Is it time yet?
You will notice a shift in this blog. I am on sabbatical for a while and travelling to Alaska from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. My intention is to relate my new Alaskan experiences to my life as an early childhood educator.
How does a child relate to time?
Day one has been a travel day. This is a new experience in distant and time. I have lost all sense of time traveling through time zones, sleep deprived. Young children have no concept of time. Yesterday, today and tomorrow have no meaning for young children other than it is not “right now”. It is common for many parents of preschoolers to withhold any travel, birthday or special event information from their children. Often information spilled too soon for the young child can cause stress for all parties involved! When no sense of time is involved, the nagging of, ”is it time” and “are we there yet” and at this time of year, waiting for Santa can be an exercise in frustration for parents.
Which leads me to the practice of preparing your young child for a known upcoming change. Can you prepare and reassure your child ahead of time? I will answer this by stating that I have known about this trip for several months and yet I am a bundle of nerves about the unknown. Am I prepared, yes, have I been reassured, yes, am I excited, yes, do I still have fears, a resounding, yes! I am an adult I can do my own research, dig into my knowledge of change, and manage my stress after years of practice. I have empathy for the young child whose life is full of the unknown with no sense of time.
Some children handle change with what looks to be ease. We all have different constitutions and capacities for processing what is happening. Involve young children in any preparations that are age appropriate at the time when you think your child can handle the news. For some children more lead time will help, with others it will not help. Remember you know best how your child will react.
Sensory Experiences
Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.
-Mary Lou Cook
By now you’ve heard young children learn actively by using all five of their senses. Keep your young child busy by providing sensory experiences. Eliminate the word “mess” and let them explore and discover using their whole body!
At school we take of our shirts or wear smocks. We cover the floor or stay ready with the broom always keeping safety in mind. We keep the “rules” simple, try to keep the contents in the bucket/bin!
At home try the bathtub or the kitchen sink for wet sensory explorations. A small basin on the floor, with a towel on a plastic trash bag to catch spills will work as well. Baths are a great place for sensory investigation. There is so much to explore and learn with very little equipment or cleanup. Supply your child with props such as sponges, basters, colanders, strainers and pitchers.
For dry sensory investigations any shallow bin will work. Shovels, scoops, containers, tongs, and so on work for dry investigations.
Go outside for sensory exploration, get into mud, plants, rocks, sticks and so on…..
Remember it is only water, mud, paint etc. The benefits for your child will outweigh the cleanup!
Idea list
Dry
cut straws, rice, flour, noodles (cooked or uncooked) all shapes and sizes, salt, sand,
yarn, cotton balls, dry cereal, oatmeal, dried beans, soil, rocks, pompoms,
easter grass, bottle caps, fish tank rocks, rocks, shells, sponges
Wet
ice, pudding jello, bubbles, mud, water, colored water
Writing center
What are the benefits of a preschool writing center?
In preschool. developing the small muscles of the hand is equally important to gross motor movement. Muscles can be built by squeezing, rolling, patting, pounding, clipping, taping, stamping, and painting. Many of these small motor skills can be strengthened using play dough, clay, or any type of homemade dough such as sand dough or salt dough. Drawing or painting on a vertical surface is another great way to develop the fine motor control necessary for writing. Young children love stickers. Peeling stickers and putting them on a graph or grid will help increase small motor skills. Provide your young child with old magazines for ripping and/or cutting both are fun strengthening activities.
Building strength in the small muscles will help your child with the fine motor tacks of drawing and writing. Now is a time of exploration. How many pieces of paper come home to your house with markings one might call “scribbles”? Take a closer look at those pages; this is beginning writing and a labor of learning writing skills. Provide appropriate materials and surfaces for writing. Chalk, crayons, pencils, colored pencils, oil pastels and watercolors are a few choices for writing/drawing. Experiment with different writing surfaces and varied papers. In our writing center the children like to use envelopes. Provide different items at different times, not everything has to be out at once.
Clipboards and writing materials are found in the other learning centers of the classroom as well. In dramatic play the doctor will need to write notes, the waiter, take an order or the shopper write a list of groceries.
In the block area children should have the ability to draw a plan or map or a diagram what they have built so they can replicate it the next day.
The math and science areas are prime areas for children drawing their observations.
During project time in preschool the teacher might take dictation for a story or a drawing that a child is working on. Our Pre-k the class draws and dictates for their first grade pen pals from out of town, once every other month they receive letters and return replies. This is a fun way to get young children interested in drawing and writing.
How many activities can you think of that add small motor skills to your day?
Teacher Gifts
What do I get as a gift for my child’s preschool teacher?
Over the years I’ve received a variety of different gifts from plants and jewelry to gift cards and hugs. Most teachers love whatever they receive, we are generally programmed that way.
Any gift should thoughtful and heartfelt. You must know something about the teacher to pull this off. If you see your child’s teacher as an inconvenience your gift will reflect this. Include your young child in the gift giving process.
You don’t need to spend any money. So many times a wonderful heartfelt note from a family is “the best gift”. If you are genuine in your sentiment it shows. We all like acknowledgement, write a short reference to something the teacher did or said that really helped you or your child. It could be funny or serious as long as it is memorable!
If you choose to give a teacher gift that is for the classroom, personalize it with a specific note as to why you or your child chose it and what the impact is for you. Now it is special. Ideas include gift cards to Michaels, Barnes and Noble or your local book or toy store.
Some families recognize the teacher as a person, and give a personal gift, not too personal though! We are not just teachers, we have many interests. Knowing what your child’s teacher’s interests are and reflect this in a gift is very thoughtful. Personal gifts might include, gift cards (from coffee shop or restaurant to manicure or garden center), cheese and cracker basket, wine, a movie night basket. Again, you must know this teacher to get the “right” gift. Add a note as to why you chose it. Did you get him/her warm socks because they have playground duty or an infinity scarf because you see her wear one and admire it? If your child picks out something that you roll your eyes over, let your young child explain why they think it a perect gift and let the teacher know.
The “best gifts” I’ve ever received are as varied and unique as each of us. As I reflect on the best “gift” I ever received, it has always included a personalized note.
Lastly, not all teachers drink coffee or eat sweets…………this is not to be mean but be sensitive to who your child’s teacher is!! A mug with a 5lb bag of coffee is perfect for one teacher and ugh to another.
Remember all of your ideas are wonderful IF given from the heart, appropriate for the particular teacher and not given because you are “supposed” to. Remember to include a heartfelt note!
Happy Holiday Season.
How Fun Can a Box Be?
Have you ever heard the statement “they like the box more than what is inside”, when referring to young children? Really, how much fun can a box be?
This week we received some supplies at Friendship Garden Nursery School in a big square box. At first this box was doomed for the recycle pile but at the last minute it was saved from being crushed, at least by my hands. After explaining “recycling” and “reusing” (Science and Language Arts) instead of just putting the box down for the children to discover, I placed in on a drop cloth and gave the children paint and paint brushes. In time the box was covered in pretty colors. (Creative Arts) After the box dried it was time to put it out to play with.
First everyone had a turn to sit in the box, after that they attempted to figure out how many children could fit in the box. (Math) Later we counted how many objects were put in the box. We will do some formal and informal measuring in the coming weeks.
We have spent a lot of time filling and emptying our box using our big muscles. (Motor skills) Young children enjoy.
The box has been a train, a truck, a “jack in the box”, a cuddle spot, a table, a hiding spot and I’m quite sure it will be much more! (Dramatic Play) Unstructured play with a box inspires creativity, resourcefulness and imagination.
Did you know the cardboard box is in the National Toy Hall of Fame?
What can you do with a box?