What is an inquiry or provocation area? Inquiry or provocation is the idea that children are given space to explore more freely with guiding materials provided by the teacher that often follow the students’ interests. For some teachers, their entire classroom is set up this way, for others, they may only have a small area for this.
In my classroom, I use a mix of play-based, inquiry-based, and academic-based activities. This fits my school’s ideal for junior kindergarten, and my philosophy that children learn best through play. I am always changing materials in different areas of the classroom that go with our theme. One area I have slowly been developing is what we call our Math and Literacy Inquiry Table.
In this classroom area, the children are given several materials related to a math or literacy concept, but there is very little expectation about how they will use them; that is up to them. This is where the environment becomes the third teacher. By thoughtfully setting up materials, I can encourage learning about a topic without physically teaching.
First, I typically use lots of natural materials. You can see tree cookies or slices, wooden materials, and natural materials such as rocks. Some I paint on with letters and numbers to help me reach my goal with the students. These items also provide texture and make the table look more inviting. I use a piece of woven material, tree cookies, and artificial grass. Anything that doesn’t leave the table looking empty.
The materials for exploration are next. I set them up in meaningful ways. I use containers to group items and the texture pieces to help separate items. Think wooden containers, baskets, and wooden trays to hold letters and numbers. Children often use the container themselves in their learning. Below, a child grouped all the materials by color within the container.
Lastly, I add books on the topic. Books help the child draw connections and inspirations in the area. A book we have read, or a story with amazing illustrations, can draw a child to the area they typically choose to play elsewhere.
When introducing new materials to the children, I put them out a few days in advance and allow for exploration. First, this shows me if I’m missing something, and second, it allows me to gather photos of children using the materials, and I can have the children share their thoughts with their classmates. Of course, knowing your students is important; some classes need more explanation earlier for the manipulatives to be used correctly.
Do you currently have areas set up in your preschool room like this? If not, give it a try; I promise that with a little creativity, you will love setting up inquiry areas. Looking for more helpful hints on how to set up your preschool classroom. Check out this post!
