Preschool lesson plans: Using a Digital Camera

Why use a digital camera in the classroom? Well there are so many.
Let's see-

1) Documenting progress for the parents. They don't always see the value of the work we do because there's no visual evidence. But if we take and post pictures our lesson plan activities we inform them of the progress their child is making.

2)Including your parents in the daily routine.it's hard to leave you baby. We can make it easier by including parents.

3) organization. Cubbies, circle time spots, journals.... You name it.

The time it saves just with the "I wanna sit next to Tommy but not Sam and Isabel spit on me" argument is worth it!

Clean up- make your own picture Labels. It helps the kids to help put things away. (Translation- Less work for you!)
Have a great Day!


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Preschool lesson plans: dinosaur cooking activity!

While looking for a cooking idea to pair with the dinosaur theme, found this-Martha Stewart Recipe
So this is what I decided on. It's wonderful to illustrate fossils and what they are. We read dictionary definitions of fossil, reptile and a few others. Dictionary skills are very important!
I suggest you make her cookie dough. I used sugar cookie dough and it didn't work well.
Happy cooking!

Happy 4th My Friends!

I played with my kiddos today! I'll post the lesson plan later!






We made suncatchers.






We made salt art. It's like sannd art in bottles. You take chalk in a bag of salt. The friction
Rubs the chalk and colors the salt.






And the finished product-



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I know. Another absence.

Well I've been MIA again. I'd say I'm sorry but I already did that.
We have had a endoscopy, colonoscopy, and allergy testing in the last week. I'm so glad it's over!
But my lil man is feeling lots better, and allergic to a lot of stuff. Em is being treated for really bad asthma.
But we are getting there. We have answers!
We are getting back into our routine. Yay!


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SPD and Preschool

Today is a big day for my lil man. He, at his regular speech appointment, is undergoing an evaluation for TN early intervention so that he can receive more intensive treatment (most likely in a school setting). Prayers are needed for my baby!

On to the main subject. SPD, sensory processing disorder, has a lot of little things to deal with, but the scariest lately is chewing.

SPD kids crave sensory stimulation including orally. Lately Harrison has been chewing on inappropriate things. I had to sweep his throat for bottle caps twice. In fear of what could happen, I called his OT. She reassured me this was a good thing. It means he is maturing developmentally. He's in that stage that 6-9 month olds chew on anything. Yes I know. He's 2 1/2 but it's progress. Intellectually he is further along. He knows colors, and if he could talk he could count.
But back to chewing. I went to Walmart and bought a big assortment of chew toys. This dinosaur is his favorite right now.



But he likes them all. He goes from one to the next. But he's getting the oral stimulation he needs but in a safe way!
That makes for a happy mom!








Here's an article on SPD for more information.

http://www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_misc.jsp?pid=2146

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The tea party preschool lesson plan

Here's this week's lesson plan. I know its very simple but my girl has been going to school all year in pre-K, and will be in kindy in the fall. a break is needed, but she (and I) need structure. She is a lot older than the other kids, and more advanced. I worry that she won't be challenged. BUT I love she is so ahead of the game.

You also see a section for Harrison. Also simple. But these are the activities that he needs to develop in his way. It is just as much a lesson plan, and curriculum.
See you next week! Have a great holiday!

Tea Party Lesson Plan

Preschool Lesson Plans: Gingerbread Man

Okay, we have started the Gingerbread Man theme. It really is keeping Emily's interest. She really likes the story, so that really helps it be a vehicle for other concepts I want to teach.
As you can see, I printed off the story and we made a book. We didn't have the book, and it was something fun for her to do. I'll post the links at the end of the post for the theme.

After reading the story, Emily played with story sequencing cards. She assembled them in the order of the events of the story, thus teaching cause and effect.


We also played a matching file folder game I made to reinforce the unit. She enjoyed it but was below he intellectual abilities. I do have trouble challenging her sometimes. I need to work on that.
But here comes her favorite part- PLAY DOUGH!!!! There are so many reasons to list to use play dough, but just a couple are eye hand coordination and stress relief.
You know those squishy stress relief balls they sell for adults? Try squeezing play dough in your hand. Its the same effect. It works on kids and for us mommies and daddies too!!!

If you have a particularly stressed kid or one going through family issues, try a little play dough therapy. It helps.
This particular play dough was made to use during the gingerbread unit. So it has the smell of gingerbread. It's not edible though.
Here is the recipe-

Gingerbread Play-Dough

1 Cup flour
1/2 Cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tsp. vegetable oil
Spices--Cinnamon, Allspice, Ginger, Nutmeg


DIRECTIONS--
Mix the dry ingredients. Use as much or as little of the spices to get
the color and scent you like.
Mix water and oil to the dry ingredients
and stir.
In a pot, cook the mixture on medium, stirring
constantly. (about 5 min)
The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pot and
stick together in a large ball.
Take the dough out of the pan and knead the dough until it becomes soft
and smooth. Add flour as needed to cut down stickiness.
Allow the dough to cool and then store it in an airtight container.

I didn't like it at first, but after it cools, it is a great non sticky dough. And every time you roll it it lets the wonderful scent from it, like the kids are really making cookies or gingerbread....

That's what we are doing tomorrow. Wonder if ours will run away?? ;)



Links for Gingerbread man Lesson Plan

• http://www.preschoolprintables.com/filefolder/gingerbread/filefolderginger.shtml
• http://www.coloring.ws/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.coloring.ws/winter/gingerbread.gif
• http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/gingerbread-man/index.htm
• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/stories/folktale/gingerbreadman/story/print.shtml

We know young children learn best when using their five senses, especially under two so this is a great way to incorporate more senses into the same experience.




Links for Gingerbread man Lesson Plan

• http://www.preschoolprintables.com/filefolder/gingerbread/filefolderginger.shtml
• http://www.coloring.ws/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.coloring.ws/winter/gingerbread.gif
• http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/gingerbread-man/index.htm
• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/stories/folktale/gingerbreadman/story/print.shtml

See you tomorrow!!

I'm Back!!

I know I haven't been here in a while...Well a long while...Okay a whole year...I am ashamed of myself, but as in most things, life has a knack of getting in the way.

But because my daughter needs structure, and, well I just love doing it, I'm back. I did the preparation today, so Monday brings SCHOOL! My daughter's favorite thing in the whole world.

This week's theme- The Gingerbread Man

Preschool Lesson Plans: Zoo Fun! Next Week

Next week we will start Zoo Fun! Below you will find my tenative lesson plan. This summer I may have for fun, but Monkey does better with structure so we will keep up homeschooling. See you next week!!!Zoo Fun Lesson Plan

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Books Non-fiction language fun

Taking a Break from the Theme!

We thought we would just work on fundamentals and fun stuff today, So................

Today's Activities

• We started with a cooking activity. We made cinnamon sugar biscuits. She smelled the cinnamon. This is one benefit to cooking. You use all the senses. The more senses you use to learn, more memorable it will be.
• Then we worked on letter sounds. She knows the names, but the phonics she doesn't know as well.

We then used a kit to make a necklace (great for eye hand coordination.) I found these at a business closing. They were regularly 4.99 but were marked down to $1. I always look for deals like that for school time.As you can see, she is using those fingers to bead the string. It really helps develop those muscles that control fine motor skills like writing....
And the proud girl with her work-

• Finally, we played around of Animal dominoes. Matching and one to one correspondence are very important skills. Besides just having an old fashioned good time!!!

Preschool Lesson Plans: Bugs Cont.

Today's Activities-

• First, we painted a paper plate to make a spider. That's our bug of the day. We learned that a spider has 8 legs and 2 major body parts- the abdomen and the head (I thought cephlothorax might have been over a 3 year old's level) LOL
• We then did journal time- she decided to draw the bug of the day again-
• We did an S coloring sheet with spiders. Here she is looking at the spider picture with her magnifying glass. (It has been raining a lot here, so not much outside time)
• We also did Hooked On Phonics both in the book and on the computer-
• And finally we made juice pops for desert.
  

Preschool Lesson Plans: Bugs!!!! Day 2

Today we continued our theme of bugs. Today the subject was ladybugs.

First, we made paper plate ladybug. She painted a paper plate with red paint. we let it dry a bit, then cut it in half and attached it to a black circle. We also glued on a head, eyes, and legs.

And then we made a book (we only did the first half, she lost interest. We will continue it tomorrow.) it is a lady bug count and graph book. I found it here.

We then worked on letter recognition with the foam letters.

Preschool Lesson Plans: Bugs!!!!

Kids either love bugs or hate them. My girl was afraid of them until we started gardening. We let her know how bugs can help her grow her plants and protect them from bad bugs.

So this week we are talking about different kinds of bugs. Today we started with ants. As you can see, I have some plastic bugs I got in a kit from Target for under $10. It includes the bugs, a bug jar, magnifier and tweezers.

First we did journal time. She liked the lady bug so she decided to draw one in her journal.
I may be biased, but I think she's pretty good for three years old.

we then talked about the parts of an ant- head thorax, and abdomen. I printed out a sheet to help get that concept across- I found it here. For art we made an ant hill. I cut it out, gave her a stamp pad, and a pencil eraser. We made a head, thorax, and abdomen with the pencil eraser. I helped by drawing legs and antenna. I read that idea from Perpetual Preschool.

We then did our hooked on phonics we went over G and H. She's been gone so long we have lost a lot of ground.
We finished by playing a bible matching game. Basically we went over important people from the bible. I am going to start introducing some religious concepts into our school time. It is my job to bring up our kids in the path of God.

Preschool Lesson Plans: Recycling Ideas for the Classroom

Hi!
I am sorry I haven't posted but my mom kidnapped my Monkey Girl for a bit so I have no one to teach. This post I really meant for yesterday, but my husband was using my laptop.

Today I want to show you how you can use everyday trash to help with projects, and organize your classroom.


This might just look like a meat tray, a muffin package, egg carton but the possibilities are endless.
Meat tray- you could use it for painting activities, craft activities like making a picture frame, or cutting out Christmas ornaments to decorate. Another thing is collages. This book is one of my favorite teacher resource books. In it the author talks about doing meat tray collages.
Just make sure they are washed well.

Egg cartons- Art projects. Example- Egg carton flowers, caterpillars, butterflies. Paint cups- use one segment for each color. Cut them in half and you get two uses out of one carton. Turn it upside down and then poke holes in the segments and you have a scissor holder that holds 12 pairs. Of course you can use it for holding small collage materials too.

Muffin Packages are great for holding collage materials or paint cups. They re close so they can store away on a shelf or in a cabinet.

So rethink throwing things away. Think about how you can turn them into great Preschool Lesson Plans.

Preschool Lesson Plans: Earth Day Theme Continued

Today we did a few things. We talked about the water cycle more and did an activity to illustrate it.
First we took a cotton ball, representing the dry cloud. We talked about how it was fluffy and dry.
But when the cotton ball was subjected to water (or a cloud filled with water through evaporation), it became heavy and wet(condensation).


When it gets full ,the water in the cotton ball (cloud) begins to fall in the form of rain.
Isn't it a great visual teaching technique??? Awesome!

The the artist also known as Emily had to do an art project. So I cut up some grass strips and some rain drops, and gave her some cotton balls. She glued the grass on, then the clouds and then the rain drops. she could explain how the clouds would fill, rain down on the grass, it would grow, but the water would go back to the clouds and repeat the cycle. i did this just to reinforce the water cycle.
We finished up by simply playing with play dough. She wanted me to make stuff for her, so I made letters and she would tell me what it was and the sound it made.
But the play dough was kind of hard, so tomorrow- we make play dough!

Preschool Lesson Plans: Earth Day Theme

Well, We are still working on the Earth Day theme, supplementing with fundamental concepts.

After we read a short online story, Drippy the RainDrop about the water cycle, we worked on our Hooked On Phonics for a bit, and then practiced with a file folder game I printed from Preschool Printables.
Monkey girl really enjoyed the game, and showed how well she recognised the letters.

We then moved on to vocabulary words. This is new and, unlike what you remember in elementary school, I don't expect her to read or spell the words, just have a basic understanding of them. I have them written out because the more print you expose children to, the better. The more they see letters grouped into words, the more concrete the idea of reading and writing becomes.


Emily decided she wanted to practice writing so she practiced on her dry erase board. She is doing well with p, e o, and c right now.

Then we made a recycling collage by taking old magazines and cutting them and gluing them into an art collage. Of course artistic Emily loved this. She loves cutting and gluing. And it reinforced the theme of recycling. (Her geeky dad was excited she picked the Star Trek ad to put on her artwork.)


Finally, we talked about recycling and our trip to the local recycling center we will go on next week. we are starting to recycle in our house and will be graphing this. Graphing reinforces math concepts of more, less, and equal to in a very visual way that is understandable for preschoolers.