Learning centres/learning spaces

What are learning centres /spaces?

• Spaces set up in an indoor or outdoor environment to encourage children to make choices, explore, solve problems and investigatewhilst learning

How is the learning environment set up?

The indoor rooms are divided into learning centres that remain in place at all times

• These may include: a creative and writing area, a music area, a science and nature area, a manipulative equipment area, a construction area, a dramatic play area and a quiet comfortable book area for the development of language and literacy

Outdoor learning environment

It should be and have:• As natural as possible• Have ‘loose parts’• Quiet places and active places• Learning experiences and provocations• Experiences to encourage learning about the

natural world

Creative, sensory & writing area

Dramatic play area

Dramatic play area

Music area

Science and nature area

Reading and quiet area

Manipulative area

Construction area

Areas of interest, investigation/project work

What about outdoors?

Or this?

Or this?

Or this?

The value of learning centres

• Children are active learners andlearning centres are planned to encourage active involvement

• Learning centres easily address children’s individual learning styles – visual, kinasthetic, auditory

The value of learning centres

Learning centres are a symbolic representation of the world that surrounds children

Benefits of a learning centre

• Allows opportunity for free and independent play

• There are a range of materials to explore and make choices

Benefits of a learning centre• Caters for a range of developmental levels• Children can revisit their play and practice their

emerging skills – revisit their interests/investigations

Benefits of a learning centre

• Children can make choices, develop confidence in problem solving skills

• Develop social skills as they work together

Benefits of a learning centre

• Enhance creativity by determining their direction of play & selection of materials

Benefits of a learning centre

• Understand others as they try out roles & participate in play sequences

• Develop responsibility as they build and care for materials

• Learn how to make plans & carry these out to completion, developing persistence in task

Benefits of a learning centre

• Teachers can program and plan for a range of interests, abilities and emerging skills

• Children can control the amount of time they spend in a area

Designing & planning learning centres

• Select props & materials to meet the range of developmental levels of children

• Use real objects and open ended materials

Designing & planning learning centres

• Use items such as plants, screens, fabrics• There should be opportunities for specific

learning by children• There must be plenty of time available• Follow interests

Designing & planning learning centres

• Consider location and space• Materials – self selection• Aesthetics-provocations• Organisation of materials• Display of children’s work• Documentation and photographs of children playing• Posters of the value of play in learning centre

The role of the educator

• As observers of children• As listeners of children• As a resource for children• As designers & assessors of the learning

centre• Change, rearrange & add new material to

maintain their interest• Write a letter to families about learning

centres and their value

Educators observe and interact with the children and the materials developing the children’s learning.

Each day we set out pre planned activities in the learning centres based on our observations of the children from the day before. What the children are interested in and how to

extend their learning and development.

Courtesy of:

• Randwick College Playsession• Let the children Play blog• Northern Nursery School• Moverley Child Care Centre