Message from Kharma: Invitations for Learning
One way to engage a child in exploring an interest is to create an attention-grabbing play scene as an invitation to play. These types of "invitations" respond to and enhance emerging interests, build on language skills, help children learn new skills, discover uses for tools in the daily environment, introduce new concepts, and offer experiences with specific content.
When teachers intentionally prepare these types of interactive invitations, they keep in mind what may result from these encounters. The teachers will observe the children’s activities and conversations to learn what they are interested in (at that moment) and begin to collect items to organize in the classroom.
For example, if young toddlers suddenly become interested in the recent birth of a classmate’s baby sister, this may spark interesting conversation about families and caring for babies. The topic could extend from human families to animal families.
The teachers may begin to collect materials that represent the topic of study and one morning arrange them on the tables around the room in order to provoke young minds. In this instance, materials may include, but are not limited to, books about babies, photos, dolls, and toy bottles.
This is just one example to give you an idea of what you will see more and more in PIC classrooms during drop-off.
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