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Preschool Teachers Chatboard

mentoring

by Susan Squire

Apr 9, 2015

Does anyone know how to become a mentor for preschool teachers in either Dade or Broward Counties? Thank you. *paid position only.

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Early Childhood Research Survey. Chance to Win a Free Book!

by Nicole Eckert

Mar 30, 2015

Dear Early Childhood Professionals,

You are invited to participate in a study about communicating the benefits of play based learning to families of students. I am looking to see how early childhood centers communicate the benefits of play based learning with families. I will be looking at various schools based in different philosophies an...See More

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High Scope Support?

by TerriInCA

Mar 5, 2015

I am really struggling with adjusting to High Scope and need positive support! My boss isnt much help and keeps changing what she wants. Where can I find resources for High Scope besides their website?

Thanks!

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Ash Amazon has a great selection of books on the topic. As a background, you should read up on Jean Piaget. I recommend "The Child's Conception of Physical Causality", "Language and Thought of Children", The Psychology of thought in Children", "Structuralism" and "Genetic epistemology"

High/Scope us...See More

Mar 29, 2015

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Real estate

by Nirmala

Mar 23, 2015

Gleam Technologies Indias Largest Outsourcing Company Offline Typing Project Online Form Filling Job Copy Paste Work Ads Posting Job Post Card Writing Job For More Details Logon to http://www.gleamtechnologies.co For More Details Contact Toll Free: 1800-3000-3167

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Moving from K to 3 year old PreK

by Victoria

Mar 7, 2015

I have taught full day kindergarten for 19 years! I love it, but my district (public school)is starting a 3 year old kindergarten program (we already have a 4 year old program). I have a feeling that I might be asked (or told) to teach it. I think it would be a nice change, but I never thought of teaching younger kids. I am wondering what I should ...See More

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Victoria Thank you pksped! When I first heard about the possibility of teaching this program I said "absolutely not!" But the more I think about it, the more I think i might love this. Although I love kindergarten, the last few years the increased academic demands have really been getting me down. When I started teaching 19 years ago, my main acad...See MoreThank you pksped! When I first heard about the possibility of teaching this program I said "absolutely not!" But the more I think about it, the more I think i might love this. Although I love kindergarten, the last few years the increased academic demands have really been getting me down. When I started teaching 19 years ago, my main academic focus was to teach kids the alphabet & letter sounds, counting, shapes, etc... I am now required to get my students reading on a certain level(which we just increased again!), writing multiple sentences for a topic with punctuation and spaces, addition/subtraction, counting combinations of coins and the list goes on and on and on. Some of my kids can do these skills, but many simply aren't ready. I am really teaching first grade, but to 5 year olds. We are seeing more and more behavior problems and I know part of it is directly related to making kids do things they aren't mature enough to handle. I know I will have many challenges with the 3 year olds and it will be tough, really tough, but my hope is that I can get back to a more developmentally appropriate curriculum that I believe in. What you described sounds so appropriate. I am scared by the maturity of 3 year olds. I know how hard it is to deal with 5 and 6 year olds so having kids 2 years younger will be quite an adjustment. I had to laugh at your comment about how if I tell a kindergartener something 3 times I will have to tell a 3 year old 6-9 times. I can just imagine!

I'll have to see what happens next year. I might be back to the preschool board much more often in the next few months if I end up moving to 3K.

Thanks again for your advice.

On 3/08/15, pksped wrote: > It's all about PRE's for THREE's. Don't worry about writing > names; work on PRE writing skills. Play dough, scissors, > sewing cards, bubble wrap, painting, and scribbling on the > chalkboard are precursors to letter formation. Even when you > want to begin that (as the child nears/becomes 4), focus on > vertical lines, horizontal lines, and circles. A three year > old may be cognitively able to write their name, but it > doesn't mean they are motorically mature enough. > Nursery rhymes and songs are your friends. Read alouds with > motions are your friends. Finger plays are your friends. The > more songs you have at the tip of your tongue, the better. Do > you know where I spend the most minutes of my day singing > with the kids? In the bathroom in the "clean hands club," > where we wait for the stragglers to finish their business. > Oh, yeah, FREQUENT bathroom trips, and make the rule > that 'everybody tries' every time you go. Otherwise you'll be > right back down there every 5 minutes. > Math? Your focus is rote counting to 10 and counting objects > to 5. Yes, some will be past that, but many won't. Color > matching must come before color recognition, which comes > before color identification. Scissors? The first stage is > tearing the paper (starting with scissors, then giving up and > tearing it in half.) Next is the all time favorite confetti > stage. This is key before cutting on lines. All the while, > you'll be modeling and RE modeling cutting with "thumb on > top." If you say it to your kindergarteners three times, > expect to say it to your preschoolers six times. Maybe 9. And > that's just today. lol Once you get past the "THESE KIDS ARE > SO YOUNG!" stage, you'll love it. > > On 3/07/15, Victoria wrote: >> I have taught full day kindergarten for 19 years! I love >> it, but my district (public school)is starting a 3 year old >> kindergarten program (we already have a 4 year old >> program). I have a feeling that I might be asked (or told) >> to teach it. I think it would be a nice change, but I >> never thought of teaching younger kids. I am wondering >> what I should expect of this age group or what 3 year olds >> are capable of doing. I would appreciate any thoughts on >> what I will possibly be getting myself into.

Mar 8, 2015

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pksped I teach 3's, 4's, and 5's, and I help with kindergarten literacy teams. This year I was blessed with the top group, and they are reading near end first grade reading levels. Sometimes that is the high point of my day when they draw things that actually look like the THINGS they are meant to be. I know what you mean about the curriculum. I am doing ...See MoreI teach 3's, 4's, and 5's, and I help with kindergarten literacy teams. This year I was blessed with the top group, and they are reading near end first grade reading levels. Sometimes that is the high point of my day when they draw things that actually look like the THINGS they are meant to be. I know what you mean about the curriculum. I am doing with my older preschoolers exactly what kindergarten is supposed to look like. It's so sad. I get frustrated at the amount of assessment I have to do. It isn't the fun that it used to be, that is for sure. Spend several days (weeks!) working on building your routine. In the beginning, I have seemingly endless play time as we practice 30 second circle times (well, that is a slight exaggeration), cleaning up, etc. I make no apologies for lots of play in the beginning. They are building relationships with ME and with their peers. That is their number one goal. As much as you hold your kindergarten parents' hands, it is even more so in preschool. I pop on here now and again. Don't hesitate to ask anything. Let me know if you want me to share things.

On 3/08/15, Victoria wrote: > Thank you pksped! > When I first heard about the possibility of teaching this > program I said "absolutely not!" But the more I think about > it, the more I think i might love this. Although I love > kindergarten, the last few years the increased academic demands > have really been getting me down. When I started teaching 19 > years ago, my main academic focus was to teach kids the > alphabet & letter sounds, counting, shapes, etc... I am now > required to get my students reading on a certain level(which we > just increased again!), writing multiple sentences for a topic > with punctuation and spaces, addition/subtraction, counting > combinations of coins and the list goes on and on and on. Some > of my kids can do these skills, but many simply aren't ready. I > am really teaching first grade, but to 5 year olds. We are > seeing more and more behavior problems and I know part of it is > directly related to making kids do things they aren't mature > enough to handle. I know I will have many challenges with the > 3 year olds and it will be tough, really tough, but my hope is > that I can get back to a more developmentally appropriate > curriculum that I believe in. What you described sounds so > appropriate. I am scared by the maturity of 3 year olds. I > know how hard it is to deal with 5 and 6 year olds so having > kids 2 years younger will be quite an adjustment. I had to > laugh at your comment about how if I tell a kindergartener > something 3 times I will have to tell a 3 year old 6-9 times. > I can just imagine! > > I'll have to see what happens next year. I might be back to > the preschool board much more often in the next few months if I > end up moving to 3K. > > Thanks again for your advice. > > > On 3/08/15, pksped wrote: >> It's all about PRE's for THREE's. Don't worry about writing >> names; work on PRE writing skills. Play dough, scissors, >> sewing cards, bubble wrap, painting, and scribbling on the >> chalkboard are precursors to letter formation. Even when you >> want to begin that (as the child nears/becomes 4), focus on >> vertical lines, horizontal lines, and circles. A three year >> old may be cognitively able to write their name, but it >> doesn't mean they are motorically mature enough. >> Nursery rhymes and songs are your friends. Read alouds with >> motions are your friends. Finger plays are your friends. The >> more songs you have at the tip of your tongue, the better. Do >> you know where I spend the most minutes of my day singing >> with the kids? In the bathroom in the "clean hands club," >> where we wait for the stragglers to finish their business. >> Oh, yeah, FREQUENT bathroom trips, and make the rule >> that 'everybody tries' every time you go. Otherwise you'll be >> right back down there every 5 minutes. >> Math? Your focus is rote counting to 10 and counting objects >> to 5. Yes, some will be past that, but many won't. Color >> matching must come before color recognition, which comes >> before color identification. Scissors? The first stage is >> tearing the paper (starting with scissors, then giving up and >> tearing it in half.) Next is the all time favorite confetti >> stage. This is key before cutting on lines. All the while, >> you'll be modeling and RE modeling cutting with "thumb on >> top." If you say it to your kindergarteners three times, >> expect to say it to your preschoolers six times. Maybe 9. And >> that's just today. lol Once you get past the "THESE KIDS ARE >> SO YOUNG!" stage, you'll love it. >> >> On 3/07/15, Victoria wrote: >>> I have taught full day kindergarten for 19 years! I love >>> it, but my district (public school)is starting a 3 year old >>> kindergarten program (we already have a 4 year old >>> program). I have a feeling that I might be asked (or told) >>> to teach it. I think it would be a nice change, but I >>> never thought of teaching younger kids. I am wondering >>> what I should expect of this age group or what 3 year olds >>> are capable of doing. I would appreciate any thoughts on >>> what I will possibly be getting myself into.

Mar 9, 2015

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Sanitizing classroom toys - by Cheryl Hatch

by Teachers.Net Gazette

Mar 5, 2015

Cheryl Hatch has written a complete primer on how to sanitize the toys used in your preschool program. This is important information for protecting the health of the children. Please share the link far and wide!

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Toilet Green or, was that a leprechaun I saw?

by Teachers.Net Gazette

Mar 3, 2015

You'll love this, and it might give you some ideas for St. Patrick's Day in your classroom. Please do share the link!

http://gazette.teachers.net/gazette/wordpress/kinder-geek/leprechaun-fun/ (hyperlink below)

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High Scope Question

by TerriInCA

Jan 29, 2015

I have started a new job at a preschool that is using high scope curriculum. They have none of their printed materials for me to learn the curriculum on, so I am learning as I go. I am trying to name the centers according the the high scope rules.

I need a name for a center where children can be alone and be quiet. I wanted to call it a &...See More

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Rebecca Hello! I used to teach High Scope and I called mine the "Quiet Area." Hope that helps!

On 1/29/15, TerriInCA wrote: > I have started a new job at a preschool that is using > high scope curriculum. They have none of their printed > materials for me to learn the curriculum on, so I am > learning as I go. I am trying to...See More

Feb 10, 2015

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home schooling

by maddisen

Feb 5, 2015

HI I AM STARTING SOME BASIC PRESCHOOL EDUCATION TO MY 2 YEAR OLD. I WAS WONDERING WHAT KIND OF CURRICULUM OR AREAS I NEED TO FOCUS ON AND HOW DO I NEED TO DO MY LESSON PLAN?

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How do I find qualified Montessori teachers?

by Stacey Constantian

Feb 1, 2015

Hello! I am starting a preschool, Kensington Montessori, in Laguna Niguel and cannot seem to find Montessori teachers. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to post an ad? Thank you!!

Stacey Constantian [email removed]

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