Feature Friday

The cool weather is getting me in the mood for fall. Check out these books.

A Friend for All Seasons by Julia Hubery is a gem! The book explains the change of seasons in a fun and easy to understand way for young children. Readers follow along with Robbie Raccoon as he notices the changes that are happening around his home, a big oak tree.  My favorite part of this book was when Robbie and a few woodland friends notice that the tree’s leaves are falling and they assume he is crying, so they give him a hug. Robbie’s mama raccoon explains the changes and before they go to sleep for a long time during winter’s dark days, they plant 5 acorns. I like that it provides an opportunity to extend this into a science lesson about seeds, and a oak tree’s life cycle. Sure enough when Spring comes there are tiny baby oaks waiting for Robbie when he awakens.

Every Season by Anne Love Woodhull and Shelly Rotner is a keeper. The text is simple, but the pictures really capture all the wonderful things that each season brings to make up a whole year. The photographs can be used as ice breakers about things children love about each season, are looking forward to or even don’t like. Either way this book is full of possibilities.

I Know It’s Autumn by Eileen Spinelli  is  age appropriate for young preschoolers and  toddlers. The book is a simple look at all the things that tell a small child that Autumn is here. Pumpkin muffins, apple picking, cooler weather,  hayrides and more all signal that the summer is gone and the fall has arrived. I like this book because there will be something a child will relate to and be able to identify with.

Workshop Wednesday

Popsicle Stick Sorting

Materials:

Colored craft sticks (you can paint/color plain sticks if you cannot find colored sticks)

Paper rolls (toilet paper size)

Construction Paper (same colors as your craft sticks)

Container to hold sticks

Tray/basket to display activity

Directions:

Make color sorters from construction paper and paper rolls.

Place colored craft sticks in container.

Have students sort craft sticks in the color sorters by color.

Extension:

Change colors to numbers.

Transition Tuesday

JUKE BOX

Glue copies of rhymes, songs, or finger plays to old CDs or 4 ½” circles.  Place in a gift bag or box and write “Juke Box” on the front.  When you’ve got a few extra minutes pull out the “Juke Box.”  Give a child a pretend quarter to put in the “Juke Box” and choose a song or rhyme.  According to research, most classrooms waste 20% of the day having children wait, line up, wash their hands, clean up, etc.  What a super simple way to take advantage of those teachable moments!

Taken from Dr. Jean

Make & Take Monday

Colorful Seating Mats

Materials: colorful, place mats (I don’t know what you call this material but it reminds me of the mats you use under carpets to keep them from slipping.)

The idea is to keep the spots close to your meeting or circle area and when you are ready for circle time to begin, you can say “Grab a Spot!” and invite the children to join you for circle time. Each child gets to sit on their own spot. You could add a “Spot Helper”to your classroom jobs. The spot helper can help pick up the spots or set them out. If the spots are already set out then you might want to change it up and say, “Choose a Spot” for the children to sit on.

Depending on the group of children, you would have to see whether “grabbing a spot” (letting the children pick their own spot and set it in the circle) or “choosing a spot” (putting the spots out ahead of time for the children to sit on) works better for you.

You could also use the colorful mats for games and work spaces.




Taken from Teach Preschool

Feature Friday

Organizing Your Classroom Music

Have you thought of using iTunes to organize your teaching music? You can sort your songs into playlists, for example “Alphabet”, “Math”, “Movement”, “Rhythm Sticks”, etc. Now, iTunes even allows you to make folders for playlists (and folders within folders). This is useful because you can separate your “School” music from your “Personal” music in folders. Then, you use the folders to organize your “Songs with Props” playlists (rhythm sticks, bean bags, rhythm instruments, castanets, etc.) You might want to start making a playlist for each month, and organize these playlists into a “Months” folder. It is much easier to find the song you need and you don’t have to change out CDs. You play the songs from an iPod with speakers. You can also make an “On-the-Go” playlist on the iPod, and use that playlist just for the songs you're going to use each week. Include an “iPod with speakers” on your classroom wishlist. You never know what you will get until you ask!

Taken from Prekinders

Thoughtful Thursday

Wishbones Vs. Backbones

"Never grow a wishbone where a backbone should be," advises Debra Sullivan in her article, "Learning to Walk: Changing Yourself, Your Perspectives, and Your Assumptions," in the 200th Issue of Exchange.  Sullivan continued...

"Clementine Paddleford, a culinary journalist and a pilot who flew a Piper Cub around the country in the 1920s, gave this advice to her daughter.  This reminds us that you have to take responsibility for your life and not wait for someone to come fix it for you.  Sometimes we want change, but we want someone else to make it happen.  This can happen in big ways, like wishing a family member would stop making bigoted statements; and it can happen in small ways, like wishing your neighbor would stop parking in front of your house.  If only people would change their behavior or change their minds without you having to say anything or do anything.  Unfortunately, wishes don’t always come true.

"You can wish all you want, but sometimes you have to take a stand.  Babies can take a stand and walk because they have a backbone.  Personal change is about taking a stand, using your backbone, and deciding to take personal responsibility for the change you desire.  And, yes, taking a stand can be scary, but don’t let that stop you.  If you really want something to be different, you will find a way to make it happen."

Workshop Wednesday

Name Finding
Small Group Activity

Combine the experience of scooping and brushing rice with a little name and letter recognition. To play this simple but engaging name activity, start by putting laminated name cards on a tray then pour some rice on the tray too. The children can use their hands or brushes to search for their names and the names of their friends. This is a wonderful way to help the children identify not only their own name but all the names of the children in your class. Once the children get pretty good at recognizing their names as a whole, then you can cut up the name into individual letters and invite them to search for the letters in their name. This is also fun to play with a partner. One child hides all the letters under the rice then the other child searches for the letters. Just the scooping and brushing rice makes for a wonderful sensorial experience. Once children are able to do independently move the activity to the centers.

Hide the name cards under the rice.

Add friends names too!

Cut the letters apart. Find the different letters and put together to spell name.

Idea taken from Teach Preschool