ECE Workshop: Curriculum & Learning Approaches
Invitation to Play
This workshop invites educators to rediscover the joy of play through intentional design and thoughtful observation. We will explore how to create engaging invitations that spark curiosity, creativity, and connection among children.
Together, we will look at how materials, environment, and presentation influence children’s engagement and inquiry. Educators will have opportunities to reflect on their role as co-learners, deepen their understanding of emergent curriculum, and consider how to document children’s thinking as it unfolds through play.
Through hands-on exploration and discussion, participants will leave inspired to design meaningful play experiences that honor children’s interests, ideas, and sense of wonder.
Workshop Hosted By
Julie Hansen
Early Childhood Educator, Consultant, and Author
The Reasons Why
Aspects of Emergent Curriculum or Inquiry Based Learning
- Child led, not educator directed activities
- Support critical thinking, cooperation, turn taking, self-help skills, self regulation, social, language, small motor and cognitive development
- Promote self-awareness, individuality, uniqueness, exploration, discovery and mastery of skill
Invitation
- Creating invitations inspired by the children’s interests, thoughts and ideas are directly derived from observations of the children
Key Elements of Set Up for and Invitation
- Points of interest
- Different Textures
- Natural Materials
- Engaging and inviting
- Children’s interests
- Esthetically appealing
- Supports different levels of development
The Environment as The Third Educator
- Look at the space through different lenses (child, educator, and parent)
- Include recycled materials for the children to explore
- Look at the room from child level
- Is there space for the educators?
- Are the learning areas clearly defined for children and adults?
- Signage
- Are you challenging yourself as an educator to come up with new activities and experiences providing avenues for emergent curriculum in the environment (accessible materials that promote extensions in play)
