Each day when Educators arrive and set up the room for your
arrival, they thoughtfully set up invitations in the space - either indoors
and/or outdoors.
There is a vast difference between opening a storage closet
and grabbing some puzzles and putting them on the table versus thoughtfully and
purposefully gathering specific materials to set up an invitation for children
to engage with.
It's not that puzzles or other toys are "wrong" -
it's that the invitation to the children is rote or vague and not necessarily
consistent with their current interests or investigations.
A thoughtful invitation is put together by Educators working
collaboratively to offer the children an opportunity to either think more
deeply about something they have been expressing interest in, to offer them a
new perspective on something or to help them experience a different aspect of
the topic.
Invitations are also used to
catch children's attention to encourage their use of new materials or areas of
the room that they may usually ignore or avoid.
Children have a great appreciation of aesthetics and they,
like us, are drawn to beauty so beautiful invitations to do art or create with
loose parts encourage them to discover new skills and make new connections.
We invite YOU to observe the invitations set up in your
program and to begin a dialogue with the Educators about their intention behind
what they offer to the children. Your
insight and perspective on what your children are interested in and curious
about can inform the programming we offer the children.
My thanks to West Cambie Preschool for all these lovely set-ups I sneak in and photograph after they leave for the day....I am often tempted to stay and play!
My thanks to West Cambie Preschool for all these lovely set-ups I sneak in and photograph after they leave for the day....I am often tempted to stay and play!
