Children’s literature is an obvious part of early childhood classrooms. Children learn about and come to understand the world through their experiences with fictional and nonfictional stories. Cooking is another part of early childhood classrooms that I feel should be just as obvious. The skills that children learn when participating in a cooking experience are [...]
Before children are even using writing utensils to attempt to write letters, they are making them with whatever they can find. Here are a few basic items to have in your classroom that children can use to explore the shapes, sizes and structures of letters for the first time:
Posted in Be a PhD, Headlines, Infant, Letter and Word Recognition, Literacy, Preschooler, Quick Tips, Toddler 
Tags: alphabet, exploratory play, fingerpaint, letters, manipulatives, playdough, sand 
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Interactive Drawing is a practice found in many early childhood classrooms. The premise is that a teacher explains to the children that authors use drawing to show their thinking on paper. It is also emphasizes that drawing is writing and can communicate a message. This is especially important for children who aren’t writing yet, and [...]
Posted in Be a PhD, Headlines, Literacy, Teaching Strategies, Toddler, Writing Tags: drawing, Interactive Drawing, labeling, literacy, pictures, words, writing No Comments »Book Talks and Author Studies are wonderful ways to explore and learn about children’s literature. I highly recommend doing them with the children you teach. They are also excellent additions to teacher education classes. I started doing these activities with my undergraduate students for two reasons: 1. I wanted my students to discover as many children’s books [...]
Posted in Blog, Literacy, Teaching Strategies Tags: author study, book talks, books, children's literature, genres, Tad Hills No Comments »Almost every classroom in the United States has children whose first language is not English. Early Childhood teaching strategies are very appropriate for working with this population of children. Here are a few tips for teachers with ESL children in their classrooms:
ABC Concept books don’t focus on one specific theme for the book, but rather focus on learning the actual letters. The children will primarily learn the alphabet. Try: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ABC Content books have one central theme and each letter represents something from that theme. The children will learn theme-specific vocabulary and the alphabet. Try: Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A [...]
Whether you have ESL children or not in your classroom, having a variety of word games to be played by pairs of students or small groups is ideal. Pocket charts are great for these types of games. The key is to do activities where all students can interact and move around.
Looking for a fun twist to the traditional alphabet song? Try the Hip Hop Alphabet. You can play the song in the background (the video isn’t needed) and either: 1. Display the alphabet on a large screen or easel and have one child use a pointer to point to each letter as the class sings the [...]
So it’s time for your Kindergarteners to learn the letters of the alphabet. I mean really learn the letters. They all can sing the ABC song, but can they really point to each letter and identify it? Probably not. (And that’s fine by the way). I suggest using the children’s names to jumpstart your exploration into letters.
Posted in Be a PhD, Headlines, Letter and Word Recognition, Literacy, Preschooler, Teaching Strategies Tags: alphabet, hands-on, letters, literacy, math, names, nature, one-to-one correspondence, play No Comments »Aside from being a teacher, I have also been involved in the arts throughout my life. At one point in my 20′s I took an improv class at a the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City. I realized quickly that the work of an improv actor is very similar to the work of teacher. [...]
Posted in Blog, Literacy, Oral Language, Teaching Strategies Tags: active listening, improv, improvisation, listening, literacy, literacy development, oral language, speaking No Comments »
