The Concept Of Constructivism In Early Childhood Education

Constructivism is believed to be a way of learning where children engage with their environment to create their own understanding of the world. From day to day we encounter various smells, sights, sounds, textures, and tastes. All of these encounters allow for children to develop ideas and solve problems through their environment. You can find the use of constructivism in just about any childhood education classroom.
Compared to a traditional teaching setting, where information is given and children are expected to understand, a constructivism setting would allow for personal thought and problem exploration. Teachers are meant for guidance, and to provoke though-generating questions for their students. In an early childhood classroom setting …show more content…
While still including your typical classroom information such as dates and weather, you could also add daily questions or riddles. This provides something for children to ponder on while completing other activities during the day. Also, this can provide an idea of what children are learning that day/week for the parents as they drop off their children. Next, I would move onto stations. Stations can become a disaster or an excellent learning tool based upon how they are set up. Combining stations that include the same types of materials such as placing arts and crafts with free paint can allow for sharing of materials if low on supplies. This would prevent across the room conversations. When choosing stations pick activities that have no defined goal. With no defined goal children are able to manipulate the activity to the image in their individual mind. Finally, for designing a classroom, I would consider structure. A structured environment prepares children for surroundings in the real-world. Using their environment to develop strategies and solve problems in an environment that is consistent from day to day also provides security which encourages their thought …show more content…
As I mentioned earlier, teachers are used as a guide. Teachers provide and prepare the work, explain assignments, and are there for help when needed. Although, teachers are not the main speakers during activities and do not provide an end goal, like you would find in a typical educational classroom. When preparing lesson plans teachers should create an activity that goes along with the instructed information that allows children to use their surrounding environment. Teachers can use this time to prepare for their reflection of the activity. Paying attention to comments and difficulties during the activity can improve the effectiveness of a reflection time. Of course, all lesson plans are created to ensure learning; therefore, collaboration and reflection are very important. Another aspect of a lesson plan I would consider would be the skill level of the children you are teaching. Occasionally, children are able to use trial-and-error to discover how to work certain objects. Trail-and-error could encourage conversations among other children as well. Children love to help others and for someone to look at them as a resource would boost a child’s confidence drastically. Hands-on-activities are another fantastic use of constructivism. You may be teaching one piece of information, but a child may be obtaining multiple pieces of information. Relating centers and activities to lesson plans encourages