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Sound Blending in Preschool
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: Phonological AwarenessPhonological awareness is all about recognizing the different sounds that make up words, and all of the…
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DIY Classroom Decorations for Fall
If you’re anything like me, your classroom probably feels like home, you certainly spend enough time there! There a few ways that I make my classroom my own, and one of those strategies is decorating the classroom for each season – just like I do at home. I’ve come up with some easy ways to keep this seasonal decor within my budget. Instead of decorating for each holiday throughout the year, I stick to the four seasons, this means I need fewer decorations, and less space to store my decorations because they stay out longer. I also try to use any natural decor that I can – for autumn pumpkins…
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October Currently
I think it’s fair to say that October snuck up on me, it can’t possibly be October already – it’s still summer! Except now that it is October, I may be in panic mode about a few of my upcoming projects, I’ve got a lot going on this fall! Here’s what I’m up to right now; Listening: I’ve been watching General Hospital since I was in high school, but I’ve missed a few years here and there because of that little think I like to can a job. Now I can get new episodes on my iPad whenever I want (thank you ABC!) so I save all of the episodes…
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Friday Freebie – Spider Numbers
Happy Friday! Since it is officially October I can start sharing Halloween freebies, and I know you will love what I’ve got for you today. These spider web numbers from KidSparkz would be a great addition to your halloween math centers. Add some spider rings that the children can count and you’re all set! Have a great weekend, spend some time enjoying everything autumn!
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Grant Opportunity for Early Childhood Teachers
The Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation has been celebrating Early Childhood Educators since 1994 with their annual Child Care Teacher of the Year awards. The awards are presented to teachers with a grant to complete a classroom project of their choosing. I was honored to be a recipient in 2013 and this year it could be your turn! You can find the application here. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this organization, they understand the struggles that child care teachers face and they go out of their way to make their award recipients feel appreciated and pampered. If there is something that you’ve been longing to do for…
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Activities to practice syllable recognition
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: Phonological AwarenessPhonological awareness is all about recognizing the different sounds that make up words, and all of the…
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Collecting Assessment Evidence
I’ve been doing a lot of work with assessments lately, and one of the most important aspects of assessment is collecting evidence to support any assessment scores and decisions. Personally, I think the most difficult thing about collecting all of this evidence if finding a way to organize it all and track what I’ve gathered and what I still need. To help myself keep all of that information organized, so I have it when I need it, I put together a evidence collection binder for each student. I bound 8 file folders – one for each domain that I collect evidence on, then I taped the bottom of each folder…
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Early Learning Standards by State
I am constantly referencing my state’s Early Learning Development Standards online because it is so convenient, so I put together a PDF with links to each state’s Early Learning Standards so that you can explore your state’s standards and other related resources. This document is also really helpful if you want to view another state’s standards, I’ve done all of the searching for you, so you can just click the link! Download your copy here! As you explore the links please remember that these documents are regularly updated by state departments of education. If you find a link that is no longer correct please let me know so that I…
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Friday Freebie – Pumpkin seeds
Happy Friday! This week’s posts have all been about bringing autumn into the classroom, and I am loving this season. Today’s freebie fits right in with that theme. Yesterday I shared a list of autumn manipulatives to use in the classroom, here is a fun activity to try with some of your manipulatives, Pumpkin Seed Letters. This super cute freebie is from A Kinder Kindergarten, and is a fun way to practice those fine motor skills while encouraging letter recognition. Make and entire alphabet to display in your classroom all season long, or laminate the mats and use them over and over. Enjoy your weekend!
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Autumn manipulatives for the preschool room
Autumn is my favorite time of year to use seasonal manipulatives because there are so many different options. The items on the list below are great for math games, patterning, sensory tables, tactile language activities, the block area, and fine motor exercises. Some autumn manipulatives you can include in your activities and center include: Leaves Acorns Miniature pumpkins Soy beans Corn kernels Popcorn Sunflower seeds Candy corn Pumpkin seeds Seasonal confetti Seed pods Orange, yellow, and brown gems Apples Apple seeds Pinecones I’d love to know how you use some of these items in your classroom, share your ideas in the comments!
