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Early childhood education has been my life for over 40 years. I have taught all age groups from infants to 5-year-olds. I was a director for five years in the 1980s, but I returned to the classroom 22 years ago. My passion is watching the ways children explore and discover their world. In the classroom, everything starts with the reciprocal relationships between adults and children and between the children themselves. With that in mind, I plan and set up activities. But that is just the beginning. What actually happens is a flow that includes my efforts to invite, respond and support children's interface with those activities and with others in the room. Oh yeh, and along the way, the children change the activities to suit their own inventiveness and creativity. Now the processes become reciprocal with the children doing the inviting, responding and supporting. Young children are the best learners and teachers. I am truly fortunate to be a part of their journey.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

ANOTHER USE FOR TRAYS

Besides being apparatus themselves, trays can serve another important function in the sensory table.  For me, they also form the base on which to place or build other apparatus.  The trays are used especially when I want a vertical incline to the apparatus.  Here two cardboard chutes are attached to the wooden tray ( see previous post from 8/23/10)).  


In the apparatus below,  I have used the planter tray (previous post from 9/12/10) to attach a crate.  Through the crate, I have attached a plastic chute.

The great thing about the plastic planter tray is that if it is turned upside down, it sits on the lip of the sensory table and apparatus can be attached to it in that configuration.  Look!
I have even combined to the two types of trays to form the base of an apparatus.  I did that to get a greater incline on a cardboard chute apparatus.


As you might have guessed by now,  I like trays.

Posted by Tom Bedard at 9/30/2010

2 comments:

  1. KC7FYSNovember 12, 2010 at 7:50 AM

    I found this one particularly intriguing. I'm 45, and I wanted to spend time sliding the wood pellets down the chute. I grew up on an Iowa farm with tons of chutes and bins, hoppers, baskets, and stuff sliding up/in/out of them. This is a suitable analog to that for my 3-year-old son.

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  2. Tom BedardNovember 12, 2010 at 5:29 PM

    I find it very interesting that you commented on this post this week. I actually used this apparatus with wood pellets this past week. I just discover wood pellets last year and find them perfect for the sensory table because of such things as feel, sound, and smell. It always amazes me how much the children gravitate to chutes and ramps and pouring and rolling things down them.

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