ABSTRACT
This chapter positions material encounters as inquiry-based thinking tools with much wider scope than narrowly defined 'school subjects'. Bringing satisfaction and wellbeing and a vitally important sensorimotor education, engagement with messy resources hardwires the brain for lifelong learning. 'Children naturally blend and apply a range of understanding to each activity they engage with' so with this disconnect between compartmentalised curriculum-based areas for learning and children's organic approaches comes the potential for different lenses on competence. By forcing play observations into curriculum tick-boxes, we risk losing the wonder and essence of children's unique learning journeys in the process, as well as implying that some outcomes and learning activities are deemed more important than others. When learning opportunities are planned with specific outcomes in mind, be it encouraging mark-making, supporting physical development, or inspiring creativity, practitioners are in danger of planning for the areas of learning rather than 'physical spaces for activity or resources'.
