When you think about homeschooling for preschool, what comes to mind? A brightly-colored room full of toys? A room stacked with books or workbooks? Baskets of blocks and building supplies? Like all of us, preschoolers respond to their environment.
I help run a forest learning program for young children. In that forest learning environment, we have a few books brought by the facilitator, and a few craft materials that accompany her as well. For the most part, however, our learning environment is the forest.
The forest environment is a great teacher. It has so many options for open-ended play materials. Sticks and rocks, clay and mud and water all combine to create the perfect open-ended environment for the children. The environment is quiet and calming, yet it is also full of sounds. Water moves, rain falls, and birds and other animals make noise. This environment teaches us to use our ears to distinguish sounds and to use our eyes to distinguish between shades of green and brown. The forest environment is also very complex. There are layers upon layers of life in the rainforest, each nested in and connected to the others.
In any learning environment, the environment itself sends a strong message to the students. The colors of a room can be quiet and calming, or they can be bright, exciting, and engaging. There can be a few simple materials, or there can be many materials. If there are desks or tables, the way they are set up encourages children to interact in a specific way.
In what ways does your preschool learning environment encourage your children to learn? What are your children discovering in the environment? How does the shape of that environment provide a structure and rhythm to their day?
Image Credit: Jodiferfon