Curriculum Ideas-From a song

There is a simple finger play song that goes like this:

5 little froggies sitting on a well
1 looked up and down he fell
Froggies jump high
Forggies jump low
How many froggies left in a row?

Of course, the simple thing is to sing this as a finger play putting down one finger at a time. But, why would I go with the simple here? Let's expand this idea:

First idea (this children LOVE this):
Get a container of water to be the well. I have found the disposable food containers work very well for this. You know the kind, ziplock or reynold's have. They are cheap and sturdy. Get one with mouth that opens 4-6 inches is best, but pretty much anything works.

Fill the container up to an inch from the top with water. Get a lincoln log or a long block from the block area and rest it on the edge. I should note here that when you do this teacher directed, put the log closest to you. Then get 5 little toy frogs (I use the frogs from this, but you can find little frogs anywhere). As you, and the children, sing, drop the frogs in the water one at a time.

The children get a HUGE kick out of this. Once you introduce this to them, make sure to put it out on the table as one of the activities. If you don't...they will! So, you might as well be proactive about it and beat them to it. If possible (read you have enough materials) set up 3 or 4 stations until the newness wears off. Then, now don't be afraid, put it in the language and literacy area. That's right! Maybe don't put as much water, but go ahead...trust them! It's only water and I have yet to have a huge disaster that got out of control.

Second Idea:
During a transition time, change the words to include the children. Let's pretend you are in circle time and it's time to go choose activities. There are 16 children there today so you start:

16 froggies sitting on a well
Jose looked up and down he fell (at this point Jose gets to stand up in his spot or in the center)
Jose jumps high (have Jose jump as high as he can)
Jose jumps low (have Jose make little hopping jumps)
And off he goes...(Jose now gets to go to his activity)

This is a longer transition song so it also works well for getting hands washed and bathroom runs done since there is ample amount of time between verses for the person to have washed his hands.

Third Idea:
You have the finger play puppets for 5 green and speckled frogs...use it here!

Fourth Idea:
Buy a long post at the lumbar store (one that has a flat edge so it won't roll) and put it out in the yard. Have children stand on it and sing the song, jumping off when it's their turn.

Anyone else have a great extension for this song?

This song is so closely related to the 5 green and speckled frogs you can almost do the same activities with that song as well.

Challenging Situations-Transition to New Classroom

Okay, I decided to change the name of our Friday series to Challenging Situations rather than behaviors. I find that most of the time it is the situation that causes the behavior and so we need to solve the situation rather than the behavior. Now, let's move on to this weeks situation:

It's that time of year when children move from one classroom to the next. This situation comes from a center who is moving two year olds up to the three year old classroom. Last week they moved 5 children slowly. Their transition looks like this:

Monday, children visit from after breakfast to before lunch
Tuesday, children visit from after breakfast to after lunch, but before nap
Wednesday, children visit from after breakfast to after lunch and are given the choice to nap in the new room. When they wake up they go back to the old classroom.
Thursday, children visit from after breakfast through nap and, if they want, the can stay.
Friday, children visit from after breakfast through the rest of the day.

These steps are flexible. If a child shows any signs of stress at any point they pull back a bit and try again tomorrow. Also, if a child so chooses, they can stay longer at any point as well. For the most part, however, the children are comfortable with this progression and, typically, there is one or two children who are so ready that the first day they pretty much stay in the new room all day.

It should also be noted that three months before this transition, the teacher in the new classroom visits the children in their classroom once a week for an hour during free choice. This gives them an opportunity to get comfortable with her as well as for her to get to know the children. The two's teacher can also help facilitate creating a relationship with the three's teacher so that the children know that she is someone they can go to for help.

At the same time that the three's teacher is visiting the classroom, the two's teacher begins to take the children into the new classroom once a week while the older children are outside playing. This gives the children an opportunity to check out the room at their leisure and find out where the bathroom, cubbies, sinks, and everything else is.

With all this work, transition week should be real easy on the children. For the most part, it is! However, this year they have twin boys (Kent and Charlie) who are having a tough time. Really, Charlie is having the most difficulty. It has been a week since they have been fully in that room and Charlie will even refuse to get out of the car. Kent will go, but reluctantly.

After talking to the two's teacher, it's discovered that they did the same thing when they started. So, this seems to be a pattern when there are major changes. They also, once settled into the classroom, are fine and participating in the new environment; so they have adjusted fairly well. It's just the new drop off routine that is shaking them up.

The solution: Since Kent is going, although reluctantly, he will continue to be dropped off in the new classroom. For a week, Charlie will be allowed to say goodbye in the two's classroom; but once mom has left and he has said goodbye, the two's teacher will take him to his new classroom. By the end of the second week, the teacher should be able to take his hand and, while saying goodbye, walk him to the new classroom.

With his brother already settled in the new room, this should help the transition. By the third week, the teacher may need to walk with the mom and Charlie, but mom should really be able to say goodbye in the classroom to both the boys on her own.

Though the transition week has gone by, Charlie obviously needs a little more time to adjust. Are we catering to his whim? No, we are catering to his need. That's a big difference! The easier we can make it on them the better they will adjust.

Transition Activities-Put them in boxes

Today is a great transition activity. We have talked before about moving children in groups and slowly. So, here is a great way to dismiss from circle one at a time, or any other gathering time. This is a transition activity that moves pretty quickly, so it's not appropriate for going to hand washing. The best time to use this is after circle time or when they need to line up at the door.

First, have the children climb into imaginary boxes. Show them what it should look like. Then call out this rhyme to each child and have them respond:

Teacher: " (name) in a box, so quiet and still; won't you come out?"
Child: Jumps up and responds, "Of course I will!"

The child is then allowed to go find an activity to do or line up or whatever.

Helpful hint, if someone is really wiggly in their box, call them next! Also, remind any of those heads that pop up, "stay in your box". If you call the wiggly ones first, they are more likely to stay longer next time; plus you won't get frustrated with them wiggling about.

I have the experience of children hopping up and moving to the side of the room that I called the last child; so I have found that if I randomly call different children, they are most likely going to stay in their spot instead of hopping around where they will no doubt step on someone accidentally.

Transition Activities

I spent the day in the classroom subbing for one of my teachers. Through this time I discovered I was teaching the assistant a bit more than I expected to be teaching her. The major thing was Transition Activities! It's so much easier to move a group of children a little at a time rather than as a whole group. One activity that I used is here. This is the simplest activity:

Pick anything (shirts, shoes, pants, jackets, etc...) and call out colors. You need to make sure that you don't call blue jeans first or else the entire group gets up at once! But find something that sticks out. Here, I was actually very surprised to find, that most of the children had laces. Only three children had velcro on their shoes, so I started with that. This allows for a slow movement.

When we were coming in for breakfast, I called by color of anything: "If you are wearing orange, go wash your hands for breakfast." The assistant teacher was inside at the sink ready to receive children to wash their hands and direct them.

My favorite, and best controlled for a long transition, is to sing a song that sends one at a time. I used the frog today:

10 little froggies sitting on a well
Jose looked up and down he fell
Jose jumps high
Jose jumps low
And off he goes

This works well for getting ready for lunch. Now, Jose can go put his mat out, get his blanket, and start washing his hands before the next child is done with their verse of the song. You can change any counting song to do just this. The cookie song also works well for this time:

Rachel took the cookie from the cookie jar
(Rachel responds) Who me?
Yes you!
Couldn't be!
Then who?
(Rachel then chooses another child then goes and washes her hands)

These transition times can also be a great time to test the children in what they know. Call them out by a concept:

If your name starts with a B, go find an activity
If your birthday is in March, go find an activity
If your last name is Smith, go find an activity
If you are a boy, go find an activity

You will quickly be able to tell if they understand these concepts; especially when you have that boy sitting down at the end with black, laced, velcroed shoes!

Transitions should be a time that move the children in an orderly fashion from one place or activity to the next. Once they arrive at the next place, there shouldn't be waiting.

Most importantly, unless the whole group jumps up at once, if one or two children wander off before they are called, don't make a big deal. They are obviously not ready to wait. If you see a child is getting antsy waiting, make sure the next one they call is them. Don't torment the child by making her wait until the end because she can't sit still. Do both of you a favor and let her go!

Favorite song

I just realized I have yet to give you a great circle time song! I think that I will try and make a regular posting on songs for the classroom. We always need new creative ideas right? So, here is my kids absolute favorite song. It's a counting song and is loud and soft all at the same time. So here it is:

5 dinosaurs sleeping on the cave floor (hold up5 fingers and speak very softly)
They woke up and started to ROAR! (stretch like you're waking up and ROAR LOUDLY!)
There's no more room (point finger and move it back and forth)
No more no more (continue wagging finger in the air)
There's no more room on this cave floor (point to floor)
So they tossed (roll arms in front of you)
And they turned (roll arms opposite way in front of you)
And they pushed galore! (push hands out in front of you)
And 1 dinosaur rolled out the cave door. (hold up one finger then roll arms again)

Continue until you get to 1:
1 dinosaur sleeping on the cave floor
He woke up and started to cry
He missed his dinosaur friends
So he goes to the cave door and shouts!
"Dinosaur friends! Come back!"
Then all the dinosuars rolled back into the cave and...
They all went to sleep.

The children love the last verse! The one's who actually remember after a few times get proud that they can remember that it changes! This is a huge hit!
This is also a great song to act out. Have 5 children stand in front of the group. The "actors" love it because they get to roll across the floor.
I have also succefully used this as a transition song dismissing the children from circle. I change the last line to say "and Rosy dinosaur rolled out the cave door." The child then rolls out of circle and then goes to an activity or whatever is next (hand washing for lunch, skill builder time, outdoor time, etc...). It's a great transition activity.