Between two and three years, children begin to internalize what you say to them. They pay more attention to directions and store them in their memory bank.  When you say the same thing to a three-year-old, they seem to reflect, "Oh, yes, I remember."  

Note: The ability to make instructions part of themselves makes discipline easier.

Threes are easier to live with. Threes have the language skills that let two-way communication become real conversation.  Threes are more settled having spent a whole year refining their language skills.  

Threes are less egocentric(self-centered, selfish).   While twos notice their parent's emotions, threes get involved with them.   

Threes become more satisfied with themselves, more obedient, and begin to praise "self. "  

The no's of the twos become “yeses” for threes.Threes understand rules and consequences for breaking them.  

Threes thrives on choices and selection process makes them feel important.  

 

NOTE:  Share your choice-making with threes!   

 

 

 



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PUZZLE IN A SHOEBOX from "Games for Preschoolers" (BJ10) Product with more ideas in www.welearnbydoing.com

      Skills Reinforced:  Working together, thinking   

      Procedure: 

1.      Two groups of children sit on the floor in two different circles.  

2.      Two shoeboxes are filled with puzzle pieces in it.

3.      If an 8-piece puzzle is used, then have eight children sit in a circle.   Keep the same amount of puzzle pieces for each group.  

4.      At the signal, the first child pulls out one piece of puzzle from each group and places it in the middle of the circle and returns to their spot.

5.      The shoebox is passed to the second child who places it next to the other puzzle piece.

6.      This continues until all 8 pieces of puzzle are next to each other.

7.      As the groups start again with the first child, that child has 10 seconds to try to connect two pieces together.   If the child does it or does not do it, that child returns to their spot and the next child tries to connect two pieces.

8.      This continues around the circle until the puzzle is completed.   Remember if a child connects two pieces of puzzle together only, they must return to their spot.  

9.      The first team to complete the puzzle ...

ONE to TEN RELAY Game

 Skills Reinforced:  Number Identification 1-10, Fine and Gross Motor Movements

   Procedure:

1.      Select two groups of ten and have a starting line ten feet from the blackboard.

2.      The teacher gives the “go” signal with a movement direction like “hop on one foot.”  The first set of children move to the blackboard hopping.   They write number 1 and hop back.   The children with numbers three and six proceed to “hop on one foot” and exchange squares.   The caller also tries to get to one of the squares “hopping on one foot” before the others do.

3.      The next set of children may have the direction of walking backwards and they write 2 and walk backwards back.  

4.      The teacher continues to create eight more movements until the number 10 is on the blackboard.

5.      This game can continue by having the children erase one number at a time in a relay until all the numbers are erased.

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http://www.kimboed.com/spotlightbilljaniak.aspx ...

It seems many of you have written and enjoyed the Math for Children Under Five games. Here are some more ideas. Thank you for your comments! 

Through mathematics, children learn to understand their world in terms of numbers and shapes. They learn to reason, to connect ideas, and to think logically. Every day as children play they are using mathematics without even realizing it. Children learn best when they find answers for themselves and in their own way.

Try these games:
Sitting On A Number - Double set of numbers 1-10 are made. One set of numbers is handed out to ten children who sit on that number. (Make sure they are mixed up.)  The child selected has his/her back turned and selects a number from the second set. The child turns around and trys to guess where the number is located and has three quesses. If the child wins, the child with that number has the next opportunity to guess. 

How Many Body Parts - Ask the the children tell how you how many body parts they have like "How many noses in the room?"  "How many eyes, or ears, or chins, or fingers or toes are in the room counting the teacher?"

Remember, very young children (age’s two to five) need activities to challenge their minds.

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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!

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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.  ...

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.

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This video describes and introduces some of the 47 presentations for head-start, pre-school, kindergarten, special education, supervisors,and those organizations involved with children.
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