The view from my desk

I completed my wall of pictures project. This is now what I am looking at across from my desk. It's hard to see from the slideshow, but it is awsome in person! All the pictures are black and white; I was easily able to print them from my printer/copier and they turned out very well. Each picture is of one child doing something, not just a still face shot. It has already been a huge hit! Parents have come by my office just to admire it, as word spreads quickly. It is also a great thing to be looking at all day.

I have a huge white board right across from my desk with notes that I need to be looking at, my way of staying organized and keeping the teachers informed without having to get up and tell them every time a parent calls (we don't have phones in our classrooms). And I have a radio on the top left there. This is literally the only wall I can use to hang things on because the outside walls in our building are all brick, and some interior walls as well. Anyway, this has really added to the environment in my office and I am glad I did it. It's nice looking up and seeing those smiling faces; it reminds me why I'm here when things get tough.

Call for help-toys

I have long been a beliver that it's not fair to tell children that they can't bring toys to school. However, I have also had difficulties in discerning how to keep it fair to all children; minimizing the conflict and being respectful to each individual child. So, I am looking for ideas on what you do in your classrooms to help in this area.



Here are some of my thoughts, in totatly random order as the pop into my head as I write this:



First, most of the children spend at the very least 50% of their waking time at the center per day. Is it fair to them that they don't have their most valuable possesion with them? We wear our jewlry, yet tell the little girls they can't wear theirs. We bring our own personal supplies because we need them for the curriculum; however they may have a need to use a toy that they may still be exploring and learning with (okay, maybe that's a far stretch, but I'm not too sure yet). We may bring a book to share with the class, or even a book to read on our lunch breaks; they don't get a lunch break. These poor children don't get any break from us at all!



Then my mind goes into, well you can bring it, but you have to share it with everyone. You can't just play with it yourself. So my mind goes into what's good for the goose mode. If we are expecting them to share their most prized possesion, then you must do the same. Ladies, go ahead and share your wedding ring with the children! Bet you aren't going to do that. So, is it fair to ask the children to share something with someone else who they don't trust or even like? But then, if they bring a really cool truck, why do they get to play with it in front of all the envious other children who have to play with our junky old plastic ones? However, again, if you make them share it, that's not fair to them; and not respectful to them either.



Next, we have share day! The one day a week they get to bring something to share with the class. However, it is locked away in a box, just waiting for it's 5 minutes of fame at circle time. I went into one classroom that had a transparent share box the children put their things into. That bright pink funky monkey was looking out at everyone just saying "please play with me!" I don't know if it's more torturous for the toy or the child.



Then you have to obvious: what do you do if it breaks! Well, what do you do if the close get dirty! That's what happens at school. "If you don't want it to get dirty or broken, don't bring or wear it to school." In the classes that I have allowed children to bring things, they come up to me and ask if they can keep it at school for the day and I always ask "Are you going to be okay if it gets broken? That might happen." If they say no, then I say no.



Another thing to consider is, at times, this is school. We provide specific activities to stimulate growth and development. Their power ranger action figure may not have a place with the farm animal review we are doing. So then do you say that you can bring something that falls along the "theme of the week"? (theme's are another topic for another day). What if their most prized possesion doesn't fall into this theme, is it fair that they don't get to bring something? Then do we give them a specific time that they can play with this toy? Say, after skill builder time when we are in free choice, you can choose to play with your toy?



So my ideas are this: You can bring a toy if you are going to be okay if it might get broken or lost. There is a specific (extended) period of time that you can use it. Other than that, it must stay in your cubby. If someone asks about it, you must explain what it is, you don't have to let them play with it. As long as you get your work done appropriatly, then you can take it out.



What do you think? What have you done?



Note: I'm not opposed to having a "share day" or a "share time" but this is a totally different area. Everyone bring in something that starts with the letter D is a homework assignment, not a special toy I can't live without.

Classroom Cameras

If you do any sort of on going assesment on the children (we use the DRDP-r) then you must have a digital camera. We are currently in the process of purchasing new ones for each classroom. In the meantime, we are using my personal camera. It's an Aiptek. It's very nice. The pictures look much better on the computer than they do on the camera itself; so I have learned to just shoot pictures and video and go back later to make delete from the computer. The zoom is excellent; I can take pictures from a distance without disturbin play. The microphone is decent as well; although at times it can be too sensitive picking up every sound in the room. What's also nice about this camera is that it can be used as a voice recorder (perfect for dictating stories) and it is also an MP3 player. I can download songs to play in the classroom; this is always fun for the children.

If you don't use a camera for assesments, you can always use it to put pictures around the center anyway. I am currently working on a wall of pictures. I will show you what it looks like when I am done. Also, anytime I have a child leavethe center, I put together a quick slideshow on a DVD of all the pictures we took while they were there. This is an invaluable keepsake. It is also invaluable to us to see how the children have grown through their tims with us. Some of the children are here from the beginning. On "graduation" day and open house, I create a slideshow to be shown at the event as well. This goes over very well, we all look forward to it. There are so many programs out there now that make it real imple to put together a slide show. Most of them you can just tell what pictures to use and press go! The teachers also enjoy getting a copy for themselves. We get so attached to these children, it's nice to have something to look back on with fond memories.

Lesson time-major changes

Okay, I don't have a product to review; rather a situation. We have a child, let's call her Lacy. Lacy is under the care of her grandmother. Her mother just recently got out of jail and is beginning to be integrated into her life. Lacy is also a tomboy type personality (she was spiderman for Halloween, plays softball very well, and really relates to the boys better). She is an absolute sweetheart and has a great personality. She has more adults in her house than children, and therefore sometimes needs to be brought back down and told it's okay to be a child. She also loves her teacher, Miss N, and seeks her out. Oh, one more thing, she's 3 going on 4. I'm writing about this situation because some people might think how we resolved this issue is somewhat unfair in a classroom environment; I think that not doing it would have been unfair to Lacy.
When I walk into my center, I look out for the best interest of each individual child. This is a difficult task. How do you make sure things are fair for each child and the group as a whole? When dealing with an issue with a child, I look at what will work with just that child and "forget" about how fair or not it is with all the others. That being said, the situation:
As I said, Lacy's mom just recently came home from jail. Last week, she began hitting her teacher. She would hit, kick, throw dominoes at her, and even say not-so-nice things ("you're a poopy head." "I hate you!", etc...). Miss N was at first surprised because she has never had this level of a problem with her. The other surprising thing was that she seemed to be laughing at everything she was doing to Miss N. Lacy even smirked when I went to the classroom and Miss N brought up this issue. At nap time on Thursday, Miss N brought her into my office because she was at her wits end (Note: I don't usually allow children to be brought to my office for trouble. We deal with it in the classroom; Miss N knows and abides by this, so I knew it was urgent when she came in). She was kicking, screaming, and trying to wake the other children up. I got a thought in my head at this point: she wants Miss N to spend more time with her. So, I said "Bring her mat in here. Lacy if you hurt Miss N, you can't be in her classroom. You're going to nap in here with me." Of course, as anticipated, this upset her even more.
After she slept for about an hour, Lacy woke up. It was close to nap time being over, so I helped her up and we talked for a bit. She told me how much she loves Miss N and how "Miss N is cool." She also told me that she told Miss N she was sorry at the lunch table. And I believe she really was. I also believe that this change in home scenarios and her limited 3 year old vocabulary, has caused her to react in this way. She hasn't always known appropriate ways to express love so her way to tell Miss N she loves her is to hit her. Proof to how much she loves Miss N: on the way back to classroom Miss N was coming our way. She leaped into Miss N's arms, buried her head in Miss N's neck, and sobbed. That full on sob of "I'm so sorry, I love you, I don't mean to hurt you, help me please!"
At this point I was very proud of Miss N. She wrapped her arms around her and just held her close. When Lacy was done crying, they walked into the classroom together as if nothing had happened.
Of course, it doesn't end there. How do we get these behaviors to stop for good? I talked to Miss N in my office, away from the children. After talking to her, we both concluded that she did these behaviors when Miss N was focused on other children or activities. She didn't hit/kick/throw things when she was mad or didn't want to clean up. It was always when Miss N's attention was turned to something else. So this is what I told her to do (ready? this is where some preschool teachers may think I was unfair):

I told Miss N to spoil her rotten. Let Lacy think that Miss N's world revolves around her.

Specifically I told her to make sure that she gets to sit next to Miss N at lunch and circle time. Make it known that this seat is for Lacy. When she pulls out an activity, Miss N is to have Lacy help her set it up and everything. Lacy should be the one that invites other children to those activities. Then, after about two weeks, start to slowly break away. At that point, she still gets to sit at Miss N's table, but maybe the seat next to Miss N is still taken. Lacy can sit across from Miss N: "This way I can see you, and look I can still touch you, too!" Let her slowly adjust to not being the center of the world.
Is this fair to the other children? Yes, because if any of them needed it, we would do the same thing for them. Will they think that the teacher doesn't like them? No, they are 3, it's adults who feel this way. Now, if Miss N completely ignored all the other children, then maybe. However, every child is involved in the appropriate activities and each one has something special about them and for them. We are just letting Lacy know that she is as important (and in her mind even more important). Oh, by the way, it's worked like a charm. Her hitting and other behaviors have gone to NONE! That's right, she doesn't need to hit to get attention; she's already got it. And not one other child in the class has picked up these behaviors or has had any other behaviors to show they were feeling left out because of this. They are all happy and active. Each one of them still comes bouncing into the classroom every morning with a huge smile on their face and a hug for the teachers.

Here's a personal philosophy of mine: treating everyone the exact same is not treating them equally. Treating everyone according to who they are individually is treating them equally.

The best teachers, in my mind, are the ones who can think of each child individually and react according to that one child. I had a teacher who's rule was that, in order to get chosen for a weekly chore, you had to sit perfectly still at circle time. Poor Robert never got chosen because he couldn't sit still; it was physically impossible. His face lit up the day that she was absent and I got to choose chores for the week; Robert was the first one I chose, because he had come to circle; which was an amazing thing for him.

Update-Windchimes

Remember that post I did about the wind kit? Well, here's a video sample of children using it. This was taken a few days back. It shows exactly how the children use it...a place to explore and observe natural phenomenon. (For those of you who use DRPD-r, that's an indicator). It is also, obvious from the video, a place to have a discussion.

Notice how respectful they are of the object. They observe, touch, and talk about it. They don't hang on it, throw things at it, or anything else. Also notice that it is at child's eye level. They can observe on their plane, not ours.

Ring builders

Do you have these in your classrooms? I think every center I have ever been in has a set of these. At least one set. Typically, they come in a "library" of manipulative items sold by the major suppliers. They are only an okay toy.

That's right, I said only okay. They aren't my favorite. They do have their positives: great for patterning and math activities. They can even be good for some fine motor skills...for the more advanced child. However, I believe that there are more better products for these skills.

Patterning can be created with any product, and there are so many fine motor activities that these aren't really necessary. I wouldn't order them except that they come in "libraries" of items that I do want.

In my experience, they are easily misshapen. The bend and stay bent easily. The bumps on top don't easily line up with another piece, making it difficult and frustrating for most children. The children end up placing them in rows or organized piles, rather than actually building with them. It takes an advanced thinker to start doing, or trying to, more than just towers. To use these to build out and up, rather than just up or just out. I have yet to witness a child do this on their own (without an adult initiating the idea).

The bumps on the top also easily break off. This makes it even more difficult to using properly. With the way they are easily bent (sometimes just from the way they sit in the containers) it makes it difficult to line up the bumps and posts to make a structure; once they get them together they aren't very stable because they are already bent.

In conclusion, I would only buy these if they come with a "library" of other items I need/want.

On a positive note, they are fun in the sensory table with soapy water, they make okay bubble blowers.

Music

I do a lot of my shopping for the center at the Dollar Tree. This is a fabulous store to get many fun items. And everything is just a dollar! When I as parents for donations, I also refer them to the dollar store. If we need crayons, puzzles, bowls, buckets, etc.. It can usually be found there. One thing that I discovered recently was that they have CD's! I bought a couple, not sure what I was going to be getting, to try out. I am greatly impressed! The music is fun and recognizable. They use songs that are used come from pop culture and are sung reasonably well. To be honest, I was afraid that the music on these discs would be some bad singing by children who have no talent whatsoever; I have a few of those CD's. I was very pleasantly surprised and I will be going out to find more CD's from them as well. The children also seem to like the CD, as they keep asking for it to be played repeatedly; as opposed to another CD.

The other nice thing about buying CD's for a dollar? I don't get so nervous about the children scratching them as they handle them. After all, it was only a buck! And I have my radio at child level with a book of CD's available so that they can decide what they want to listen to.

Curriculum Ideas-Negative Art

This weeks idea is simple. It is an art activity today. Supplies needed will be paint, masking tappe, paper, painbrushes or paint rollers, and of couse children! I always introduce the children to available activities at circle time. If anything needs explination, this is where I give it to them. The art table is a place for them to be creative; if you can't let a child make their own decisions on their art, walk away from the table. This is a place to be creative, not a place to creat what you want them to create!
Okay, off that soap box onto the activity. Basically, they tear off a strip of masking tape, as long or short as they want, and put it onto their paper. Them can put as much or as little as they like. Once they have the tape where they want it, the paint the paper, making sure to go over the tape. When they are done painting the paper, again as much or as little as they like, they take off the masking tape. As they get better at this, some will begin to make pictures with the tape before painting over it; creating great negative space art work.
Send me pictures of the art work that was created this way, I'll post them here.

Reading Books

It is important that children be introduced to books as early a possible. They must be taught to respect them as well as learn to use them appropriately. I have several pop-up books that I have used for years, and they have never been ruined. And yes, they have all been put on my library shelf. Here's my rule, I always have books available. When I find a book that they really enjoy, I keep it up for a few days; making sure that they are aware that I am keeping it "out of their reach". After a few days, I take it out during free choice time and give it to one of the more careful children. Of course, they all come flocking over (no matter what age group. I do this wit toddlers on up). I instruct them to be gentle with the book, keeping a fairly close eye (not close hand) on the book. I also make sure that after free choice time, the book gets put back again "out of reach". The next day, the book "accidentally" gets left on a table for anyone to get. Then at clean up, it just "happens" to get put away o the book shelf. Invariably, one child will come over and report "Miss Jenni, you're book is over there!" To which I respond, "That's okay, I know you will all be careful with it." And they are!
Next note: As I mentioned before, I try and find a picture of the author/illustrator for every book to display. Some books have the pictures on them; I love these books! The children start to recognize their faces and begin to recognize their styles as well. I have had some older children tell me the author/illustrator for a book they have yet to be introduced to simply because of the style.
Now, how I get them to treat the books with respect, other than modeling it, is to teach them about books. At EVERY circle time, and 90% of the free play reading requests, I do the following steps: (I will use Who Hops? by Katie Davis for an example)
1. I show them the front of the book. "Today we are reading Who Hops? by Katie Davis."
2. I then explain the parts of the book: "This is the front" (rub the front cover with the flat of my hand). "This is the back of the book" (I turn the book around and rub the back with the flat of my hand). "This is the spine of the book" (I turn the book, holding it in the palm of one hand and use my pointer finger to run along the spine). "Th spine holds all the pages together." I then hold the book so the front is up again. "On the front we have the title, this tells us the name of the book. What's the name of this book?" I point to the title and wait for them to respond (Who Hops?). "Good, and the front also tells us who the author is. Who's the author of this book?" Again, I wait for a response. If the author and illustrator is the same, I explain that to them. I also tell hem "The author writes the words. The illustrator draws the pictures."
Note: as I do this through out the year, I let them fill in the blanks. This is the ...... and wait for them to tell me. And the author....writes the words.
3. I then open the book to the title page. I tell them "This is the title page. It also tells us the title, author and illustrator." I point to each one.
4. Now, I read the book. The first time through, I don't do the little questions and stuff they tell all of us to do in training. Sorry, it breaks up the story too much and I want them to enjoy the story for what it is; they will learn and learn to question through one on one readings. (I know! Rock the boat! What will we do if we don't ask them "What do you think will happened?")
5. That's it! We're done! Maybe we discuss it, maybe we don't. Depends on the book. Here's a note: Not every book needs to be discussed! Sometimes it just needs to be enjoyed!

I typically take these steps slowly at first. I usually introduce one part of the book a week until we have it all; so it takes a few weeks of a new class to get it all down. Depending on the interest of the lass, I have even introduced them to the part of the book that gives a summary so we can find out what it will be about; the author's biography; and maybe eve the copyright information. You have to know what your children are ready for, and take them a half step further!

On one more note, at nap time, I read aloud from chapter books (Charlotte's Web, Ramona Quimby, The Secret Garden, and more)!

Saturday Book of the Week-Who Hops?

This week we discuss: Who Hops? by Katie Davis. This is a great book for toddlers and young twos. It is also great for preschoolers, but I mostly use it in the younger classrooms. The bright colors and simple language are engaging. The book has a predictable rhythm, making it easy for a child to join along in the reading. It is also ideal for a young child to be able to "recite" read to others. Katie Davis has done a fabulous job in this, and the follow up "Who Hoots?" I had a toddler class that read this book daily for about 3 months; and after that there were a couple children who kept coming back to it. It is a necessary book to have in a classroom environment; and is great at home as well.

When reading this book, I have the children practice the movements: hopping, crawling, etc... It is not a boring book, and is great fun!

Side note: When I read books in a classroom, I like to find books by the same author and introduce them as such. For example, after we were hooked on Who hops? I brought in Who Hoots? and explained "the same author wrote this book as the one who wrote Who Hops? And yes, my children all know who an author is. I will blog later today, bonus blog, in how I read every book to every child in my classroom. I also try and find a picture of the author to put up so that they can recognize that an author is an actual person, not just a name on a book.

Bonus today: what interactions should look like!

I walked into the classroom yesterday and saw this; of course I had to take a picture. This is one of the most awesome sights I see. This is our 3 year old classroom; and it is very typical for me to see this sight. Pictured is my an assistant teacher reading a book with a child. You can see from the picture that she is discussing with the child what is going on. He was actually discussing what he saw on the page and she was pointing to what he was talking about, asking questions to draw more information out of him. The two children in front of her were quietly playing together with domino's (using a math and matching game out of it). She was constantly aware of what they were doing, yet letting them make their own game. She only interfered when they asked her to help out (i.e. "is this 3 or 4" response "let's count together"; or "NO! Miss J, he's putting the wrong ones together" response "tell him 'these two match' and show him how to do it."). As a director, I love walking into this room. The teacher and assistant are always aware of where every child is in the classroom; they are typically on the ground with the children, involved with them in what they are doing; and they easily take each child where they are at developmentally and work from there.

This is not to say my other classrooms aren't doing the same thing, however this is the picture that I got!

Things Homemade Friday-Instasnow

Yes, you can make instasnow in the classroom! How? All you need is a few of these:

That's right, disposable diapers! The instasnow is actually the same thing that is in the diapers. This is a fun science activity in "how things work". Of course, you want to do this with children who are already out of diapers. I knew one teacher who even used diapers as a color mixing activity where the children used dropper and colored water just like on a coffee filter. That's always fun too. The parents get a kick out of it as well. I would, however, be careful of using disposable diapers in a center that is low-income if you have some struggling parents who are currently buying diapers. They may be a bit insulted that they are struggling to buy diapers and you are playing with them. However, if you don't have a child with a baby in the classroom, I would jump all over this art activity.

I would never hesitate to take a few diapers apart to find out what is inside them, however. It's great science.

Busboy Trays

We bought these, what I call, busboy trays at Smart and Final. They don't have a picture on line, so I found a picture elsewhere. However, I'm sure, if you've ever been in a restaurant to eat, you have seen the, usually gray, tubs that the busboys use when cleaning up a table. They dump all the dishes from the table into the buckets and then wipe the table down using the bucket to catch whatever they wipe off. Well, we initially bought them for the kitchen (we provide meals for the children in our center). The cook puts everything in the buckets for each classroom and then, at the end of the meal, everything gets put back in the buckets to go back. Maybe one day soon I'll show you what our typical meal service looks like. One bucket will last year! They are easy to clean, sturdy and thick, so they are not prone to cracks or breaks. I know that at the center I am currently at, we have had these trays for more than 6 years, I can't go back further than that to date them. However, they are still in great shape. If we only used them for meal service, that would be worth getting them.

I have found another great use for them: in the classroom. I have used these for all sorts of activities. They are great to use on table tops for small sensory activities. When we do a sink/float lesson, I will use these as well. One of the best activities was filling them about 3/4 full of sand. We made mountains and poured water with cups, droppers, and spray bottles to make rivers, valleys, and other things. This was such a popular activity we left it out on the science table for a while too. They work pretty well with marble painting as well, but some of the smaller children have a hard time holding them. Putting bubble solution on the bottom to use large bubble wands are great! If you have some children that need the sensory experience, but have a hard time working in a group at the sensory table, these work very well to give them their own space. The possibility of uses seems to be endless with these tubs.

I highly recommend making them part of your classroom.

Scooters

Last summer we purchased two of these scooters from lakeshore. Upon first look, I thought they were cool; upon closer look I thought "how are they ever going to ride these?" Maybe because of my adult view of the world, and how I always picture riding a scooter, I just couldn't picture it. I'm used to pushing with my foot parallel to the other foot. With these, you have to push from behind the body. A little uncomfortable at first.

When we first put out the scooters, I was beginning to think that I was right about these. It took about a week before any child really mastered the skills needed to ride these. After a year, most children are successful their first time on the scooters. Here's my theories:

When first introduced, the children had no experience with them (and may have had experience at home with a 2 wheel scooter). They had no reference to go off of on how to use them. Now, a year later, most of the younger children have watched the older ones be successful on the scooters. They have a frame of reference when they decide to take the challenge. Therefore, a preconceived notion does make it difficult to ride at first.

Now I go out in the yard and all the children are riding these, some racing around quickly. These are pretty well constructed. Considering they were "needs assembly" when we got them, they have stood up very well. Each scooter has since lost, and been replaced, one handle cover each. The wheels, platform, and frame had stood the test of time for the year. The coordination in using them is no longer a problem, and the children really love them. The older children (boys especially) who need more of a challenge have begun trying to do simple tricks on them: riding backwards, making small jumps over toys and curbs, popping the front wheel up, etc...

This has been a great addition to our yard.

Balls!

Okay, we have tried these, these, and these balls. All from very reputable child care supply places. We have even ordered some of these and these! You would think that with all the balls we have ordered, that our yard would be full of balls! We should have more balls than we know what to do with, right? WRONG! The foam balls are pretty good. At least, they are still able to play with them. They last a long while, until some child who is having anger or sensory issues for the day decides to pick it apart. However, I have yet to find a playground ball that will last longer than two weeks. We treat our balls pretty well, considering the problem we are having. We take them in every night, we make sure they have the right amount of air in them. We don't let the children abuse them by standing on them and such. And still, after about a day at least one of them has a pinpoint hole in it. By the end of the week, we typically only have one or two good ones remaining; and we usually buy 2-3 sets at a time, so you would think that would be 1-2 from each set...you would be wrong!

One set, the outer coverings actually began peeling off after just one day. One ball had a hole in it as I was putting air in it for the first time! After about 2 weeks, we are left with one lonely playground ball. I have tried patches, but it doesn't work.

I could just order all the foam balls, but they definitely don't bounce as well. They also don't act quiet like a playground ball because of their lightweightedness; and yes I've tried the bigger foam balls as well.

So, I throw this question out to all of you: What do you do about balls in your yards? Even when we have parents donate balls from the stores they all go flat pretty quickly. Is this just a highly consumable product? Or has the quality of balls really gone down?

Curriculum Ideas-Science Table Colors

I wish I had a picture to show you; however I can't find one...so use your imagination! My all time favorite science tables I set up in my classroom involved colors. The first time was really my test of my new teaching style of trusting children. We were talking about colors and mixing colors and all that. On the wall I stapled a white Cotton sheet about my shoulder level and draped it under the table an out (to make a place for them to stand on). On the floor, I ran tape around the edges to hold it in place. On the table I placed three spray bottles with colored water (red, blue, yellow). Red, blue, and yellow were the only colors I had on the table. I had a glass vase with a wide mouth filled with cotton balls. Next to it were three bowls filled with colored water and eye dropper. On the other side of the table, I had a bowl full of baking soda (yes it was a glass bowl as well). I used a water color tray and filled every other well with colored vinegar.
This is a free choice area, so the children were allowed to explore freely. The only thing (as to giving boundaries to the children) was to introduce the activities at circle time in the morning and to have an adult close by for the first day to redirect. The children were instructed that the water was to only e sprayed on the sheet, and the water bottles were to only be used at the table. If they were empty, they were to let a teacher know. That's it!
Now, this was my first attempt at "trusting" children. I had some difficult children as well. I was shocked at how well it went, and that gave me the courage to continue on this quest. I have never looked back. Actually, it seems the more "challenging" a child is, the better they are with the more "fragile" items.
A few things to remember:
Be sure that you have plenty of extra supplies. Replenish as necessary. Start each day with a new round of supplies. Check at nap time if they need to be changed and do so accordingly. And of course, fill the water and vinegar as needed. The first day they will go through everything in about 1 minutes. By the 5th day, things will probably last the whole day.
Email me if you try this and let me know how it goes! Or, email me with other science tables yo have set up!

Saturday book of the week- Down by the Station

I have many books I enjoy reading. I have many different types of favorites: my favorite circle book, rhythm book, favorite by an author, etc... However, my all time favorite children's picture book is Down by the Station by Will Hillenbrand published in 1999. This is my favorite because there are so many stories going on at once.
First, there is the obvious lyrics (yes lyrics). This uses the song Down by the Station using zoo animals. Sing it loud and proud! This is a great book to also introduce baby animal names.
Second thru one hundredth there are the pictures! Every time I look at this book, I discover something new. There is a clue on each page that shows where the train will go next. The train drives from right to left (natural progression of reading a book). There is a red balloon floating through the book as well (the monkey let's it go at the very beginning. You can follow the school bus in the back ground as well (a clue to where the book will end).
Watch the monkey throughout the book, the little penguin, the animal keeper, the conductor, each animal, all the trouble these little guys get into.
A child who has never seen this book and cannot yet read will be able to tell a story with it. A child who has heard the book read/sung, will easily be able to retell it...they will also be able to make up their own story as well.
I cannot tell you enough how much I enjoy this book. This is an essential book to have in every library. Will Hillenbrand hit it out of the park when he wrote and illustrated this book!

Things Homemade Friday-bottles

Many of you have probably already seen these; some of you have already made them even! However, it you haven't, they are awesome. If you have, I am going to expand on ideas you may not have thought of. The simple way to make these is to get regular water bottles. Peel the labels off then you may need to put some hot water in them to help get the glue off. If you fill the bottle with hot water, it will melt the glue on the outside and you should be able to work off the sticky glue. Then get creative!

The common one is to add some colored water and oil into the bottles. Then add glitter or sprinkles, confetti. Pretty much anything!

A really fun one is to fill it about a quarter full with water then get a clear dish soap and just put a couple of drops in it. It will bubble up when shaken and will eventually go back to looking like clear liquid.

These are great in an infant and toddler room! Be sure to glue the caps on! They are also fun in a preschool room. However, I change it up a bit.

I use Snapple bottles or another glass bottle that has a cool clear shape. (Yes, I use glass bottles in the classroom! I trust my children and I teach them how to respect things!). I have taken 8 glass bottles, filled each one with a different color to a different level in order to make a musical scale. I then line them up on the shelf and put two rhythm sticks next to them (so that two can play at a time). It's also fun to fill the jars with a three layer separator: water, oil, and hair conditioner works well.

Leave the water out of it and put some bells in there too! That's always fun!

The key to making these bottles is to be creative. Add a liquid, don't add a liquid. Use anything that can fit into the opening: glitter, confetti, cotton balls, screws, beads, toothpicks, the list is endless!

If I have the children help me make the bottles, which the older ones do, I don't glue the lids shut because they already know not to open it. If I use it with the younger ones or they didn't help me make it, I hot glue the lids shut so that they don't accidentally get opened. Then again, if they did, we would just clean it up. No big deal!

With the plastic bottles, they will eventually crack (usually a small hole in some inconspicuous spot) and will begin to leak. In the 7 plus years I have use glass in my classroom, I have only had 2 bottles break. One was my fault completely. I wasn't paying attention when I was putting away mats and hit one off the top of the shelf. It happens! I cleaned it up, and we moved on...making another bottle to replace the one I broke.

The infants and toddler get fascinated and use lots of observation with these. The preschoolers like using them in dramatic play, music, and science. They are a lot of fun! If you make some, take pictures and send them to me. I would love to see what you all come up with!

Countin Actvities

When I first started ordering things for classrooms, I was working in Head Start where I had more money to know what to do with. I ended up ordering these:

I never really saw the purpose of them, and I actually thought they looked pretty boring. Plus, until a child could really read numbers, the could never truly be successful at this game. Plus, all you really do is place things on a flat picture and take them off again. It could have been because of my lack of excitement over these materials, but the children in my classrooms never really seemed to enjoy these. What they enjoyed doing was playing with the small materials in other ways (including sticking them n their pockets to go home).

Last year I saw, and ordered, these:

Now, these are fun! They are totally interactive! There's a dice that you roll to determine how many of the item to put in. If your children can't read numbers yet, that's okay. Use a regular dice and count the dots. They can also sort this these (all the pink gems in one box, one of each cookie on each plate, etc). Yes, they use these for props in other games...and that's okay too! The materials are all very durable! Since they have a purpose that the children enjoy, they are more likely to put things away properly so that it will be available the next day. Everything is made with strong materials made to last; there is no cardboard pieces or paper things that will get smashed, ripped, or torn. The children can play with these items without needing much if any, explanation. They really enjoy these items!

I highly recommend these materials. Of course, the original purpose is for math skills, but they also promote social play and dramatic play experiences as well.

Multicultural puzzles

These puzzles were ordered back in October. Since then they have gotten a lot of use. I see both plus and minus with them. Actually, there is more plus than minus, so in the end (if you don't want to go through my ramblings) I will recommend these items for a classroom.

First, the pictures on these puzzles are fabulous! The are bright, realistic (as they are photographs), and fun! The children a really drawn to them.

Next, the pieces are cut jigsaw fashion on thick wood, in a frame. This makes it durable and challenging! Those cardboard puzzles do not last long at all in a classroom environment. These pictures aren't even beginning to show signs of wear after 3 months of continuous use. Plus, the children who are ready for this challenge seem to really like it.

Now, the only minus I have for these puzzles is that the picture is also printed n the frame. This makes me wonder sometimes as the children are doing the puzzle if they are actually looking a the pieces or matching the pictures. Once I start moving a child to jigsaw puzzles, I want to know that they are looking at the pieces and what will match the piece already in place.

One tiny little minus (only because I don't know how it could be improved) is that the pieces don't fall apart easily. This is really because of the nature of the cut combined with the thick pieces. If the pieces were thinner, they wouldn't be durable, and I wouldn't be recommending this. However, the drawback of this is that some children can't take them apart easily and then they are more memorizing the placement when putting it into the frame. However, if they can't take it apart easily, are they really ready for a puzzle of this challenge level? Maybe they are.

This is a perfect puzzle for the 3 year old classroom because it does introduce the jigsaw concept of puzzles; however it still has easy pieces that a child can find the solution without having to match the pieces (rather they match the picture in the frame).

Reading Pool

Okay, as promised yesterday, I am going to tell you about our reading pool. This actually started out as a fluke idea of mine about 6 years ago, and since then I have taken it with me everywhere I go. At the time, I had a huge blowup pool in the yard that was a pain to blow up and deflate every time we wanted to use it on a hot day. I also had a huge futon cushion that I kept outside for a reading area. One rainy day, we threw the futon into the pool and pulled it under the porch area so that the cushion would not get ruined and the pool wouldn't fill up. And so it began...Before we could re-set it up the next sunny day, the children had already climbed in with some books, took their shoes off, and spend 30-45 minutes just reading! It was a perfect place! We slowly added some smaller pillows to lean on and blankets to cuddle up in. Teachers would sit in there with them and read to them, sing songs, and just talk.

I have been a different centers since then, but I am sure to set up this reading pool (or one like it) at each place I go. It has been a hit each time. I usually use an old pool that we aren't using anymore, and then make sure to have plenty of cushioning. Right now we are using large pillows from Lakeshore. They are very durable and easy to wash when dirty.

Things to remember:

The children will have to be reminded that this is a quiet place to read and hang out. There's no jumping around (someone might get hurt).

It helps if there are blankets as well so cuddle up with. It is also nice if they are allowed to take off their shoes while they are in there. I usually have a place just outside of the pool where they can line them up or put them (one place I had a large basket even). The rule then is that if you want to leave the pool, you need to put them on. (I am actually a huge advocate for allowing them to play without shoes, but I always lose this argument. That darn toe safety and the bikes always wins out!).

Make sure that there are plenty of books available. One's that they are familiar with and are interesting to them. Also, rotate them out. Leave a few of the same ones in, but bring our new ones as well.

It's always nice to have a teacher sit in the pool and read with them as well. But, be aware, the teacher who is in the pool has to have "global awareness". Can he or she read and watch the area surrounding the pool as well? This teacher will probably get "stuck" in the pool for a long while; maybe even the entire outdoor time. That's is perfectly acceptable! Children need to be read to, encouraged to read to others, and just plain need to feel important! This accomplishes that to no end.

Wind Kit

I'm always looking for materials that will fascinate the children and spark their interest in things new. When I saw this wind kit from Kaplan for $35 I thought this would be perfect. And it is! It has also sparked the teacher's interest and there are plans in making a whole weather station in the part of the yard we put this up in. I chose to put it up in out quiet area outside. It has really brought the area to a whole new dimension. Children discuss with each other what they are seeing; teachers are talking about the wind and how it makes the items move around. Some children just sit in our reading pool (more on that tomorrow) and relax while watching the pinwheel or listening to the wind chime, watching the middle piece twirl around.
We placed these items close enough to the ground that they could touch them and instructed them in how to use the items the first time they were introduced to them With strong teacher supervision for the first outdoor time, the children quickly learned to be gentle with the items and remind their friends. This has really become a great thing in our yard!
I never went out and priced how much it would cost to get each item individually, but I figure that it works out even, or just less than even. You may be able to find individual wind chimes and wind socks and pinwheels on clearance at the end of gardening season, but this was worth it. It has definitely weathered rain and wind and sun very well. The material has faded a bit after 4 months, but that is really to be expected of any windsock material. The pin wheel has not torn. The windsock did tear, but that was after a child pulled on it pretty hard (she wasn't there for the initial use talk). We have also had to "re knot" the wind chimes middle piece once or twice which can be frustrating. It would have been better to have the items made with fishing wire. However, with the joy it has brought the children, it was worth it!

Curriculum Ideas-Treasure Hunt

Many times, I walk outside and children are doing what they do best: Playing! Which is fabulous. However, I find that teachers sometime use this as a break time; which is far from what it is! Maybe because the very first center I worked in had opportunities everywhere to stimulate play is the reason I have never taken a break inside or out, unless it was my actual break time. The thing is, it's real easy to stimulate play all over. Yes, the children are playing, but we are adding to their play to stimulate more brain growth, more opportunities for complex thoughts, and to bring them to the next level. One great activity that does this is a treasure hunt outside.
To set this up, before the children go outside, bury objects (big and small) in the sand and all around the yard. To accommodate all levels of development, leave some things unburied, but hidden, some out in the open, and then bury more. Make a map of where to find things (x marks the spot) and give copies to each child.
You will also need to provide different tools: magnifying glasses, shovels, sand sifters, I even use paintbrushes like the archaeologists.
Before going outside, introduce the activity to the children. You can make it a fictional game by telling a story about someone hiding treasures and you finding a map when you came in and they get to help you find things; or just tell them the game and get going!
I also like to have a large empty water table in the middle of the yard so that they can place all the found items in there. Post a larger map and mark off where each item was found. You may also want to have a checklist to make sure they find everything.
Some children will only be interested for about a minute, others will spend all of outside time (typically an hour plus) searching...even after everything is found. Either option is okay, the point is that you have stimulated their minds and their play. I can guarantee, some children will play this game for weeks to come, making up their own play and rules amongst themselves.
This introduces them to maps, looking at a map and figuring out where things are in relation to the real world is a very complex skill. This will also build on social skills as they work together to find things, language skills, critical thinking, and so much more.
Oh, one more note: DON'T WORRY ABOUT BEING FAIR!!! It's okay if Johnny finds 10 things and Luke only finds 2. Johnny is obviously at a more advanced level of thinking. By trying to make things "fair", Johnny will get frustrated with you and not bother trying things, Luke will not learn anything positive about himself. I am a strong believer that small inconsequential competition is okay, it's how the children are taught to deal with it that is important.

Saturday's Book of the Week-Mortimer

Many people are familiar with Robert Munsch. He has written several children's books. One of the most popular with adults is Love you forever. A very heartwarming story that brings tears to most mother's eyes. However, my first real introduction to Robert Munsch was to the book Mortimer. I was introduced to this book 8 years ago, and so began my obsession with Robert Munsch's books.

What makes his books, especially Mortimer, so great is the predictability of the story. The repetition of the words is key. Toddlers enjoy these books because of the repetition in them. Preschoolers love them because they get to "read along" while you read it; and eventually can read it all on their own.

Mortimer is also a great books for adults. I have used it to teach parents during bedtime workshops. See, Mortimer sings really loud, at the top of his lungs, every time someone comes up to tell him to be quite...the second they get downstairs, he's singing. In the end, it's when the adults all are too busy arguing with each other that Mortimer finally falls asleep waiting for someone to come up.

Robert Munsch has mastered the ability to create stories that children love and memorize to read on their own (a precursor to learning to read later in school). However, the stories are such that nobody gets tired of hearing it over and over. My copy of Mortimer has been used for 8 years so much that the pages are all taped together more than once. It is always a hit when I read it, and asked for when it's not around.

As I read it to a group, I allow them to finish the sentences for me; they know what's coming. It also plays with the tones and volumes of voices: quiet when a person is going down the stairs, loud when we are singing! The children love this as well.

Since my introduction to Robert Munsch books, I have yet to find one I don't enjoy; however Mortimer is still my favorite.

Things Homemade Friday-Feely Bags

Today in "things homemade" is a great science table item. Our science tables are always full of many different items, and they are available to the children at all times. Our three year olds have been talking about the color white. They have also been exploring different materials in science (mixing baking soda and water; baking soda and vinegar; flour and vinegar; etc...). So, the teacher has made the great feely bags:

It is real simple to make, and very versatile. Get as many zip lock bags as you will be making, find things to fill them with. Make sure you don't fill them too much, and try and keep out the air. These ones (looking for white things) are filled with the following: Flour, white paint, paste, and baking soda and vinegar. Label each one. Depending on your class, you may need to get some clear packing tape and tape the top of them so they don't get opened. This class doesn't need it.
This can also be an activity do make with the children. Having them fill their bags and tape them up. Then they can be taken home.
I have seen some toddler classrooms do this and then tape the bags to the walls, giving the children something to feel that way.
One other variation I have used is to fill these with some sort of squishy material (i.e. shaving cream, glop, etc...) and then added a drop each of two different colors. As the children squish the bags, the colors mix together.

Notes to remember:
Know your group of children and what they can handle to determing if they need to be taped shut.
Use the "tape it to the wall" scenario if your children are oral explorers so they don't bit the bags open and choke on the pieces.
Fill the bags with things that are safe for the children, and easily wiped up if spilled...There will be at least one bag that will get a hole in it and spill everything out.

Insta Snow

In a preschool setting, we look for things that facinate and stimulate children. Well, Insta Snow does just that. I have been using this stuff for years. I attend the annual CAEYC conference for many reason, on of the top reasons being to buy my supply of InstaSnow. I always buy it from Steve Spangler Science because I am a loyal buyer. He was the first one who introduced me to this product, he keeps a reasonable price, and he always has a great deal of the conferences.

What is Instasnow? It's a super absorbent polymer! It holds lots of water basically. The fun part is in how you use it. I use this in a few different ways. First, I use it as a science activity. This is not snow, so I don't tell the children it is. I tell them that it is pretend snow. I live in southern California, and we don't get snow. It's great to pretend; but it would be a lie to tell the children that this is snow. They already think milk comes from a bottle in the store and not a cow; now snow comes in a jar? Nope! So, I don't use it in my weather activities, I use it in my "fascinating stuff" materials. The most fun in the science part is the observation. I either fill the cups with water and then put a scoop of instasnow into the water; or put a scoop on instasnow in the cup and add water. Either way, the observation is the watching the water suddenly turn into a solid, fluffy, mess of stuff spilling over the top of the cups. We count to see how long it takes to absorb the water; we guess how much it will grow in mass (will 1/4 cup make 1 cup?). I have also used colored water as well, but only once or twice.

I also use this as a sensory activity. Pure and simple sensory table material. Sometimes I add spoons and cups; or small animals; or even lower case and capital case letters (find the matching ones). I also sometimes just leave it plain and we just use our hands. Either way, it is sure to get plenty of use! When using just hands, I have had the children pat it down flat and then write names and shapes with their fingers, turning it into a writing activity. Insta snow is very versatile.

A few things to remember when using Insta Snow:

First, it is VERY slippery when it's on the ground. For this reason, I usually will lay down a blanket or some foam puzzle pieces. This way, when it does fall out of the table (and it will) no one gets hurt. However, I have had some very responsible groups that I just plainly tell them "If it falls on the ground, it will get slippery; so be careful and try to keep it all in the table and walk carefully."

If you have children who must put everything in their mouths, this is probably not for them. It won't really hurt them; this is actually the stuff they use in disposable diapers, so it really isn't bad for them.

Most of all, sit back and have fun! If they are outside, who cares if they throw it up in the air to make it "snow". I am all for telling the children the truth, but it they make it up I'm game for it.