Activity Plan #2 - Jungle/Rainforest Week: Friday – Special Activity

Activity Plan #2
Jungle/Rainforest Week: Friday – Special Activity

Activity: DRAMATIC PLAY: Based on The Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter – Animals in the Jungle – A Safari Adventure

Why do this activity? To promote physical, intellectual, language, emotional/social, and creative development by teaching children about common objects (animals) in an uncommon way.

What can children learn?
Physical – Walks with an agile, almost adult style; runs around obstacles; climbs ladders, uses slide independently; alternates feet when climbing stairs
Intellectual – Remembers rules for outside and playground activity areas; hears sounds and matches them with known objects; learns by doing and through the senses; matches pictures to objects;
Language – Identifies most common objects; answers simple questions
Emotional/Social – Imitates parents and playmates;

Vocabulary Words: jungle, bear, vulture, leopard, monkey, elephant, parrot, cobra, hornbill, safari, explore, discover, Africa

Materials: Various stuffed jungle animals (bears, monkeys, elephants, colorful birds, big cats, snakes); jungle safari hats (1/child and teacher); faux plant life; binoculars; magnifying glasses; tape/CD of jungle sounds; tape/CD of big animals stomping sounds; Book: The Animal Boogie (check out of library on Wednesday); flashlights

Prepare for the Activity: Set up outside play area with faux and real plant life; “hide” animals in the plants and around the playground (during nap/break time); set up tape/CD player (hidden) and have jungle sounds playing; set out all the props we have to encourage children to dress up for our hunt

Lead small groups: From snack time (post-nap) start a CD/tape player with the Large Animal Walking sounds. Ask children if they have any idea what could be making those noises. Invite children to sit on the rug and try and figure it out. Have them call out suggestions (no wrong answers, but try and steer them towards large animals.) When all the children have participated tell them you think you heard more sounds like that outside and ask them if they want to go outside and explore the yard. Encourage all the children to dress up in the props that are laid out in the dramatic play area. After all the children have dressed up, lead them outside to the yard. Start by putting your hand to your ear, say things like “I think I hear something” and, “Do you children hear anything?” Take big steps and walk in an overly-dramatic way. Have children use props they brought out to search in the bushes, on the playground, etc. When they find an animal, gather the children around and talk about what they found. Talk about basic things like what the animal eats, where it lives, etc. Help the children out if they can’t find the last few animals. Activity should last ~30 minutes.

Respond to individuals: While you are outside encourage children to explore the bushes and playground. Ask children if they know the names of the animals they find. Talk about where the animals live and what they eat. Talk about how they are wild animals and not pets.

Follow up after the activity: Shaniqua was very engaged in this activity, though she tended to want to walk off away from other children. We know she has a tendency to want to work alone so this was a little challenging for her. She wanted to cuddle and play with the stuffed animals we found and ran into a bit of a scuffle when someone when someone wanted the lion she was carrying. We separated the children and asked Shaniqua if she wanted to share the lion. She relented when the other child said “please” and “thank you”.

Involve families: Shaniqua’s dad works at the local zoo so I am going to ask him to come speak to the class. I am also going to talk with the families of my children about planning a family day trip to the zoo to see the animals we have been learning about this week.

Notes: We didn’t find that any of the children had a big problem with the activity, though a few of our youngest three’s were restless at the end. We might shorten the activity to ~20 minutes next time to see if we experience similar problems, since finding every animal isn’t important nor the point of the activity. All the children enjoyed dressing up and expressed a desire to do this activity again. I can see how this activity could be easily redefined to fit other themes.


Rationale
I selected this activity because it fit many developmentally appropriate standards for three-year-olds. Based on the observation I made of Shaniqua I found her to be on track with other children her age. She walked with an agile, almost adult style and ran around obstacles. Intellectually I observed Shaniqua hear sounds and match them with known objects and learn by doing and through the senses. This activity was very language-oriented so I knew this would be a good chance for Shaniqua to broaden her vocabulary. Emotionally and socially Shaniqua was on par with other children her age. She had a high level of self-direction and independence which was almost counterproductive since this activity was inherently group based. She followed the outside rules very well though, and did not have to be reminded like she sometimes does in regular outside time.



Evaluation

If the activity was DAP I would expect to see children:
• Working well with other kids, not fighting over animals or props
• Showing excitement and pride when they find things
• Using props for their intended use
• Actively listening and learning about the facts that we talk about
• Showing excitement to do this activity again or do follow-up activities based on this one

If the activity was not DAP I would expect to see children:
• Acting out and playing on the play equipment as opposed to keeping on the task at hand
• Using props improperly and hitting other children or throwing things
• Acting disinterested/bored in the activity
• Not showing excitement about any follow-up activities or about doing this again

Activity Plan #1 - Imagination Week: Tuesday

Activity Plan #1

Imagination Week: Tuesday

Activity: CREATIVE ART based on There’s a Monster in the Tree by Rozanne Lanczak Williams. Monster collage – What do you think a monster looks like?

Why do this activity? To promote physical, intellectual, and artistic development by encouraging children to be independent and creative in the creation of their own collage after reading the story.

What can children learn?
Physical – Manipulate small objects; use tools for writing/drawing; coordinating hand/eye movement; control small muscles in the hands
Intellectual – Remembering art station rules; show persistence in approaching tasks; explore cause and effect; recognize and repeat patterns; observe objects and events with curiosity
Language – Write letters and words; participate in conversation; ask questions; express self using words and expanded sentences
Emotional/Social – Demonstrate self direction and independence; follow classroom rules; play well with other children

Vocabulary Words: collage, monster, individual, imagination, pretend

Materials: Large (9”x13”) pieces of multi-colored construction paper cut with attached patterns; Book: There’s a Monster in the Tree (get from school library on Monday); buttons, shells, paper shreds, glitter, markers/crayons, goggle-eyes, yarn, plastic grass, pom-poms, leaves, pipe cleaners, mixed dry beans for decoration; Tupperware containers of white glue; clean paintbrushes (for glue); tempera paint; brushes of various sizes (for paint); extra construction paper; safety scissors

Prepare for the Activity: Cut out large construction paper with attached patterns (1/child with some extras); prep art materials in small containers (Tupperware or glad ware) and set them out on the art table; set out paint brushes and markers on the art table; set out containers of paint and glue but leave the lids on until the children are ready to use them; lay out smocks on the chairs

Lead small groups: From choice time we will flick the lights and begin to sing the story-rug song. Children will put away the toys and go to their spots on the rug. Shaniqua is our helper today so she will grab the book for us from the easel (DAP because Shaniqua shows herself to be a natural leader in the observation video.) Children will sit on the rug while I read the book to them. After I have finished the story I will ask the children some questions (no wrong answers – totally open-ended) – Was this story pretend or real? Do you think monsters are pretend or real? Do you think there are good monsters as well as bad ones? And finally I will ask the children (transition question) – What do you think a monster would look like? – letting them call out some answers (about 3 to 5 minutes depending how engaged the children are.) I will then say “Well, why don’t we go to the art table and create some monsters for our classrooms.” Children can pick their paper color and pattern and pick from the supplies on the table. When they have created a monster to their satisfaction we will ask them to name their monster. We will transcribe the name and a sentence or two about the monster, its likes/dislikes, favorite things to eat or do, whether they are good or bad, etc. We will hang all of the completed art work on the “Imagination Board” at the front of the classroom so parents can see the art when they come in at the end of the day. After Imagination Week is over the children can take their monsters home.

Respond to individuals: I will make sure, first of all, that the children know that monsters are pretend and that the monsters we make are pretend as well. I will ask them to describe their collage and ask them questions like “What is your monster’s name?” “What do you think they like to do?” “Where do you think they came from?”

Follow up after the activity: Shaniqua is very skilled at playing without reacting to others around her. When two of her classmates became bored with the activity and began to act out, Shaniqua kept creating her art activity. She quietly asked them to be quiet because they were bothering her. We thanked Shaniqua for using nice words towards her classmates and asked the two who were acting out if they had any nice words to say back to Shaniqua. They said they were sorry yet continued to act out. We removed them from the table and set them to work on something that was a little easier for them at a different table. They did not have the small muscle control that the other children had and were frustrated by all the small parts on the table. When we gave them larger paint brushes to work with they quieted down and began to work on their project.

Shaniqua reacted very well to this activity. We knew that she enjoyed working alone, but near other children, so this activity was very appropriate for her. She has very well developed small muscle control so manipulating the small art objects was easy for her. She expressed at the end that her monster was “pretty” and that she “liked it”. She named it “Rose Marie” and said “She likes to dance, sing, and take care of her baby monsters. She is a good monster. She is a mommy monster.” Shaniqua was able to express her ideas about her monster in complete, if short, sentences.

Involve families: Hang collages on the “Imagination Board” for parents to see. Frame each and make sure the name and sentences describing it are stapled under it. Send the collages home with the children in their cubby when Imagination Week is done. Encourage parents to talk about the concepts of “real” and “pretend” with their children and talk any fears or concerns out with them. If their children have any major fears or concerns encourage the parents to talk to the child’s teacher about it. We can then talk more about it in class and tailor activities to help them understand “real” and “pretend” better.

Notes: This activity worked very well for 8/10 of our students. We had two who were not developmentally ready for working with and manipulating the small objects. When we do this activity again we will provide the large paintbrushes from the start and also some larger objects for the children to paste onto their collages. The children who were engaged were very excited about the subject matter and they all wanted to tell us about their monsters. There seemed to be no fear at all of the subject matter like some of us teachers feared there would be. We would definitely do this activity again with the students with a few tweaks on the materials.



Rationale
I selected this activity because it fit many developmentally appropriate standards for three-year-olds. Based on the observation I made of Shaniqua I found her to be on track with other children her age. She was deft at handling small objects so I knew her fine motor skills to be well developed. Having different sized materials for her to work with meant that she could use her fine motor skills to grasp and manipulate. Intellectually I observed Shaniqua showing persistence while she was trying to keep her baby wrapped and feed him at the same time, so I knew that a creative art task was well suited to her. This activity was not very language-oriented but I knew Shaniqua to be able to speak in complete sentences, even if her grammar was not completely correct. At the end of the art activity I encouraged Shaniqua to tell me a little about her monster. She was able to express herself and practice her descriptive skills. Emotionally and socially Shaniqua was on par with other children her age. She had a high level of self-direction and independence therefore would work well on her own activity as long as other children were near. She followed the art station rules and politely asked the other children to follow them as well.





Evaluation
If the activity was DAP I would expect to see children:
• Using art supplies for their intended purpose
• Working diligently on their collage
• Working well with other kids, not fighting over supplies
• Showing excitement for their project and showing pride in their completed work

If the activity was not DAP I would expect to see children:
• Acting out
• Throwing art tools
• Eating/misusing art supplies
• Fighting over supplies or over the paper
• Acting like they don’t care about their work

Journey of Hope: Host an Orphan from Ukraine

There are many orphans and homeless children in Russia and Ukraine. Unless they're adopted and given the support they need to thrive, statistics show that only one out of ten of these children will become a functional member of society. The others are lost to drugs, crime and suicide. Children over 5 are statistically much less likely to be adopted than babies and toddlers.

European Children Adoption Services (ECAS) is a Minnesota licensed international adoption agency that is sponsoring a Journey of Hope (JOH) program during the winter of 2009/2010. This program offers a window of opportunity for orphans to meet with a prospective adoptive family in Minnesota. This could be the childrens' one -- and only -- chance at finding a loving family to call their own. Since 2003, this program has joined 120 children with their forever families in the US.

Orphans who participate in the Journey of Hope will travel to Minnesota for about 3 weeks in December/January and live with a local host family. Most children will be between the ages of 7 -11 years old, some will have siblings. Host families, sponsors and financial contributors are needed to make this program a success. The cost to bring each orphan child to the USA is $2,300.

European Children Adoption Services is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and any donation to the JOH hosting program is tax deductible and will offset the cost of the children’s travel. Donations can be made payable to ECAS Foundation and sent to the address below. If you are interested in hosting an orphan child we invite you to contact us as soon as possible. We need to find host families and finalize our list of families by October 28th.

We have until late next week to find host families for these kids.

Oksana - 12 years old and Vladislav (Vlad) - 8 years old (sister/brother)

Oksana (May 30, 1997) Oksana’s caregivers describe her simply as "wonderful in everything." She has almost straight A's in every subject and enjoys academics. She is a very hard worker, kind and compassionate. She enjoys music and reading. She is happy, calm, self-aware, kind, grounded, modest and intelligent. She has many interests at school. She likes to be in the school productions (plays, singing, etc.) She is close to her brother.

Vlad (Feb 28, 2001) is in third grade and is said to have average achievements in school. He can read, but doesn't like it. He loves math, plays chess well, likes to do crafts and handiwork. He is friendly with children and adults, and is said to have a “good heart.” He is active and inquiring, but can be calm. He enjoys helping others, and is close to his sister.

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Maxim (June 13, 2000) and Yuri (April 24, 2002) brothers

Maxim is 9 years old. He is shy, calm and a hard worker. He is trying to be a good student, but this is the first year that he has been able to attend school regularly, so he is behind where he should be at for his age. He loves his brother and protects him. These children are very attached to each other.

Yuriy is 7 and in first grade. He is behind in educational development for his age, but seems to have good abilities. He loves the stage and is a wonderful performer. He has a good memory and is trying hard to catch up in school. Yuri likes attention and interacting with people. He is friendly and likes to make people laugh.

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Dmitriy (Dima) - 12 years old

Dima is 12 years old and an average student. He loves soccer. He is a very kind and compassionate child. In school he enjoys math, computer, and gym. (pictures will be available soon)

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Mikhail (Misha) - 11 years old

Misha is a very nice boy. He is calm, a hard worker, loves to read, and is a very good student. His caregivers say that he would do really well in a family.

Pictures of these children and more information about them are available by contacting Petra at the email address and phone number below. If you know anyone who is interested in or considering international adoption please feel free to pass this information on!

Petra Wonders, Journey of Hope Hosting Coordinator
612-799-7534
wonpet@gmail.com
ECAS • 6050 Cheshire Lane North • Plymouth, Minnesota 55446 • www.ecasus.org

Health, Safety, and Nutrition: A Best Practices Observation

Childcare centers always strive to provide the best care for the children in their charge. With better training in schools teachers are learning the best practices to implement in their classrooms. While every teacher strives to always use the best practices, the hectic classroom often is distracting and frustrating, which can lead to corners being cut and the standard of care slipping. Most teachers do not purposely lower their standards of care, but everyone can get tired and mistakes can happen. A good, well-trained teacher is the backbone to any safe, smooth running classroom. The teachers in the preschool room at All God’s Children Learning Center were a vital part of their center. They were always present with their children – physically, emotionally, and socially.

Being there physically for all of your students does not just mean showing up for the day. There is a lot more that a teacher needs to worry about and focus on as they are going about their day. The first most important thing in a classroom or out on the playground is safety. Teachers always need to be aware of where their children are, performing head counts every thirty minutes and before and after every transition. The preschool teachers at AGCLC made sure that all their children were always accounted for. They had a list that they wrote on every time a child was taken to the restroom or out of the classroom for any reason. In the areas of health and hygiene teachers always need to be extra mindful. Hand washing rules need to be not only followed by all the staff but also taught to the children so they can learn to keep themselves clean and free from germs and communicable diseases. The teachers at AGCLC were educated about the DAP standards and knew that their children were old enough to be taught hand washing. They made sure that before any meal, after using the restroom, and after any transition from playing with any other age group the children washed their hands. They supervised the children but over all did not need to help any of the children with it.

Small student-teacher ratios are key to a successfully run classroom. State licensing mandates that preschool classrooms are kept at a 10-1 ratio, but the director at AGCLC knows that sometimes it’s hard to watch ten children. In a classroom of 15 students (full capacity) there are four full-time rotating teachers with three always being in the classroom. Whether inside or outside the classroom teachers always need to be mindful about things like keeping their backs to the walls so as to see all the children in their care. Teachers at AGCLC always sit or stand against a wall because they know children only need a few seconds of not being watched to get into something that can hurt them. In this same vein, the teachers at AGCLC avoid clustering together. Their classroom is very large and there are lots of nooks and crannies for children to hide in. The teachers spread out to cover all of the area.

While physical interaction with the children in your care is extremely important, one cannot overlook the importance of emotional interaction. Teachers need to be able to interact with their children without using physical punishment or psychological abuse. This means that teachers are not only not allowed to inflict corporal punishment (includes, but is not limited to, rough handling, shoving, hair pulling ear pulling, shaking, slapping, kicking, biting, pinching, hitting, or spanking), but also they are prohibited under state guidelines from subjecting children to emotional abuse. Emotional abuse “includes, but is not limited to name calling, ostracism, shaming, making derogatory remarks about the child or the child’s family, and using language that threatens, humiliates, or frightens the child” (MN Rule 3 Guidelines, 9503.0055 subp. 2B). Teachers are also not allowed to withhold food, light, warmth, clothing, or medical care as a punishment for unacceptable behavior. The teachers at AGCLC are acutely aware of these regulations and go through a training which teaches them the acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

Not only do teachers need to be mindful about the way they punish the children, they also need to understand that the way they talk to the children can make a huge impact on their psyche. The teachers at AGCLC make sure that they are speaking appropriately to their children and ask open-ended questions to encourage interaction. They ask things like “Why is Anna crying?” and “Is Anna sad?” This opens up a pipeline between child and teacher and helps the child be more able to express their feelings and thoughts. If the children constantly had to adjust to a new teacher every week or two they would not be able to feel comfortable in their class. The director at AGCLC makes sure that the same teachers stay in the same classrooms. By eliminating “floaters” the center helps the children adjust to a daily schedule and routine and allows them to grow and mature emotionally.

Social interaction with and between children is another key aspect of their development. Teachers at AGCLC talk and interact with the children and encourage their use of language to inform their strengths, interests, and needs. The teachers also encourage and provide children with a variety of social experiences by allowing them time to spend with children of other ages and developmental levels. A key part of social interactions is the inclusion of multi-cultural materials in the lesson plans and environment. These materials promote the appreciation of diversity and teach the children to be respectful of the different cultural traditions, values, and beliefs of other families. AGCLC has an entire wall devoted to their “sister city” in Tanzania that shows photographs of the children there and information about the country for the children to learn.

My observations have given me insight into the best practices for an early childhood center and the intricate role of an early childhood educator. A teacher needs to be there physically, emotionally, and socially for all of the children in their care. I believe that All God’s Children Learning Center has a solid foundation on best practices and has trained its teachers and staff to know and understand the complex needs of the children. These teachers show a level of quality and caring that amazed me. While no one center is ever going to be perfect, all a parent can ask is a place for their child where they are loved, cared for, and educated as much as possible.

References

The National Association for the Education of Young Children. NAEYC observation tool. September 2006.

Rule 3, MN Rules ch. 9503, § 0055 (2007).

Normal Development in the First Year

How to Help Infants Obtain Gross Motor Skills: Practical Ideas for the Home Daycare Provider

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants and Children - PPT Presentation