11.3: Environmental Factors in Supporting History and Social Sciences

Effective teachers consider the physical, curricular, and social elements when planning an environment to support children’s learning in history and social science. The physical environment and daily routine set the stage for children’s inquiry and should include ample time for children’s self-initiated work, different spaces for solitary play and for collaborative play, and engaging materials that children are encouraged to use creatively. The curricular plan must provide opportunities and adult support for group learning, informal discovery, and skill development. The key to a positive social environment is a teacher who actively models curiosity, openness, and engagement and is eager to explore the world with children. An environment that supports children’s learning in history and the social sciences has the following characteristics:

• Extended projects that are centered on a topic in history or social science and emerge from children’s interests and inquiries
• Reflective of diversity, as opposed to a tourist approach, teachers and children participate in authentic experiences with culture
• A balance between child choice and adult direction
• A variety of materials to support children’s inquiry-based learning and practice in the skills of social science
• Materials that connect children to times and places
• Real experiences with nature and other environmental education materials
• Tools and practices for appreciating and caring for the Earth and its resources
• Display of children’s work and experiences
• Dramatic play props and materials that represent firsthand experience with social roles and occupations, as well as consumer actions
• High-quality children’s books with content related to self, family, and community
• Extension of learning into the local community to help children learn in the “here and now” of the world around them
• Family involvement in program planning that is inclusive of community goals and values[1]

Research Highlight – Anti-Bias Curriculum Approach

High-quality early childhood programs support children in developing their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional potential. The settings encourage children to explore their own sense of self and to develop an awareness and appreciation of others. Such experiences are foundational to becoming positive and constructive members of society and the world.

Creating an inclusive community of learners—one in which all individuals feel comfortable, confident, and competent— requires educators to take an anti-bias approach to planning, implementing, and evaluating their program. Educators embracing an anti-bias curriculum approach reflect on their identities and experiences. They extend their knowledge of different cultures and communities through conversation and discussion with children, families, and colleagues. They also confront bias in the preschool setting (e.g., “Girls can’t play here” or “His eyes are a funny shape”) to send a message that all children should be respected and that one’s words can hurt other people.

Instead of using a one-size-fits-all curriculum, anti-bias educators design environments and activities that reflect the real experiences of children’s lives. Educators routinely partner with families and community members to further enhance the early childhood program. Throughout the day, the adults in the preschool setting engage children in developmentally appropriate conversations about similarities and differences, and promote justice and fairness for all by helping children think critically about teasing, bullying, and other hurtful behavior. Activities promoting anti-bias education are integrated throughout the daily routine, avoiding a tourist approach. “The heart of anti-bias work is a vision of a world in which all children are able to blossom, and each child’s particular abilities and gifts are able to flourish.” For more information on the anti-bias approach, refer to Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards.[2]

Source:

L. Derman-Sparks and J. O. Edwards, Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves (Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2010), 2.

References

[1] The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 3 by the California Department of Education is used with permission

[2] The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 3 by the California Department of Education is used with permission