Look at what I am writing

I have been having a hard time getting some of the boys and girls interested in writing during work time (free choice). I do not believe in the drill and kill because I want children to want to learn and have fun doing it, so I started taking pictures of the children that were working in the writing area during work time. I made a book with all the children’s pictures in it and what they had told me about their drawing or writing. I then placed that book up on the writing center cabinet. I could not believe that it could be that easy to get the others involved in writing. The morning I placed that book in the area I must of taken 30 pictures of children that had never been to that area before and they were having fun. I heard all morning long “Teacher look at what I am writing.” It is now the favorite area of the classroom. It keeps me busy refilling the area but it is well worth it. It is only November and all the children can write their names and other letters, numbers and sentences! I should of done this years ago.

Alex said, "look I can write the alphabet."

Adran said, "look at all my numbers."

The Things Preschoolers Will Say

While jumping up and down today after smashing my finger. I had one of my students come up to me to see if I was OK. Oh I thought how sweet. Once she saw that I was alright she looked at me with the most serious face and said “You really want to use that “S” word right now don’t you.” So I’m standing there thinking wow this little girl in my class knows the “S” word, I will look at this on the positive side and say “Wow Lilly Letter Lady is doing a great job in teaching the children their letters and letter sounds.” The positive side of using puppets to be repeative.

Turkey Color Bingo

Place a supply of construction paper feathers in a variety of colors on the center of table. Give each child a turkey body. Turn over a color feather card and have the children identify the color. Once they have identified the color have each child find that color from the supply of feather. Once they have found that color have them place it around the turkey. Keep play until the turkey is full of feathers.

You can find this game and more hands on learning activities in the lesson Turkey Time Math, Literacy and Art Fun.

Teachers Pay Teachers

Turkey Feather Patterning

Have children create different kinds of color patters with the feathers around the turkey. Keep challenging the children with harder types of patterns. (AB, AABB, ABBA, and ABC)

Turkey Dice Game

Make a turkey body and laminate for durability. Cut out construction paper feathers in a variety of colors. Have child roll a dice and identify the number on the dice, next have the child count out the number of feathers to match the number on the dice. Once child has the right amount of feathers have child place the feathers around the body of the turkey. When turkey has all its feathers child is done. With this number game all children are winners.

If you need to challenge some children have them use two dice and add them together, once child has add the two dice together have child count out that many feathers and place them around the turkey.

You can also use different styles of dice.

Turkey Feathers

Set out a supply of construction paper feather shapes. Have a wide variety of collage material for the children to glue onto the construction paper feather so that they can create their own feather. Once all the feather are dry turn them into a large turkey for your bulletin board.

Sorting Potatoes

We set out a basket of different types of potatoes for the children to sort and count groups.

Vegetable Prints

Stone Soup Theme Lesson Plan

Stone Soup Theme Lesson plan is 37 pages. It is a great companion for the classic story Stone Soup. It is filled with ideas that are sure to spark the interest of all children in your classroom. This lesson covers all learning domains for preschool children. Including: Story Extension, Math Games, Science Activities, Creative Art Project, Language and Literacy Activities and Movement Ideas.

Science Table

After making our stone soup we used the left over vegetables for our science table. We cut some of the vegetables in half so the children could see what’s in side. We placed vegetable book, clip boards, paper, magnifying glasses, and markers in the area. The children took down their own observations of the vegetables.

Stone Soup

Stone Soup is a great way to show children how they can come together as a group and make a difference. We started the unit out by having each bring in a vegetable for the stone soup. As the book was being read each child came up and placed their vegetable into the pot.

During center time the children cut up the vegetables and make stone soup to be shared during snack.

Stone Soup Lesson Plan

Craft Stick Homes

The children created their own homes with craft sticks and markers.

Family

To show all the different types of families we had amongst us. We had each child take home a cut out of a house shape. Each child and their family filled their homes with family pictures and decorations. The children brought their house back to school and each child shared who their family was. We placed the houses through out the classroom bring in the individual cultures of each child.

Family Book Making

We started our new unit this week on families by talking about how all of or families are different. Some have a small family, some a large family, some just have a mommy and some just have a daddy. After we shared about our families we read The Family Book by: Todd Parr. During our book making center we had the children draw and write about their families.

Sorting Nuts

Today the children were fascinated with all the acorns, pecans and others nuts that were dropping from the trees. They were collecting them like a bunch of squirrels for winter. So we thought why leave the nuts outside lets bring them in and turn these nuts into a wonderful math lesson, we also add other mix nuts to give them enough of a variety. We set out sorting trays (old cafeteria plates found at a yard sale) and let the children sort the different varieties. They discovered that some groups had more or less. Some were large and some were small nuts. We wrote down all of their observations and then placed the nuts in the math area to see what they could discover on their own.

Book Making Center

During book making center we had the children draw and write about what their scarecrow would scare.

Paper Bag Crows

The children made paper bag crows today in the creative art center. We set out brown lunch bags, newspaper, trays of black paint with brushes or sponges, wiggle eyes, buttons, orange triangles, feathers and black yarn.

This center was a huge hit with the children today. Most of the children wanted to make two; they hung one up on our tree and took one home.

Little Old Lady Scarecrow