1. **Transporting Schema:** Children enjoy moving objects from one place to another, exploring concepts of space and movement.
2. **Enveloping Schema:** This involves wrapping things up or enclosing objects, helping children understand containment.
3. **Trajectory Schema:** Children are fascinated by the path of an object in motion, such as throwing, dropping, or rolling things.
4. **Rotation Schema:** Children may repeatedly spin objects or themselves, exploring the concept of rotation.
5. **Connecting Schema:** This involves joining objects together, whether through stacking, linking, or other means, to understand relationships and connections.
6. **Transforming Schema:** Children enjoy changing the form or appearance of objects, exploring transformation and cause-and-effect.
7. **Collecting Schema:** Children may gather and hoard items, exploring the idea of ownership and categorization.
8. **Orientation Schema:** This involves an interest in the position of objects or themselves in relation to space, like lining things up.
Understanding these schemas can help caregivers and educators provide enriching experiences that align with children's natural tendencies for learning and exploration.
Our Early years practitioners use knowledge of schemas to enhance learning experiences for children. Here's how:
1. **Observation:** Practitioners observe children's play to identify recurring patterns or schemas. This helps them understand the child's interests and learning preferences.
2. **Planning Activities:** Once identified, practitioners can plan activities that align with the child's dominant schema. For example, if a child shows a transporting schema, activities involving moving objects might be introduced.
3. **Environment Design:** Schemas influence how children interact with their environment. Practitioners can arrange the learning space to accommodate various schemas, providing opportunities for exploration and discovery.
4. **Resource Provision:** Offering a variety of materials and resources that support different schemas allows children to engage in activities that align with their interests and developmental needs.
5. **Documentation:** Keeping records of children's schema-related activities helps practitioners track developmental progress and share insights with parents or caregivers.
6. **Individualised Learning:** Recognising and responding to individual children's schemas allows practitioners to tailor their approach, fostering personalised learning.
Here’s a great link to learn more :
