Children learn through concrete experiences with a wide range of engaging, discovery-based activities.  Learning experiences should support children in identifying problems and designing solutions to address problems.  This will help to develop physical dexterity skills by developing eye-hand coordination, and fine/gross motor coordination while learning to transfer weight from each muscle group.

Ernst von Glasersfeld was a philosopher and Research Associate at the Scientific Reasoning Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  He said that “successful thinking is more important then correct answers…”  Early childhood education has another way of saying this “the process is more important than the product.”  Von Glasersfeld also said that adults “will have to create situations where the students have an opportunity to experience the pleasure inherent in solving a problem.”  This will not only help physical development but also critical thinking skills.

Infants: Learning about the Sun – Start by hanging a sun above the changing table and singing a song about the sun when changing diapers.  Sing “You Are My Sunshine.”

The words are: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine; you make me happy, when skies are gray.  You’ll never know dear how much I love you; please don’t take my sunshine away.”

Toddlers: Moon & Stars – Sing about the moon and stars using the following songs.

“Ski-da-ma-rink-a-dink-a-dink Ski-da-ma-rink-a-doo” & “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

Ski-da-ma-rink-a-dink-a-dink Ski-da-ma-rink-a-doo, I love you.  2x’s
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon, I love you in the evening and underneath the moon; Oh Ski-da-ma-rink-a-dink-a-dink Ski-da-ma-rink-a-doo, I love you. Oh yes I do, I love you!  Have the children lie on the floor and act out the words.

Do the same for “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”– Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.  Repeat first line again.

Preschoolers: Planets – Our solar system is made up of the sun and eight large planets and one dwarf planet.  The four closest to the sun are called Terrestrials Planets because they are made up of rocks and metal.  They are (1) Mercury (2) Venus (3) Earth (4) Mars.  The next two are Gas Planets.  They are (5) Jupiter (6) Saturn.  The last three are Ice Planets because they are so far away from the warmth of our sun.  The two large planets are (7) Uranus (8) Neptune.  The last one is the dwarf planet (9) Pluto - because it is so small.  Have the older children make a mobile of the solar system and play a circle game using the names of the planets.   A child stand in the center holding a sign that says sun.  The children skip around the sun holding the names of the planets to the tune of “Round and Round the Village.”

- Mercury goes round and round the sun, Venus goes round and round the sun, the Earth goes round and round the sun, as they’ve done for millions of years.  - Mars goes round and round the sun, Jupiter goes round and round the sun, Saturn goes round and round the sun, as they’ve done for millions of years.  - Uranus goes round and round the sun, Neptune and Pluto go round and round the sun, all the planets go round and round the sun, as they’ve done for millions of years.

Even a small star shines in the darkness.  (Finnish Proverb)