Read your books

It is very important that we are intentional with everything that we do in the classroom.  I have seen teachers who, wanting a literacy rich classroom, fill their rooms with books.  Everywhere you turn there are books.  This isn’t a bad thing. 

However, I caution you to be intentional in the books you put out.  Make sure there is a good balance of fiction and non-fiction, fantasy, real, science, math, language, and all levels.

I was at Costco this weekend and was looking through the various books they had for children.  Costco is a great place to get what I call “toy books”.  These are books that do have words and are meant to be read, but they are much more interactive than literacy based.

They aren’t bad to have around, but again, be careful and intentional.  Why do I emphasize this point?  Because of the following:'

I picked up this book that is a foam book, so probably intended for the Infant/Toddler reader.  It is called a Lift & Look Opposites, therefore, I already know that it will be about things that are opposites.  It looks cute enough at the front

It actually wasn’t too bad.  It had simple sentences that worked through as rhymes.  This is always a bonus so that it becomes predictable somewhat as well as easy to memorize. 

I was chuckling to myself knowing that those shaped puzzle type pieces that popped in and out as the lift & look would often be found strewn about.  The children will LOVE taking these out. 

Then I got to the last page.  If you can’t see it says, “Cheetah is fast.  Who is slow?”  Think you know the answer?

I forget what the line before it said, but I thought I knew for sure that it was going to be a snail.  To my surprise, this is what I saw:

  

WHAT!?!  Do you see it, too?  That, dear readers, is a BEE front and center.  I was shocked.  I stuck the piece back in and turned to my husband.  I said, “Honey, what’s the first thing you see when I take this off.” 

I took the piece out and he said, “A bee.”

Yep, that bee is front and center and BIGGER than the snail to which the child is supposed to be looking at.  It says, “Snail is slow.”

It actually took me a pause to notice that the snail was even there.  He is just kicking it back there on the fence, almost blended in to the background.  He gets completely missed!

I wasn’t really looking to buy any books that day; however, if I was, this would be reason enough for me to not purchase this book.

This is what I mean when I say we have to be intentional in what we bring into the classroom.

What’s the worst mistake you’ve noticed in a children’s book?  What’s the best children’s book you have ever seen?  What’s the most surprisingly good book you have ever seen?

Literacy and Home School Connections

We are in the middle of a 4 day weekend.

Most, if not all, of the children in our classrooms had a very exciting weekend.

Monday is going to be crazy for those children in attendance because it was a long weekend (filled with candy and presents) AND this is another short week.

How do we keep things a little bit sane?  Making those connections!

Why not invite those aunts and uncles to visit for a couple hours?  They can share in the children’s experiences and the children LOVE feeling that special.

Have the children write their own books and stories about their exciting weekends.  This is where dictation paper comes in handy.  Have them draw pictures of the people who visited or they visited.  Draw pictures about what they ate for that special meal.  Draw pictures of their favorite present.  You get the idea.

Then, turn those pictures into special books for each child.  Put those books into the library area.  Children will revisit their books and then have a chance to share their experiences together!

This works for more than just the holidays, but it’s a great way to focus on these hectic days.

Authors and Illustrators

Authors and Illustrators are people.  They are very talented people that we make sure to recognize in our classrooms daily.  Each classroom highlights an author every week.  The children learn about the authors in great detail: where they are from, books they have written, heck, if we can find out, we’ll even talk about their favorite foods.

We do this to make sure the children know that authors and illustrators are people and not just words on a page.  We post their pictures on the circle board all week.

Another way to reiterate that authors and illustrators are people, and to give children a love for books, is to make the children authors and illustrators themselves.

We do this in two ways.  The first way is one that I am sure many of your preschool classrooms are doing (and if you’re not, you need to be).  We have the children write their own stories.  Take out the dictation paper, have them draw a picture, and then the teacher sits down and writes the words with them, right?

One very important aspect of this is to make sure that the children know WHERE to draw their pictures.  Having introduced them to the books very carefully during circle time and free choice time and any other time we can find, the children are familiar with the makings of a book.  They know the front, the back, the spine, where to find the words, etc…

The second way we enforce for them that authors and illustrators are people; and to also instill a bit of teamwork, we have a very fun activity.  This is typically done on weeks that the book has an author who is different than the illustrator.

Then the children pair up with one being the author and the other the illustrator.  The first time we do this, they work very closely with the teacher.  They talk about what kind of story they would like to tell.  They map out their story together.

There are then two different ways to implement.  First, have the illustrator draw the pictures.  Once the child is finished, then sit down with the author and have that child tell you the story as you write it out for them.

The other way is in reverse: have the author sit with you and tell you their story, then sit with the illustrator and read them the words on each page and have them illustrate that story.

It’s a great way to enforce so many aspects of development and learning.  Also, don’t forget when it’s done to read it during circle time.  They will LOVE it and it will spark all sorts of other books and teams of authors and illustrators.

Book of the Week-Eight Animals Bake a Cake

Eight Animals Bake a Cake by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Lee Chapman.

This is a great book! It's easy to read for any teacher, even those of us who are not fluent in Spanish. We can still read it without butchering the words. This is the same author of Say Hola to Spanish. She has done another great job creating a book that both English and Spanish speaking children can both enjoy.

There is a different illustrator this time, so the look of the book is different. This isn't good or bad, just different. The animals have an interesting look to them, but it seems to humanize them for the children; so it works. Each picture tells the story in itself and ease each a work of art.

Back to the story line: The animals are coming together to create a cake. You don't really know that (other than the title) until they all get together. But there are so many lessons in the simple text. There is the bilingual language; the social skills of coming together; the conflict resolution after the cake gets ruined; the science activity that is sure to evolve from this reading into making a cake; the team work; and so much more.

A fabulous book to read for those three year olds who are working on social skills. There is also a recipe for the cake in the back of the book!

However, there is no pictures. So, here's the author:

Pacifiers and giving them up

In the toddler rooms, there is, on occasion, children who still need that pacifier. We quickly ween them off of them. Why? Because the purpose of a pacifier is to be a soother. At two, the children should be able to sooth themselves. It also gets in the way of language development.

Here are my rules for children with pacifiers;

1. When you are done soothing yourself, it goes away. This means that you are no longer sucking on it and don't need the security of it. I have been known to allow them to carry it in their pocket; after all, I let them keep a blanket close buy or any other lovie if they need it. In the classroom I always have a cup with their name on it at their level so that they can put it away and get it on their own. I also only allow one pacifier in the room per child.

2. Once we get past the first few weeks, they only get it at drop off and nap. Plus, since it is only to be used to soothe, you can only be in the soft area with it. This is where children go who are crying and upset to calm back down. If you want to come out, you have to give up the pacifier. At nap time, it will be waiting for you on your bed. Once you get off your bed, it goes away.

3. You may not use it while talking. It must come out of your mouth if you want to talk to me. You can stick it back in after you get done, but not while talking.

4. The pacifier is a tool to be used only to help calm back down and focus. If a child needs to use it during circle because they get too fidgety otherwise, that's okay. It really is based on each individual child's need.

So, here is what a typical drop off looks like for a child with a pacifier;

Johnny comes in (usually with pacifier in mouth). Mom says goodbye and he is upset. Johnny goes to the soft area to read a book while calming down. Once he is calm, Johnny gets up and walks over to the cups, finds his name (and picture) and puts his pacifier in the cup. He pretty much doesn't use it again until nap time.

At nap time, the pacifier is waiting for him. After a few weeks, Johnny will walk right in the classroom and immediately put the pacifier in the cup without needing it to separate from mom. After he has mastered this we "forget" to put it on his bed. Most times he won't even notice or say anything. If he does ask for it, the first few days we may get it. After that, we will work with him on falling asleep without it; this usually doesn't involve anything more than rubbing his back which we would do anyway (with or without the pacifier).

At the point which he is napping without the pacifier, this is where we tell the parent that she no longer needs to bring it in. This is always a bit nerve wracking for them; but they will quickly see that he really doesn't need it. Especially if you can show her that he puts it away right when he walks in and that he doesn't use it at nap either.

Also know that, typically, the child will use it at home a bit longer than he will at school.

How do you treat pacifiers at your center?

Book of the Week-From Head to Toe

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle is a fabulous book for all ages, but especially toddlers. This is an active book that encourages movement. It works systematically through the body from the head down to the toes moving different parts with a different animal on each page.

This books give the children the opportunity to increase their vocabulary in many ways: words on movement: turn, bend, kick, wiggle, wave, etc... words that label: monkey, giraffe, donkey, and many other animals. body parts: head, arms, legs, knees, toes, and many more. This is one of the ways that the book is great for toddlers.

Another great thing is the movement. Children do the actions as you read; you can't stop it, they just do! It's engaging and gets the children up and moving. Now, some teachers have commented that they either skip the donkey or stop the children from doing the movement. I don't! I can teach the children awareness of their peers as well as the space around them. How much space do you need so you don't kick a classmate? Be careful. I warn them before I turn the page: "Okay, make sure you have enough space and watch your feet." I haven't had a kicked face yet!

The pictures are typical for Eric Carle; and I think that's something else the children love. A definite must in any toddler classroom. A great book for those days that the children in ANY room just can't settle in.

And here is the author, Eric Carle

Alphabet Sorting Containers

There are so many items that we have in the classroom that I consider a luxury. No matter how much your center has or doesn't have, everyone has luxury items. What I consider to be luxury items are anything that is not an absolute need.

We need: red, yellow, blue, white, and black tempura paint.

We also get: orange, green, purple, pink, magenta, and all the other fancy colors.

We need: markers, crayons, paper, scissors, glue

We also get: feathers, pompom balls, every color of construction paper, fancy scissors, etc...

We need: books

We also get: big books, books on tape/CD

We need: pencils and plain paper (scrap paper would work)

We also get: line newsprint, pencils of every size

Do you get where I am going? There are some things that we enhance what we are doing. It's not a bad thing; really it's not! We can make a lesson out of anything, yet we fall back on some items that aren't necessary. I look for teachers who can make quality lessons with a rock and some leaves. Anyone can sort and categorize colored teddy bears; a thought provoked teacher can sort and categorize anything!

That brings me to the Alphabet Sorting Containers that somehow made their way into my center (They were there when I arrived years ago). Now, we don't need this. Any teacher can ask the children to bring in items that start with a letter and add it to the manipulative area, or the science area. However, today I was sitting with a child who is three and a half. This is a child with lots of behavior challenges. He sat with me for 30 minutes picking up different items from a bowl, saying the name of the item, and repeating the first sound over and over until he figured out what letter that was. Yes, I helped him with some; probably more than not. He is 3 after all and we don't work on academics until the second half of their preschool year. They first have to learn to socialize. The pride on his face when he said "Lion...llll...llllll....llllll...ELLL!" That made this item worth it.

So, I am not saying that everyone should go out and get this item. What I am saying is, if you have a few hundred dollars sitting around and wondering what you should buy (and you don't need 5 more gallons of paint, new paintbrushes in every size, big huge easel paper, play food, or anything else) go ahead and spend your money on this. It is worth it.

However, if you don't have the money...make your own with the children. They will remember it so much more!

Book of the Week-Say Hola to Spanish

Say Hola to Spanish by Susan Middleton Elya is a great book to introduce English speaking children to Spanish. Keep in mind, however, that this is an instroduction to Spanish. The Spanish words are integrated into the English sentences in a poetic way to introduce the children to so much vocabulary. It really is a great introduction. When I read this book to the children, they ask for it over and over and over again. This is especially useful when you have a new child who speaks no English; it opens up the door to communication between them and the children who speak no Spanish. A very fun, charming, engaging book!

Catalogs

There is nothing like a catalog. Not for us in the administration. Not even for the teachers as they dream about what they would like to have in the classroom. For the children! They love catalogs. Want to see a group of children sit at a table for possibly hours on end, without fighting, and all talking to each other? Put a couple catalogs in the middle of the table. Some types of catalogs (Avon, coldwater creek, oriental trade) will get conversations that talk about what they like. They discuss the pictures; and just plain enjoy looking through them. Other catalogs (Discount School Supply, Lakeshore, Kaplan) are great fun. They not only talk about what they see and like, but they begin to make connections to what is in the classroom. Most of the time, in my experience, it quickly goes from "Hey this is the same carpet we have" to "Miss N, can we get this?" They make that cognitive connection that the things in their classroom are the things that are in this catalog; that must mean that there is a possibility to have more!
I am always impressed with the language and conversation that comes out of this simple thing. They develop so much language, conversations, social skills, and everything from a simple catalog. They even develop small motor skills (turning pages), literacy skills (which way do the pages turn, what are these words, etc..), and, in an older group, math skills (how much would we need to have to buy these five things you want to get?).

Curriculum Ideas-Stone Soupd comes to life

Have you ever read the story stone soup? It's one of my favorites. I especially love to do a storytelling rendition of it in the classroom. I have a special stone that I once found that only comes out for this purpose. I have been using it for years! Anyway, I would encourage you to find a special stone for this purpose. I get a clear bowl and set it aside; I also fill a cloth bag with all sorts of play food (carrots, lettuce, corn, salt/pepper shakers, etc...). I also have a pitcher of water available and a long wooden spoon. I start the story by showing my special stone, "Do you see this stone? This is a very special stone. It's very old and it has a very special, magical story that goes with it. Would you like to hear the story?" Well, of course they are all enamoured and want to hear the story. Wouldn't you? As I tell the story, I bring out the supplies as needed. The whole storytelling is one which leaves the children in awe and wondering...and always begging for another telling. I usually tell it everyday (sometimes several times a day) for about a week. After this, the children are eager for my next lesson plan idea...we make a classroom, very edible, stone soup.
I send home a request list to the parents of items we need to be shared with the classroom. I have done this a couple of ways: 1, make a list and post it on the door; 2, send a list home and ask them to bring in something off the list; and 3, send a paper bag home with each child with a specific item listed on the bag to be brought in. The last one works best. This one gets every parent to remember to bring in something and you don't end up with tons of carrots and no corn.
Leading up to this, I talk to the children about parties and dancing and singing, and we decide on the activities for the day of the soup making (I also plan a few surprises of my own). On the day of the making, we start immediately after breakfast. I set up a crock pot at circle time. I pull out the special stone and start the story telling process. "Let's see if this stone will work for us." I announce as I place it in the crock pot. Then I tell the story as if they are the villagers. They get all excited when I mumble to myself "It tastes all right, it just needs a bit of corn." "Oh, I have corn Miss Jenni!" Then, after the story telling, I have to leave it hanging because the villagers all dance and sing and have a party (in this version: "while they wait for it to cook"). And we have party games and I always include a dance lesson (square dances or line dances work well). We play musical instruments and it is a VERY busy morning hopping from one activity to the next. Then, of course, lunch time comes and we enjoy our soup!
This is a fabulous activity that totally wears them out (nap time is a dream!). It also takes some preplanning on your part. You have to introduce the story at a time that they are ready for it; and you have to get them so enamoured with the story that they ALL are eager to hear it and experience it. During this process, you also have to pick your window of opportunity. Have your soup party too early, and only some will be interested; have it too late, and they'll be tired of the story by this time and won't be interested. It is a great language and literacy experience; it's great for sharing and community; and it's fabulous for introducing some dancing and singing that maybe some of them would never try otherwise.
It's also a very busy day that, for the most part, the whole group seems to travel together (no one really breaks off into their own areas for fear that they will miss the magic of the soup).
In the end, however, it is well worth it!

Question of the Day

Two years ago, our agency decided to by the Question of the Day for every preschool classroom. We mandated it to be used every day. Let me just say now, I am never for mandating something to be used in a classroom because each child, teacher, and classroom is different. What works for one does not necessarily work for the other. For that matter, what works one year does not necessarily work the next (even with the same classroom and teacher...the children are different). That being said, the Question of the Day is a useful tool in the classroom. The way the classrooms use it is at circle time they ask the chidlren the question of the day, the child then takes their nametag and puts it under the answer they choose, and then you count it...like a graph. It is a very useful tool! It helps with language, math, and social skills. However, if I were in the classroom this is how I would use it:

When the children arrive, the question would already be posted. At this time, they would (with their parent) find thier name tag. They would then read the question and make a choice for an answer. This would bring in the parent involvement and give the child a responsibility that needs to be completed (kind of like homework). Then at circle time we would discuss the results. I would allow any child to comment on why they chose their answer if they wanted to, giving them an opportunity to create conversation and also to wait their turn to talk. Used right, this tool could be a huge resource of stimulation in the classroom. Name recognition, lanugage, communication, social skills, counting, patterning, comparisons, etc...

Now, the product itself is very well made. Yes, you could probably make it yourself with a poster board and some velcro, but this was definatly worth the money. All the pieces are laminated; this means you can write the children's names on the tags and reuse them next year. Here's a handy tip: use permanent marker so the names don't wear off. At the end of the year, or when the child leaves, rub a dry erase marker over the letters and wipe off. Anytime you get permanent marker on a wipable surface, dry erase will erase it! It also comes with a box full of potential questions, front and back, and they are catagorized and sorted. It's easy to decide what kind of question you are looking for and then find it. Want a question on colors? How about animals? Transportation? Yes or no questions? It's got them all. What? You can't find the question you want? Well it also comes with several blank pieces so that you can make up your own question. The answer cards are also catagorized and have lots of options. Again, there are some blanks for you to make your own answers. I like to mix it up and make it fun for the children. For example: How did you come to scholl today? Car, walk, bus, airplane. The children find this funny, and even funnier when one of the characters actually chooses airplane.

Let them pick their answers. This is one of those "there are no wrong answers" activities. So what if they want to say they came by plane? Does it really matter? They have their reasons. Maybe they pretended their car was a plane this morning...maybe that was the only way mom could get them in the carseat!

I would say that this is an activity that should be in every classroom (whether you buy this product or not). I would also say that this product is well worth the money and is an asset to the classroom experience.

Heart day!

Yes, I am mean. I don't let my classrooms celebrate Valentine's day. I do this for several reasons: 1st, it is to commemorate a religious saint!!! I have to keep religion out of it; therefore I can't teach the children the real history of this holiday. 2nd, do I really want all those kids bouncing off the walls on candy?. 3rd, Valentine's day is supposed to be a day that celebrates love and a day for lovers; well, do the children really love each other? They aren't even developmentally able to for friendships, no less love! and so the reasons go on and on.
What do I do instead? Well, my two year old class is talking about mail and where does mail come from? And how do you mail a letter? And if we time it right, they get to see the postman deliver our mail and maybe even ask a few questions.
My 3 year old classroom is talking about the colors red, white, and pink. We are mixing red and white to make pink; we are hunting for things around the center in those colors, and they are dressing in those colors to come to school. This will also lead to making patterns by standing in line according to the colors in our shirts.
The Pre K classrooms are writing letters to another center to create pen pals. They will get to mail these letters out themselves. So, we are practicing our writing skills, plus learning a new form of writing skill: writing a letter.
So you see, we still do something special, we just leave the Valentine's for the parents and home.

Curriculum Ideas-A child's view

This was a very fun activity. When I did this, we used disposable cameras. My teachers now use a cheap digital camera. You can get some really low cost cameras at Walmart most of the time. I've even seen some for under $15. I don't mind letting the children using these cameras. Anyway, let each child use a camera to take 3-4 pictures each. They get to choose anything they want. They can take a picture of their friends, something in the classroom, outside, their parents. Anything they like. Then get the pictures printed.
Once the pictures are printed, the real fun begins. Give each child their choice: They can use one paper per picture, or all pictures on one page, or anything inbetween. Once they have decided where their pictures will sit, have them glue them on. I use glue sticks because it's a little less destructive to the pictures in the end. One teacher even had the children use stickers on the corners to hold them on the page; that was a nice touch. Once they have the pictures in place, they get to tell a story about their picture. At this, I also give the children a choice. They can dictate to me and have me type it up; they can have me write it directly on the paper; they can have me write it on a separate paper which they will then cut out and glue on their page; or they can write with me helping them spell the hard words. This last choice is more for the advanced student.
Once everyone has made their pages we read them aloud to the class. I usually will pick 2 to read at each circle time throughout the day and week. By the end of the week, I have read everyone's books. I then put each of the pages in a clear plastic sheet protector and make a binder with everyone's stories in it. This is a great activity for language and literacy. The stories the children come up with are fabulous. You can also really see where some of them are in their story telling. You'll get some who just tell you what the picture is of; then you'll have others tell you a made up story to intepret their pictures. It's great fun! It's also fun to do a few times during the year to see how their ideas develop.

Book of the week-Parts by Tedd Arnold

Do have a child that worries over things? How about a child who likes to play with words? How about a child who just loves to read books? Are you doing a parent workshop of parenting skills or talking with children? Well, this book is perfect for all of those. This book is great fun to read! The rhyming and rhythm of this book is part of its charm. Tedd Arnold is a great children author. He is one of the authors that I have a collection of, I have a copy of every book he has written. I love all of them. I do have to say that "Parts" is one of my favorites. He also did a great follow up in "More Parts" and "Even more parts". "Parts" focuses on things that children come upon in every day life that may scare them. I had a child in my classroom who freaked out when he got a small cut on his finger. This book was great in helping him calm down. This book has done a fabulous job of making scary things not so scary anymore.

The follow up book "More parts" is also great for talking about the nuansces of lanugage. It talks about a "broken heart". To us, not so bad, to a child who doesn't have enough experience in the world..that can be a very scary image! These are great books to pull out for those children who may be worried about something or who have misunderstood something someone has said.

Again, the only thing I would encourage Tedd Arnold to do differently would be to add a picture of himself on the cover. I love to see those authors!

Things Homemade Friday-Costumes

The children had a blast with this one! It was real simple. Get a box. We just use the onesthat supplies come in. The best are the boxes from office depot. But the paper towel cases work well too! Cut out two holes for eyes. We found that cutting the holes for the arms, cut it all the way down so the box just rests on the shoulders is better. It was very difficult for the children to get their arms in and out; some of them would get stuck in it. Then you have a panicy 3 year old who can't think clearly and disaster is in the make...plus then they are apprhensive to try it again. Let the children help paint it. If you can get enough boxes, make one for each child. The teacher here had found some colored celophane to use in the eyes. The children really liked this! They had a blast! This lasted for close to a month before it got beyond reparable; by that time the chidlren were ready to move on anyway. They named this costume "Sponge Bob", can you guess why? It was a great project.

Now, the developmental areas: art (for obvious reasons) and dramatic play (again for obvious reasons); but it also had a lot of discussion (lanugage) both while they were making it and while they were playing with it. Conflict resolution was huge at first and of course waiting for your turn.

A great project for home or school!

Book of the week-Tank Tank Skunk

This weeks book is Tank Tank Skunk! by Steve Webb. I only have one complaint about the book: I can't find a picture of Steve Webb anywhere. Unless he is the British politician, which he may be. I haven't been able to find much of a history on this author, and I have only found one other book by him (which I have still to check out). As I mentioned before, I like to have a picture of the authors so that the children can make a connection to an actual person.

Other than that one issue, I love Tanka Tanka Skunk! Children of all ages love it as well. I have read this book succesfully with children as young as 12 months all the way up to 5 years old. It is a great book for so many things: rhythm, rhyming, music, animal recognition, syllables, volume (loud and soft) and patterning. The "refrain" of the book is simple and the children quickly pick it up before the first time through. This way they can immediatly participate in the reading of it. This engages them quickly! The pictures are simple and viabrant. It also does what every toddler probably wishes every book did: insists on reading it again, as the last sentence is "Once more from the top...faster this time, please!"

In some ways, it's like the song that never ends. When I want to stop reading this book, I just leave out that last page. It's a great way for children to practice with lanugage and rhyming. The older the children, the fast they try to go every time we read it through.

A great activity with this book is to have some drums and percusion instruments to beat along with as you read. When you start talking about syllables, this is the first book that should come out!

There are common animals, such as a donkey and a duck, and there are also animals that you never really read about in children's books, such as lemur, badger, yak, and armadillo.

Children will also be able to read this book on their own as the pictures tell you the words. They will easily read this on their own.

This is one of those books that is necessary in any classroom or home library! It will last through many years of growth!

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!

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.

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.