skip to Main Content

How the Child Thinks and the Way the Teacher Reacts


Remember, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put childest ways behind me." 

Do you remember your childhood days?  What were they like?  Then you talked and thought like a child. What were they like?  Now as an adult and experienced, you still have to talk and think on a child's way of thinking in order to teach and share. It's not an easy job!   When we react to children through our experiences in life and the children react back with their experiences that they have had up to that moment, some times conflict and problems occur.

Let's talk about "patience." 

Webster's Dictionary states: "having or showing the capacity for endurance: bearing annoyance and pain and without complanint, anger or the like."  Do children have this kind of patience?  Can they have endurance?  Do they bear annoyance and do it without showing anger or complaint?  Do children have patience in their talking, thinking, and reasoning? 

How many times have we heard preschoolers express exactly how to use words to express their feelings?  They tell it like it is!  Children's emotions are an everyday feeling found in all early childhood settings. It challenges you as teachers to be committed to be more effective and constructive in guiding our children. This is why children in early childhood settings can feel and express anger but not understand it. Their ability to regulate expressions is linked to an understanding of the emotion and the child's ability to reflect on that emotion is somewhat limited. 


Children need guidance from teachers and parents in understanding and then managing their feelings. Remember, children are children and do not understand their emotions at such an early age.

Patience from the teacher's standpoint must create an environment of compassion and respect. When you're patient with children, it's just as though you are saying, "I respect how you feel because I respect you. I want you to be happy and independent because I love you and want the best for you. I want to help you find your own happiness, so I'm going to slow down and take time to clamly assist you.

When you remind yourself that at the end of the day, all of the important things will still be accomplished (showing love being the most important of all), then you can stop rushing, complaining, and start enjoying the ride during the ups and downs of life with the children you teach.

I wonder what happens when we lose our patience?  Then how do we find patence?  Till next time!

...
Read More

Math Games for Children Under 5


A few examples of fun educational math games for children under 5:

Ball Arithmetic-Using fingers to add and count like 2 + 1 = 3 and then the answer is given by bouncing the ball for the answer.

It Adds Up-By having a starting line for 2 children, the teacher shows a math flash card like 3+1, the children race to the other side of the room to write the answer on the white board or chalk board. The first correct answer wins.

Shapes Around the Room-The teacher selects a child to find a shape in the room like find something that has a square or a circle.

Bean Bag Math-Using flash cards to add or subtract, the child answers by using a bean bag to give the answer by dropping the bean bag on the correct number on the floor.

Measurement Activities-have children line-up left to right according to their height or according to the first letter of their names or with their birthdays or with their shoe size. The fun list goes on and on.

Remember, with infants and toddlers, it is important to create trusting relationships that allow children to be ready and willing to explore. Supporting math development looks different to them. Be ready to join in on their curiosity and notice their interests, encourage exploration, and create play opportunities to highlight math concepts.

 

...
Read More

“X” Marks the Spot and Pong Roll Activities

"X" Marks the Spot Relay reinforces eye/feet coordination and team work.

Procedure: Two teams are selected with masking tape make an "X" on the floor for each team.  Have a starting line at the teacher's signal "go," the team leaders run to the "X," step on it with one foot and then with the other foot, and race back to tag the next team member.  This continues until all the team members competed.

Pong Roll develops quickness and overall fitness.

Procedure:  One child rolls a ping pong ball towards a wall.  The other child is standing next to the other child and as soon as it is rolled, the child standing runs and tries to beat the ping pong ball to the wall.

More Game Ideas Found in this Activity Booklet #BJ08-Icebreaker Games for Chldren at www.welearnbydoing.com website.
   ...
Read More

Volleyball Balloon Game

                                                                              
1.  Volleyball Balloon Games

Two chairs are placed about ten feet from each other and a string is tied from one chair to the 
other.  Boys are on one side of the string and girls on the other side.  The boys cannot use their arms or hands as they are placed behind their backs but the girls can use their arms and hands.
The object is to hit the balloon over the string and not let the balloon touch the ground.  It is a point for the other team when the balloon hits the ground.  Three points wins the game.

2.  Balloon Relay Race

This activity works well in an opened area.  Two teams are selected (not more than 6 per team)  
The object of this game is to bat the balloon from one side of the room and back to the other side.
(It is difficult sometimes to move the balloon forward because the air blows the balloons in different directions.)  Once the first child makes it back towards the second child, the second child in line, too, must complete the task until all six members of the team have finished this competition race. 

These are just 2 ideas found in "We L earn By Doing Activities" booklet (BJ01) on www.welearnbydoing.com website.  Check out the website to see other booklets. 
                                                                          
...
Read More

Anxiety in Children


Anxiety
is defined as “apprehension without apparent cause.”  Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune.”  It usually happens when there is no immediate threat to a person’s safety or well being, but the threat feels real.  Anxiety makes a person want to escape the situation – fast.  The heart beats quickly, the body might begin to perspire, and “butterflies” in the stomach soon follow.  However, a little bit of anxiety can actually help people stay alert and focused.


 


Having fears or anxieties about certain things can also be helpful because it makes kids behave in a safe way.  For example: a child with a fear of fire would avoid playing with matches. 


 


The nature of anxieties and fears change as children grow and develop:


 


·         Babies experience stranger anxiety, clinging to parents when confronted by people they don’t recognize.


·         Toddlers around 10 to 18 months experience separation anxiety, becoming emotionally distressed when one or both parents leave.


·         Children ages 4 through 6 have anxiety about things that are not based in reality such as fears of monsters and ghosts.


·         Children ages 7 through 12 often have fears that reflect real circulstances that may happen to them, such as bodily injury and natural disaster.


Read More

The Time is Activity

This activity tells time as a group.  The class is divided into two groups and each group forms a large circle.  A leader is assigned to call out different times like 10:00am or 2:30pm.  The group must form that time before the other group forms it.  This is done several times and can add points for each time a group wins.  

You can also use a clock and let the leader show the time the group should form. 
...
Read More

Carpet Squares

At the carpet store, pieces of carpets are thrown out; find small pieces of two different colors.  Cut out five carpet squares with each color. 

Activity #1 - Matching Colored Carpet Squares 
Line up 4 carpet squares of each color next to each other. Take the fifth carpet squares and place them on top of the feet and use elastic bands to wrap around the feet.  Make sure the carpet squares lined up match that foot.  The goal is for the child to walk up the carpet squares matching the colored squares.  When the child makes it to the top, the hard part is to walk backwards down the carpet squares.  This activity focus on the child knowing the front part of the body with the back part of the body.

Activity #2 - Crisscross Carpet Squares
Lined up the same way except you will crisscross the squares.  Take the second and fourth squares and switch the sides.  This time the child has to crisscross walking up the squares.  This activity focus on the child knowing the midline of the body.  When the child reaches the top, it becomes a challenge to walk crisscrossing backwards.  ...
Read More

Hoop Spelling Activity

Hoop Spelling (Skills Reinforce simple spelling words, counting, and time limit)

Procedure:
 1.  Two hoola hoops are separated about 5 feet and laid on the floor.
 2.  Index cards with alphabet are placed in one hoop and faced up.
 3.  The second hoop has a set of pictures matching each letter and faced up.
 4.  Both the alphabet cards and pictures are mixed up in the hoops.
 5.  The teacher selects one child.  At the teacher's signal, the child races to the alphabet hoop, picks up a letter, goes to the picture hoops to match the letter with the picture like "b" with "boy."
 6.  Meanwhile, the children surrounding the hoops start counting slowly to 25 for the child to complete the task.  When the child finds the match, the child races back to the teacher, hands both cards and says "boy" before twenty-five.
 7.  Each child has an opportunity to participate.
 8.  With the younger child just learning the alphabet, place one letter in one hoop, and two pictures in the second hoop, and no time limit.  If the children get good at it, then have the group count to 10.

...
Read More
Back To Top