Working With 4 YearOlds Presented by Debbie Fanning

Working With 4 -Year-Olds Presented by: Debbie Fanning Parenting/Early Childhood Coordinator Scottsboro High School

FOUR-YEAR-OLDS ARE • • • Curious Imaginative Talkative Inquisitive Affectionate • • • Energetic Sponges Eager Explorers FUN

4 -Year-Olds Need Teachers Who: • • Creative Energetic Enthusiastic Organized Prepared Loving Patient

What Do You Need to Know Before you teach? • What I know about teaching 4’s • What I want to know about teaching 4’s

Stop • Read one near you • Share with the rest of us

Preschoolers Need to Learn • • To follow rules and routines To listen To share, take turns, cooperate To express their feelings and needs in appropriate ways To develop early literacy skills To develop early math concepts To become familiar with the world around them To write their name

Language Objectives • Attention span should increase- listening for a few minutes at a time. • Interpret gestures, and actions as modes of communication • Recognize letters • Retell simple stories from memory • Increasing vocabulary and carry on basic conversations. When he sees or creates a picture, he should be able to draw simple conclusions or tell simple stories about it. •

Motor Objectives • Develop a sense of balance that allows them to stand on one foot for a few moments and walk backward several steps, throw and kick a ball • Improve coordination- enough to perform jumping jacks correctly, climb without falling and hop on one foot • Fine motor control development-hold a pencil or crayon, copy simple shapes, open a door and operate a pair of scissors

Social Objectives • Develop an awareness of others' feelings and an ability to form and maintain friendships with peers • Respect others' space and learn to share • Gain a strong awareness of cause and effect, • Follow directions, and rules • Control strong emotions, • Express herself clearly with a variety of mediums such as actions, facial expressions, gestures and words.

Personal Care and Self-Help Objectives • Button or zip clothing with minimal assistance, • Use Velcro correctly and pull on his shoes. • Use a spoon and fork and decant liquids from one container to another. • Hygiene -wash his hands and face regularly, • Practice independence-help himself whenever possible instead of asking for help • Know first and last name

Problem Solving • Promoting curiosity and basic problemsolving skills. • Try out a few different options to solve problems and perseverance is encouraged. • Learn the simple skills associated with figuring out how to fix or work through any problem.

Math • Counting and number recognition. For example, children learn to count to 20 and can recognize numbers from one to 10 in written form. • Understand math concepts in words like near, between, around or behind. • Shape recognition, like identifying squares or triangles

Self-Awareness • Learning concepts about how people differ, starting with self-awareness. • Know the basics of myself versus others. • Recognize emotions and feelings and how to stand up for their personal rights. • Understand family relationships and responsibilities within the family

Resources • Read more: Objectives For Preschool | e. How. com http: //www. ehow. com/info_8723520_objec tives-preschool. html#ixzz 1 p 8 fx. KFj. K

I believe we do this by: • • • Literature (reading to them) Music Creative play Meaningful conversation Opportunities to Explore Rotating Centers

Organized Chaos? Paint, glue, scissors, dictation Lacing activity Rotation 2 Teacher Intensive Activity Play-doh Rotation 3

Theme of the week: • Find books with title, character, or subject matter that starts with topic • Moncure books • Music • Classroom resources • Brainstorm session

Brainstorm “L” • • • • L show and tell Lions Lizards Leap frog Limbo Letters Lips Love Long Legs Logs or Legos Listening Healthy Lunches Likes/dislikes • • • • Lick Laser Library Lazy Ladybug Lightning bug Light Lemon or Lime London Laugh Lincoln Left/right Follow the leader Lake Lamb

Take words and make into activities and lessons • Math concepts: charts/graphs of likes – Lego count to determine # blocks used • Sort by color, size, measure height of towers • Counting laps around the wildcat in gym • Science concepts: compare lizards to lions (reptiles vs. mammals) – Concepts of light with prisms etc. – What you would find at the lake • Social studies: Abraham Lincoln story • Art/crafts: lines, Letter shaped cookie

Activities Continued… • Fine Motor: writing L’s, lacing L’s, play-doh l’s, sign language “I love you” • Music and Movement (cooperative play/gross motor): London Bridge, Libby Lou, Electric slide (left/right), Hokey, Poky, Parachute Launch, Follow the Leader • Health: Packing a healthy Lunch • Self-concept: Likes, I love my ____,

Language Activities • Books with L themes • Field Trip to Library to check out books • Dictate love letters to parents, or letters of appreciation/encouragement to lunch room ladies or our adopt a soldier • Vocabulary is growing and they are hearing the initial sound everywhere • Mary had a little lamb

Outside play • • • Climbing the ladder on slide Parachute launch and left to right Leap frog Follow the leader Run, hop, skip, jump laps and count them • Gather leaves for leaf rubbings

Let’s Pretend • • • Play charades Lovely lady Lazy lion Leaping lizard Long legged clown on stilts Little lamb Large leopard Loud/soft Little/large

What do you do with a 4 year-old class? • Do anything, you can’t do everything, but do not expect 4 year olds to sit at the table and do worksheets with some free play thrown in all day!

Appeal to all the senses • Let them to hear, see, touch, sing, and smell the letter L • Reach the whole child • Appeal to all learning styles • Immerse them in theme

Transitions • • Attention getters? Line up? Go to tables? Come to circle? Clean-up? Center time? Washing hands? Few children finish activity too quickly?

Waiting times • • • Quiet Mouse, Still Mouse Heads up 7 -up doggy who stole your bone? Charades Simon says I spy Review by asking each child 1 thing they learned today Listening games Make me laugh Drawing on backs and guessing what letter or shape was drawn Going on a trip taking an _______ Telephone (gossip) game.

Interruptions? • During story time relevant questions are answered because we want to involve the children in the story • Repeated interruptions or questions off subject we ask that they hold it to the end of the story. • Story time should involve the children and be an exciting time. • The key is the motivator that makes the children eager to hear the story/lesson.

Behavior? • We recognize and praise appropriate behavior • Minimize the attention given to those who don’t • A disruptive/uncooperative child is consulted with in private – apple is moved – then removed from activity until they decide they can return and follow the rules.

Classroom Management/Groupings • Change table tags monthly rearranging children’s groupings and tables as well as rearranging circle seating as needed • Limit #’s in centers use a chart with clothes pins to determine who belongs in which center (really helpful at clean-up time) • Established routines help tremendously with behavior and classroom management. • Keep them engaged and they won’t have time to cause disruptions.