Mirror
Camera
Cards with names and pictures
Photo Album
Puppets
Classroom Book
Multi-cultural Dolls
Multi-cultural Paint, Paper, Crayons, Markers
Discovery Bottles
Finger Paint
Water Table: small plastic school buses, plastic apples, magnet ABC's, cups, bowls, cookie cutters, cars, measuring cups, measuring spoons, droppers
Sensory Table: foam letters, pom poms, shredded paper, school counters, crayons, pencils, rulers, numbers, people, paint brushes
Teaching Concepts for Large Group
Tour the Classroom
1.Take the children on a tour of the classroom. Walk to each area of your room and talk about what we can do here. Example: Here is the easel. We can paint and use what is in this tray. We wear a paint smock to stop the paint from getting on us. This is the Block Center. Here we build with blocks, etc. Encourage the children to name what they see in each area and make suggestions about what they can do with those materials.
2. Have poster of classroom rules. Ask child what the children are doing in the pictures of the rules. Have a puppet show of modeling good choices.
3. Talk about feelings. Ask each child about feelings about school. Do feelings chart.
* Special Activity – school field trip, take a walk around the school. Meet staff members (CM, CS, FSS, Floaters, Kitchen Staff, etc)
Classroom Rules
1.Make up a few classroom rules with the children. Choose only 3 so that they can remember them. Always state rules in the positive (what they can do rather than what they can't do)
Basic rules are:
We use kind words. (No yelling)
Our hands stay on our own body. (No hitting)
Our feet walk inside and run outside.
2.Find the Item
Name an item in the classroom and have one child find it and bring it to the circle. Let each child have a turn. This will help them to become familiar with what is in the classroom. Give clues as to where the item is for the child: Suzy, would you please bring a paintbrush to the circle? The paintbrushes are in the art center. The art center is over there.
Teaching Concepts for Small Group
1.Name Tags
We have paper shapes with each child's name printed on one. Take a picture of each child during their first day. Print out their pictures and then tape them to their name tags and laminate the tags. We use these for circle time all year.
2.Name Tag Flannel Rhyme
Make a name tag for each child for your flannel board (you can use Velcro or a dryer sheet for the back to make it stick. If you don't have a flannel board, simply place the name tags in the middle of your circle area).
Down around the corner in the preschool that's the best.
There were (number of children) little name tags on the teacher's desk.
Along came (name a child) one day. He/she took his/her name tag away. (Have that child come and get their name tag and sit back down).
Continue until all the name tags are gone.
3.Just Painting
Although paint, brushes and white paper may seem boring to you, remember that this may be the children's first time in school so painting while standing up and on such large paper will be novel to them!
Keep your Back To School Preschool Activities themed Easel projects focused on basics--paint and brushes--in the beginning!
4.School Day Sequencing
Materials: Laminated pictures of activities at school
Encourage the children to put the pictures in the order that activities happen at school. We usually have:
Arrival (picture of a bus and cars)
Circle Time
Activity Time
Snack Time
Outdoor Time
Departure Time (children with their families).
5.Counting and Sorting
Provide sorters for the children to use such as the basic teddy bear sorters or little people.
Encourage the children to sort them by color and then by size. Encourage them to count them. ("How many large blue teddy bears are there? How many red teddy bears?").
This is a great way to assess their counting and one-to-one correspondence skills.
Teaching Concepts for Music Movement Wellness IMIL
Dr. Jean's music is very popular and my absolute FAVE on this one is Tooty-Ta!
Another all-year favorite is ANY and ALL songs from Greg & Steve!
Now for some songs to sing:
1.I Like To...
sung to the tune of London Bridges
I like to paint and build with blocks,
Build with blocks, build with blocks.
I like to paint and build with blocks
At my school.
I like to sing and model clay....
I like to ride the trikes and swings...
Make up other verses to go with the activities you have in your classroom!
2.The Importance of Rules
Rules can be helpful,
rules can be good.
they help us behave
The way we should.
If we can follow the rules,
And keep from doing wrong,
Our class will be a happier place
When we all get along.
3.Important Rules
sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Here are rules for you and me,
See how important they can be.
Always be honest, kind and fair.
Always be good and willing to share.
These are rules that we should know,
And follow these rules wherever we go.
4.First Day Of School to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot
Good morning __________, how are you?
This the very first day of school.
I'm so glad to meet you,
others will be too,
Just come in the classroom,
There's lots of things to do!
5.Brand New Year tune: London Bridge
It's time to start a brand new year,
Brand new year, brand new year.
It's time to start a brand new year,
Welcome new friends!
We'll learn lots of brand new things,
Brand new things, brand new things.
We'll learn lots of brand new things.
Let's Get Started!
6.Hello tune: Frere Jacques
Hello _________. Hello ________.
How are you? How are you?
We're so glad to have you,
We're so glad to have you.
Here at school, here at school.
7.Who Is Here Today? tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Let's see who is here today.
Who has come to join our play?
Everyone sit close at hand,
Say your name, then you can stand.
Le'ts see who is here today.
Who has come to join our play?
8.Hello Song tune: Three Blind Mice
Hello ________. Hello _______.
How are you? How are you?
We're glad you're here to laugh and play.
We hope you'll have some fun today.
You're welcome, welcome everyday.
To our preschool!
9.Have You Met A Friend Of Mine? tune: The Muffin Man
Have you met a friend of mine,
A friend of mine, a friend of mine?
Have you met a friend of mine?
His/her name is __________.
10.What Is Your Name? tune: Frere Jacques
What is your name? what is your name?
Tell us please. Tell us please.
We would like to meet you.
We would like to meet you.
What's your name? What's your name?
11.Off To School We Go tune: A-hunting We Will Go
Off to school we go. It's off to school we go.
We'll take our lunch and ride the bus (or take our snack and ride in our car)
With everyone we know (or to see everyone we know)
Off to school we go. It's off to school we go.
We'll learn our ABC's and more with everyone we know.
12.We Like To Come To School tune:the farmer in the Dell
We like to come to school.
We like to come to school.
Our school is such a happy place.
We like to come to school.
13.Happy Faces tune: Jingle Bells
Smiling faces, happy faces,
giggling all around.
Oh what fun we'll have this way
In a happy class today.
He-he-he, he-he-he,
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
In a happy class today!
1.School Safety Poem
STOP, Look and Listen
Before you cross the street.
Use your eyes. Use your ears.
And then use your feet
Tour the Playground
1.Take the children on a tour of the playground. Walk to each area of your playground and talk about what we can do here. Example: Here is the slide. We walk up the steps and slide down on our bottom feet first. This is the trike track. We wear a helmet and keep the trike on the track. Encourage the children to name what they see in each area and make suggestions about what they can do with those materials.
I Spy– Use your students’ backgrounds for this game to play. Pick an item that can easily be seen by all students and share a clue. Students can raise their hand when they have a guess.
Field Trip Friday– Teachers all over the country are taking their students on virtual field trips. Use the share-screen feature to share a virtual location with your students. You can visit a zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks, or even theme parks. Check out THIS list for some ideas to get started.
Flashlight Friday– Have your students build a fort and grab a flashlight! They can get comfy and listen to you read a story during Flashlight Friday.
Directed Drawings– Directed drawings are a fun brain break! Pull up your favorite directed drawing YouTube video and share your screen with your students. You can also get creative and walk your students through the drawings yourself. Art Hub for Kids is a great place to start.