Creative clay explorations and preschool children vocabulary

Abstract

Preschool children essentially learn through play and natural exploration of objects in the environment. The more interactions preschoolers has with the environment their cognitive development will be enhanced. The purpose of this study was to determine the improvement in descriptive vocabulary of preschoolers through the use of clay and focusing on the physical properties of clay. The study was conducted at the UKM Preschool Center involving 20 preschoolers. During several lessons children were encouraged to use different types of clay to develop creative objects such as pots. Children were assessed on their speaking vocabulary as manifested from their narratives during the experiments. Vocabulary centered on terms relating to textures, shapes, colors, smells and sounds. The study showed that the children showed overall improvement in their understanding and use of clay vocabulary. Clay activities thus provided opportunities for children to learn about the physical properties of materials as well as science process skills.