HS Week of the Young Child/Transition

Interest Area Changes to Environment

Feely box / bag

Texture books

Multicultural Books

Multicultural Markers, Crayons, Paper

Telephone / old cell phone

Dress up clothes

Books on going to School

Magazines

Newspaper Ads

Mr. Potato Head

Stamp Pads

Paper Bag (make puppets)

Paper Plates

Measuring Chart

Measuring Tape

All About Me Books

Mirrors

Book Bag

Lunch Box

Pictures of Elementary School (outside and inside)

Pictures of Kindergarten Teachers

Pictures of Elementary Staff (Principal, Lunch Ladies, Counselor, etc)

School Bus

Pictures of real School Bus 

Transportation Signs

All About My New Teacher - Homemade book 

List of books about Kindergarten here: 

http://www.babble.com/latina/15-books-for-the-first-day-of-kindergarten/

Ideas for each theme day:

Favorite Team

Favorite Book Character

Crazy Hair Day

Crazy Sock Day

Pajama Day

Favorite Super Hero

Cowboy and Indian Day

Career Day

Favorite Color

Teaching Concepts for Large Group

1. Who will be going to Elementary School next school year?

2.  What is Elementary School like?

3.  What do you do there?

4.  Following Rules.

5.  Who are my friends? What makes a good friend?

6.  Hair, eye color chart.

7.  What makes us happy, sad, scared, excited, etc..

8.  I am special because?

9.  Who will ride a bus? Go over bus safety.

10. Who all do you see at an Elementary school?

11. What is different between school now and school next year? (examples: lunchroom, buses, library, long hallways, etc.)

12. Show real pictures of the Elementary School. Use pictures of the school, playground, lunch room, bathroom, hallways, teachers, principal, etc..

13. What makes a good student? Use the "David" books by David Shannon.

Teaching Concepts for Small Group

1. Use mirrors and create self portrait.

2.  Paper bag puppets.

3.  Paper plate feelings faces.

4.  Create shadow art.

5.  Create “I like collage”

6.  Use tape measure to get the height of children and chart. Let the children use the measuring tool.

7.  Let children make school rules poster.

8.  Create a chart of things to look forward to in Elementary School.

Teaching Concepts for Music Movement Wellness IMIL

1.  My Friends and Me Musical Chairs - Set out the pictures on the floor in a circle. Have the children walk around the circle of pictures. When the music stops have the children race to their picture. Every child should have an picture to stand on.

2.  If You’re Happy and You Know It

3.  Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

Teaching Concepts for Fingerplays

1.  Good Friends

1, 2, 3 Good Friends

Sung to “10 little Indians”

1, 2, 3 good friends,

4, 5, 6 good friends,

7, 8, 9 good friends,

10 good friends are we!

You can also sing it in Spanish

Uno, dos, tres amigos,

Cuatro, cinco seis amigos

Siete, ocho, nueve amigos

Diez amigos son!

Teaching Concepts for Outdoor Experiences

1. Name Ball Game - Have the children sit in a circle and supply the children with a ball or bean bag. The child must say the child’s name that they are going to pas the beanbag to or roll the ball to.

2.  Have a parade with the paper bag puppets made above during small group.

3.  Follow the leader.

4.  Who is missing? Have all the children cover their eyes.  Tap one child on the shoulder. That child will hide. Then the other children have to guess who is missing.

CLASS Concepts

Write or help a child write her name of a piece of large construction paper or poster board.  Allow her to cut the syllables apart.  Touch the syllables as you say them.  Kim-ber-ly.  On the floor, ground, or sidewalk, invite the child to help you make a row of connected boxes (like in hopscotch) The boxes can be made outside with sidewalk chalk or inside with masking tape. Help the child put the cut-apart syllables in the boxes,  one in each box, going from left to right. (If the child’s name is just one syllable, you may want to use his last name)  Explain that you are going to jump into one box for each syllable, or part, of her name.  As you slowly repeat her name, hope into the box containing each syllable.  After demonstrating, allow the children to try.

Teaching Concepts for Distance Learning

1. Show and Tell

Tie it to a learning objective. EX: Bring something that drives on the road. Bring something that flies in the sky. Bring something that goes in the water. Bring something that lifts heavy items. Bring something that a farmer might drive.

2. Bubble Chase

Blow bubbles. Run, hop, jump, wave, bend, and kick with children to pop the bubbles. Encourage them to reach up high and bend down low to pop as many bubbles as they can, as fast as they can.