If
you're searching for fresh ideas for beginning of school activities for
preschool, try this one. Some of the most memorable activities I have done are
ones that span the school year. Parents and children love to see how they have
grown through the year!
Parents
are anxious about their children starting their first year in a setting other
than home. They want to be reassured that the teacher and staff recognize and
value their preschooler's unique qualities.
The Preschool Redmond teacher also has the
responsibility to teach the children to get along in a group and begin the
process of respecting other's unique qualities as well. This is a year long
goal, as well as a life long goal for all of us!
All about Us Preschool Activity
The
project that I call All About Us is one that helps the students, teachers and
parents have a visual display of how the class is changing throughout the year.
This display is not left out continuously but rather brought out at different
times during the school year to note new changes, abilities, differences of any
kind.
This
is one of those Full Time Preschool
Redmond activities you can use for teaching many skills such as color
recognition, numbers, counting, comparisons, opposites, etc. You can also
identify abilities such as letter recognition, name recognition, favorite
books, toys--the range is up to the teacher to decide.
At
the start of the preschool year, I make one chart per child on a piece of
cardstock or heavy grade paper that will last the school year. On the left side
of the chart I list: name, birthday, height, hair color, number of siblings,
favorite food, colors I know, letters I know, favorite book, etc. (This is your
own list to create so feel free to add other things if you wish.) Then across
the top, put columns where you can record dates of entry. If you have access to
a camera, take each child's picture and put add this to the chart.
I
have a hallway or wall set aside for everyone to see. Another way to display this
is to attach the papers to a long piece of ribbon to make a banner that can
span the wall or a corner. I use this often the first month of the year at
circle time to show how to measure height, ask children their eye color or hair
color. We count how many siblings are in a person's family.
You
can record the children's answers to the list on your sheet and then add these
to the charts. I also think it is important to provide them the opportunity to
decorate their sheets with stickers or crayons. Personalization of their own
part of the banner.
After
a few weeks, I take this down and then bring it out every couple of months to
see how things have changed. As the year goes by, the children will have
acquired so many skills and enjoy being able to "measure" height,
count, put in the letters they have learned. Some like adding information next
to their name such as "can cut with scissors", "can stand on one
foot", "can hop", "made new friends". Listen to their
ideas for inclusion here. This is an excellent way to hear from their own
mouths how they think they have grown!
