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Activities for understanding print concepts
It’s Wednesday, and here at Preschool Ponderings, that means time to focus on the standards. Every Wednesday I choose an Early Learning Standard and share a number of activities that can be aligned with that particular standard. Remember, the Standards that I use every day, and am most comfortable with are Ohio’s Early Learning Development Standards – you can review them here, however I’ve found that even if your State’s standards differ, many of these activities can still be aligned similarly. I’ve rounded up some great ideas today! Domain: Language and LiteracyStrand: ReadingTopic: Print conceptsUnderstanding print concepts simply means recognizing that letter make words, and words can be written and then…
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Preschool lesson plan webs
I use webs ALL OF THE TIME. Seriously, I’m a very visual person so it always helps when I can organize my ideas on a piece of paper. Once I can see it all in writing it seems to make more sense, and I am more likely to remember my ideas and thoughts. There are so many different ways to use brainstorming webs in the classroom; planning for themes or projects brainstorming activities that meet early learning standards planning for IEP or IFSP goals for specific children organizing ideas for classroom centers brainstorming ideas for special events and family activities The best thing about a web is that it can…
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Making time for conscious observation during the day
Preschool teachers spend all day making observations. We do it so regularly that we might not even realize that we’re taking all of those mental notes. We’ve trained our selves to recognize fine motor milestones, social emotional experiences, and scientific inquiry throughout the day, but do you ever take the time to just sit and watch your students as they play? I mean, without considering assessments and portfolios, just to watch the children as they play? There are so many things that you can observe when you remove yourself from their conversations and interactions. Taking time to sit by yourself and just observe is incredibly valuable. It can give you…
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Friday Freebie – Leaf Patterning
Happy Friday! Somehow it’s already the second week in September, and because of the strange weather we’ve had this summer, our leaves have already started to change. Nothing like messing with my seasons! This freebie is a cute patterning activity that uses different colored leaves. This would be a great center or a fun activity to send home for families to work on together. Download your copy here and enjoy your weekend!
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Great autumn activities for centers
Autumn is a great season to explore in the classroom because there are so many natural materials the you can bring into your environment. This also means that it is really important to have other materials in your centers that are related to those natural materials. Here are some of my favorite autumn centers; Autumn vocabulary cards– These are great for reinforcing the new vocabulary words that students are learning. This set includes the words acorn, apple, leaf, corn, leaves, pumpkin, tree, orchard, squirrel, and turkey and are wonderful for a writing center. Acorn matching set – This set includes letter matching, number matching, and color matching, making it easy for…
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Autumn observations to use in the classroom
Autumn is the perfect time of year to help children practice making observations. There are so many things happening right outside our windows, encourage the children to sit and watch, or go for a walk and do some exploring. Here are some things the the children might notice: Leaves changing Leaves falling off trees Summer flowers starting to disappear The air getting cooler Squirrels and birds preparing for winter Different kinds of plants growing (pumpkins, squashes, mums) Fall or Halloween decorations appearing Having to wear jackets outside Each of these observations can lead to wonderful conversations about the seasons, and how we prepare for seasons to change. These kinds of…
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Starting a child-led apple investigation
It’s almost that time of year – time to explore all things apples and pumpkins. I don’t know what it is about apples, but we can’t seem to make it through a school year without some kind of apple activity or snack. I’m all for exploring these fall favorites, but lets let the children determine what they want to learn. The best way to start a child-led investigation is incredibly easy; just put some apples on a table and see what happens. I do suggest a number of different kinds and colors of apples, because these will lead to a number of different conversations. Young children are curious about EVERYTHING,…
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Friday Freebie – Portfolio tags for student selected work
Happy Friday! Even happier Friday to those of you who are celebrating Labor Day weekend! I am ready for a three day weekend, I have a to do list of fun projects that I haven’t had time to do all summer, and I’m looking forward to getting it all done. This week I’ve spent a lot of time talking about assessments and portfolios to help you get some systems in place. Up to this point I’ve talked about the work that you can do to begin preparing portfolio systems, this freebie is something you can use to encourage children to take an active role in compiling their portfolios. Make multiple…
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Start your portfolios now!
It’s not conference time yet, but it will be soon enough. Start putting together your student portfolios now, if you do it little by little you won’t have nearly as much prepping to do when it is time for conferences. Here are some of my previous posts on putting together student portfolios; Preparing for Preschool Conferences What’s in my Student Portfolios Space Saving Portfolios Check these out as you start compiling your student portfolios!
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Currently!
It’s September, and I for one and happy about that. August is always a crazy month, and this year was no exception, so welcome September, it’s time to slow down! Listening: General Hospital is the soap opera I’ve watched since I was in high school, I’ve missed a lot here and there, but now I can stream it on my iPad whenever I want so I catch up in the evenings or on the weekends. Loving: I am so ready for this weekend. I am looking forward to some time to relax and finish some projects that I didn’t manage to get done over the summer. I don’t have much…
