The TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN STAFF DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Derry Koralek, Editor in Chief
JUNE/JULY 2010
NAEYC’s magazine Teaching Young Children (TYC) is designed especially for preschool educators. Articles in Teaching Young Children reinforce the accreditation criteria for NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards. (Go to www.naeyc.org/academy for more information on the standards.)
Welcome to the fourth digital NEXT.
Using this guide
The issue is color-coded to match the cover of Teaching Young Children (TYC). All of the NEXT handouts appear at the end.
NEXT: The Teaching Young Children Staff Development Guide suggests ways to build on the content of selected TYC articles. In the training outlines for these articles you will find
We are eager to increase the involvement of preschool educators in the Teachers’ Lounge area of TYC. Please encourage staff, students, and participants in staff development workshops to respond to the question in Teachers’ Lounge and to submit their own questions. www.naeyc.org/tyc/lounge
• a brief summary of the main ideas;
Every issue of TYC features a cover photo of an exemplary preschool educator, accompanied by a profile within the magazine. To nominate an outstanding preschool teacher or family child care provider for this feature, please go to www.naeyc.org/tyc/nominations.
• an indication of which NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards are most closely related to the content (check the tab at the top of each outline); • key points to reinforce; • discussion prompts in Let’s Talk; • workshop activities in For Further Thinking; and • ways to apply content in In the Classroom. Center directors can use NEXT to plan staff meetings or training sessions, staff development specialists can use it to design workshops, and teacher educators might incorporate some of the ideas in their classes.
A few notes • All page numbers refer to Teaching Young Children, Volume 3, Number 5, unless otherwise noted.
2 10X. Loose Parts in the Outdoor Play Area—Derry Koralek 4 Picturing Good Practice. Please Teach Me in the “Key of Life”—Derry Koralek 6 Revisiting Learning Centers. Art— Laura J. Colker 8 News from the Field. Getting a Grip on Things: Building Fine Motor Skills— Laura J. Colker 10 Run. Volleyball Fun—Meredith MacMillan
• No permission is needed to make copies of NAEYCcopyrighted articles in Teaching Young Children as long as they bear a credit line and are distributed at no cost. • Depending on the setting in which you meet, you can ask participants to do activities in pairs or small groups or as classroom teams. • Ask volunteers to type and disseminate the ideas generated in the sessions. • Teachers and NEXT users can share their ideas, read articles, and find other useful resources at www.naeyc.org/tyc.
VOL 3 NO 5
NEXT contributors
10X. Loose Parts in the Outdoor Play Area (pages 6–7)
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This feature defines loose parts—moveable open-ended materials that inspire children’s outdoor play. Ten categories of loose parts are presented through photos and text. Key points to reinforce during staff development sessions: When children incorporate loose parts in their outdoor play, they stretch their imaginations, solve problems, cooperate, and engage in many kinds of learning. Teachers can use their own creativity to add a variety of loose parts to the outdoor play areas used by the children in their classes. Children can use loose parts indoors as well; a variety of open-ended materials can support imaginative play. Let’s Talk 1. What do you remember about playing outdoors when you were a child? What kinds of play did you enjoy alone and with friends? In addition to fixed equipment, such as slides and swings, what other items did you use in your play? 2. What kinds of activities do the children in your class enjoy outdoors? What loose parts do they use in their play? Which items are most popular? What kinds of learning take place as children incorporate loose parts in their play? 3. What kinds of loose parts are available in the classroom learning centers? How do the children use open-ended items, such as shoe boxes, pieces of fabric, or natural items, in their play or include them in their creations? What else could you offer to inspire children’s imaginative play in the classroom? For Further Thinking 1. Look and respond. Have participants form small groups. Assign several of the numbered photos on pages 6–7 to each group. Ask the groups to examine the photos and discuss what the children are doing and learning, what loose parts they are using, and what else a teacher might provide to expand children’s play. As the small groups report on their discussions to the full group, have a volunteer record on chart paper the ideas for additional loose parts for each of the 10 categories. 2. Take inventory. Distribute Handout 1: Starting from Scratch. Ask participants to draw a sketch of an ideal outdoor play area for preschoolers on the first page of the handout. Sketches should include natural features (for example, trees, bushes), fixed equipment (for example, climber, shade system), and storage structures. Next ask participants to form pairs, and complete the tasks listed on the handout. Arrange to collect and make copies of the completed handouts to share with all of the participants.
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10X. Loose Parts in the Outdoor Play Area (pages 6–7) (cont’d)
3. Plan next steps. Have participants focus on two different children—ideally, children who tend to have different interests and engage in different kinds of outdoor play. Ask participants to review the items they listed on Handout 1: Starting from Scratch and identify which ones could interest the two children. Next, invite participants to plan how to include these loose parts in their outdoor play area. 4. Involve families. Discuss how many of the items seen in the loose parts photographs could be collected and donated by families. Ask participants to work in pairs to write a letter to families. The letter should explain how and why loose parts support children’s imaginative play and include a list of items families can share with the class. In the Classroom 1. Implement and document. Encourage participants to implement their plans for enhancing the outdoor play area with loose parts targeted to interest the two focus children. Have them document what happens both in writing and in photographs. Suggest that they take their plans a step further by considering all of the children’s individual interests and adding loose parts to engage their imaginations and curiosity. 2. Communicate with families. Suggest that participants finalize and share their letter to families through print or electronic means. 3. Follow up. At the next session, ask participants to share their documentation. How did the focus children respond to the loose parts? What did they do? How did other children get involved too? What else will they do to continue adding loose parts to enhance children’s outdoor play and learning? How did families respond to the request for loose parts?
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Picturing Good Practice. Please Teach Me in the “Key of Life”
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by Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld (pages 12–15)
This poem is written in the voice of a preschooler thinking about what to expect in kindergarten. It is accompanied by photographs of preschoolers engaged in a variety of developmentally appropriate activities. Notes: 1. Review “Letting My Butterflies Go: Helping Children Move on to Kindergarten,” by Debora Jones, from the April/May 2010 issue of Teaching Young Children. This article is available online at www.naeyc.org/tyc/ pastissues. Make copies for participants if needed. 2. Make copies for participants of the Message in a Backpack, Starting Kindergarten, from the April/May 2010 issue of Teaching Young Children, available online at www.naeyc.org/tyc/backpack. Key points to reinforce during staff development sessions: Toward the end of the school year, older preschoolers are thinking about what kindergarten will be like and have many questions and possibly a few concerns. Teachers can help children and families get ready by answering their questions about kindergarten and getting to know the teachers and the classrooms and schools the children in their class will go to. Let’s Talk 1. What do you remember feeling when it was time to move to a new grade, teacher, classroom, or school? What did you wonder about? Where did you find answers to your questions? How did your family and your teacher(s) help you get ready to move on? 2. How do you find out what the children in your class and their families want to know about kindergarten? How and when do you provide information that answers their questions and more? How do you anticipate and handle their concerns and feelings—whether eager and excited or fearful and worried? For Further Thinking 1. Read aloud. Ask several volunteers to take turns reading the poem aloud. Each volunteer can read a different stanza. Invite group members to listen and think of the children in their classes. Do particular children come to mind? 2. Write a poem. Have participants think about a particular child in their class who soon will be moving on to kindergarten. Ask them to make a list of the child’s favorite activities, special interests, personality characteristics, skills, and anything else that makes him or her a unique individual. Next, have participants write a poem, in the free verse style of “Please Teach Me in the ‘Key of Life’” about this child. The poem can serve as a way to introduce the child to his or her kindergarten teacher by focusing on characteristics not easily captured in formal assessments or standardized reports. Invite participants to take turns introducing their child by reading the poem aloud. Lead a group discussion focused on what participants want kindergarten teachers to know about their new students and how to communicate this information. 3. Support the transition to preschool. Have participants form four groups. Assign each group a different topic, as outlined in the TYC article, “Letting My Butterflies Go: Helping Children Move on to Kindergarten”: Coping with feelings, remembering the good times, learning about the new school, and helping families with the transition. Have the groups review the information on their assigned topic in the article, discuss their own practices, and record ideas they want to share on chart paper. For example, how do group members help the children in their class “remember the good times”?
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Picturing Good Practice. Please Teach Me in the “Key of Life” (pages 12–15) (cont’d) When all of the groups are finished, reconvene as a large group and spend a few minutes sharing the ideas listed for each topic. Distribute and review the Message in a Backpack, Starting Kindergarten. Suggest to participants that they download and share copies with families. 4. Present plans. Have a volunteer from each group present their planned activities to the larger group. Invite participants to share their feedback. Lead the group in discussing which local or state learning standards could be addressed through the activities. In the Classroom 1. Implement and document. Ask participants to try some of the ideas shared during the session, particularly those discussed during the small group activity. Suggest that they document what they do, how children respond, and, if appropriate, collect comments and responses from families. 2. Follow up. At the next session, ask participants to tell the rest of the group what happened when they tried out the ideas for helping children and families transition to kindergarten. Which ideas were most successful? Which ones might need some changes if used in the future?
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Revisiting Learning Centers. Art by Laura J. Colker (pages 16–17)
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A detailed illustration and accompanying text provide the what, why, and how of setting up an effective art center in a preschool classroom. Notes: Prior to the session, 1. Read the New York Times article on the Reggio approach, “The Garlanded Classroom,” available at www. nytimes.com/2007/09/23/nyregion/thecity/23regg.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1. This article provides background information for you to use in preparing for the activity For Further Thinking 1. Express one’s self through art. 2. Read the Young Children article “Thinking about Art: Encouraging Art Appreciation in Early Childhood Settings,” by Ann S. Epstein, on the NEXT subscribers’ site. This article provides background information to be used in For Further Thinking, 3. Help children learn to appreciate art. Make copies for participants as needed. 3. Read the Young Children article “Providing Rich Art Activities for Young Children,” by Christine Mulcahey, also available on the NEXT subscribers’ site. Make copies for participants as needed. 4. Gather a culturally diverse collection of art reproductions or images to use during the session. A list of sources appears on the last page of “Providing Rich Art Activities for Young Children,” by Christine Mulcahey. Key points to reinforce during staff development sessions: It is important to review and update the art center materials and arrangement regularly to make sure it supports and challenges children’s development. Children can express their thoughts and feelings through art. Children can learn language and literacy, science, math, and social studies through art. Children can learn to discuss and appreciate their own art and art created by others. Let’s Talk 1. What do you remember about creating art as a child? What materials did you use? What did you do for fun? How did you express your creativity? How might your childhood experiences with art influence your thinking about how children use the art area? 2. Which features of the art center shown on TYC pages 16–17 are found in the art center in your classroom? What do you include in your art center that could be added to the center in the illustration? What do you see in the illustration that you might want to incorporate in your art center? How do you imagine children would respond to these additions or changes? 3. Imagine the children in your class using the art center in this illustration. What would you say and do to support their effective use of the center? How frequently do you update the art center? How do you assess the effectiveness of the art center? How do you use this information to update the art center? For Further Thinking 1. Express one’s self through art. Children express themselves in many ways; explain that teachers at the Reggio Emilia schools of Italy call these ways the “100 languages of children.” One of these “languages” is art. Children in these schools have many opportunities to express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings through art. Lead a group discussion about the Reggio philosophy. Focus on the statement, “A key tenet of the Reggio Emilia approach is that art helps children express their thoughts.”
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Revisiting Learning Centers. Art (pages 16–17) (cont’d)
2. Brainstorm art and self-expression. Have participants form pairs and discuss how they use or could use art to help children express themselves in their classrooms. Ask the pairs to brainstorm five ways to use art to encourage children’s self-expression. Have the teams report out to the full group. 3. Help children learn to appreciate art. Review the information on art appreciation in the last bullet under “Beyond the Basics,” on page 17 of “Revisiting Learning Centers. Art.” Have participants read “Thinking about Art: Encouraging Art Appreciation in Early Childhood Settings.” Then invite them to share what art appreciation means to them and how it can be an appropriate topic for preschoolers. Is art appreciation part of participants’ curricula? If so, what do they do to introduce and discuss different pieces of art with children? Encourage participants to include art appreciation discussions on a regular basis. Discuss the article “Providing Rich Activities for Young Children.” Next, have participants form pairs and select one of the art reproductions from the collection you provided. Ask the pairs to complete Handout 1: Helping Children Appreciate Art. 4. Assess the art center. Distribute Handout 2: Art Center Checklist. Ask participants to complete it for the art center in their classrooms. Have volunteers share a finding they rated “rarely” or “never,” and ask for ideas to help change this rating to “sometimes” or “regularly.” Have participants create an action plan to do this. In the Classroom 1. Implement and document. Have participants implement and document their five ideas for getting children to express their thoughts and feelings through art. Ask participants to interview children about their art and record their words in sentence strips and on charts to be posted along with the art. Have participants document the process in photos and journal entries, while reflecting on how they have infused the philosophy of Reggio Emilia into their art center. In addition, encourage participants to implement their ideas for art appreciation. Have them document what they did to get children thinking critically about art, how the children responded, and how they made art appreciation a regular part of the art curriculum. 2. Follow up. At the next session, ask participants to share their documentation. How did children respond to being encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings through art? What changes did the participants notice in the children? What changes did they notice in the way children used the center? How did the children’s artwork change? If participants implemented art appreciation ideas, have them share the results. Did children construct their own knowledge about art? Did participants feel their efforts improved children’s vocabulary, storytelling abilities, and appreciation of diversity?
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News from the Field. Getting a Grip on Things: Building Fine Motor Skills
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by Laura J. Colker (pages 26–29)
This article shares a report on the increasing number of young children who lack the fine motor skills needed to learn to write. One possible cause is that some young children do not spend enough time engaged in hands-on activities that support fine motor development. Key points to reinforce during staff development sessions: There is a link between classroom activities and children’s ability to grasp writing implements efficiently enough to write. Families can use daily routines and activities at home to help children develop fine motor skills. Teachers can help children learn to use an efficient grasp with writing implements. Let’s Talk 1. How do you use fine motor skills at work and at home? For example, did you create a documentation panel, type an article for the family newsletter, change the spark plugs on your car, or complete a granny square for the afghan you’ve been crocheting? Think back to your childhood—what opportunities did you have to build fine motor skills at home and at school? 2. In what ways did the news in this article surprise you? Are there older preschoolers in your classroom who lack the fine motor skills they will need to hold and use pencils, markers, and other writing tools in kindergarten? 3. Think about a typical day in your classroom. What materials and activities are available that allow children to build fine motor skills? What else could you offer? For Further Thinking 1. Plan materials and activities. List the following learning centers on separate pieces of chart paper: reading, writing, computers, manipulatives, blocks, art, dramatic play, cooking, sand and water, discovering science, music and movement, and outdoors. Make additional pages for transitions and family style dining. Refer to the boxes on pages 27 and 28 that offer examples of ways to include fine motor skills in the curriculum. Lead a discussion about why these activities will help children build fine motor skills needed to write in kindergarten and beyond. Have participants form small groups and select one or more of the areas and routines listed on the pieces of chart paper. Ask the small groups to discuss their area of focus and make a list on their chart paper of materials and activities that would help children strengthen and refine their fine motor skills in that area. Groups can use the ideas in the article as a launching pad for their own suggestions. Have the small groups take turns sharing their ideas and discussing the effectiveness of their suggested materials and activities with the full group. 2. Involve families. Have participants form pairs and review the Message in a Backpack, Building Fine Motor Skills, on page 29. Challenge the pairs to expand this list of home activities that build fine motor skills. Then invite volunteers to share their ideas with the full group. Next, have the pairs develop a plan for a family meeting or workshop about building fine motor skills. Remind participants to address the Supporting Dual Language Learners box on page 28. For example, in some cultures, adults think it is better to do things for preschoolers rather than encouraging them to develop self-help skills. Make sure that participants acknowledge and address cultural practices in their plans.
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News from the Field. Getting a Grip on Things: Building Fine Motor Skills (pages 26–29) (cont’d) 3. Grasp the grip. Distribute Handout 1: Helping Older Preschoolers Learn to Grasp Writing Tools and ask participants to read it. Afterward, lead a group discussion about children’s ability to grasp and use writing tools. Introduce the tripod grasp. Ask participants to share what they have noticed about the way the older preschoolers in their classrooms hold pencils and markers. In the Classroom 1. Implement and document. Ask participants to implement their plans for involving families in providing a variety of materials and opportunities for children to build fine motor skills. Have them keep track of families’ responses after trying out fine motor strategies at home. Did families find the information helpful? Do they want to know more? How have children responded to the home strategies? 2. Follow up. At the next session, ask participants to use their documentation to describe their experiences involving families in their children’s fine motor development and any new materials or activities they introduced to the children.
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Run. Volleyball Fun (page 32)
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This brief feature describes a fun volleyball activity that preschoolers can do using a few simple materials. In teams of three, children hit a balloon or sponge ball over an imaginary net. The goal is for children to enjoy a fun fitness activity and cooperate while keeping the ball in the air. Notes: Prior to the session, 1. Make copies for participants of all the “Run” activities previously published in Teaching Young Children. The past activities are available on the NEXT subscribers’ site. 2. Ask participants to read Chapter 4, Effective Movement Curriculum (pages 31–41), in Active for Life: Developmentally Appropriate Movement Programs for Young Children, by Stephen W. Sanders. The chapter is on the NEXT subscribers’ site. (The book is available for purchase from NAEYC.) Make copies of the chapter for participants as needed. 3. Collect balls, hula hoops, cones, pillows, and other equipment needed for the Run activities. Key points to reinforce during staff development sessions: Unstructured outdoor play is important, but it is not a substitute for movement activities. Movement activities let children develop different skills, such as jumping, throwing, kicking, and balancing. Movement activities help children to develop skills that they might not develop during play. Children who do not master basic skills (like throwing, kicking, striking, balancing) may avoid games or sports involving these skills for the rest of their lives. Let’s Talk 1. Do you currently participate in any structured physical activities (such playing in an adult softball league) or unstructured physical activities (such as running or dancing)? Why or why not? 2. What kind of physical activities did you do as a child? How did you feel about being physically active? 3. How often do the children in your class engage in structured movement activities? What equipment do they use? Where and when do you offer these activities? 4. Think of a movement activity that you recently did with the children in your class. What skills were they developing? Which children were able to perform the skills easily? Which children had more difficulty? How did you respond? For Further Thinking 1. Share observations about children’s play. Have participants spend a few minutes reviewing the list of locomotor, stability, and manipulative skills on page 32 in Active for Life: Developmentally Appropriate Movement Programs for Young Children. In a large group, review the list of skills. For each skill, invite participants to share their observations of how they have seen children using these skills in their active play. Next, ask, Which skills are children likely to use in their active play. Which skills are children less likely to use? In small groups or pairs, have participants discuss why movement programs are important to children’s locomotor, stability, and manipulative skill development.
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Run. Volleyball Fun (page 32) (cont’d)
2. Enjoy a Run activity. Distribute copies of all the “Run” activities previously published in Teaching Young Children. Have participants form small groups and read the different activities. Then, have each group select and perform one activity. Provide equipment they might need, such as balls, hula hoops, and cones. Note: If equipment is not available, groups can try activities that do not require any, like Fitness Stations, Tree Pose, or Let’s Go Row. 3. Create a movement activity. Distribute Handout 1: Movement Activity Plan. Have participants remain in their small groups and plan a simple movement activity they could use with the children in their class. Participants should discuss what equipment is needed, what skills children would develop, how the activity could be modified or adapted for children with special needs, and what cues they could use to teach and support children. In the Classroom 1. Implement and document. Encourage participants to try the activity their group created or another Run activity. To document what happened, participants can take photographs or notes. Ask participants to interview a few children to learn their responses to the activity. 2. Follow up. At the next session, have participants bring in their documentation to share what they tried in the classroom. How well did the activity work? What modifications did they need to make? What would they do differently the next time?
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Notes NAEYC publishes five issues of Teaching Young Children (TYC) and NEXT: The Teaching Young Children Staff Development Guide per volume year: October/November, December/ January, February/March, April/May, and June/July. In August, NAEYC members who chose TYC as their print publication package will receive a bonus book, Spotlight on Teaching Preschoolers 2, featuring articles from the NAEYC journal, Young Children. This book will also be available through the NAEYC Online Store, www.naeyc.org/store. One of the regular features in Teaching Young Children is the Message in a Backpack. Each Message in a Backpack shares important information with families. All of these Messages are available on the NAEYC Web site at www.naeyc.org/tyc/backpack. TYC’s authors and editors hope this feature is a useful tool for communicating with families. We’d like to hear from educators about how they use these Messages, how families respond, and what else TYC could provide to support educators’ partnerships with families. Please encourage staff, students, and participants in staff development workshops to write us at tyc@naeyc.org. We will publish some responses in a future issue of Teaching Young Children.
NEXT: The Teaching Young Children Staff Development Guide Vol 3, No 5 June/July 2010 Teaching Young Children/Preschool is published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), 1313 L Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005-4101. Through its publications program, NAEYC provides a forum for discussion of major ideas in our field. We hope to provoke thought and promote professional growth. The views expressed or implied are not necessarily those of the Association. Acceptance of advertising does not represent NAEYC’s endorsement of any product or service, nor is NAEYC responsible for representations made by advertisers. Copyright © 2010 by NAEYC. All rights reserved.
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List of Participant Handouts for Activities TYC Article 10X. Loose Parts in the Outdoor Play Area
NEXT Activity
Participant Handouts
For Further Thinking 2. Take inventory
Handout 1: Starting from Scratch
Picturing Good Practice. Please Teach Me in the “Key of Life” Revisiting Learning Centers. Art
News from the Field. Getting a Grip on Things: Building Fine Motor Skills
Run. Volleyball Fun
For Further Thinking 3. Help children learn to appreciate art.
Handout 1: Helping Children Appreciate Art
4. Assess the art center
Handout 2: Art Center Checklist
For Further Thinking 3. Grasp the grip
For Further Thinking 3. Create a movement activity
June/July 2010
Handout 1: Helping Older Preschoolers Learn to Grasp Writing Tools
Handout 1: Movement Activity Plan
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10X. Loose Parts in the Outdoor Play Area
Handout 1: Starting from Scratch What do the children in your program do outdoors? What equipment do they use? What would you change about the area to make it even more appropriate for preschoolers? Draw a picture of an ideal outdoor play area in the space below.
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10X. Loose Parts in the Outdoor Play Area
Handout 1: Starting from Scratch (cont’d) Choose a partner to work with to complete the following tasks. Take turns sharing your drawings with each other. Describe your ideal outdoor play area and explain how it supports children’s play and learning. Choose one outdoor play area at your own program or your partner’s program to be the focus of this task. Think about what children might need to expand their outdoor play and learning. Make a list of loose parts for each of the 10 categories presented in the article to add to your ideal outdoor play area. How could these loose parts encourage children to use their imaginations, solve problems, and build science, math, language and literacy, thinking, physical, and social skills? Summarize your ideas below. Loose parts Large Items
How children could use them
What children could learn
Natural Items
How children could use them
What children could learn
Containers
How children could use them
What children could learn
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10X. Loose Parts in the Outdoor Play Area
Handout 1: Starting from Scratch (cont’d) Loose parts Gadgets
How children could use them
What children could learn
Tools
How children could use them
What children could learn
Utensils
How children could use them
What children could learn
Rhythm instruments
How children could use them
What children could learn
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10X. Loose Parts in the Outdoor Play Area
Handout 1: Starting from Scratch (cont’d) Loose parts Woodworking supplies
How children could use them
What children could learn
Wheelbarrows and wagons
How children could use them
What children could learn
Stepping stones
How children could use them
What children could learn
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Revisiting Learning Centers. Art
Handout 1: Helping Children Appreciate Art 1. Examine the art reproduction you selected and discuss the techniques, images, colors, and messages. How would you share this art reproduction with a preschooler? What questions would you ask the child?
2. Review and discuss the approach described in the section titled “Fostering imaginative and critical thinking skills” on the third page of “Providing Rich Art Activities for Young Children,” by Christine Mulcahey. What questions would you ask to help the child put him- or herself in this work of art?
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Revisiting Learning Centers. Art
Handout 1: Helping Children Appreciate Art (cont’d)
3. How could you use this piece of art to connect the child to other works of art—his or her own and that of others?
4. Review and discuss the examples of children’s artwork in “Providing Rich Art Activities for Young Children.” Pick one example to focus on. Now imagine that a child in your class has just finished this piece of art. What questions would you ask to encourage the child to think critically about art?
5. How would you use this piece of art to promote storytelling?
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Revisiting Learning Centers. Art
Handout 2: Art Center Checklist ly
r ula
g
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1. Children choose to visit the art center every day. ——————————— 2. Children know and follow the rules for using the art center.— ————— 3. The center is well lit.— ——————————————————————— 4. The center is located near a water source for mixing paints and cleanup. — ———————————————————————————— 5. Children wear smocks or shirts to protect their clothing.———————— 6. The art center has materials for drawing, painting (including at least one easel), sculpting and molding, and constructing.— ———————— 7. There are provisions for drying art work. —————————————— 8. There is a table where children can work on projects. ————————— 9. There are books about artists and art techniques. ——————————— 10. Materials are stored in labeled containers and shelves within children’s reach. — —————————————————————
s me y r ve rel Ra Ne
ti me
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11. Children can save their creations and work on them later. ——————
12. Children take out and return materials independently, including taking materials outdoors. — ————————————————————
13. Children work independently. — ————————————————————————— in pairs. — ———————————————————————————— in small groups.— —————————————————————————
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Revisiting Learning Centers. Art
Handout 2: Art Center Checklist (cont’d) s me y i t r ve rel me So Ra Ne
ly
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14. While using the art center, children build language and literacy skills. — ——————————————————— science and math skills. — ————————————————————— social studies skills.————————————————————————— fine motor skills. —————————————————————————— creativity. ————————————————————————————— 15. Children express their thoughts and feelings through their art.— ——— 16. Children’s artwork is framed and hung at children’s eye level.— ——— 17. Children have fun and express pleasure in creating art.— ——————
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News from the Field. Getting a Grip on Things: Building Fine Motor Skills
Handout 1: Helping Older Preschoolers Learn to Grasp Writing Tools Some preschoolers hold writing tools awkwardly and inefficiently. Often this is because they are trying to write before their hand muscles are ready. This could be due to a child’s age or because the child has not had enough opportunities to develop these muscles. In such cases, a preschooler might hold a pencil in his fist or wrap a thumb around the pencil and tuck it between the fingers. Inefficient grasps such as these can prevent the development of appropriate muscles, and place stress on finger joints. Preschoolers can easily develop writer’s cramp, and therefore won’t want to continue writing or drawing. Occupational therapists warn that if a child still uses an inefficient grasp at age six, he or she will have difficulty switching to an efficient one. What is an efficient grasp? The pads of the thumb and index fingers should encircle the pencil, which rests on the middle finger near the first knuckle. All fingers should apply equal—but not heavy—pressure. This is known as a tripod grasp and looks like this: Through many opportunities to build and practice fine motor skills using different materials while doing everyday classroom activities, children can develop this needed grasp. For older preschoolers, who need more opportunities to develop this grasp, you can also offer both direct instruction and modeling. Try to weave these brief intervention times into the daily program. Maintain a relaxed attitude so children are not self-conscious.
Here are some tips from handwriting experts: • Suggest to children that they pretend they are holding a round ball as they write. • Place a sticker or rubber band on the part of the pencil where children should grasp it. • Have children practice with small pieces of chalk or miniature golf pencils to gain control. • Encourage children to write on vertical surfaces such as easels or chalkboards to strengthen muscles and position the wrist appropriately. • Start children with scribbling and drawing activities to give them the experience of knowing what an appropriate grip feels like. • Keep practice times to about 5 minutes so that children don’t get bored or weary of using an efficient grasp. Resource Frederick County Public Schools. 2003. Pre-K and Kindergarten Handwriting Resource. Frederick, MD: Author. www.fcpsteach.org/docs/Handwriting.pdf
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June/July 2010
Run. Volleyball Fun
Handout 1: Movement Activity Plan Activity__________________________________________
Why do this activity?
What skills are children developing?
Vocabulary words
Materials needed
Teaching steps
Modifications and adaptations for children with special needs
Cues to teach and provide support
Variations
June/July 2010
NEXT: The Teaching Young Children Staff Development Guide
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