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Family Kids Crafts Spring Paper Plate Ladybugs

Preschool Ethics

We are all learning every day.  Children learn.  Adults learn.  We learn from each other.  In order to role model all the characteristics we value in life, we must hold ourselves as preschool educators to the highest standards.  If we want our children to learn empathy, we must be empathetic.  If we want them to be compassionate, honest, kind, leaders, etc., we must exhibit those same traits ourselves.  In the eyes of young children, we are their "heroes."  We are their "idols."  It may sound dramatic, but it's true.  We are being watched every moment and our children are learning from our actions.  Being an early childhood educator is a daunting job that requires courage and consistency.  Not only are our little ones observing our actions and listening to our words, they are internalizing it all and storing it up for future use.  We cannot let them down.  We all have less than stellar days in the classroom but that should not keep us from dusting ourselves off and walking a more exemplary path the next day.  Not only are our children watching us in the classroom, they are watching us out of the classroom as we interact with other staff members, parents, and administrators.  They may not fully understand all the "hats" we wear each day, but they know what they see and they know what they hear and that's enough.  It's a challenge we all face everyday but it's one that cannot be underestimated and must not be forgotten.  So, forge ahead with courage knowing that your "job" with young children is one of the most important ones in the world.  You CAN do it!

Kudos!

In March, the 3 & 4 year old classes at my preschool engage in a learning unit about construction.  This is always a favorite unit as there is lots of hands-on learning available to the children.  I am fortunate to employ a number of very creative and dedicated teachers who are always looking for ways to make learning fun.  One of the teachers in the 4 year old class remembered something she had recently read and applied it to her class.  She provided the children with our homemade playdough and then added golf tees and plastic hammers to the playdough table.  The children LOVED it!  They were always successful both at pounding the tees and pulling them out.  They had FUN, they developed their small motor skills, hand strength, and hand-eye coordination.  They learned to cooperate with others and expanded their vocabulary.  In the past, we have pounded into Styrofoam, wood scraps, tree trunks, and even pumpkins but what could be simpler than a mound of purple playdough?!  Sometimes we just need to remember that "less is more" and that we don't need expensive, elaborate manipulatives to reinforce a concept.  Thanks--I needed that!

Learning To Love Learning

This is the time of year when many parents are thinking about sending their preschool-age child to school in the fall.  So, the hunt is on for the "right" preschool.  Of course, each family has their own definition of what constitutes a good preschool and a good education.  It is a very individual choice as well as a very important one. 
It seems to me that the main purpose of preschool is to help children learn to love school.  We want them to know that preschool is a safe, happy, and fun place.  We want them to want to come to school every day with the eagerness that only a child can exhibit.  Yes, parents need to ask pertinent questions of the administration of the school in order to find out answers to their adult concerns.  But, children just want to know that they are going to have a great time at a great place with great people! 

Academics are important but, at this age, socialization is equally important.  Learning to be a friend, learning how to resolve conflicts, learning how to separate from parents, learning to take turns, learning to safely explore their environment, learning personal responsibility, learning to care for others, learning to see a world outside themselves....these are are cornerstones to all future learning. 

There's a country song called "Let Them Be Little" that hits the nail on the head.  Why are we in such a hurry to have our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers grow up?  Is there an advantage to pushing the envelope?  These beautiful years are much too short for us to try to move them forward so quickly.  Time is a wonderful gift--a gift your child will benefit from in a myriad of ways. 

So, give your child the gift of time--time to grow and learn at his/her own pace and time with those he/she loves the most.  Choose wisely and you won't regret it!

Little Busy Bodies: Great Books for Preschool

Little Busy Bodies: Great Books for Preschool: " The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone The Berenstains' B Book by Stan and Jan Berenstain Froggy Gets Dressed ..."

Homemade Playdough and variations!

Having taught preschool for 30 years, I have never found a better recipe for playdough than this one.  It is soft, extremely moldable, keeps well in an airtight container, cleans up from carpets when dry, and is a surefire winner with the children!  It can be done on the stove in a saucepan or in an electric skillet.  It is useful in conjunction with learning about sequencing when it is prepared with the children.  It even makes a nice homemade birthday gift when packaged with fun cookie cutters and a child-size rolling pin!  When children work with playdough they acquire small motor strength, learn cooperation when working with one or more other children, bolster their creativity and imagination, use the sense of sight, touch, and smell, and have loads of fun!

Sequencing is an important pre-reading skill.  Young children need to understand how to follow directions in an order from first to last, beginning to end, one to ten, etc.  It is helpful to explain that in order to make playdough, a person has to follow a recipe.  Before beginning to cook, ask the child if they are familiar with the term “recipe.”  Look through a recipe book to see what kinds of things are included in a recipe.  Then, gather together the needed items: electric skillet or saucepan, measuring cups, measuring spoons, spoon for stirring, vegetable oil, cream of tartar, salt, food coloring, waxed paper, and an airtight container.  Children can help measure ingredients, pour them in the pan, and decide what type of playdough to make.  Next, explain the necessary safety rules:  1) The pan will be hot so hands need to stay away from any part of the pan. 2) An adult should do the stirring once the pan becomes hot. 3)Children should stay a safe distance away from the heat source.  Ready?

Here is the recipe:

1.      In an electric skillet or saucepan on the stove, mix 2 cups white flour, 2 Tbls. cream of tartar, and ½ cup salt.

2.      In a separate bowl, mix 2 cups of water with 2 Tbls. vegetable oil.  Add in paste food coloring in a color of your choice (see “Variations” below).

3.      Turn the heat on to a medium temperature, and then gradually add the wet ingredients to the pan.

4.      Stir constantly until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball.

5.      Dump mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper that has been laid out on the countertop.

6.      When playdough has had a chance to cool slightly, knead with your hands until it is cool and smooth.

7.      Store in airtight container.

Variations:

Instead of using food coloring, try adding one package of unsweetened powdered drink mix.  You’ll have colorful and good smelling playdough!

Instead of water, try using coffee!  It smells great!

Add cocoa, pumpkin pie spice, peppermint flavoring, or cinnamon for wonderful scents!

Mix in sawdust, dried coffee grounds, glitter, cornmeal, or sand for interesting textures!

There are all kinds of “tools” you can use with playdough: rolling pins, safety scissors, craft sticks, and plastic cookie cutters.

Provide cookie sheets and hot pads for making pretend cookies!

Provide rolling pins and pie tins for making pies and tarts!

Make a forest using white playdough, twigs, small artificial trees, rocks, and miniature animals!

Your imagination is your only limit!  Playdough can be incorporated into almost any play scenario.  As an adult, it gives you another chance to experience the wonders of being a child!  Enjoy!

Introducing the concept of transportation

A fun method of introducing the concept of transportation to preschoolers is to begin with looking at the word "transportation" itself.  It has 14 letters and is probably one of the longest vocabulary words they have encountered to date!  Print the word on a long piece of cardstock or oaktag and post in your room as a visual reminder.  On a large sheet of chart paper, the teacher should prepare a simple drawing of the land, a body of water, and clouds/sun in the air.  Explain that transportation is defined as "a way to get from one place to another."  Further explain that  forms of transportation can be classified into 3 groups (land, water, air).  It might be helpful to start the discussion with asking what kind of transportation each child used to get to school that day.  Print the answers in the appropriate area on your drawing.  The discussion can then proceed with asking the children to name all types of transportation from hot air balloons to the space shuttle!

Durango-Silverton Narrow Guage Train--Durango, Colorado

Don't forget to include feet as a form of transportation--the kind we have with us all the time.  It would also be appropriate to point out that a wheelchair is a valid kind of transportation!  As a home follow-up, send a note home asking the children to bring a magazine picture to school that shows one of their favorite kinds of transportation.  Display on a bulletin board or make into a class book!