Thoughtful Thursday

This will be the last post for April. I will return after spring break.

Growing Teachers

Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio approach to curriculum, held more faith in in-service training than pre-service training.  Here are some of his views on training teachers on-the-job from The Hundred Languages of Children (Norwood, New Jersey, 1993):

"Teachers — like children and everyone else — feel the need to grow in their competence; they want to transform experiences into thoughts, thoughts into reflections, an d reflections into new thoughts and new actions.  They also feel a need to make predictions, to try things out, and then interpret them.  The act of interpretation is most important.  Teachers must learn to interpret ongoing processes rather than wait to evaluate results.  In the same way, their role as educators must include understanding children as producers, not consumers.  They must learn to teach nothing to children except what they can learn by themselves.  And furthermore, they must be aware of the perceptions the children form of the adults and their actions.  In order to enter into relationships with the children that are at the same time productive, amiable, and exciting, teachers must be aware of the risk in expressing judgments too quickly.  They must enter the time frame of the children, whose interests emerge only in the course of activity or negotiations arising from that activity.  They must realize how listening to children is both necessary and expedient.  They must know that activities should be as numerous as the keys of a piano, and that all call forth infinite acts of intelligence when the children are allowed a wide range of options to choose from.  Furthermore, teachers must be aware that practice cannot be separated from objectives or values and that professional growth comes partly through individual effort, but a much richer way through discussion with colleagues, parents, and experts.  Finally, they need to know that it is possible to engage in the challenge of longitudinal observations and small research projects concerning the development or experiences of children.  Indeed, education without research or innovation is education without interest."

Workshop Wednesday

One more Easter activity. Have fun!

Hand Print Whiskers for Bunny
Materials:
1 large sheet of construction paper

brown or white, pink, off-white, black construction paper for bunny
scissors
paper punches (optional)
glue
sharpie
black paint
paint brush

Directions:
1. using your white or brown paper cut out a bunny face shape and glue it to your large cardstock.
2. using your pink paper, cut out a cute nose and some inner ears and glue on bunny.
3. using a small circle punch or scissors, punch 2 eyes out of your off-white paper and glue on bunny.
4. using a hole punch or scissors, punch 2 small circles out of your black paper and glue to middle of eyes.
5. using your sharpie, draw on a mouth.
6. paint your child's palms black and have them stamp them on the bunny to make whiskers. Allow to dry.



Idea taken from Jill Dubien



Transition Tuesday

Caterpillar Transition Game

When it is time to transition children away from group time to a different activity it is always good to have a transition game. This allows the children to move more slowly to the next activity with less confusion.

Make a large caterpillar with different color circles and black legs. Place the caterpillar on the whiteboard, flannelboard, or on the floor. On the back of each caterpillar body part (circle) is a different action movement for the children to do.

As the children are called to play the game they come up and roll a large cardboard box dice (the dice are made from a 6 x 6 mailing box) with color dots to match all of the colors on the caterpillar. Each child comes up, rolls the dice, identifies the color, and then finds that color on the caterpillar. Once the child finds the color, the teacher reads the movement that child needs to do before moving on to the next activity.

To make things run smoothly you could have 2 - 3 dice going at the same time. One adult runs the game and the other adult makes sure that the children are following the plan.

Taken from Teaching & Learning with Preschoolers

Make & Take Monday

Rainstick Discovery Bottle

Make your own rainsticks in a bottle! This is a fun and safe alternative for the youngest child.

Materials: water bottle; toothpicks; colored rice; glue & glue gun

Directions:
1. Dry the empty water bottle
2. Add toothpicks (1.5 boxes if small box, 1 box if it is the bigger box)
3. Add colored rice (rice, food coloring and rubbing alcohol) until you get the sound of rain falling as they float through the toothpick
4. Glue lid on with glue gun (do not use glue gun around children)

This is an easy activity the children can make. Then put them in your discovery area and music area.


Taken from Welcome to our Wonderland



Feature Friday

Books from A - Z

Animalia

Brown Bear , Brown Bear What Do You See ?

Corduroy

Dog’s Colorful Day

Edwardo The Most Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World

Freight Train

Ghosts in The House

How To Bake and Apple Pie and See The World

In The Town All Year Round

Jake Stays Awake

The Kissing Hand

Let Them Play

Museum Trip

Not Norman

Owen

The Paper Bag Princess

The Very Quiet Cricket

Road Builders

Something From Nothing

Trashy Town

Up Above , Down Below

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Whoever You Are

AleXander and Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

Yum Yum Dim Sum

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

Taken from No Time for Flashcards

Thoughtful Thursday

THE BRAIN REMEMBERS BEST WHEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN LEARNING

Memory is enhanced when actively involved in learning. A recent study found that those who have some control over their learning environment are better at remembering what they learned than those who do not.

The brain learns best through exploration and  interaction with real objects and people. This research clearly demonstrates the difference active learning vs. passive learning makes in the memory area of the brain. We can use this information to add to what we already know to hopefully create more active learning experiences in our classrooms.

An article on this study states: 

"The new study showed that activity and interactivity increases between important brain regions in individuals who have more control over their learning environment, as compared to those who are passively absorbing information." 

You can read the full article, How Memory Is Enhanced By An Active Role In Learning, here.

Workshop Wednesday

Matching Letters with Cracked Eggs

Materials: colored paper (scrap paper or construction paper); marker; scissors

Directions: Draw an egg shape on the colored paper. Cut egg out and then cut egg in half (cut each egg in half using different shapes). Write an uppercase letter on the top part of the egg and the lowercase letter on the bottom part of the egg. Place egg halves in a basket and have children match. Simple but fun!