Archives for September 2009
Who Doesn't Love an Orange Smoothie?
Teaching Social Skills: “Can I Play”
I am a firm believer that social skills should be taught directly, and then implemented and brought into habit through play and experience. During the very first weeks, I introduce the tools for entering play and taking turns. These are key areas of social conflict when you get a group of new preschoolers together!
Teaching Social Skills: "Can I Play"
I am a firm believer that social skills should be taught directly, and then implemented and brought into habit through play and experience. During the very first weeks, I introduce the tools for entering play and taking turns. These are key areas of social conflict when you get a group of new preschoolers together!
Give Me Five! Getting Your Preschoolers’ Attention
It is a common misconception that preschool children know what it means when you ask them to “listen”. Grown ups constantly ask them to “listen” or “pay attention”, but a young child can’t comply with those requests until you explain what that will actually look like.
Give Me Five! Getting Your Preschoolers' Attention
It is a common misconception that preschool children know what it means when you ask them to “listen”. Grown ups constantly ask them to “listen” or “pay attention”, but a young child can’t comply with those requests until you explain what that will actually look like.
Clean It Up!
While we’re on the topic of clean up time, I thought I’d mention that I use Laurie Berkner’s song, “Clean It Up” as my clean up music. (You can find it at iTunes for just a dollar. Though if you can get out of iTunes having only spent one dollar, my hat’s off to you!) I give kiddos a five minute reminder before clean up time, then after five minutes I turn this sing on repeat until the task is done. The trumpets at the beginning are great for getting everyone’s attention, and the song is fun and child-friendly without being hokey. (That’s a trademark quality of Laurie Berkner’s music. It’s kid appropriate, active, fun, and full of awesome musical elements and different genres-not watered down monotony. I’m obviously a big fan.) Sometimes, as we’re getting close to finished, I challenge the children to see if we can be done before the song is over. They’re usually up for the race. Music is great for signalling routine transition times such as this. If the ‘Everybody Everywhere’ version of a clean up song is working for you, stick with it. If you’re ready for a change, and maybe a little more musical styling, check this one out!
Photo courtesy frecuencia.
Book Activity: Pigsty by Mark Teague
At the beginning of each year, I really like to read Pigsty by Mark Teague with my new little ones. It is a funny, and fantastically illustrated story of Wendell Fultz who decides he does not want to clean his room. His mother tells him it’s his choice if he wants to live in a pigsty. Wendell is content with his choice, even when a few pigs show up to live in his pigsty. The piles keep growing, and soon, Wendell begins to discover some of his prized possessions have been chewed on, smashed, and lost in the mess. He demands that the pigs help him clean up! With the room nice and tidy, Wendell is happy, but the pigs don’t feel quite so at home, so they move to Old MacDonald’s farm and now only come to visit for game night.
Willoughby Wallaby Woo
I’m sure you can find other versions of this song, but does anyone really do it better than Raffi? Willoughby Wallaby Woo, is a great song for practicing new names in a class. As an added benefit, it is also great for getting kiddos to laugh! As you can hear in this YouTube clip, it’s a simple silly song, using consonant substitution (a great pre-reading skill) to fit each name into the song. This is particularly fun if you have an elephant puppet to set above each child as you sing that child’s name. (If the elephant reference doesn’t make sense, you need to listen to the clip!)
You can download the song from Raffi’s Singable Songs for the Very Young album, available at iTunes. You might as well pick up a few more Raffi classics while you’re there. The man is a genius!
Welcome Weeks
The beginning of school is so exciting! I remember many nights before the first few days of school, laying out my clothes for the next day and then laying in bed for hours, unable to sleep because I was just so excited. I watched my own son do the same thing. I just kept smiling the next morning as he walked around the house, fully dressed and ready, with his backpack on, a full hour before it would be time to leave. That is the way we want these learners to stay! Excited for school and passionate about learning! The first few weeks, as we welcome the children into our rooms, we set that precedence- that this is a fun, safe place to come and learn. I like to spend the first few weeks doing some of my favorite activities, while also getting the children used to me, the routine, and each other. Here are a few activities I like to use, that I’ll be posting over the next few weeks. (All links will be added here as they are posted.) Enjoy! And please, let me know what activities you like to do during the first weeks of school also!
Classic Playdough (You just can’t miss with this!) – Fine motor, sensory
