Exemplary Practices 2008

Sensory Stimulation

It was at a conference on brain development that Glenda Treffry-Goatley of Friendly Forest Parent Co-operative Preschool in Anmore, BC, found her inspiration. She approached one presenter and asked which teaching approach best supported the brain development of young children. The presenter responded: "Just listen to the child — listen, respond, nurture — and then provide the experiences." The light went on.

At her preschool, children have ample opportunity for multi-sensory play. There is sand, water, loads of clay, paint, play dough, glue and glitter among other materials. Summing up her philosophy of teaching, Treffry-Goatley says, "I concentrate on being in the moment with the child. I am inspired each day by the children who play around me.

I am in awe at how they play with the materials, experiment with concepts and negotiate their way through interactions." Like the little boy who came to the centre one day and asked to bake cookies. He requested two forks… and then some cookie dough. He spent his playtime carefully rolling the dough and pressed them flat with crisscross fork marks. He rolled out 22 cookies, enough for everyone in the class. After they were baked, the children sat outside in the rain eating the little boy's cookies.

The outside world is brought indoors for study. There are two large fish tanks, aquariums with snails, worms, crickets, tadpoles and butterfly baskets. Plants, flowers, fruit, shells, rocks, stones, sticks and pinecones fill baskets on the shelves. Plastic toys are being replaced with those made from natural materials such as wood, metal, wool or cotton.

Each day begins with indoor play and ends with outdoor play. Outside is a large, natural play space with a large sand area, trees, bushes and wood enclosures. Recently, children and parents built a stick house with posts and sticks. The children will add to the house as they think up ideas for it. The children experience all kinds of weather in order to understand it. They lie in the snow, get wet in the rain and find cool shade when it is very hot. When it is raining, everyone at the centre is happy. They know it is time to go out and play.