Todden

Computer & Manipulative Centre		Key Skills Developed
The purpose of Manipulative Centre is to provide numerous opportunities for children to count, sort, explore and group the objects. As the children investigate concrete materials, they begin to understand more abstract concepts of numbers, shapes & relationships. In early-childhood settings children spend most of the time interacting with other children. Working in the manipulative centre allows children to choose toys designed for individual use, providing opportunities to develop self-reliance & independent thinking.		Recognizing shapes Comparing sizes & quantities Classifying objects Recognizing cause and effect Predicting outcomes Following a series of steps in sequence Using prepositions to describe – Relationships of Objects (under, over, behind) Persistance


Block & Motor Skills Centre		Key Skills Developed
The Block and Motor Sklls Centre allows the children to build imaginative structures using blocks & miniature real - life objects. In the process, the children role-play & interact socially with their peers. Building with blocks fosters a wide range of growth in large & small motor skills. A child may work alone, creating a single building, or several children may combine their efforts to build a small town with houses, cars and roads.		Classifying by shape, size & colour Matching & Labeling objects Experimenting with balance Recognizing simple number concepts Lasting hypothesis Developing large motor skills (e.g. - balance on one foot, catch a bounce ball, skip etc.) Emotional & social skills Creating - Use imaginations


Science & Nature Centre		Key Skills Developed
The science and Nature centre at Todden Activity Centre is an area of the classroom where children could experience nature. This centre is an exciting place to find out how things work, to perform simple experiments, to learn about nature & to sharpen the thinking skills.		Observing carefully Predicting outcomes Testing ideas Drawing conclusions Caring for the living things Learning new vocabulary Comparing objects based on weight, length & composition Understanding concepts related to seasons, weather, and magnetism and living things.


Language & Listening Skills Centre		Key Skills Developed
Although the children use language skills in many areas of the classroom, the Language & Listening Centre is the focal point for introducing a variety of experiences involving talking, listening, questioning & labeling. These experiences are important in preparing young children to read & write.		Listening to gather information Asking questions Verbalizing ideas Labeling objects & letters Sequencing story events Learning new vocabulary Recognizing symbols that (letters, pictures) have meaning Turning the pages of a book Understanding that reading is a process from left to right & from top to bottom.


Drama & play centre		Key Skills Developed
The Dramatic Play Centre provides safe setting for children to role-play, express feelings, dramatize stories & try out behaviors observed in adults. Much of what takes place in Dramatic Play Centre requires the children to share materials and roles. Deciding who will play the part of the baby bear & who will cook the dinner become important lessons in negotiating with others.		Expressing emotions appropriate to a situation Playing cooperatively with others Taking turns Understanding how others feel Observing how others relate to you Using language to communicate need and feelings Recognizing real life roles played by adults Social and emotional skills Creating - using imagination Role playing - e.g. play roles observed in life occupation Negotiating – e.g. play co-operatively in small groups Flexibility Understanding feelings

Art & Craft Centre		Key Skills Developed
The Arts & Craft Centre is a special environment in which children feel free to explore a wide range of materials in imaginative ways. Creative art activities encourage the children to follow their own ideas, using materials provided by the teacher in the centre. The children may even combine several creative processes such as painting, drawing, and coloring. For craft projects however, the teacher suggests a product for the children to make, encouraging them to create their own version of it.		Co-ordinating small muscles of the eye with the hand Experimenting with colour, texture, design & proportion Following a series of steps in a sequence Advancing from the scribbling stage to the basic shape stage with representational art Small motor skills development thinking skill Problem solving - e.g. grouping objects by size & colour Observing - e.g. discriminating between colors Predicting outcomes