As you begin to plan out your preschool curriculum for the year, it helps to know where your children are developmentally so that you know where you want to “go”. One way I like to do that is with a developmental checklist. You can buy developmental checklists and programs like the POCET or the Portage Guide ,or if you’re a nerd like I am, you can look through position statements and curriculum guides and develop your own. I put together one based on several resources, as well as my own philosophy and program. It seems best to fit my needs. If you accept the caveat that I have not been commissioned by a higher authority to create this as the perfect assessment piece, you’re welcome to use it as well. Just click on Broad Developmental Assessmentto find the PDF file. (Feel free to comment with any questions you may have about using this checklist, or comment on how you’ve adapted it to meet your needs.)
Know Where You’re Going – Using a Developmental Checklist as a Guide
As you begin to plan out your preschool curriculum for the year, it helps to know where your children are developmentally so that you know where you want to “go”. One way I like to do that is with a developmental guide. You can buy developmental guides and programs like the POCET or the Portage Guide ,or if you’re a nerd like I am, you can look through position statements and curriculum guides and develop your own. I put together one based on several resources, as well as my own philosophy and program. It seems best to fit my needs. If you accept the caveat that I have not been commissioned by a higher authority to create this as the perfect assessment piece, you’re welcome to use it as well. Just sign up for the NJC Newsletter. (Feel free to comment with any questions you may have about using this checklist, or comment on how you’ve adapted it to meet your needs.)
Back to School! 10 Things to Consider While You're Preparing for a New Preschool Year
Fall is in the air! I can smell those freshly sharpened pencils now! Preschool teachers everywhere are charting a course for a fantastic new school year. This week, I’ll be writing on ten topics that will help get that new year started right!
Back to School! 10 Things to Consider While You’re Preparing for a New Preschool Year
Fall is in the air! I can smell those freshly sharpened pencils now! Preschool teachers everywhere are charting a course for a fantastic new school year. This week, I’ll be writing on ten topics that will help get that new year started right!
Preschool Goes Prehistoric with Dinosaurs!
There’s just something about preschoolers and dinosaurs. Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of tiny children that have been on this earth just a few years and the enormous specimen that left millions of years ago. In addition to being a fascinating topic of study, a look at dinosaurs serves as a vehicle for learning a variety of skills and concepts.
Seeds of Thought
I was thinking recently about how much I enjoy teaching the topic of seeds and plants to preschoolers. There’s something powerfully gratifying and awe-inspiring about awakening and cultivating life that attracts young and old alike. Planning around the theme of plants and seeds opens up a multitude of learning objectives. Here are just a few:
Plants and seeds fall under the Life Science category, and introduce preschoolers to many of the Life Science objectives. They can learn about the difference between living and non-living things, the needs of living things, and life cycles. (Sunflowers and pumpkins are particularly good specimens for plant life cycles, because their seeds are easily harvested, dried, and planted again.)