Loose Parts! A Step-By-Step Guide to Designing Invitations that Engage, Inspire and Teach October 23, 2018

Preschool children are naturally attracted to novel materials and often use them to enhance their dramatic play. Yet, teachers are sometimes uncertain about what kinds of loose parts are the most interesting and offer the most learning potential in the classroom. Using hands-on discovery and learning opportunities, this workshop will answer the questions "what is a loose parts invitation?" and "how can I build them?" Participants will engage in a step-by-step approach to designing invitations that are engaging, relevant and support the Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS) in a mixed age preschool classroom. By attending this workshop, participants will (1) learn about the powerful role that loose part materials play in supporting complex learning and problems solving for young children, (2) understand how to use the VELS as a resource to create invitations for a multi-age preschool classroom, and (3) be able to design unique learning invitations with loose parts that are connected to children's play interests and developmental levels in the classroom.