Craftivity(craft*i*vi*ty) n. -- a combination of crafts and activities for the toddler or preschooler age group.

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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Kindergarten

    Posted by Linda at 8:26 PM

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    Circle Time

    Circle Time
    I have found this is the best way to start out school day. It is done in many preschools and kindergartens. You can google it and see what comes up but I have my own Circle Time routine. This mostly goes with my preschoolers lesson plans so I don't make the K-er participate except for the Pledge.
    *Gathering Song
    *Good Morning Song
    *Calendar
    *Book pertaining to the weekly theme
    *Song about the weekly theme
    *Poem about the weekly theme
    *Pledge of Allegiance

    In the school setting, many circle times include group work. I only have two kiddos and one is still very young so group work doesn't work so well. Some families are larger and more able to incorporate group work into their routine.

    *A lot of the songs we use come from here.

    President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

    "Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these little ones.

    "Now, love them, take care of them. Fathers, control your tempers, now and in all the years to come. Mothers, control your voices, keep them down. Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones, welcome them into your homes and nurture and love them with all of your hearts.

    "They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried. Never forget that" (Gordon B. Hinckley, address to the Salt Lake University 3rd Stake Conference, Nov. 3, 1996).

    Tips:

    *Plan ways to identify the lesson for the children and help them understand an apply it in their lives. Consider how you can give the children opportunities to:
    -Discuss
    -Read
    -Visualize
    -Sing songs
    - Physical Activity related to topic
    *Children love to see their own artwork. Consider making a roller box.
    *Children will learn better and remember longer when they are engaged through physical movement.
    *As you plan your lessons, consider ways to include children in the learning activities.
    *When doing an activity, clearly identify the topic you are teaching. This helps the children understand and apply it better.
    *A chalkboard or dry erase board can be used as an effective teaching tool. They can be used to greet the children, ask a question, identify the topic, record ideas, and illustrate stories or concepts.
    *Using children in visual demonstrations will get their attention and prepare them to learn.
    *Working in small groups will keep more children engaged in learning.
    *Not all children enjoy coloring. Some may only make a mark or two on the page. The purpose of coloring activities is to give the children a visual representation of the lesson that they can hold or hang up.
    *Children learn through repetition and challenge.

    Our Calendar

    Our Calendar
    I bought a tri-fold board (science projects) and glued a pre-made calendar to it. I put velcro to it and I printed out a bunch of numbers and used clear contact paper on everything. The days of the week are at the bottom and I have three popsicle sticks that say "Yesterday" "Today" and "Tomorrow". We put them in the appropriate envelopes. On the left is "Today's Weather". I looked online and found pictures to represent the different types of weather and attached them to popsicle sticks as well. It's fun to go over. There are lots of songs online to help learn the days of the week too. We do this every morning during circle time.

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