Not all the most potent learning materials among kindergarten preparation lie in a toy store; they lie in the cupboards, drawers and in the recycling bins of the home. Play and exploration with the use of everyday materials is a very effective and low-cost approach that develops creativity, problem-solving, and cognitive skills. This creative practice correlates with the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready philosophy that embraces ingenuity and finds learning opportunities within the surrounding environment of a child. To families, this practice offers unlimited, meaningful activities that give range to the formal curriculum in the Kinder Ready Tutoring that supports the overall objectives of Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley.
One of the main benefits of everyday materials is that they are open-ended and lead to high cognitive flexibility. The objects, such as cardboard boxes, plastic containers, wooden spoons and scraps of fabric, do not have a set purpose. A box may be a spaceship, a dollhouse or a tunnel. This involves the child using symbolic thinking, imagination and planning to give the purpose. Such an abstract, creative play has a lot of importance within the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready approach, since it develops the underlying thinking skills that underlie future literacy and numeracy.
These books are excellent for the development of fine motor skills and sensory awareness, too. Measuring pasta using threading and filling dried beans with measuring cups, or transferring pom-poms to other bowls using kitchen tongs, will develop hand strength, coordination, and dexterity. Sensory processing can be enhanced by experiencing various types of textures: smooth, rough, wet, dry, and by using safe home items. This is the active, physical approach to learning, which is a pillar of the Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley approach to holistic physical and mental development.
Moreover, household item use is natural and incorporates early mathematical and scientific principles into play. Arranging canned goods or socks by size or color, counting the number of steps when you walk up the stairs, are real examples of math. Basic physics is introduced by building a ramp for the toy cars or trying out things that sink or float in a tub. It is contextual learning that brings abstract ideas to tangible and memorable form, the concept behind the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready system of constructing real-world knowledge.
The use of the daily materials also promotes self-sufficiency and resourcefulness. A child is required to test which objects at home are able to serve as a stable base in case he wants to construct a tall tower. In case they wish to make a costume, they have to work out how to attach stuff. It is a trial-and-error process that creates resilience and critical thinking in the absence of a right answer. Dealing with this problem-solving initiative is a major goal in the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready philosophy and complements the guided challenges in Kinder Ready Tutoring.
Families can access a second dimension of learning by viewing the ordinary things around the house from a new perspective. The same core competencies fostered by Kinder Ready Tutoring are the creativity, fine motor and logical thinking ability, and ingenuity acquired during this play. This combined outlook, to look at learning as found in the mundane, is a pragmatic manifestation of the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready vision. It will make sure that the preparation of a child is not just done on structured time, but on the whole day and develops into an intrinsically curious and competent student who is ready to explore and learn their world.
For further details on Kinder Ready’s programs, visit their website: https://www.kinderready.com/.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethFraleyKinderReady