Early Childhood Education in Greater Kansas City

Commonality: Interactive and Engaging Environments 

Creates spaces that stimulate exploration, creativity and social interaction.

Wheels Study

Teachers provided a variety of interesting materials for children to explore, investigate, and create. Children worked together to construct vehicles with recyclable materials and test ideas about wheels. They participated in rich discussions about wheels they've seen at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.

Our wheels study took off when a 3-year-old little girl turned her trike upside down. She started to spin the pedals and wheels of the trike. The other children then followed suit and did the same thing. From there, we introduced the wheels study to the children. Wheels were placed in our block center. A group of boys started to roll the wheels. Then a child made an engine noise. They decided to race the wheels. They got the tape and made their own roads.  

A small group of children used the ten-frame tray and circle frames. A child used the steering wheel. She would go around the classroom singing “Wheels on the Bus” and asking friends to ride her bus. We took different sizes of balls and ramps, trays, and blocks to roll the balls. 

A child asked for yellow, black, and red paint at the art easel. He called the teacher over. “I painted a bus.” He explained content from a book that was read during literacy time. 

There were many dictations and language experiences on finding wheels in our school, in our environments, and outside of school. 

We used different textures to paint with for art experiences. We collected junk art for children to create. Many children created cars, trucks and semis. 

We were lucky to have deliveries from a milk, food truck and garbage truck happen right outside our window. We had lots of moments where we stopped what we were doing and went to the window or outside. 

Thank you to the Independence School District Head Start program for sharing their work.

Four Senses Potion Lab

The teacher set up a sensory experience through play provocation on the playground. The children were invited to explore spices, water, food color and other household items such as vinegar and baking soda to encourage observation through their smell and sight senses.

Infant music and movement

Infants and teachers have a joyful shared experience as they dance and sing together.