09/17/2026
At first glance you may see a child playing in a muddy puddle. But upon further observation you may notice the child constructing knowledge and testing theories. This child explored the depth, color, and temperature of the puddle before discovering the texture of the mud at the bottom. Grimacing at the sticky feeling he wiped his finger on the ground and noticed how it smeared. He repeated the action and tested the smear on other surfaces: the dig pit frame, a tree, a tire, and a different type of dirt (soil). He observed another child using a spoon to transport the cold, sticky mud before modifying his own experiment to utilize the same tool to transport and continue smearing the mud. In this moment the educator observed while the environment acted as the third teacher.
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How does your learning environment support children’s construction of knowledge?
