Archive for 2. January 2009

Arts and Crafts for Your Preschooler

2. January 2009 by admin.

Aside from free time, arts and crafts play is the most exciting time for the preschool student.  The creative bug takes over and the imagination climbs to new heights!  As an educator for these young students we must find new ways (or maybe old ones rejuvenated) to incorporate targeted goals while having fun.  Some of the most incredible times evolve from the simplest activities created using home made mixtures. 

Bubbles and more bubbles, whether blown through a straw or wire hoop, happen to be one of the most appealing summer time thrills in the preschool setting.  A very easy but beautiful work of art comes from placing a narrow cup in the middle of a large piece of craft paper.  Fill the cup with safe, colorful bubble making ingredients and give the budding artist a straw.  Have the student blow an overflowing amount of bubbles up and over the top edge of the cup.  Watch out for the giggling that this activity could bring about or more than just bubbles will be on the craft paper.  Variations to this activity include using several different colors of bubbles - allow the paper to dry between blowing sessions.  Once the art has dried, decorate the walls with cut outs that reinforce your lesson plans. 

Pudding paint is also a popular ‘condiment’ in the preschool or home school class.  Using vanilla flavored pudding, add a couple of drops of food coloring to tint for a rainbow palette that will excite even the ficklest of artists.  Again using craft paper, cut out shapes that will supplement your chosen lesson theme.  Paint the shapes and decorate with sugar ‘glitter’.  This has always brought about rave reviews.

Preschoolers love to create clay style bowls to give as gifts.  These items are among the most economical pieces a student can create that are three dimensional.  Once you have chosen a favorite clay recipe and tinted it (unless the artist will paint the bowl when dried), assign a shape for the base.  Example:  If working on the square, have the student create a square base to build up the sides upon.  The variations to this activity can include sensory items.  Add small rough items to the clay prior to the building of the bowl or add peppermint oil to the clay for a sensory excitement explosion.  This is an arty item that no one will every become tired of creating because of the endless variations.

Although these are truly fun and exciting activities, the possibilities are endless.  Using the many home spun concoctions we can instill a love of creating while reinforcing the educational / developmental goals of the preschool aged student.  Never forget that FUN is always a wonderful foundation to build upon! 

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Preschool Story Time Reading Activities

2. January 2009 by admin.

It does not matter if you are a home school educator or a preschool teacher, story time is an important part of any preschool student’s educational experience. Story time can be as simple as reviewing popular nursery rhymes or as extensive as a story soap opera. Depending on the preschool student’s leveled abilities and/or interests, story time can include the ever popular Humpty Dumpty or the divisional break down of popular books such as The Three Little Pigs. The reading item should be chosen based on attention span and actual interest of the preschool student.Preschool leveled students have limited attention spans and the love of reading can be encouraged via fun activities. Include attention grabbing props such as a story time hat, a special story time pillow or chair, a story time flag, special made story mats, a special story time march around the room, a song or even a drum chant. Some of the items can be made by the preschool student. The pillow could be decorated with hand prints using fabric paint. The flag could be made of card stock and pictures collected from old magazines or discarded books. The preschool class could even make up their own song and dance for use during transition to story time. Involving the preschool students encourages their love of reading.

Preschool leveled students will also respond to special activities related to the story. Examples include:
          A story show and tell; Announce the story of the week and ask the students to participate by bringing in an item that relates to a part of the story.

           Incorporating Sign Language; Teach the students special signs that relate to the story line.

           A story treasure chest; Fill a small box with surprise items related to the story.
Prior to removing an item from the chest to share with the preschool students, provide a brief verbal description of the item, then have the class guess what the item could be.
The variations are extensive and are only limited by the vision of the instructor.

Story time excitement can be created in the preschool classroom with a student made book. At the beginning of the preschool year the student could create an ‘About Me’ styled book. Include pages about their favorite foods, family pets, favorite color, a hand drawn family portrait or even a self-portrait. Add the books to the preschool class library to encourage not only the love of reading but individual familiarity. A book extension activity will also encourage the understanding of the book being read. Many extension activities include the creation of a ‘mimic’ styled handmade book produced by the student. It may also include activities / worksheets based on the book being introduced but are inclusive of the basic concepts introduced in a preschool classroom. Again, the limits are only set by the vision of the instructor.

Story time, with its many facets, is an important part of any preschool curriculum. Encouraging the love of reading will not only span the ages but extend the imagination of the preschool student.

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