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Back to School Products for the Preschool Classroom
It’s the end of July, I know, how did that happen?! I swear summer gets shorter every year! Many of you are preparing to head back to school (and if you haven’t started prepping, you’ve probably started thinking about it) so I thought I would share some of the things that I’ve created that might help you out this year – make sure to read the entire post because there are freebies throughout! Inspire Emergent Curriculum: This standards-based curriculum is perfect for programs that implement the Reggio Philosophy or the Project Approach. Circle Time Mega Pack: Start the year off right by implementing successful, developmentally appropriate circle time from…
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Friday Freebie – Name Cards
Happy Friday! Do you feel like your summer is slipping away, or is it just me?! I can’t believe it’s the end of July already, how did that happen?! I’ve been trying to avoid the back to school blog posts because I find them slightly depressing, instead I’ve been trying to focus on tips and routines that will help you throughout the year. This week was all about circle time, and today’s freebie fits right in with that topic. Yesterday I talked about games that I love to play during circle time, which included games to play with name cards, so here are my free name cards; These cards are…
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Conversations with Preschoolers about Current Events
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Great games to play at circle time
I love to play games during circle time because they keep the children’s interest, but I still get to teach specific concepts through the games. It’s a great way to make sure that I am getting time to do large group instruction, but the children think it’s a ton of fun. Here are some of the games that I love to play, these can all be differentiated so that everyone gets to be challenged, but still successful; Letter games – I use letter cards to play a ton of games, I usually start the year with capital letter cards, and as we explore letters and the children become comfortable with…
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Conversations with Preschoolers about Current Events
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Preschool activities that encourage reading comprehension
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: Reading ComprehensionThis standard covers skills such as being able to answer questions about a selection that has been…
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Making Circle Time Easier (and Developmentally Appropriate!)
I am all about setting up systems to make everyday classroom activities easier – especially when it means that I won’t have to spend as much time planning! I wanted to share my circle time system with you. It is designed to make sure that circle time is enjoyable for everyone, which means that I am able to get through the content I want to get through, the children are able to move around a little, and the whole thing is over in ten minutes or less so we can dig into our centers. The first set of printables are for calendar. I don’t spend a ton of time focused…
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Conversations with Preschoolers about Current Events
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Circle Time Idea Round-Up
Circle Time. You either love it or you hate it. To be honest, it’s not my favorite part of the day, but it is a lot easier to manage (and much more beneficial for the children) if it’s well planned and follows a consistent routine. I’ve developed some great tips and tricks over the years, you can check them out here, but I’ve also learned a lot from some other amazing preschool teachers and bloggers. I’ve rounded up everyone’s favorite circle time strategies for you, the links below will take you to each blog’s circle time posts so that you can learn from them and compile your favorite tips, tricks,…
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Conversations with Preschoolers about Current Events
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Friday Freebie – Classroom Planning
Happy Friday! Whether you like it or not, many of you are probably realizing that summer has flown by – we’re halfway through July people! According to my teacher friends and all of the photos on my Instagram feed, many of you are thinking about back to school already, so I thought I’d share a freebie that might help get you back in the game. This classroom planning set is from Teacher Treasure Hunter, who clearly speaks my language (checklists and to-do lists of course). It’s geared towards elementary teachers, but seeing as it’s a freebie preschool teachers won’t mind if they don’t need all of the components – because…
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Reggio-Inspired Standards-Based Preschool Curriculum
I have always been inspired by the Reggio Emilia Philosophy (here are some of my Reggio posts), it has transformed the way I teach, and shown me that I can learn as much from my students as they can from me. The one issue that I’ve always had with the Reggio Philosophy is that there is not a written curriculum, which in our state is needed for our Quality Improvement Rating program. So, I did what I always do, I made on myself. This is one of the biggest projects that I have ever taken on, and let me tell you, this thing is comprehensive! I call it Inspire, because…
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April Preschool Activities
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Activities for practicing social communication
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: Listening and SpeakingTopic: Social CommunicationSocial Communication plays a huge role in the life of a preschooler. They love to…
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Preschool Curriculum Part 2
Curriculum is important, it gives you a path to follow as you plan activities for your students. Ideally, a curriculum should help you make sure that your students are receiving a well rounded educational experience. There are so many curriculum options to choose from, should you buy a “curriculum in a box” or follow a loos, theory based approach? How do you decide?I’ve had this conversation with enough preschool teachers and administrators to know that it is an important issue, but the decision isn’t an easy one to make. I’m going to share my research with you, so that you can get a better picture of the options that are…
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April Preschool Activities
