The outdoors is full of rich learning experiences for preschool and
pre-kindergarten children. Lens on Outdoor Learning is filled with
stories and colorful photographs that illustrate how the outdoors
supports children's early learning. Each story is connected to an early
learning standard such as curiosity and initiative; engagement and
persistence; imagination, invention, and creativity; reasoning and
problem-solving; risk-taking, responsibility, and confidence;
reflection, application, and interpretation; and flexibility and
resilience. Much of the teaching in these experiences is indirect and
involves provisioning, observing, and conversing with children as they
spend quality time in nature. Children's dialogue and actions are
included in each story to show just how engaged they became during these
experiences. Lens on Outdoor Learning will inspire early childhood
professionals to use this outdoor approach in their own setting.
Wendy Banning is coordinator of Irvin Learning Farm, an
inquiry-based, hands-on outdoor learning space for children and adults
in North Carolina. She is also an educational consultant, teacher,
trainer, and photographer.
Ginny Sullivan is co-principal of Learning by the Yard, a
partnership of landscape architects and educators that helps schools
develop their grounds as habitat, focusing on native plants. Ginny
consults, trains teachers, and involves schools and centers in the
design of their outdoor spaces to help children learn about the natural
world.
