15/01/2026
AN INVITATION. A PROVOCATION
Kaiako provide a well-planned environment with invitations and provocations, and use the environment as a ‘third teacher’. This concept is part of the Reggio Emilia Approach.
PUZZLES At the puzzle table we see 2 butterfly puzzles. One is a k**b puzzle with 7 pieces for the younger preschool child while the other puzzle is a harder puzzle for an older preschool child or a child who has mastered the easier puzzle. Books on the same topic provides additional knowledge should the child want to read about butterflies.
In the puzzle shelf, the shelf under the books are the easier puzzles. K**b puzzles with 4-6 pieces. These are for the younger preschool child. As you go down to the next shelf the puzzles are gradually increasing complexity as the childs skills develop.
Maria Montessori also reminds us:
"Education is not something the teacher does, but a natural process carried out by the human individual. The task of education is not to pour in, but to bring out what is already within."
Therefore we do not just create materials— we design environments that "bring out what is within,"
allowing every child to move toward wholeness at their own pace.
Whether an invitation or a provocation kaiako carefully design learning opportunities that draw children in and engage them with the materials and ideas. A learning provocation or an invitation is thoughtfully curated and beautifully presented. It is an invitation for children to explore, investigate, learn, represent, and create.
Provocation vs Invitation: What is the Difference?
An invitation is something that encourages children to explore a concept. A provocation is something that provokes action and stimulates thinking.
Both are used in our centre to evoke curiosity and encourage enjoyment and play. Every
