Pre-K teaching times, Dec. 2012

Pre-K Teaching Times

Language and Literacy

By now many children in your class have begun to display a curiosity with letters and words. Now is a great time to begin providing more exposure and opportunity for discovery and interaction with letters and words. Following are activities in which children can engage independently during center time.
Hanging Out the Alphabet Hang a clothesline at the children's level. Create clothes-shaped cut outs with letters written on them. Provide clothespins and encourage children to hang clothes in alphabetical order.
Making Words Using Pictures and Magnetic Letters Use magnetic letters and pictorial flash cards with simple words. Students match the spelling of a word while learning purpose of letters. Use vocabulary words related to your topic of study and sight words.
Letters for Kinesthetic Learning Use an Ellison machine to press out letters from different materials: felt, sandpaper, sponge, etc. Place these letters in a center for children to kinesthetically learn about the shape of letters

Pipe Cleaner Twists Provide laminated alphabet cards (one letter per card) and allow children to twist pipe cleaners into the shape of the letters using the cards as guides.
Letter Collage Divide a piece of poster board into six sections. In each section write a different letter. Allow children to locate and cut out letters from magazines that match each section; let them glue their letter on the poster board. When complete, display the poster.
Fingerpaint Bags Place a dab of finger paint in a freezer Ziploc bag, and tape it closed. Lay the bag flat and with permanent marker write a letter on each bag. Encourage children to trace letters.
Pocket Chart Match Allow children to manipulate letters and words provided with a pocket chart to match upper/lower case letters, word cards to pictures, and beginning letter to names of friends.
Table Cloth Creation Cover a table with bulletin board paper. Provide letter stampers, letter stickers, and markers. Encourage

children to stamp and write letters.

Alphabet Soup Use a black plastic cauldron (purchased at Halloween time) and magnetic letters of the alphabet. Each child takes a turn by stirring the "soup" with a large plastic spoon, and dipping out one letter. Children help each other name the letter and then place the letter on top of corresponding letter on an alphabet chart.

December/January 2012/2013

Inside this issue:

Math Every-

2

where

Social Studies 3

Clip Board Letter Hunt Divide sheets of paper into three sections and write one letter in each section. Children choose a piece of paper, place it on a clip board, and explore the room to locate their letters. When they find their letters, they write the letter in the corresponding space.
Hidden Treasure Several times a week before children arrive, hide laminated alphabet letters in various learning centers. Instruct the children that during center time when they discover a letter, they announce what letter they found and display it on the board. At the end of center time, the class can review all the letters they found.

Having Regard 3 for your Students' Perspective in Your CLASSroom
GELDS Rollout 4

Let's Cook up 4 Some Science

Teacher to

5

Teacher

Check Please 6

20 Year Cele- 7 bration

Answers to

7

WSO Activity

Pre-K Week

7

Math Everywhere

Integrate math throughout all of the learning centers in the classroom.
In the Art Center Combine art and math in the art center by planning crafts with specific number requirements. For example, have students cut Christmas trees out of construction paper or have them make tiny birthday cakes out of clay. Then have them add a certain number of ornaments or candles to each item. Or have them make/decorated more than one and put them in order of the lowest to highest number of ornaments/candles. This helps the children not only develop math skills but also helps them improve hand/eye coordination.
In the Writing Center Turn the writing center into an office including a phone and a phone book. Students can use note pads or sticky notes to write a phone number down for someone who cannot "come to the phone." Students may want to use writing center materials

to create a phone book of their own. Explain to the children that if the writing center is an office, someone may call to ask about a price. The office worker may have to check prices of marked items in the center. Ideas incorporating numbers in the writing
center are endless. Math and literacy can go hand in hand in this center.
Measurement Measurement can be fun. Ask children to guess how many cubes it will take to go from the top of the mitten to the bottom of the mitten? Then use the cubes to find out how many it actually takes. You can also use gem clips, teddy bears, or any other manipulatives for measuring. Each month, measure items that "go" with the sea-

sons or months. (Christmas trees, ornaments, Valentines, shamrocks, etc.) Sorting coins: pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters is a great way for children to see the physical difference in coins. Some children will be ready to learn the names and values of the coins. Have fun with math. Use your imagination to include math in all centers.

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Pre-K Teaching Times

Social Studies

Social Studies in Pre-K should build the student's awareness of himself, his family, his home, his community, and his place in each. It can also teach children about other cultures. Although learning about other cultures may be abstract for some children, they will enjoy talking about people, places, and cultures different from their own. Discuss and explore different ways of dressing, eating, dancing, and working. To get started,

gather children around a globe and discuss where we live and other parts of the world.
Point out parts of the world the families in your class come from.
Show pictures of families around the world doing activities like playing, sharing meals, working together, etc. Help children see that although we are all different, the way people live

and interact are still very similar.
Invite families to come to the class to share their family traditions. Ask families to bring special music, instruments, clothing, or jewelry used in their culture. Allow children to ask questions and enjoy the music.

Having Regard for Your Students' Perspectives in Your CLASSroom

Teachers with a high regard for children's perspectives intentionally and consistently emphasize children's interests, motivations, and points of view. In classrooms high on this dimension, teachers promote children's independence by providing meaningful roles for them within the classroom, encouraging them to talk, listening to their ideas, and allowing them to make decisions for themselves when appropriate.
Actively seek out, listen to, and

support children's ideas in the Give children roles and respon-

classroom.

sibilities within the classroom

like jobs as helpers.

Be flexible and go with the flow

of children's ideas. Four year Encourage children to mentor

olds don't always want to do

others in the classroom. They

what you have planned for

love to be experts.

them.

Allow children reasonable free-

When possible, give children choices within the structure of your day.

dom of movement; try not to place so much emphasis on how children sit and move.

Provide time for child-initiated

.

activities and learning.

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GELDS Rollout: What to Expect

Release of the new Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards is on the horizon. We plan to roll out the GELDS in helpful phases to ensure teachers have the knowledge necessary to use the standards successfully.
Phase 1: Awareness and Information New website will launch in Febru-
ary 2013 that will include valuable information about GELDS. Website will ask for feedback on the GELDS. New website address will be an-

nounced in next month's newsletter. Webinar series about the GELDS will begin airing in April 2013.
Phase 2: Training and Professional Development Training will include an introduc-
tion to the domains, strands, standards, and indicators and will help with lesson planning and appropriate activities supporting the GELDS. Training and professional development will begin in May 2013.

Phase 3: Gradual Implementation Teachers will start using the
GELDS in the 2013-2014 school year with continuous training, professional development, and support. Full implementation, with measurements in place, will not go into effect until the 2014-2015 school year.
For more information contact Standards Coordinator, Laura Evans, at Laura.Evans@decal.ga.gov or (404) 478-4486.

Let's Cook Up Some Science

Cooking is something that children see as an adult activity that is an instant hit in a Pre-K classroom. The following activities relate to science indicators but don't be limited when you document observations; these activities also touch math, language, and art.
SD 1 a Asks questions about objects, organisms, or events in environment
SD 1 b Uses senses to observe, classify, and learn about objects
SD 1 e Records observations through dictating to an adult, drawing pictures, or using other forms of writing
SD 1 f Predicts what will happen next based on previous experience
SD 3 a Investigates and describes the states of matter
SD 3 b Describes objects by their physical properties
Reactions: A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another.

Pour some milk into a glass and add a few drops of vinegar. Explain that the vinegar is causing the milk to curdle. Pick up some of the curds to show the children. This would be a perfect time to talk about Little Miss Muffet. Taste the difference between curds (lumps) and whey (liquid).
Let your students write their names or draw a picture on white bread with lemon juice. When their creations have dried, there will be no sign of them. Hold the bread up to a light bulb. The lemon juice will turn brown and the students will be able to see what they wrote or drew.
Yeast Air Balloons (activity should precede making soft pretzels) Ingredients: 1 packet of active dry yeast 1 cup very warm water (105 F 115 F) 2 tablespoons sugar a large rubber balloon a small (1-pint to 1-liter) empty water bottle

Stretch out the balloon by blowing it up repeatedly, and then lay it aside. Add the packet of yeast and the sugar to the cup of warm water and stir. If you don't see anything happen, keep waiting.
Once the yeast and sugar have dissolved, pour the mixture into the bottle. The water will bubble as the yeast produces carbon dioxide. Attach the balloon to the mouth of the bottle. After several minutes, the balloon will begin standing upright. Eventually, the balloon will inflate. This is why bread...and pretzels...rise!

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Pre-K Teaching Times

Let's Cook Up Some Science

Soft Pretzels It takes a little work to make these but it is worth it. You prepare the dough and let your little chefs help form the pretzels.
1 cups warm water 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast 2 Tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup wheat flour 3 cups white flour 1 beaten egg white Add yeast and sugar in warm water and set aside. In mixing bowl add salt and flours. Blend in yeast water and mix. Cover dough and let rise 30 minutes. Take small balls of dough and roll into long ropes. Shape into a pretzel. Place on greased cookie sheet and brush top of pretzels with beaten egg white. Bake in oven 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden.

Mixture- A mixture is a substance made by combining two or more different materials in such a way that no chemical reaction occurs.
First, add small amounts of KoolAid to water. Then add it all at once. What happens when it is added all at once; record the differences and similarities.
Invisible Ink-Using a Q-Tip or paint brush, let children write messages on white bread with lemon juice. Let dry. Then hold the bread close to a light bulb until the writing becomes visible by turning brown.
Disappearing Water-Fill a measuring cup with water to a specific point. Then put pasta into the cup. Let the children observe what happens and then talk about it.

Soda Surprise- Pour clear carbonated drink (e.g., Sprite or 7Up) into as many ice-cube tray sections as you have students. Ask each child to choose a color of jelly bean, name its color, and drop it into a section. Freeze the cubes. (The jelly beans' color will tint the liquid to create colored cubes. Jelly Belly jelly beans will not work.) During snack time, put a cube into a clear plastic cup for each child and ask each child to find a cube that corresponds to the color of bean he selected; then help him fill his cup with the type of clear soda used to make the cubes. As they watch the ice melt, they will be surprised to see the clear soda blush with color. Using a spoon, remove the colorless bean from each drink. Where did the color go?

Teacher to Teacher

What is your best proactive classroom management tip ?

I am consistent in giving positive praise tions from day one. This includes con-

for appropriate behaviors while ignoring sistently stating rules to the children

attention-seeking behaviors. Also, I con- and sticking with them. I support stu-

sistently review and model classroom dents in the process of making good

rules throughout the day.

choices with much positive praise,

Farhanatu Rufai while guiding students in understand-

ing the consequences of bad choices.

Classroom management has been a challenge for me, but I finally found something that works. We use Calming Bottles, which we place on a table in our Quiet Area. The bottles contain water, food coloring, glitter, and tacky glue and are in a variety of colors. Anytime a child needs to be alone or needs

When redirecting or rewarding behavior, I always talk with children about their choices as a way to help them understand they have control over their actions. Behavior is learned, and I am responsible for guiding children toward learning how to make good choices.
Sabrina Luckie

help calming down, he/she can sit at the

table, shake up the bottle, and watch the My proactive strategy is to plan for

glitter until it falls to the bottom of the

behavior problems and share with my

bottle. I have a child who struggles with para what each of our responsibilities

behavior issues. He was the first student will be for specific situations.

to try this technique, and it worked!

Peggy LeBlanc

Here is a link to making bottles: http://

teachers.net/lessons/posts//422.html

A really fun thing I do for behavior

Amy Bailey management is when I catch someone

making the right choices and following

The most effective form of classroom classroom procedures, I pretend to management for me is teaching expecta- take their picture with my fingers. The

children LOVE being recognized for their effort, and the other children quickly follow suit.
Katie Jasionowski
My best proactive tip is to always state my expectations for getting ready to walk in line, begin a reading lesson, etc. For example, instead of saying, "I want your eyes on me, hands in your lap, and feet on the floor," I will use students' names who are already demonstrating that behavior. The other students will want their names to be called so they make good choices as well. I also make it a point to find a small success in behavior for those who have a hard time managing behavior. This allows me to offer something positive and successful for that individual child.
Beth MacDonald

Page 5

Check Please

The matrix is the favorite type saw the letter. Let's consider We asked the students

of assessment documentation two more examples:

to tell us what a fire

for many Pre-K teachers. It is a fast and easy way to gather Work Sampling data for large and small groups. Two criteria need to be met for matrices to be used appropriately predictable and observable.

While in small group, the student was able to match

fighter and a police officer does.

the lacing beads to the picture card and string them on the string.

The students used magnifying glasses, eye droppers, and tweezers to ex-

Sorted magnetic shapes by

plore flowers.

The skill/behavior being documented must be predictable. As part of lesson planning, the

shape. Student accurately named the shape and color.

teacher should be able to develop the matrix that will be used. For example, a teacher is planning a transition activity where she/he will hold up a letter card and have the child line up for outside time when they see the first letter of their name. She should have the matrix ready and have the assistant teacher put a check by the names of children who

Can you identify the more appropriate matrix content? The first was completely predictable and observable. The first part of the second matrix is observable and predictable, but the second response required an oral response rather than being observable.
So, can you select the appropriate matrices?

were able to correctly identify The correct answers are on their first letter. This content is the next page. predictable and also meets the

second criteria.

Listened to the Three Little

The skill/behavior being documented must be easily observable. This means the individual child can be seen

Fish and the Big Bad Shark and made accurate predictions throughout the reading of the story.

demonstrating the skill on the Students put bears in order

matrix without asking the child

from the smallest to the

any questions. If an oral re-

largest.

sponse is required, it is not appropriate for a matrix. In the above example, the children were not asked to say the let-

Students used measuring cups and spoons at the sensory table.

ter only to line up when they

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Pre-K Teaching Times

Georgia's Pre-K Program 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SE 754 East Tower Atlanta, GA 30334
For updates follow Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gadeptearlycare or Facebook at www.facebook.com/ brightfromthestart.

Answers for the WSO activity: Numbers 2, 3, and 5.

Business Taglin

Call the BFTS office and Pre-K consultant on duty at 404-656-5957. PreK consultant contact information also can be found on the website at www.decal.ga.gov

Continue to e-mail your Pre-K stories to: 20yearsofprek@decal.ga.gov

Governor Nathan Deal, First Lady Sandra Deal, and DECAL Commissioner Bobby Cagle visit students in Sandy Springs during GA Pre-K Week held October 1-5, 2012.