Getting to Know Your Group …and the Unique Individuals they are!!

The beginning of the school year is such a busy time!  We are constantly looking at our things to do list, preparing bulletin boards, meeting children and parents and following the wishes of our management.

Now, as we settle in it is time to sit back and take a look at the group we call our “class”.  Ask yourself the following questions:

As a group…

What’s the make-up of the group? (boy/girl ratio, ages, active or quiet)

What are their favorite activities during the day?

What is the most difficult time of day for you as a teacher? (arrival / circle / centers / transitions)

What sticks out in your mind about the group? (1 particular child, a parent, a time you dread)

As individuals …

Who is the child you don’t know much about?Where does he play?

Who influences the group the most? Why? What kind of influence is it?

Who do you match up well with?  Why?

All this information is extremely helpful in planning for learning.  Take these answers and do the following:

1. Look at your room environment – re-arrange where it is crowded and make bigger the centers that are most populated.

2. Analyze your schedule – make changes if necessary.  Make sure there is a good balance of teacher-directed activities and child-oriented activities.  Remember, the younger the child – the more exploration needed.

3. Observe your routines during the day – arrival, departures, bathroom or toileting, going to gym or outside.  Is it fun? Is it calm? Is it a time for connecting?

4. Are you planning learning activities that match up with their abilities AND interests?

All of these exercises help you as teachers to do INTENTIONAL PLANNING!  They allow you to get to know your students, emotionally connect with them, and find the best ways to reach them and develop their strengths.

It truly is what it is all about!

-Nancy Nathanson

Regional Education Director

Things to Think About

WHEN YOUR CHILD COMES HOME MESSY

You’ve just picked up your child from his early learning center and what do you see?

Paint in the hair? Marker on the pants?
Sand in the shoes?  Peanut butter on a favorite shirt?
White socks that look brown? Sleeves a bit damp?

You don’t even ask what happened because this happens all the time…..BUT what does it really mean…………………………………………………………………………………………

IT MEANS THAT

YOUR CHILD PROBABLY….

worked with a friend
solved a problem
created a masterpiece painting
learned a new skill
had a great time
developed new language skills

YOUR CHILD PROBABLY DIDN’T….

feel lonely
become bored
do a repetitive task that is not developmentally appropriate
do worksheets that are too easy
do sit down work that is discouraging

YOU PROBABLY….

bought those nice clothes for your child
will have trouble getting the stains out
are concerned the caregiver isn’t paying enough attention to your child

YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER PROBABLY….

was aware of your child’s special needs and interests
spent time planning a challenging activity for the children
encouraged the children to try new things
tried to clean up your child but to no avail

Young children really learn when they are actively involved in play…not when someone is talking to them. There is a difference between “messy” and “lack of care.” If your child was fed, warm, offered new skills and enjoyed those messy fun things ——- that’s how your children learn!

Send your child in clothes that can get dirty! Keep extra clothes at the site for the times when the child gets really messy. But remember, your children need time to be kids.

Love the book yourself before you read it to the children

Read it all through yourself before introducing it. Don’t share a book you think is not interesting, because kids can tell. There are so many wonderful books available.

Select one you both will enjoy.

Choose books that lend themselves to reading out loud

Some books can be easier than others to read out loud, there are plenty to pick from so you can be choosy.

Vary in your approach to reading aloud and do it with expression

Listen to yourself on a tape recorder. Can your presentation be improved with dramatic pauses? Try using louder or softer speech or even try a funny voice.  Don’t be you’re your children won’t remember that you sounded silly but they’ll remember that you made it an interesting book.

Make read aloud time special

Gather every one around. Turn off the lights, turn on a cozy lamp. Or plump up the pillows and get comfortable, Read aloud time is classroom family time.

Don’t over evaluate

If you try and test or check too vigorously what your children learned from a story, you might kill some of the gain. You can assess what they comprehended with conversation or by doing an art project, but save the intense questioning for when they are in grade school.

Leave them begging for more

Don’t hesitate to leave them groaning at a cliffhanger or laughing at a joke. Then say, “more tomorrow.” And then…deliver!   and perhaps the most important

Read aloud every day.

You and your children both deserve it. Consider it like a daily vitamin for their literacy and future learning.

Prime Time Back to School Night

When: Check your location for date and time of your Back to School Night.

Who: You’ll be able to meet your child’s teachers along with your school’s management(Director, Ed Director etc)  and other staff members, and of course your fellow parents. To be fair to all we request this remain an adult only event.

Where: The evening typically begins with an introduction, then you’ll separate into groups and spend time with your child’s teacher.

What: The event gives you a look at what your child’s daily life is at school and an opportunity to learn about the curriculum.

Why: It is very important to take an active role in your child’s education.

Consistency is The Key

Parents can make an invaluable contribution to your child’s literacy by being consistent in the support of reading.

Just think about it….If you want your child to be kind, it helps to model kindness every day. Good nutrition is aided with the same approach. We can do the same thing with reading. If we layer one positive experience on top of another, we build a strong foundation for just about anything in life. Helping our children to develop literacy skills as individuals is extremely important.

A person’s level of literacy is am important component of future success.  Because we know this to be true, doing the best job of helping our children at these beginning stages and throughout their school years becomes quite important. So take that important step and read to your child……….and keep on taking it every day.

Helping our children develop these life-critical skills begins with that commitment to read aloud every day. And that commitment doesn’t end when children begin school and learn to read. It is important that we encourage older children to continue to read as well. As parents, we must stay attuned to what is of interest to them and work hard to help them find reading material that matches those interests. It doesn’t work just to tell children to go read a book— we must be strong reading role models who provide both guidance and adequate opportunities and engaging materials.

When a child is very young, the sound of your voice, just as much as the words is what they enjoy. But if you are looking for guidance in finding great books to share with your child, a suggestion is to visit the Reading Tub at http://www.thereadingtub.com/index.asp for some help in finding great books to share with your child. This website can provide you with book reviews for children who are infants all the way up to young adults as well as target audience reviews and an opportunity to learn more about the authors of the books. And of course, a visit to your local library’s Children’s Section will provide more ideas for locating and selecting interesting books for the younger set.

Keep on reading to your child,,,,,,,,,,,each and every day.