January 30, 2012

First Letter of Our Names "SHOW and TELL"



The most important word to a child is his/her name.  Children usually learn the first letter of their names and of their friends’ names quite easily as they are significant to them. Names begin with capital letters, which makes them easy to memorize and to write as the majority of them have only straight lines and simple curves.

January 27, 2012

Great Resource for Practicing Writing Own Name


I really like the resources from “Sparkle Box”.  They are great and they are “free”.

January 25, 2012

Fabulous Montessori Inspired Cheap Easy to Assemble Activities


I know this is a big title but it says it all.

January 23, 2012

Critical Thinking in Pre-School


My definition of “Critical Thinking” is the ability to make students see beyond the obvious, to think about their thinking, to reflect about what they know and about what is going on around them. Critical Thinking is not an opinion about something it goes way beyond that. To think critically about something it is necessary to have some knowledge and ultimately it will instigate the desire to search for more knowledge and to finally realize that there is still a lot we do not know.

January 20, 2012

Making Play Dough!




Play Dough is a MUST HAVE material in any early childhood classroom.

January 17, 2012

Singing Rhyming Words


Willaby Wallaby Woo – Singing Rhyming Words




Listening to rhyming words is a must in preschool. It is part of  “Phonemic Awareness”, which put in simple words is the ability to hear sounds in words.
One of my favorite activities is to sing “Willaby Wallaby Woo” by Raffi using the students’ names.

January 15, 2012

Celebrating Diversity


Celebrating Diversity

I am absolutely fascinated by the cultural diversity of my class. I have 15 nationalities represented in my class of 21 students: American, Japanese, Swedish, British, Australian, French, Tanzanian, Israeli, Finnish, Brazilian, Indian, German, Dutch, Nicaraguan and Polish.

January 12, 2012

Watercolor eggs


For the letter of the week “E” the students painted eggs with watercolor to find the hidden word. They found it more exciting than I had predicted. Then they asked me to paint the other side.

January 9, 2012

Torn Paper Fish


One simple yet fun fine motor / eye-hand coordination exercise is tearing paper.