Stages of Block Play

Discover the 7 stages of block play and the influences these stages can have to the design of your learning environment. BONUS FREE Block Play Stages pdf to download and print.

What Does the 100 Languages of Children Mean?

In this blog post you will discover what the 100 languages of children means, where the idea started, why it is an important element of a child-centered education program and how you can use the 100 languages of children in your classroom.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle1 November 2021100 languages, reggio inspired, reggio, inquiry, investigations, investigative play, play based learning, developmental play, hands-on learning Comments

The Benefits of a Classroom Maker Space

Discover all the benefits of a classroom maker space in this blog post and download some free posters to educate your classroom visitors on why you have a Makerspace, Box Construction Area, Collage Table, Creation Station or whatever you choose to call it in your learning space.

Investigations, Classroom EnvironmentJanelle McArdle18 October 2021makerspace, maker space, box construction, collage table, creation station, hands-on learning, play based learning, artComment

Piaget and Play Based Learning

Piaget’s theories of cognitive development have influenced our modern play pedagogies. See how Piaget and play based learning go hand-in-hand and how his theories reinforce the idea that children learn through play. Discover some practical play-based learning ideas for your classroom.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle11 October 2021play based, play based learning, play based classroom, piaget, early childhood, early years, hands-on learning Comments

Reggio Math Provocations

Discover what Reggio math provocations are and how to plan and set up inviting Reggio inspired math provocations in your kindergarten or preschool classroom. You will have your children engaged with hands-on learning in no time.

Investigations, Classroom EnvironmentJanelle McArdle4 October 2021maths, reggio inspired, reggio, math provocations, reggio math, kindergarten, preschool, first grade, grade 1, hands-on learning, play based learning, playbased, loose parts Comments

Why Teach Science in Early Childhood

Do you feel Science is just one more thing to add on to your already crammed curriculum? Are you thinking “Why Teach Science in Early Childhood?” Find out why you need early childhood science education in your classroom and how you are probably already teaching it.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle27 September 2021early childhood, science, teaching science, early childhood science, inquiry, inquiry skills, early years science, kindergarten science, preschool science, first grade science, grade one science, grade 1 science, Australian curriculum, play based learningComment

Environment as the Third Teacher

Are you interested in transforming your learning environment into the third teacher? Read this blog post for tips and ideas on how you can get the third teacher working for you.

Loose Parts Resources

Discover what loose parts are and why you need them in your classroom. Download a FREE list of over 150 loose parts resources you can use to set up age appropriate investigation areas and learning invitations in your early years setting.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle27 August 2021loose parts, loose parts play, investigative play, hands-on learning, play based, developmental play, provocations, learning invitation Comments

Developmental Stages of Play - Piaget

Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist in the early 1900s. Read about how his theories of cognitive development reinforce the idea that children can learn through play in your educational setting.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle17 August 2021investigations, play based, playbased, developmental play, cognitive development, piaget, hands-on learning Comments

Benefits of Loose Parts Play

There are numerous benefits of loose parts play in the early childhood classroom. In this blog post you will discover what loose parts are and the curriculum learning intentions you can teach through loose parts play.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle1 August 2021loose parts, provocations, hands-on learning, investigative play, loose parts play, developmental play, play based, open ended, learning resourcesComment

72 Inspirational Learning Through Play Quotes

Looking for inspirational learning through play quotes? Want some beautiful motivating sayings to display in your classroom or throughout your planning documents? Download a set to use in your classroom today.

Investigations, Classroom EnvironmentJanelle McArdle7 June 2021quotes, environment as the third teacher, investigations, planning, developmental play, play based, investigative play, hands-on learning, classroom decor, learning through playComment

Stages of Development - Piaget

Piaget’s theories on cognitive development were groundbreaking for the world of education. To this day, Piagetian theories continue to influence curriculum design and implementation. This blog post will take a close look at Jean Piaget’s Stages of development in children.

Explicit Teaching, InvestigationsJanelle McArdle31 May 2021investigations, playbased, planning, cognitive development, hands-on, teaching, early years, early childhood Comment

Use a Rhyming Basket to Teach Rhyming Words

Discover how to teach rhyming words with a playful rhyming basket activity. Perfect for kindergarten, this hands-on rhyming basket idea builds rhyming skills for phonological awareness.

Explicit Teaching, InvestigationsJanelle McArdle15 May 2021rhyme, phonological awareness, literacy, reading, spelling, phonics, Australian curriculum, ACARAComment

Walker Learning Reporter Role

The classroom reporter role is a key element of the Walker Learning Approach. Find out what a classroom reporter does and why you need one in your classroom. Discover how to implement the child reporter role and download free resources to help you.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle7 May 2021investigations, investigative play, walker learning, playbased, planning, classroom reporter Comments

Teaching Science in Early Childhood

Find out how to effectively teach the early childhood science curriculum in just 40min a week. The children in my class reach curriculum benchmarks easily. In fact, they learn so much more than the mandated curriculum.

Explicit Teaching, InvestigationsJanelle McArdle22 April 2021inquiry, investigations, planning, playbased, provocations, science, play based, early years, early childhood, teaching science, reggio, walker learning, integrated curriculum, investigative play, developmental playComment

5 Picture Books for Your Classroom Maker Space

There are many wonderful children’s books to inspire and provoke creativity in a classroom Maker Space. Discover five of our must-have picture books for your creative learning provocations.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle11 April 2021play based, makerspace, box construction, construction, investigations, picture books, playbased, readingComment

Easter Math Activities For Play Based Learning

Looking for engaging Easter math activities for your kindergarten or preschool classroom? These hands-on, play-based learning invitations will keep students focused and learning while exploring counting, sorting, estimation, measurement, and more. Plus, grab the Easter Maths Investigations Pack for an easy, print-and-go setup!

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle27 March 2021easter, investigations, maths, playbased, play based, provocations, hands-on, kindergarten, preschool, prep, grade 1Comment

How to Introduce Cardboard Box Construction

Follow these detailed steps to set up your own hands-on Makerspace, Collage Area, Creation Station or Box Construction learning area in your early years learning environment.

This investigation area is an essential part of any play-based classroom.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle8 March 2021construction, fine motor, investigations, playbased, provocations, box construction Comments

Blog - My Play Based Classroom

I’m Janelle and I’m here to help you implement an engaging, play based curriculum

that STILL has your children meeting academic standards and benchmarks!