We start our Preschool day with the Calendar and Weather Chart.(pictures below). Each child has their own day to be helper and that child will help us start our calendar song (see below)and place the correct number up on the calendar. Also that child get's to tell everyone what the weather is today and pick the correct picture to place up on the weather chart.
They have their own Little People, shown above. When it is their day, their little person will be first in line on the left side. So if they as wondering whose day it is,all they have to do is go over to the board and check who is first. When they are done with everything, they take their little person and put it at the end of the line, to the right and they tell us who is in charge tomorrow.
The Calendar Song:
Today is Monday,
Today is Monday,
All Day Long, All Day Long,
Yesterday was Sunday,
Tomorrow is Tuesday,
Lets have Fun,
Lets have Fun.
Each Day we do Circle Time & Story Time. Our story time can include a Flannel Board Story. I have more than 100 flannel board stories and I am always making more each week. If the children really like a story then I will make the flannel board story to go with it. I also have a Story Reader , Miss Kate, who comes once a month and the children absolutely love her. We have a special procedure that we do when we sit down in our story circle time. I will tell everyone to "Sit in our Circle because It's Story Time!" We all sit down please, "criss cross apple sauce",(sit indian style), "turn your listening ears on, both of them please", ( they pretend to turn their ears on, one at a time), "Listen", (point to your ear) "look" (point to your eyes) and "shhhhhhhh", (they put their finger up to their mouth and say shhhhhh) , "And button please", (they button their lips with their fingers and pop shut-which sounds like a big kiss) "Now we are ready to read our story". This is something we do every day and the kids know exactly what to do. It's so cute and the children learning as young as 1 1/2 years old.
I have started something new. Every Wednesday is "Show & Share Your Book Day."
On Wednesdays each child gets to bring in 1 book from home. They can bring in any book, but only one and share it with the day care at circle time. It has to be a book that doesn't have too many words because we are reading up to 6, depending on who's here for the day.
I have recently purchases 100's and 100's of books from a retired Kindergarten Teacher. I have a book rack that the children can choose books from each day and I change the books in this rack each month to match the theme. So there is always a great selection of books to choose.
We have some clean up songs that we sing as well. When I start singing it they are start to sing and clean up immediately.
#1
Clean up clean up everybody everywhere.
Clean up clean up everybody do your share.
Clean up clean up everybody everywhere.
Clean up clean up everybody do your share.
Clean up clean up everybody everywhere.
Clean up clean up everybody do your share.
(Barney Song) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZUufewt05E
#2
Pickin’ it up, pickin’ it up.
Everbody’s workin’ at cleanin’ it up, cleanin’ it up.
Let’s get together and tidy it up, tidy it up.
(by Desquaw Woody (Brian Schellinger) )
#3
Clean it up, clean it up
You can make it fun to do
And your friends can help you too
Clean it up, clean it up
And put it away put it away
Put your things away
(By Laurie Berkner)
#4
What’s gonna work? Teamwork!
What’s gonna work? Teamwork!
YES! Teamwork!
(by Wonder Pets)
Music is important. I usually have some background music playing throughout the day. Of course it will have to do with my theme most of the time. I go to the library and get music but I also have 100's of CD's.
#1
Clean up clean up everybody everywhere.
Clean up clean up everybody do your share.
Clean up clean up everybody everywhere.
Clean up clean up everybody do your share.
Clean up clean up everybody everywhere.
Clean up clean up everybody do your share.
(Barney Song) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZUufewt05E
#2
Pickin’ it up, pickin’ it up.
Everbody’s workin’ at cleanin’ it up, cleanin’ it up.
Let’s get together and tidy it up, tidy it up.
(by Desquaw Woody (Brian Schellinger) )
#3
Clean it up, clean it up
You can make it fun to do
And your friends can help you too
Clean it up, clean it up
And put it away put it away
Put your things away
(By Laurie Berkner)
#4
What’s gonna work? Teamwork!
What’s gonna work? Teamwork!
YES! Teamwork!
(by Wonder Pets)
Music is important. I usually have some background music playing throughout the day. Of course it will have to do with my theme most of the time. I go to the library and get music but I also have 100's of CD's.
Alina loves to read too.
Children are able to choose a book to read any time they want and they start at a very young age.
Calendar
This is our Calendar which is based on the theme of the month. The picture will change according to the theme. Holidays and Birthday are placed on the calendar and we count down to that child's special day and birthday party which we celebrate here too. Pointer
Jack is using our special pointer to point to the yellow icecream. Yellow is the color our calendar piece boy is wearing. He has yellow pants and brown hair, so Jack pointed to both colors today. Great Job Jack!
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Weather Chart
This is our Weather Chart which the "Special Child of The Day" gets to place the correct weather piece on the chart. The children love to do this.
Weather Bear Chart
We recently added our Weather Bears to our morning routine. Now the Special Child of the Day also searches the Bear chart for the correct weather.
Ice Cream Cone Colors
This delicious ice cream cone helps our Special Child of the Day find the right color. When doing our Calenday I will ask the child what colors are on our calendar piece? The will use their pointer the point to the color ice cream. The will also point to the correct numbers below.
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The Seals on the Bus Flannel Board
This has to be one of the children's favorite stories. As I read the story the children, who have chosen the characters they want, place their character up on the board when they hear it read in the story. Now this encourages participation as well as listening skills and
recognizing which pieces they have. When they hear that character they then get up from our circle and place it on the board any way they want. It can be a silly day and they want to place it upside down. They get to change it every time the story is told which makes story time so much more interesting to them. Check the recipe section for a very cute seals on the bus snack too. |
The Wheels On The Bus Flannel Board
The Wheels on the bus is also a fun story because the kids know it as a song too, so we can sing it as well as read it. We always add funny items to our list of things on the bus, which refers us to "The Seals on the Bus". They get very creative with this story. Again they are learning without even realizing it.
It's all about having fun while learnng. Make learning fun and you will always have the children's attention. |
Whose Baby Am I ?
This has to be one of My favorite stories because I just think the pictures are so cute. The children learn to match animals in this story-the Mommy and the Baby. It's a great story and we mix up the animals so no one has the same matching animal. They all just get so excited when it's their turn to place their piece up on the board. I just love seeing them get excited about learning. It is quite rewarding!
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Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See
Another wonderful story teaches about colors as well as recognition again. Each child must remember which animal they have but also know the color.
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The Kissing Hand
This is such a wonderful story. I always have this book available in August & September when school starts especially if I have a child starting school. This story is a must have.
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Dog's Colorful Day
I have recently come across this book (Author- Emma Dodd-Wonderful) and I am so glad I did. Another favorite. The kids just think the dog is so funny because he keeps getting into messy things. They love to place the colored spots all over the dog.
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These are just a few of my flannel board stories. I have so many and they really are a great teaching tool to have. Reading a Story is so important to children in so many ways. Making it fun is even more important and keeps the children interested. Children who can't read still love to read us a story their own way. I will have them read me a book the way they want to hear it. They become the teacher, I will switch seats with them, makes them feel important, and they will hold the book up and say whatever they want. It is very funny to hear those stories.
Music Time
I have made our own egg shakers to add to our music box. They are their favorite to play with, especially the little ones. Just use your easter eggs and fill with rice or beans. You can also fill them with different items and ask the children if they hear different sounds from the different items. We use them during circle time as well. Make sure you glue them shut.
