Newsletter for Educators: Rethinking the Classroom with Ms. K & Ms. M by Jessica Koppers https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins Looking at the creation of the learning environments and how it is conducive to the whole Kindergarten child. en-us 2018-06-17 00:42:03 UTC 2025-05-06 09:09:46 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Lightdecrease.png Intellectual Development kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507563 Educators need to consider the minds of their students and how they make sense of the world, creating active and engaging learning experiences for students to explore and discover on their own. By doing so, students will have a chance to spend time on an activity that is meaningful to them, and extend their learning at an individual level. It then becomes the responsibility of the teachers to offer prompting and/or questioning in order to support how they can explain their thinking. Piaget's 4 Stages of Intellectual (or Cognitive) Development identifies how with time and experience, a child's memory, problem-solving skills, reasoning, and thinking skills are developed,  addressing the experiences they've already been exposed to. When looking at how the learning environment can promote and foster intellectual development, educators are encouraged to foster each growth stage and support independent learners through meaningful and personally relevant learning (Wood et al., 2001). 
Teacher Tips! 
  • Have a space dedicated to communication such as a dramatic play centre or discovery centre 
  • Provide students opportunities to participate in community circles when sharing with peers in a small group or large group settings 
 ""Discovery learning" provides opportunities for learners to
explore and experiment, thereby encouraging new understandings" 
- Wood, Smith, & Grossniklaus (2001, p. 5).
Below is a visual representation of Piaget's 4 Stages of Cognitive Development. 
]]> 2018-06-17 17:22:25 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507563 Social/Emotional Development kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507571 Educators can include large blocks of time to allow students to engage with learning centres in the classroom in order to collaborate and problem solve with peers. The classroom environment also needs to be comfortable and welcoming, allowing for the students to build relationships with classmates and teachers. Williford et al. (2013) emphasize the finding that children with more exposure to social and environmental interactions, will have a higher likelihood to develop self-regulation successfully during academic and social development. It then becomes clear that the child’s interactions and the learning environment are crucial throughout early childhood, especially in the classroom. When creating the learning environment, educators also need to consider a safe environment, providing students an opportunity to engage in self-regulation . For example, this can be accomplished by creating a space designated for children to work through their big feelings and to better understand them, such as a 'cozy corner'. 
Classroom Makeover Ideas:
  • Incorporate a 'cozy corner' using everyday items such a pillows, blankets, subtle lighting, and drapery to separate the space from the rest of the classroom (the image below provides a visual of what this space may look like). 
Refer to a section of the ELECT document as it explores social and emotional development among Preschool Kindergarten children (ELECT, 2007, p. 43-47): http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/oelf/continuum/continuum.pdf 
]]> 2018-06-17 17:22:31 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507571 Environmental Development kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507579 When considering environmental development in a Kindergarten classroom, the notion of a play-learning is key. The classroom layout below illustrates how the classroom is dependent on organization - the organization of time, space, and resources, all of which play an important role when identifying aspects of environmental development (ELECT, 2007). The use of space in an environment needs to provide students with areas for movement, areas to create, and areas to explore. The space needs to be organized by the nature of the centre, and be clearly defined for students to navigate easily and independently. The materials need to be accessible to all learners at the students level. Lastly, the use of time in an environment needs to allow for opportunities for whole group, small group, and individual learning, providing ample time for students to engage in play at all learning centres.
Take a look!
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Education emphasizes how the environment has a powerful influence on children's development:
https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/Curriculum%20Website/Kindergarten/Resources/Core/Children%20First%20A%20Resource%20for%20Kindergarten.pdf ]]> 2018-06-17 17:22:38 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507579 Physical Development kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507585 Physical development in the early years is understood by allowing opportunities for appropriate experiences for healthy brain development. Kindergarten is a great platform to reach every child in their progression through developing in all domains, by meeting the child where they are through open-ended activities with multiple entry points. The Kindergarten Program (2016) suggests that this developmental domain is comprised of, but not limited to, "physical activity, sleep patterns, changes that come with growth body image, and nutritional requirements" (p. 62). Within this development, educators must provide space within the classroom in order for students to engage in fine and gross motor activities. Educators need to ensure that students have freedom to move between centres, an opportunity to rest at the 'cozy corner' when a break is needed, and an open area for whole group learning or movement (i.e. Cosmic Kids Yoga).
What you can do:
  • Explore indoor and outdoor spaces 
  • Provide space for provocations that require use of small items such as sorting 'loose parts' and writing tasks to promote fine motor sills
  • Provide space for large items such as building blocks and movement for dance, both inside and outside of the classroom to develop gross motor skills 
Read The Measured Moms Blog (2018) for a list of ideas for simple indoor gross motor activities that you can implement in your own classroom!:
]]> 2018-06-17 17:22:43 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507585 Introduction kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507667 Throughout this newsletter we look at the creation of the learning environments and how it is conducive to the whole Kindergarten child including, intellectual, social, emotional, physical, environmental, linguistic, cultural, spiritual, and moral development.
"Foster learning environments which enhance growth and development and which are
sensitive to issues of inclusion"
- ELECT (2007, p. 160). 
Our role as educators is to ensure that the learning environments in which children explore and discover within continue to promote and support child development. Therefore, we decided to reflect on each foundation of development, highlighting its importance to every child's development, and how educators can implement and support each component within their own learning environments.

Watch this Video Clip "The Learning Environment" (2014)
Take a look at this video as it exemplifies what the learning environment should look like in order to foster the whole Kindergarten child.
]]> 2018-06-17 17:23:52 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267507667 Linguistic Development kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267508306 Language is a large piece to the development of children in the early ages, as it is a stepping stone to the world of learning. Justicea, Jianga, and Strasser (2018) examined the linguistic development in the learning environment of classrooms and discovered three factors that help the growth of this development: teacher talk, system-level quality, and communication facilitation. 
Teacher talk is the example of language the teacher provides for the students, modelling how to ask questions, make conclusions, and create conversation. System-level quality is the instructional support in the classroom setting, and how the learning centres or activities allow for students to build on their language (Justicea, Jianga & Strasser, 2018). Lastly, communication facilitation is the strategies presented by teachers to help guide students to conversations among the class and between peers. Altogether these help create a learning environment with linguistic development in many forms.  
Check out these examples for your classroom: 
  • Playing with Rhymes
  • Pretend Reading
  • Catching the Bus (dramatic play) 
  • Story Retell 
More examples such as these and other details can be found from the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline Resource: https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/p_10/qklg_pd_resource_supporting_literacy.pdf 
]]> 2018-06-17 17:37:06 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267508306 Cultural Development kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267508308 Belonging and Contribution is one of the four frames of the Kindergarten Program (2016), and part of this frame is the focus on culture and that students, “demonstrate an understanding of the diversity among individuals and families and within schools and the wider community” (p.132). This understanding of culture and diversity needs to be developed through the classroom culture and curriculum by teachers giving students opportunity to explore their own cultures and others. 
Durden, Escalante, and Blitch (2015) completed research on culturally relevant pedagogy, which is a teacher’s deeper understanding of culture through equity, justice, and opportunity, and means more than a learning of cultures. As educators, there are many ways we can bring cultural development to our classroom through different learning centres, activities, and inquiry based learning to help our students find a sense of belonging in the classroom. 
For more information check out: Start with us! Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in the Preschool Classroom by Durden, Escalante, and Blitch (2015). 
Classroom Ideas: 
  • Personal storytelling 
  • Guest speakers
  • Cultural stories 
  • Building self-identity 
More can be found through Queensland’s guide: https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/p_10/qklg_pd_mod2_exa3_building_cultural.pdf 
]]> 2018-06-17 17:37:11 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267508308 Spiritual Development kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267508313 Have you ever had that feeling with a student where they've reached that “Aha” moment? A moment of realization, awareness, and clarity? This kind of moment is considered a piece of spiritual development. Spirituality is “a means of connecting people to all things, to nature and the universe. Spirituality adds to my appreciation of the wonder and mystery in everyday life” (Bone, 2008, p344). 
Vygotsky saw this connection with the world as a form of development that we encounter through all ages. Bone (2008) explains in her wonderful article how students and teachers encounter spiritual development every day, and that we as educators can ensure it happens through the environment we create. The space needs to have opportunity for student exploration, a chance to create wonders, and an opportunity to discover those wonders. 
For example, you can create a wonder wall with your students and collaborate to help students find the answers to these wonders, such as; Why do the leaves change colour in the fall? Where do we get our vegetables and fruit? or, Why does snow melt inside? Then, within these wonders, create opportunities for interactions between you and each student to help build a relationship where the moment of aha is shared. Sometimes this can be achieved without saying anything at all, instead, it is just a sense of feeling. 
Have a Look! 
For more information view Creating Relational Spaces: Everyday spirituality in early childhood settings by Jane Bone (2008). 
]]> 2018-06-17 17:37:16 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267508313 Moral Development kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267508319 Being moral is what we see as good or bad, it is the making of decisions, and how our actions can have an impact on others. As the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) (2007) group shares in their moral development handbook, “Moral development is related to the rules that people have for their interaction with others. It is concerned with the acceptance of morality which brings along certain forms of behaviour, attitudes and values in an individual” (p.6). Thus, it is more than bad or good, but the development of the characteristics of students, ultimately helping them shape their moral judgement. This growth can occur through the simple activities of structured and free play that the ICAC expand on in their handbook resource. 
To learn more check out:
ICAC’s Promoting Moral Development through play during early childhood handbook:
https://www.acauthorities.org/sites/aca/files/countrydoc/Promoting%20Moral%20Development%20through%20play%20during%20early%20childhood_1.pdf 
Other Resources! 
  • Kelso’s Choice: Student’s learn how to resolve conflict through the idea of choice:
https://kelsoschoice.com/about/ 
  • Have you filled a bucket: Based on the children books, it is teaching students what our actions do to others:
http://www.easton.k12.ma.us/document_center/moreau/Have_You_Filled_a_Bucket_Today.pdf 
]]> 2018-06-17 17:37:21 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267508319 Conclusion kalidasilva https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267648278 As you can see from all the different aspects of development; intellectual, social, emotional, physical, environmental, linguistic, cultural, spiritual, and moral, that there is much more to what makes up a child and their education then academics. The learning environment must be designed to help these developments grow through learning centres, activities, conversations of dialogue, self-regulation, questions, and pure curiosity. In each of these developments we explained what the development is and how you as an educator can help create a learning environment that fosters the whole child. These examples however, are only the beginning of the research you can find on these topics and we strongly encourage you to take what we have given you and look to find more on these developments. We as educators should always be growing professionally in hopes to better our teaching, which in turn, enhances the education life of our students. ]]> 2018-06-18 15:37:52 UTC https://padlet.com/miss_koppers/KoppersandMartins/wish/267648278