Then we discuss all the things each of us can do.
Another thing I like to do at the beginning of the year is reinforce all the things that preschoolers can do. I start by introducing the " I can" can. We pick a word from the can and act out all the things we can do. "Miss Dawn can jump. Can you jump too?" Then we discuss all the things each of us can do. And of course we have fun with cans...we paint with them, put elastics over them, and use magnets on them.
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In the past, I've always started a drawing book with the 4 year old class after Christmas. I decided that this year I would start it right away and do it with the 3 year olds as well. I also thought that it would be a good place to keep some of the crafts that we do in class and that at the end of the year everyone would have a nice keepsake. Because we have spent so much time learning each others name and recognizing our own, the first activity in their books was to "find" their name. I wrote the name with a clear wax candle and when you paint over it the name magically appears! For our "I can" activity I traced everyone's hand and foot and they told me what they can do. I had the words hand and feet on the table for the 4 year olds to try and copy. I like these books because I think it is important to put "pencil to paper" (or crayons or markers!!) Ahead of time I drew circles in the books and let each child draw what they wanted. This year I made a conscious effort to slow things down for the first few weeks. I wanted to establish rules and expectations to ensure a smooth year ahead. I spent time during circle time presenting the tools that we use in preschool on a regular basis; where to find them and how to use them. This treasure chest is a great way to get everyone eager to come to circle time. Everyone is always very curious about what's inside! It may seem like common sense to put the cap back on the glue and markers but it can easily be forgotten. We talked about what we can use and when. I then planned activities that had us use the preschool "tools". I planned painting activities and talked about what we do when we paint and how to put on paint shirts AND what to do when Miss Dawn is helping someone else. I teach the children to ask for help from a friend. " Hey, friend can you help me get my paint shirt on." And when we are finished the paint shirt goes back on the chair. We did cutting activities. We talked about how to use the scissors, where to put them when we are finished and what to do with all the things we cut up. We explored the water table. We discussed all the things we could put in the water and where we could find the towel to dry our hands and how we clean up when we are finished.
It's sometimes the little things that make life just a little easier! Here we are back at school again! For me, this is now my 7th year teaching preschool in my home! I am excited to see new and old faces again! As excited as lots of children are about starting or returning to school, there is still always a little hesitation and nervousness. This year I have a lot of new students and I wanted to make sure we set the year off to a good start. I wanted an activity that would interest everyone and have us all sit together. I chose an activity that I have done before, it's great for fine motor and uses lots of creativity. The activity did not disappoint and had everyone engaged. On the table I put out a colander, skewers, balls with holes, foam pieces with holes, pasta and pipe cleaners. Unless the child had been in my class before, I was pretty sure that most children had not seen this before. I sat at the table and asked someone if they wanted to play with me, before long the whole class was involved. Everyone was curious to see how this worked and what we could make together. We made spiders and candy canes.
There was lots of involvement and conversation. It was an opportunity for me to sit with everyone and chat and introduce everyone to each other in a calm and entertaining manner. We generally just had a lot of fun and enjoyed each others company. Just as a first day should be. |
Miss DawnI teach preschool in my home to 3 and 4 year olds. It's a wonderful adventure filled with lots of laughter and learning. Archives
January 2017
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