making towers, bridges, and
buildings. They also enjoy driving the toy trucks on the ground and racing
them.
2. WMELS Addressed: What skills do children need to develop next
(based on what you wrote in Box 1)? What are your objectives for
child learning when they play in this center? Identify 2-3 WMELS that
will be addressed through play in this center.
Exploration, Discovery, and Problem Solving-Understands new
meanings as memory increases-Recognizes functional uses of items in
the environment.
Early Literacy-Shows appreciation of books and understands how print
works-Recognizes some familiar environmental print.

ABILITIES/SKILLS: Able to name different vehicles such as bus, train, car,

airplane. Some can recognize the different block shapes such as rectangle,
square, triangle.

3. a) Materials & Physical Set Up: What materials and/or activities will you include in the center to enhance, or improve upon what is already there?
Provide a specific and detailed list to receive full credit. Include a list of materials and a brief explanation of WHY you chose to add them.
In order to improve this area, I needed environmental signs, a laminator, popsicle sticks, and wooden blocks. I chose to do this because I noticed the
children loved driving cars on the floor. I thought it would be neat to print out a pretend road then laminate it and add Velcro to the back of it so the
children could place them where they wanted to and not worry about them moving while they drove cars on them. To make it even more real like I made
street signs for them! I cut out basics such as a stop sign, stop and go lights, exit signs, train sign, and speed limit signs so while they are using the road they
can set it up. I also added in this LCD I took the wooden blocks and on about 10-12 of them I placed laminated environmental signs and taped it onto the
blocks. These signs consisted of McDonalds, Red Lobster, Dairy Queen, the airport, Target, Walmart to name a few. I also made a “I CAN BUILD” book. IN
this book students can flip through the different pictures and it can help give them ideas of what they might want to build in the block center.

b) Describe the guidance strategies you will use to promote safety and positive interactions.
Strategies I used to help promote safety was by introducing it to the students at the beginning of the week. I set rules for the students such as remember to
clean up all the blocks when you are done. I also told them not to peel the tape off the blocks (even though it is on it really good”. Also, when I introduced it
to them I asked the students if they had seen any of these signs before. Majority of the students recognized McDonalds, Walmart, and the stop sign. My
overall goal for making this LCD is to get them more familiar with their surroundings and for them to be creative!

4. Explain how each of the following is facilitated through your center design:
Note: In accordance with Early Childhood Associate Degree department guidelines, 1 point will be deducted for design plans turned in up to a
week late. Plans turned in more than 1 week past due will receive a score of 0.
 Learning Center Design Plan #___________

Initiative, Engagement (including social
interaction) & Persistence
Social interaction- blocks help children
learn to take turns, it can increase their
attention span, make new friends, and
help them become kore self-reliant.
Self-esteem- discover that they have
ideas that can come to life by creating,
demolishing and recreating something
unique!
Reasoning, Planning & Problem Solving Differentiated Instruction
They practice gross and fine motor skills
by carrying large, heavy blocks and Essential: In this stage they are just working at using the building
balancing smaller blocks on top of each blocks and maybe recognizing 1-2 of the names. Typically, are playing
other, and they explore different shapes alone or near others.
and sizes of blocks and other materials.
They plan before they play so If they
want to play in the block center I can Expected: These children can make structures and build with others.
follow up with what are you going to
play with or what are you going to build
in the block center? Enrichment: Is able to recognize environmental print. Using words
Problem solving- they practice this by when building such as “over, under, besides, through.” Also making
thinking through how many blocks do I more complex structures.
need to build a house. Or they think I
need “x” number of blocks so it does not
tip over.

Cooperating Teacher Feedback/Comments (Please circle the best response):

Design plan was turned in and discussed the week prior to implementation. Y N

Recommended changes were made. Y N

You were provided with a CLEAN copy of the design plan at the time of implementation. Y N

Design was developmentally appropriate and contained engaging, novel & motivating materials. Y N

Design plan reflects good effort and a great deal of thought on the part of the student. Y N

Student considered the abilities and needs of the children in the design. Y N

Comments:

Signature of Cooperating Teacher ________________________________________________________________________________________

Note: In accordance with Early Childhood Associate Degree department guidelines, 1 point will be deducted for design plans turned in up to a
week late. Plans turned in more than 1 week past due will receive a score of 0.
 Learning Center Design Plan #___________

Student Reflection: WCTC Supervising Instructor Evaluation & Feedback:

This design worked well because....... 0-2 points awarded for each criteria (total 10):

The children loved playing with the blocks! They also had a fun time making a road with signs. While observing some children pretended they were driving in their car
with their parents to McDonald’s! They were super clever and were using their imagination.

Design is based on current skills/abilities of the children ____

Design reflects a high degree of critical thought. ____

Design included new, meaningful, motivating and/or engaging materials ____

The design would be more successful next time if....... Student was prepared and met all timelines (including making changes). ____

Next time I do this I will run this by Steve first since I totally forgot (sorry). And next time if and when I make road signs I will make them more durable. They held up
until Thursday and some of the kids accidently were stepping on the signs and then the base of it fell off on some of them. Otherwise this LCD was a hit.

Self Evaluation section is complete, detailed & reflective. ____

Total Score /10

Note: In accordance with Early Childhood Associate Degree department guidelines, 1 point will be deducted for design plans turned in up to a
week late. Plans turned in more than 1 week past due will receive a score of 0.