Differentiated learning spaces are simply areas where children of any ability level can visit and practice skills.  The intention of these spaces is to encourage acquisition of concepts, foster independence, encourage growth and development and promote self-confidence.  The beauty of the space is that it is customizable to learners’ needs because you, the educator/parent/caregiver, design it with the best interests of your students in mind. In my experience, this differentiated environment is all-inclusive and allows children to learn from one another and teach one another, demonstrating boundless real-world experience. Whether you are working with one child or thirty, I have found that creating this type of differentiated learning environment not only offers learners of varied ability endless learning opportunities, but also encourages independence, organization and self-reliance. For example, you may have learners who prefer to work on the floor, or sitting at a table.  Perhaps some of your learners can concentrate better on a task in a quiet environment, while others can easily adapt to noise and other distractions. When in a learning environment of varying ability (and, let’s face it, as educators, caregivers and parents we usually are) it is our responsibility to encourage independence, self-reliance and achievement with each learner.  This is what a differentiated learning environment looks like.

Set-up does not have to be daunting, and you can take comfort in the mantra that nothing is impossible; everything is obtainable with organization and patience.  Furthermore, these spaces do not have to be uniform, and you can take liberties designing the space(s) that best suits you and your learner(s).  The main concept is to create an area (or areas) that engage and invite all learners to explore, together or individually, and will change and grow along with their dynamic development.

Here are some tips:

• Whenever possible, put materials at child’s height – this invites learning and independence.
• Invite children to find a space that will help them learn. Allow them the opportunity to have control over their own learning.  This will give them the confidence and self-reliance they will rely on later in life.
• Label everything: even if the child is not a “reader” yet, exposing him/her to letters and words will only help develop those literacy skills in conjunction with math skills, which enriches their learning experience. Additionally, this will help you stay organized!
• Create “learning” boxes (or ‘fun learning boxes’). Fill a shoebox, cardboard box, Dollar Store container, or basket (whatever you have on hand and works for you) with everyday materials you have in your home (tape measure, ruler, crayons, markers and pencils, dice, blocks, LEGOs, measuring cups, etc.); anything they can use to count and become more familiar with math concepts.  Nothing too complicated or elaborate (for the learner or teacher), just anything students can play with and explore, either with you or on their own.

• Allow children to explore these learning boxes at their own readiness. You may initially invite them to play with you, whereas you introducing the box and you both explore the materials.  You can also explain the traditional use for each tool, and together you can make a list of fun activities to try.
• I find that the adventure of discovering new things gets young children very excited about learning. A few other ideas to try when setting up these math boxes are to invite children add materials they find to the box. Being adventurers and explorers together, you and your children can explore your home and neighborhood to find other math tools to add to the box.
• Include a variety of materials for learners of all ages and ability level. Some helpful and inexpensive tools are:
  • Mini tape measure and/or measuring tape
  • Egg cartons or ice cube trays for 1:1 counting
  • Large foam dice
  • Rocks, LEGOs, small animals or gems for counting
  • Number flashcards for number recognition (you can easily get these from the Dollar Store or make them yourself with notecards)
  • Ruler
  • Paper and pencil; white board, small dry erase marker and erasure
  • Calculator
  • Abacus
  • Inexpensive math counters and math games.

*(Tip: use your local second-hand store or Facebook groups!)

• Allow children to learn and explore on their own, encouraging independence and creativity, while also offering “lessons” and “guided play” as well.
• Keep materials and supplies at their level – this allows them to explore, and invites them to play with the materials whenever and however they wish.
• Allow time for children to discover new materials. They may not know what a tape measure is, but they will enjoy the process of investigating what it can do.  Not to mention, watching them interact with new tools and materials will allow you to assess their understanding and give you an idea of what you can present to them.
• Have a number line located somewhere children can see and access when they need assistance with number recognition and counting.
• Frequently ask children to refer to the learning box in order to become familiar with and utilize the tools inside. For example, if they ask you how tall something is suggest they explore their math box to find a tool that can help with this.  If they need help remembering, “Which number comes next?” direct them to use the available number line you have displayed.  This encourages necessary life skills, such as, independence, self-reliance and resourcefulness. If you teach them now they will have the knowledge for a lifetime.

Learning boxes are a fun way for students to develop early math skills and practice early math concepts.  Additionally, for children with learning difficulties, this type of differentiated setting promotes self-regulation and confidence because its design endorses aptitude and capability, rather than helplessness. This type of learning environment cultivates the development of important self-confidence and critical-thinking skills, which allow children to grow into self-regulating, inventive, capable and creative individuals.

Late fall and winter is a great time to find these special places in the woods.  This spring and summer the same log was covered in foliage and poison ivy.  Yikes!   Fall and winter offer different views of forest areas and tend to be a good time to introduce children to nature if it is not a part of their daily lives.  There are fewer bugs, the children are wearing more layers of clothing to protect them from scrapes and new sensory experiences and we don’t worry as much about poison ivy. We are often asked, as a nature based preschool, what we do all day? How do they learn?  Well, we go on adventures and discover math gold mines like this hollow log!

Physical play like this allows mathematical phrases to become understood easily and naturally without worksheets and manipulatives.  When a child can climb through a cylinder shape, the word through makes a lot more sense.  So of course we allow our friends to explore by going through, and climbing on top of, to look down below. These spatial relationships, where something is located in relationship to something else, are essential to math in the later years. This log play invited us to use many of these concepts as the children explored:

• inside, outside
• in front of, in back of, behind
• low, high
• above, below
• across
• on top of

Understanding spatial relationships helps children talk about where things are located. This strengthens their understanding of these concepts as they use the vocabulary words repeatedly throughout their play!  Geometric shapes are a kindergarten common core standard and when we actually play with and in our shapes, the learning becomes deeper, more intentional and relevant.

“It looks like the inside of that slide at the park!” remarks Avery, as she immediately leads the pack through the open branch.  “The tube slide!” agreed Violet.  And from there, the comparisons and learning took over.  As I introduce the word cylinder, they continue to share other concepts and ideas of what this hollow log reminds them of.  We discuss cans and batteries and toilet paper rolls, which naturally brings roars of laughter, because when you are four there is nothing funnier than a toilet paper roll!  Recognizing shapes is a math concept that for many young children will come before numeric skills. When we return to the block area later in the week, the word cylinder not only returns but suddenly we are re-creating our hike with blocks.  The children build bridges and trees and paths and of course, there by the side of the trail, right where it should be is a cylinder.  The hollow tree branch that brought a whole morning of geometric exploration through age appropriate play, will be a source of math intelligence that will be retrieved many times throughout their lives.