Our Pumpkin Science Table!
Create a science table with information about pumpkins. I included different parts of the pumpkin so that students can touch and explore the insides of the pumpkins. I also laid out books, posters and pictures about pumpkins, magnifying glasses, and observation sheets.
I have posted a lot recently on my philosophy of teaching and our exploration of complete child-led learning (still going amazingly well by the way – updates coming soon!)The other side of the coin when it comes to providing an unrivaled Early Years education is ensuring that your classroom environment scaffolds and encourages the best learning possible.
I recently read ‘The Irresistible Classroom’, published by the wonderful Community Playthings and it only served to confirm what I already felt – the only way to achieve an outstanding Early Years setting, aside from passionate and dedicated staff, is an environment which acts as the third teacher.
Children are miracles. We must remember it is our job; To create, With reverence and gratitude,A space that is worthy of a miracle. -Anita Rui OldsMuch of my inspiration comes from the fascinating Reggio Emilia schools in Italy.
Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia philosophy was passionate about the space in which children work. A space which is meaningful, one that provokes and encourages learning, one that does not distract you from your goal. He talked of creating a ‘handsome environment’ and one which would inspire ‘social, affective and cognitive learning.’Type ‘Reggio Emilia inspired settings’ into any search engine and a plethora of awe inspiring images will greet you. This is what we are aiming for with our setting and the work is already underway!
Play dough is one of our favorite play activities around here. Whether the children are creating their own unique sculptures or interacting with a new invitation, play dough is used many times a week in our home. Not only is it great for developing those fine motor muscles need for writing, it’s also a great way to encourage creative thinking and imaginative play.
Since we love play dough so much, I thought it would be fun to share play dough invitations that you can set up for every month of the year. Each is either directly or loosely related to a holiday or event that occurs during the specific month.
JANUARY
Whether it snows where you live or not, kids can have fun making snowballs and snowflakes with this winter play dough invitation.Build a snowman with this winter snowman play dough invitation.
FEBRUARY
Your little loves can have fun making their own love bug creations with this Valentine’s Day play dough invitation.Make some Valentine’s Day chocolates with this box of chocolates play dough invitation.Set up this dentist play dough as you learn about dental health this month.
MARCH
For St. Patrick’s Day have fun with a rainbow invitation, a sparkly gold play dough set, or one of these ten St. Patrick’s Day play dough ideas.Welcome spring with a spring tree play dough invitation.
APRIL
April showers mean lost of worms to find in our area! Bring the fun inside with this worm play dough invitation.After visiting a local duck pond, continue the play with duck pond play dough.This is also a fun time to explore animals like birds, chicks, and bunnies.
MAY
Use fresh flowers to plant your own play dough flower garden. The scents and textures of the flowers add a whole new level of sensory stimulation!Practice counting with this flower petal play dough set.Create a butterfly garden out of play dough.
JUNE
June is a great month to explore invitations that relate to your child’s specific interests. Why not try dinosaurs or fairies?
JULY
In the US we celebrate the Fourth of July, so this fireworks invitation is a fun way to capture some of the excitement in our playtime.It’s also a great month to explore the beach. Try invitations like these ones that relate to coral reefs, seashells and fish.Add in some writing practice with this seashell writing play dough.After reading The Rainbow Fish together, practice some early math skills with this rainbow fish play dough.
AUGUST
In many areas people are getting ready to head back to school in August, so this apple play dough can be a lot of fun. Don’t forget the worms!Practice counting, patterning, adding and more with this Ten Apples Up on Top play dough.Build your own apple tree. Then use fine motor skills to go “apple picking” in this apple tree play dough invitation.
SEPTEMBER
Have fun with some of the natural materials we find outdoors in the fall with this autumn play dough invitation.September is often when preschoolers explore an all about me theme. Set up this sensory self portrait invitation so kids can make their own play dough self portraits.
OCTOBER
Whether you celebrate Halloween or not you’re sure to see all sorts of spooky creatures out and about in October. Have fun at home creating your own not-so-spooky skeletons, monsters, or spiders.For even more Halloween play dough inspiration see this collection of Halloween play dough ideas.
NOVEMBER
Create some turkeys that won’t get eaten with this Thanksgiving play dough invitation.Little bakers will love whipping up their own play dough pumpkin pies in this pumpkin pie fractions math invitation.
DECEMBER
Enjoy the scents of the season with these peppermint, gingerbread, and minty Christmas tree invitations.Practice writing letters, shapes, numbers and words with this candy cane play dough writing tray.Mix up some Gingerbread ABC Cookies or use our free printable gingerbread alphabet mats to work on letter formation.Use our free printable Christmas ornament mats to go along with this ornament play dough set.Practice the ABCs with this reindeer alphabet matching play dough.Create your own reindeer with this chocolate reindeer play dough.
What should Pre-K children learn?These are typical concepts that Pre-K children explore in school, but should not be required to master before entering Kindergarten. Children learn these concepts at their own pace. What is learned in Pre-K is considered a “bonus”. Children are taught with hands-on materials, songs, and games. They are assessed by observation and work samples.
objects, symbols, shapes, patterns, etc.
Same and Different
Sorting by various attributes: color, shape, size
Patterns: AB, AABB, ABC, and possibly AAB, ABB
Identify numerals 1-10 or more
Counting objects to 10 or moreOne-to-one correspondence of objects when counting
Sizes: small, medium, large (3 – 5 sizes)
Shapes: square, rectangle, circle, triangle, oval, hexagon, rhombus (diamond)
More, Less, Same
Time: Day and Night, Sand Timer
Weight: Example, what weighs more or less in a balance scale
Measuring with non-standard units
Exposure to alphabet: letter names and sounds
Recognize, spell, write first name
Hold a pencil, marker, crayon correctly
Retell familiar stories
Draw pictures and dictate sentences about stories and experiences
Answer questions about stories
Repeat simple nursery rhymes and fingerplays
Phonological Awareness: rhyming, syllables, alliteration
Concepts of print: left to right direction, holding a book right-side-up
Build new vocabulary
Build listening skills
Strengthen visual discrimination
Sequencing
Develop fine motor skills: play dough, scissors, writing utensils, Legos, etc.
Explore science tools: magnets, prisms, magnifying glasses, etc.
Experience the world through nature walks, gardening, and other explorations
Observe insect life
Observe plant growth
Observe weather and plant life during each season
Measure and mix ingredients in cooking activitiesIdentify basic colors and explore color mixing
Make observational drawings and dictation
Explore the world with the five sensesInvestigate animals, the homes they live in, the food they eat
Explore a variety of art processes: painting, drawing, sculpture, weaving, collage, etc.
Use a variety of art materials: crayons, tempera paint, watercolor paint, colored pencils, markers, oil pastels, art chalk, clay
Experiment with mixing paint colors
Sing traditional songs and songs that enhance the curriculum
Participate in movement songs and dances
Use scarves, rhythm sticks, and bean bags to practice rhythmsUse a variety of children’s instruments
Participate in dramatic play
Dramatize familiar stories
Act out the movements and sounds of animals
Practice problem-solving skills in social situations
Work in groups or with a partner on a variety of projects
Share classroom materials with the group
Practice using manners: please, thank you, excuse me, table manners
Communicate his/her needs
Take care of his/her own basic needs: clean up, roll up nap pad, fasten clothing, use tissue as needed, etc.
State personal information: first and last name, age, school name, city, state, country
Explore types of work and workersExplore modes of transportation
Let's talk about all the things we can see, hear, smell, and feel at the beach.
It's day 1 of our Preschool Summer Semester - WELCOME!!
In Ish, Ramon loves to draw until his brother laughs at his drawings. When his sister tells him that his drawings are “ish” like, he finds his love for drawing again. This is a wonderful story about how art is what you make it, not what looks “right”.
The Pencil tells the story of a pencil that begins drawing and all the funny things that happen along the way. I really enjoyed this story, it keeps you wondering what will he draw next.
In Lines that Wiggle, readers follow a line through the book that twist and wiggles into many different shapes. Along the way the rhyming text describes the shapes the line takes. The pictures have a vintage feel and are so fun.
The Line is a wordless book that illustrates the adventures of a little girl when she finds a single line. The book is so simple that you can add all the details with a bit of your own imagination.
I love this book, it is so cute and funny. The book is a series of letters from different color crayons explaining how they feel about the boy that uses them. Each letter is different and so funny. I love that yellow and orange are not speaking because they both want to be the color of the sun. At the end, the boy learns to be creative with the crayons and think outside the box.
In A Day with No Crayons, Liza’s mom takes away her crayons when the only blank space is the wall. Without her crayons, Liza begins to discover all the ways she can create art in the world around her. The illustrations for this book are beautiful and bring the story to life.
Dog Loves Drawing begins when Dog receives an empty book in the mail. As he begins to sketch and doodle, Dog discovers another world that can be anything you want. The story keeps you wondering what Dog will draw next and reminds you that all you need to do is pick up a pencil and try.
Chalk is another wordless art adventure book. For chalk lovers this is a wonderful story of where your imagination can take you when you are creating with friends. I love the ending of this story and all the ways you can use this book to encourage your kids to create with chalk.
The First Drawing tells the story of a boy who sees animals in everything; clouds, rocks and shadows. What will happen when he decides to make the animals draw the animals on the wall? This is a great story to read and talk about how art has not changed since man first began drawing.
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More is a fun and colorful book about a little girl that can’t stop herself from painting anything and everything. Little Bit loves when she paints herself and there is paint everywhere.
The Jellybeans are painting a mural and each person is using their special talents. The story shows that even if you like different things you can work together to create something beautiful.Let’s Paint by Gabriel AlborozoLet’s Paint is a wonderful book that talks about all the ways you can create art. The theme throughout the book is that the most important part of art is to have fun.
Max wants to paint like Art, but Max has his own way of creating art. This is a fun book that shows everyone does things in their own way. I liked how Max makes Art his art and takes away his color, shading, and shape until he is just a messy line and then makes him back into Art. Readers can see how the illustrator starts simple and works up to a fully colored character.
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
This book is great for little ones to encourage being creative and thinking outside the box. I like the simple style of Eric Carle. The pictures are so bright and colorful.
Sky Color is the story of Marisol, a budding artist, who helps her class paint a mural. When she can’t find the blue, she discovers the many colors that make up the sky. The book’s illustrations are simple and beautiful and I love that only parts of the picture are painted.
Legend of the Indian Paintbrush is the story of a Native American boy who uses things from nature to paint the sunset. I enjoy Tomie dePaola’s stories and this is a great story that shows how people created paints before you could just buy them in a store.
There are so many different ways to practice patterns, discover patterns in life, and so many different levels that it never gets boring!Starting with a basic ABAB pattern is perfect for preschoolers.
First by adding to the end of an existing pattern, then duplicating a pre-built pattern, building their own pattern with a guide and then on to independent pattern building. So many different ways to differentiate based on what each child needs.And then we move on to more complex patterns and the growing patterns which are systematically added to as they continue.
No matter what the pattern, learning to recognize patterns creates the building blocks that kids will use for repeated addition, skip counting, multiplication and many complex math skills. And preschoolers and kindergarteners can develop an understanding of patterns without a bunch of boring worksheets when you build patterns through independent play and games.
There are so many different ways to practice patterns, discover patterns in life, and so many different levels that it never gets boring!
Starting with a basic ABAB pattern is perfect for preschoolers. First by adding to the end of an existing pattern, then duplicating a pre-built pattern, building their own pattern with a guide and then on to independent pattern building.
So many different ways to differentiate based on what each child needs.And then we move on to more complex patterns and the growing patterns which are systematically added to as they continue.
No matter what the pattern, learning to recognize patterns creates the building blocks that kids will use for repeated addition, skip counting, multiplication and many complex math skills.
And preschoolers and kindergarteners can develop an understanding of patterns without a bunch of boring worksheets when you build patterns through independent play and games.
When a child is engaged in play, their mind and brain is fully engaged, active and alert. A child’s mind is involved in creating, inventing, and self-initiating all activity when in play. Given these characteristics, play is really the highest and utmost of all levels of learning that we want to cultivate in our children.
Play is self-directed and initiated which creates independent and intrinsic learners. Children need opportunities to direct their own activities and learning. They need ample time to make mistakes and experiencing things falling apart in order to learn how to problem solve. Play is intrinsically motivated which correlates to how we wish for our children to learn, for the love of learning, rather than the outcome of only good grades.
Play is not a passive activity but involves active participation. It is a team sport of developing continual dialogue, interaction, problem solving, and negotiation. Children are learning how to make decisions. It involves creativity, invention and vision. They learn to use every day materials in new and useful way to invent something that will represent a mental image they hold in their minds. This skill is directly related to the same one that is needed for reasoning and working with abstract symbols.
As children experience an environment in which they are active participants, they become fully engaged and stimulated in what they are doing. Their brains are fully stimulated in so many levels and their language and thinking begin developing in more sophisticated and complex ways. Their sustained attention in engaging in what they are doing over time, again and again, naturally spills out to developing longer attention spans in other learning activities as well.
Children must plan, organize and sequence ideas and create problem solving scenarios in play situations. Higher level language, literacy and communication skills begin developing with repeated exposure to open ended play encounters with others. Children begin to learn that others have feeling and perspectives different from their own and this develops into higher social skills and understanding of how to navigate interpersonal relationships.
As children build from simple to more complex structures with blocks, they are learning early math skills of length, order, number, area, and weight. They are able to experiment with cause and effect, size and quantity when they discover new and creative ways to build structures, cities, or homes with blocks. They are learning higher level thinking skills of proportion and probability as they learn to use different shape and sized blocks to create a mental representation they hold in their minds.
I have often wondered what would happen if the teachers who can see what is happening would stand up and protest, not individually, but together, as a united force. I was fascinated, therefore, to read this past June about the united stand taken that month by kindergarten teachers in Brookline, Massachusetts. Twenty-seven of the 34 public school kindergarten teachers in Brookline signed a letter that they read aloud at a meeting of the Brookline School Committee.
Here, in part, is what the letter said "We have dedicated our careers to teaching 5- and 6-year-olds, and we see that some current practices are leaving an everlasting negative impact on our students’ social-emotional well- being. Therefore, we are here tonight to share with you our concerns about a new kind of gap that is emerging in Brookline Kindergarten. It is a "reality gap"—a gap between the way research shows that young children learn best and the curriculum the district requires us to teach. It is a reality gap between Brookline educational values and what is actually happening to children in our classrooms.
“We have all worked with our literacy coaches and specialists to implement the various reading and writing lessons with fidelity. However, block scheduling—90-minute reading and writing blocks—comes at the expense of thematic units, play-based learning, and social-emotional opportunities. “We are seeing the effects of this loss. We see many of our Kindergartners struggle with anxiety about school because they know they are expected to read. … It is now common to hear their little voices announce to us, "I don’t know how to read, I hate reading, I hate school, I am not good at anything."
This is our greatest concern. “Current academic pressures on 5- and 6-year-olds are contributing to increasing challenges with our kindergartners ability to self-regulate, to be independent and creative. …
Study after study has shown that young children need time to play, but in Brookline, because of academic demands, time for play-based learning has been shortened and, on some days, eliminated entirely. As Kindergarten teachers know, play is not frivolous; it enhances brain structure and function and promotes executive function, which allow us to pursue goals and ignore distractions. It helps children learn to persevere, increase attention and navigate emotions.
“Young children are also meant to move around and explore. Many children who sit for long periods of time experience frustration, muscle cramps, and disruptive behaviors. We have seen an increase in the number of children diagnosed with ADHD and behavior issues within our schools and we know why this is happening. Yet, we are doing things that will only exacerbate the problem rather than make it better.
“We are not advancing equity. As mentioned with play and social-emotional development, the district is asking us to teach our children in ways that reduce equity in the classroom. We are told that everything has to be the same. Please think about what ‘the same’ means. It is not uniquely tailored to maximize the joy and learning for every single child. Standardization is not equity.
“Where once teachers were trusted to use their judgment and teach to the needs of each unique class, now we are directed to follow set curricula from textbooks. We are being given directives, not empowerment for our students. “Let’s envision our children being excited to come to school each day, developing a deep love of learning, having confidence in their abilities as learners, strengthening social-emotional skills, creating deep relationships with peers and teachers, and being part of a community of learners. Imagine a classroom where teachers are spending time working directly with students, forming trusting relationships, and engaging in meaningful teaching experiences that address students’ needs as a whole.
Children learn best through play and real experiences that allow them to explore and make connections, build some background knowledge, and develop problem solving skills. The play can be purposeful (teacher guided), but there also needs to be time for children to explore freely without teacher direction. This is essential in the development of curiosity, and the ability to follow an idea or a project through. This is the bedrock of developmentally appropriate practice. In fact, it is the bedrock of lifelong learning . a place where children explore relationships with others in order to develop a sense of empathy. It can be a place where they master amicable and respectful dialogue with their peers. It can be a place where they learn how to justify their own ideas and solve problems. Imagine a classroom where children learn how to fail, so they can try again and find their way. “We ask you to envision with us a future in which our children are deeply engaged in fun, integrated content areas. Envision with us classrooms where learning to read is fun, purposeful engaging and organic.
Imagine a future where love of learning, not test-based performance, returns to the heart of our children’s very first educational experiences.”
