Mat Times In Early Childhood Education

Learning as part of a group on the mat is a common experience in children s early education and socialisation.

Mat times in early childhood education.

Those who are seeking to teach in the early grade levels will acquire the knowledge skill and disposition to become an effective leading teacher in the classroom. The mat in early childhood is a 48 credit hour program designed for students interested in working with children in pre kindergarten through third grade. Group time is a time we come together to learn discuss teach and share. Indeed many classrooms would have a mat to which the children are called in.

As mat time is an effective event to promote learning i believe it is important that teachers focus on children s interests rather than what the teacher wants to teach during mat time. As the australian early childhood educators say play is learning. However despite it taking up a significant percentage of a child s day we know very little about its use. Avonside early learning centre is a community based education and care centre situated on the boundary of avonside girls high school in christchurch.

In fact a survey issued to teachers in year 2 classrooms as part of my doctoral study showed that many children spend approximately a quarter of classroom time sitting on the mat. At group time we gather on our chindi rug and engage in group learning together. The early childhood education pre k 4 graduate teacher education certification program is a 46 credit program designed to prepare students for preschool and elementary classrooms in pennsylvania and in many other states. In the morning before lunch and before going outside in the afternoon.

As an early childhood teacher herself with ten years experience victoria university of wellington school of education lecturer anita mortlock decided to focus her doctor of philosophy in education on children s peer culture during mat time to uncover the effects it has on a child s ability to learn. In my kindergarten classroom we usually have three group times a day. The online mat degree in early childhood education costs 299 per credit hour. Avonside early childhood centre what kind of service is this.

Teaching a class of children on the mat is a common practice in our schools. Teachers should work harder to engage children making mat time fun meaningful and relevant. Our curriculum meets all the requirements for national approvals set by the council for accreditation for educator preparation caep approved by the south carolina department of education.