Squirreling Around: Five Little Squirrels Flannel board (Letter "Ss" Activity)

The super, stunning, sensational and snappy letter "Ss" is stuck on our minds during this unit. This sturdy letter became "king of the alphabet" during a past math activity highlighting Five Little Squirrels.

These slippery, acrobatic characters with their bushy tails and winsome expressions squirmed into our circle time through this squirrely flannel board story.

*Please note the following flannel board story can be found on the Addison Public Library website (addisonlibrary.org). I altered some of the words in order to make sure they they were always in the tree. They were even sunning themselves in the tree.

Subjects: Language Arts: Retelling a story through use of props and Math - Pre-subtraction skills

To Do: Read the flannel board story, Five Little Squirrels and remove each squirrel as depicted within the story.

Sing, Sing a Song: Our Holiday Sing

Holy Jingle Bells! Has it really been a year since we had our last Holiday Sing? After a few min-meltdowns, wiggly moments and deer caught in headlights stares, the children belted out holiday favorites such as "Let It Snow" and a kiddie-friendly version of "Baby It's Cold Outside".

Rudolph's nose would have glowed a little brighter and Santa's jolly old Ho, Ho, Ho would have been breaking the sound barrier if they heard how awesome the children sounded and looked. They even performed the hand movements (which is a feat unto itself) for our little peppermint sticks!

My co-teacher and I wanted to give the children a standing ovation for their incredible efforts. I feel we may even have a few musicians in the making and numerous little hams on our hands.

Our music teacher joined in on the seasonal mania by donning a rather dapper and jaunty green and red jiggle bell elf hat that made our Sing shimmer.

One Tree-mendous Ado over Trees: Decorating our Preschool's Christmas Tree

A yearly event at our preschool is decorating a petite, little evergreen with ornaments made by the students. This year,  due to multiple weather-related Christmas ornament malfunctions, we decided to decorate sturdy plastic lids and old CDs with multi-colored glitter as a step to avoid ornament meltdown and disintegration due to old man winter. 

I pondered as we walked down to decorate our tree yesterday as I asked the children to find specific Christmas decorations such as snowman:  the amazing wonder that Christmas has on children's spirits. 

 I was struck by how their faces glowed with such bubbly happiness over the sights of brightly-colored ornaments hanging from porches, evergreen wreaths haphazardly draped over doors and even a holiday Darth Vader thrown in the mix. 

Somehow, we lose sight of the simplicity of the effect that the season has on the children, and tend to reciprocate this feeling with overpriced toys, outings to gaudily-decorated zoos, and endless trips to the mall to visit Santa. 

Remember, as you traipse through the malls and wait in line with a grumpy heart at the commercialization of this treasured holiday the true meaning of the season: That sacred look of serendipity and pleasure over the holiday's most minute details in the eyes of young children. 

Photos of our tree coming soon! 

Blazin' Boards: December Skating Into the Holidays (Skating-themed Bulletin Board)

Does it feel a little chilly in here? A blast of winter's wrath has found its way into our classroom through this delightful December skating-themed bulletin board. Skate on down the page to view this icy sight!

You Can Never Be Too Prepared: Designing a December Holiday-themed Bulletin Board for the Blustry Days Ahead!

As the end of November approaches, the thought on every preschool teacher's mind is: how will I design my December/holiday-themed bulletin board?  Well, at least this preschool teachers!

For the classroom board, the children decorated some pretty sharp-looking skates that would definitely earn perfect marks during any professional figure skating event!

I will describe it to you since I didn't have my camera with me. The background features black bulletin board paper and cheerful, sparkly snowflakes that are flanked by purple and silver lettering stating "Skating Into the Holidays".

Below the snowflakes and lettering is a "slick" blue cellophane skating pond featuring two talented and cutesy ice skaters. I artfully arranged the children's hand-stamped and sticker happy ice skates below my skating duo.

Check back soon to see this icy, cool holiday-themed design fit for the snowy and chilly winter-white days ahead!

This Little Pilgrim is Really Taking Shape: Pilgrim Boy Shape Identification Flannelboard

Get your little pilgrims interested in identifying (naming) their shapes with this Pilgrim Boy Shape Identification Puzzle that is totally Mayflower-worthy!

Subject: Math- Identifying shapes that make up the Pilgrim boy and piecing together a "flannelboard puzzle".

To Do: Create the flannelboard by cutting out the following shapes:

• 1 diamond (shirt) 
• 2 white triangles (collar)
• 2 small circles (ears)
•  1 medium saucer-shaped circle (face) (Hint: Use a saucer to create the template)
• 1 star for (mouth)
• 2 ovals (eyes)
• 1 heart (nose)
• hair
• 1 long rectangle (brim of hat)
• 1 medium square (hat)
• 1 thin rectangle (ribbon on hat)
• 1 small square (buckle of hat)

Laminate the flannelboard pieces. Place hook and loop on the flannelboard pieces. 

To Do: Take a photo of the flannelboard and print out to show the children before they complete this learning activity. For easier completion of flannelboard, leave on the more difficult sections to place on board, such as the diamond shirt and triangles collar, but remember to still have the children identify (name) these shapes. Example: What shape is the pilgrim's shirt? After they have correctly answered this, pass out the rest of shapes to the students in your circletime. Have the children name the shapes and look at the picture you had previously taken of the flannelboard (in order to piece together the pilgrim flannelboard "puzzle".)  Continue until all students have named their shapes and placed them on the flannelboard. 

Who ever said pilgrims were plain? Plain cute is more like it! 

Burning Up: Firefighter Chuck Speaks About Burn Safety

Firefighter Chuck gave a blazing lesson on the physical differences between hot and cold items during a Hot or Not Item Identification and Recognition Game. This game introduced students to the hot-ly debated topic of burn safety and prevention.

 During his smokin' talk he spoke of ways to help prevent burns; such as staying away from and not touching items like ovens and stoves. If a burn has occurred, he stated that you should  "cool" it by placing the area under cold, running water and waiting a little while before you place a band-aid and ointment on it.

Thanks for the "Hot" tips firefighter Chuck!

Hey Everybody!: Preschool/Daycare Open House

Today my daycare had an open house where prospective students and their parents browsed the facility and classrooms while socializing with teachers and directors.

The overall feeling of the day was very positive, as families shuffled down the hallways carrying brochures and pushing strollers filled with eager young children whose minds were ready to absorb the knowledge presented to them.

I answered many a question and felt the parents understood my genuine love for early childhood education and those in my care. I discussed important educational-based topics such as curriculum to crucial childcare topics ranging from nap time to lunchtime.

Now we'll wait and see how many bright, new shining stars will be roaming the school after coming to this special event!

“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.” - Maria Montessori 

Black Cats and Broomsticks: The Halloween Hoopla is In Full Swing!

Halloween parade hoopla is in full swing at the preschool. The children are biting at the bit to change into their costumes, grab their treat bags and go candy-crazy next week. The major conversations of the week include what the children are going to be for Halloween and rumbly, bumbly pumpkins.

To get into the fall/Halloween spirit, the children made their very own scarecrow named Charlie. This activity not only helped increase the childrens' fine and gross motor skills, but allowed them to speak and listen to fall-related vocabulary, (harvest, fields, etc.), and also learn about the historical uses and significance of scarecrows for the production of food products (social studies/history).

To top off the spine-tingling excitement, the children will be traipsing down the streets next week in their Halloween finery. I myself will don a spook-tacular witch costume with some totally bewitching  high-heeled boots!

I can't wait to behold the joy of Halloween in my preschoolers faces! There is nothing more touching then seeing their happiness and hearing the high-pitched gleeful laughter of these small cutie pies.

What a Zoo!: Visit to the Brookfield Zoo

Prepared with a Macy's Zoo pass in hand, I headed to the Brookfield Zoo looking for a safari adventure and ended up with a lackluster, non-existent animal fiasco.

Seeing that it was such a perfect, blustery and warm autumn day with temperatures nearing 80 degrees, I was shocked to notice that most of the exhibits were animal-free. One lonely lion, a lazy hippo and a proud peacock strutting in a dusty, shrub-laden pen were about the extent of my zoo mission.

The high points of the day were viewing slithering snakes, comical meerkats and cherubic sleeping cheetah cubs tucked away in a stony enclosure.

Orange You Ready? Color and Shape Weeks: Orange

Orange the color associated with pumpkins, carrots and oranges is our first theme of our Colors and Shapes unit. While I'm not thrilled that I will have to become a walking pumpkin on Monday by wearing this Halloween-inspired hue, I am psyched about presenting my orange and triangle lesson plans below.

Orange Paint Can Challenge 

Subject: Math: sorting and recognizing color categories and understanding the color properties of the color orange.

To Do: Sing "Orange" to open activity.Teacher places the orange paints and not orange paints paint cans in front of children. She either passes her "paint chips" (either gotten from a home improvement store or created from card stock) to each child or holds up to the class. The children or individual child will decide if the "paint chip" should be placed on the orange paints or the not orange paints paint can and identify the color (ex. pink).

Song to Sing to Open Activity: Orange (Tune: "Three Blind Mice") (Source: Kidsparkz.com)

Orange, orange, orange,
Orange, orange, orange,
What is orange? What is orange?
An orange, a cantaloupe, and a peach,
pumpkin, a goldfish, and cheddar cheese,
The carrot that my little rabbit eats,
They are orange.

Read before Activity: Orange by Mary Elizabeth Salzman

Shape of the Day: Triangle

Songs that can be sung before triangle activity:

"Triangles, Triangles" (Tune: "Jingle Bells") (Source: Preschoolexpress.com)

Triangles, triangles,
Triangles I see.
Count the points and count the sides,
Count them 1, 2, 3.
Triangles, triangles,
Just for you and me.
Count the points and count the sides,
Count them 1, 2, 3,.

Liz Ryerson

Hold up a triangle and count the points and sides with you children.

"Found a Triangle" (Tune: "Clementine") ( Source: http://stepbystepcc.com)

Found a triangle,
Found a triangle,
Found a triangle with three sides.
It can't roll,
It can't bowl,
It just sits there where it lies.

Triangle Hold Up Activity (Can be used with any shape (s) or color (s) (Source: Kidsparkz.com)

Subject: Math: Recognizing triangle shape, Gross Motor: Performing triangle movement activity, and Language Arts: Following directions and participating in a group activity

To Do: Cut out orange triangles or other shapes and colors. Teacher chants the following movement activity and performs movements with children. Continue with other shapes, if desired.

Put your red (changed to orange) shape in the air
Hold it high and leave it there.
Put your red (orange) shape on your back
Now please lay it in your lap.
Hold you red (orange) shape in your hand
Now everyone please stand.
Wave your red (orange) shape at the door
Now please lay it on the floor.
Hold your red (orange) shape and jump, jump, jump.
Throw your red (orange) shape way, way up!

(Change red to other colors and repeat)

Color My World: Dramatic Play Ideas for a Colors Unit

Next week, we will begin our colors unit. To celebrate this hue-happy event, the children will be wearing many of the brilliant colors of the rainbow including orange, red and green.

The one center I am really biting at the bit to design is the dramatic play area. This is one of the most talked about, bustling centers of an early childhood classroom. Concepts learned in this center include social skills including taking turns, early language development, interest in occupations and the world around them (social studies), and increased imagination.

For our colors unit, our ho-hum center will become a paint store. Props in the center include an artist's dream of supplies: paint brushes, smocks, paint chips, and much much more. It will surely be a "masterpiece" for our little artistes-in-training.

If a paint store is not up your ally, try the following ideas:

Interior designer's studio: paint chips, wallpaper and carpet samples, tape measures, home design magazines and catalogs

Artist's studio - Paint brushes, palette, easel, smock, berets, posters of works of art

Fashion designer's studio - Fabric and ribbon, scissors for children to cut fabric and ribbon, tulle, tape measures, old patterns, children's sewing machine, mannequin

Floral designer's studio - Fake flowers, vases, gardening tools, aprons, gardening catalogs, watering cans, ribbons, small greeting cards to place in vases, cash register

Photographer - Old cameras, film canisters, bins to "develop" the photos, photos in frames and those which children can look at (ex. clip pictures of people from old magazines and place in a photo album to create a photographer's portfolio)

You Know You're A Preschool Teacher When....

You know you're a preschool teacher when....

•  you begin to hoard items such as plastic bottles, toilet paper tubes, newspaper and other recyclables "just in case" you need them for a creative art project or fine motor activity. 
• your ring tone is "Mary Had a Little Lamb." 
• instead of dressing for success, you dress for the world's biggest mess. 
• it becomes perfectly normal for a grown woman to be coloring with crayons and markers. 
• you frantically rush to the library at 8:30 in the evening to pick-up the latest picture book phenomenon.
• educational toy stores know you by name. 
• the glitter on your shoes is from a crafting malfunction rather than a crazy night on the town. 
• chicken fingers and fries are considered a delicacy of monumental proportions. 
• your favorite dances include the "Hokey Pokey" and "If You're Happy and You Know It'. 
• a stain on your favorite shirt becomes a badge of honor. 
• Lakeshore Learning and other teacher stores are on your speed dial. 

You're Getting a Little Test-ty: Preschool Teacher Style Test

Preschool Teacher Style Test 

There’s no need to sharpen your number two pencils anytime soon. Take this quick and easy test to determine your teaching style.* 

You would describe your teaching style as: 

A. Extremely structured, detail-oriented and teacher-directed
B. Laid back, unstructured, and child centered
C. Child-friendly, allows children to question and answer freely, but sticks to lesson plan
D. What is a lesson plan? 

Your lesson plans are: 

A. Purely skill-based

B. Encourages discovery and questioning

C. Builds on knowledge previously acquired

D. Off the cuff, but based on the unit topic 

Which center do you enjoy planning for the most?: 

A. Math 

B. Science/Discovery 

C. Dramatic Play 

D. Sand and Water 

Mostly A’s: Old Fashioned School Marm: You are a firm believer in facts and figures. Structured lesson plans give your students important information which allows them to understand the fundamentals of the subject you are teaching. While rote learning is extremely crucial in this profession, make sure to add a touch of silliness and whimsy through props such as puppets, messy activities and “unexpected” joys such as a simple movie about the topic. 

Mostly B’s: 2000’s Teacher of the Year: The children are the hub of your learning environment. You try to make lessons fun and invite children to learn and explore, but sometimes your lack of structure can be your downfall. Make sure to provide children with circle-time rules to create an orderly environment instead of an all out circle-time free-for-all complete with screaming and frantic hand waving. Don’t worry, they will still love you even if you tell them no sometimes. Give it a try! 

Mostly C’s: Miss Middle: You’re teaching style is in the middle of the road. While you feel that obtaining knowledge and skills is essential in order to advance to new and exciting subjects, you take the slower and less followed route. 

You acknowledge your student’s previously acquired knowledge and incorporate it into your lesson plan, instead of around it. Children can better comprehend your lessons through monitored question and answer sessions throughout the lesson. 

The one key factor is that you as the teacher are in complete control of all the components of the lesson. Encourage students to continue their learning by providing information to their parents/caregivers such as websites or books to give your lessons that extra sparkle. 

Mostly D’s: "But I Want to Be Their Friend": Teachers who believe that students should see them as a friend rather than a kind authority figure will always be one step behind the pack. The line of friend and teacher is a slippery line to cross. 

I myself have found myself losing my grip and swinging to the “I need them to like me” scenario. One thing is clear: You are the teacher and they are the students. 

Preschoolers need rules in order to feel comfortable with their changing environment (so remember to be firm). The little dynamos will forever be some of the best at trying to wiggle their way out of doing their job or putting away their toys. 

Ways to reduce this scenario, are creating transitions. Transitions such as morning songs, clean-up songs, and lunch/snack time rituals tell children that you are the teacher and have scheduled and organized your room to set clear limits and goals for them. 

*I have created this test for fun. Please do not take it so seriously. All of the suggestions included are ways to reduce teaching stresses and enhance your teaching style.*

Cool, Calm and Collected: Bath and Body Work's Stress Relief Body Lotion Takes You To a Happy Place

We've all had those kind of days: Molly had a meltdown in the block center, you spilled paint on your new shirt and someone just cut you off in traffic. Watch out as aromatherapy whisks you away to a calm and serene state of mind. Try Bath and Body Work's Stress Relief Body Lotion which soothes your driest skin and lifts the spirits with hints of eucalyptus and spearmint. The scent is crazy good and is always a remedy for one of those dizzying preschool days.

Source: Bathandbodyworks.com

The Sound of Music: Welcoming Our New Music Teacher

And a one, and a two, and a three, and a four it's time to boogie to a piano beat once more!

Music is a rather touchy subject for many in early childhood education. I myself cannot go one day without breaking into song. Move over Laurie Berkner, there's a new queen bee in town.

Movement and song are one of the most educational and energetic activities which we can introduce children to. Not only does it allow students to unleash their creativity, but can also be used as an  introduction to subjects such as math (patterning using musical notes), social studies/history (learning about America's past through patriotic songs), science (understanding the use of sound in our world, how sound travels, and topics such as pitch, vibration and tone) and social/language skills through two part harmonies and so on.

Today was a very special day at the daycare. Our new music teacher arrived to  see before him a sea of new faces. He was also burdened with an overload of children's songs that would make the most seasoned pro quiver in their boots.

All in all, he did very well with only a few hiccups and bumps along the way. Being new is truly one of the most confusing, unnerving and disconcerting situations to be in. He handled it remarkably well. I am sure he will give our music program a new perspective and a fresh new start.

Tickle those ivories, Sachamo!

Front and Centers: Subjects/Skills Learned In Learning Centers

As a preschool teacher, I am concerned with the skills and subjects that my children learn and use on a daily basis. Even though the majority of preschool programs are play-based, learning skills is the foremost factor in selecting manipulatives in the centers. 

I recently read a tip in my Mailbox Magazine e-mail newsletter about placing signs alerting parents to the skills facilitated in centers. Underneath you will find some of my ideas of skills that are used in each of the following centers: 


Housekeeping/Dramatic Play 

• Social skills and peer interaction
• Imaginative play
• Independent thought
• atypical use of manipulatives to develop dramatic play experiences 

Interest Table (Science and Math)

• Exploration
• Interest in one's physical environment and our world (animal and plant life) 
• Cause and effect through manipulation of objects
• Sensory experience
• Logical thought
• Pre-math skills 
• Independent understanding of selected concepts (Colors, Counting, Shapes, The Five Senses) 

Water Table 

• Fine motor 
• Cause and effect
• Weight and measurements such a as volume 
• Peer interaction 
• Sensory experience 
• Exploration

Block Center 

• Peer interaction 
• Judgement evaluation (How many blocks will it take before my tower falls?)
• Logical thought and mathematical concepts such as non-standard forms of measurement using blocks or cars
• Imaginative play 
• Atypical use of manipulatives to develop dramatic play experiences (Building a garage out of blocks for their cars or using a block as a telephone) 

Easel

• Creative art experiences
• Developing an eye for color and physical beauty 
• Fine motor 
• Facilitating patterning, use of color theory and mixing, shape recognition and identification
• Spacial concepts (How much paint can fill up my page?)
• Use of art to explore one's emotions and development of self-concept 
• Individual thought

Just Say the Words.... An Acrostic Poem about Preschoolers

There are many words to describe the emotions and characteristics of preschoolers. The following acrostic poem features my personal opinion of the little whirlwinds we call preschoolers. 

Preschoolers by Jennifer Hatcher 

Persnickety 

Rambunctious 

Exhausting

Strong - Willed 

Caring

Helpful 

One - of - a - kind 

Opinionated 

Loving 

Excitable 

Resilient 

Silly 

One Hot Preschool Mama! : Style Secrets For ECE Fashionistas and Daycare Divas

Kohl's

Aerosoles

Kohl's 

Kohl's 

Kohl's 

Charming Charlie 

Gone are the days of frumpy jumpers, ridiculous rompers and dancing bear appliqued sweaters of the 80's preschool princesses. In comes sparkling earrings, streamlined shirts, stylish capris and cute and comfy flats.

Preschool princesses of the past would be fuming up to the tiaras in envy at their fashionable 2000's counterparts. Professionalism, functionality and comfort are the most important factors in the search for a quality daycare wardrobe.

I tend to be a rather picky preschool teacher who likes to showcase her style with bold colors and flamboyant earrings. I am not afraid to wear chandelier earrings while doing a exuberant movement activity or don a rhinestone tiara while performing my duties as a storytime princess.

In order to become a ECE Fashionista or Daycare Diva remember the following essentials:

• Buy quality clothing made from durable materials. 
• Say yes to Spandex. It's the fabric that just keeps giving from early morning to night. 
• Wash and wear should be your mantra. Sticky fingers always have a way of finding their way onto your most fashionable blouse. 
• Make a statement with bold and trendy jewelry. Charming Charlie offers some of the most stunning jewelry at bargain basement prices. 
• Kohl's, Marshalls and T.J. Maxx should definitely be on your radar. These stores offer trendy and classic pieces whose price tags will still allow you to pay your rent. 
• Aerosoles are a Godsend. Those suckers give your feet plenty of support and look like a million bucks! 

Check above for some of my most recent style sensations from Kohls, Aerosoles and Charming Charlie! 

It's Circletime: Circletime Set-up Pictures

Turn your circletime into a fun, educational and exciting learning experience. Bright colors and creative design will capture and entice your pre-k pumpkins and turn them into pre-k superstars! Check out my circletime below:

My Circletime 

Conscious Discipline Tree 

Weather Charts and Puzzle Piece Shapes

Paint Can Colors 

Caterpillar 1-10 Number Chart and Spanish Fish Number Chart Border 

Preschool Party Animals: School Year Kick-off Party

On Thursday, all of the staff of my preschool were invited to a school year kick-off party at the director's house. Let's just say everyone picked up their sensible teacher heels (or lack there of) and enjoyed a feast of barbecue dishes that would make backyard BBQ titans shake in their boots.

The spread was catered by a local restaurant named Skuddlebutts. I believe they should definitely rename their establishment Skuddleyums because the food rocked everyones' taste buds. The delicious smorgasbord included cheeseburgers and hot dogs with all the fixins', baked beans, salad and much, much more!

An award ceremony was included in the BBQ where seasoned teachers received awards for their commitment and years spent at the preschool. One teacher eyes welled up with tears as a letter from a fellow co-worker and friend spoke of her love of teaching over the years.

After the festivities, I can say I was one pooped preschool party animal!

Everybody in a Circle!: Circletime Basics

As the school year begins, teachers are busily running around their classrooms preparing for another year of new smiling faces. Nametags need to be made, bulletin boards beautified, and circletime areas rearranged.

Circletime is my favorite part of the school day. I feel this is the single most important time spent with our students. I can assess skills, broaden their knowledge of the basics such as shapes, colors, and the ABC's, get jazzy with movement activities and introduce important social skills such as listening and taking turns.

Below is a list of circletime items that help keep our little charges on track to preschool success:
(Lengthen your circletime as the school year progresses. In the beginning, start with five minutes and then increase to 15minutes (as your students' attention span increases))

An Opening song to get children excited about circle. Look up transition songs or circletime songs on the Internet for ideas. My favorites site for these songs are preschooleducation.com.

Flag 

Calendar: Try a pocket chart calendar where you can create calendar pieces for every month of the year: hats and scarves for January or flip flops and suns for June and so on. This is also a wonderful way to teach patterning: one day use a flip-flop and the next a sun. Remember to put all the information together at the end of the calendar lesson for example: Today is Saturday, August 24th 2013.

To spice up your calendar spiel, you can add a season wheel which reflects the importance of temperature in the changing of the seasons. This helps you effortlessly flow into the weather chart. Seasons wheel from mommynature.com.

Weather Chart: I have an excellent weather wheel from mommynature.com that really strikes up excitement over this blustery topic.

Storytime Song: I sing "These Are My Glasses" by Laurie Berkner. This fingerplay and song get the kids revved up on reading.

Read a story based on your unit topic. 

Activity based on your topic which could include a fingerplay, flannelboard, movement activity and so on. When in doubt, get your wiggles out with movement (especially if your lesson plan is not working out as swimmingly as planned). 

End with Attendance. I use a song and a chart with cards featuring the children's photos. The children place their photo in the chart as I sing their names. My song focuses on name recognition of the children in my circle.

My attendance song is found below:

Where is _____________________? (child's name)
Where is _____________________? (child's name)
Point to her/him. Point to her/him. (children point to the student)
There is _______________ (child's name)
There is _______________ (child's name)
Point to her/him. Point to her/him.*

by Jennifer H.

* At this point the student places their photo card in the attendance pocket chart.

Best of luck on an A+++++ school year!


In a future post (drumroll please) I will show you a picture of my circletime area. Please try to contain your preschool teacher excitement (smile).

Ahoy Matey!: Check out this Swashbuckling Pirate Flannelboard!

I wrapped up our Summer Camp with one swashbuckling and handsome pirate with a fancy for fashionable eye patches.

Our sight-challenged, yet debonair flannelboard pirate struck quite a pose as he randomly chose an array of colorful patches to suit his mood. I sang a sea-worthy song to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"as I placed the flannelboard pieces on our dapper old boy.

The template for this hysterical and charming flannelboard can be found at makinglearningfun.com.

This flannelboard was an absolute hit with the kids who easily recognized the colors and enjoyed participating in the jolly song whose tune I altered from "Mary wore a Red Dress".

One Tree-mendous Treat: A Visit to the Morton Arboretum

Ladybug 

Spider 

Dragonfly 

Grasshopper 

Bee

Ant 

Old-Fashioned Water Pump

Windmill 

On the weekends, I like to recharge my batteries after a week of daycare dilemmas. This Sunday, I visited the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. It was quite a delightful and educational day of buggy encounters, beautiful blooms, and warm and windy breezes.

One of the most fantastic sculptures I have ever seen were the gigantic insects painstakingly carved from numerous woods that were scattered across the stunningly beautiful grounds.

Flowers of every variety dotted the landscape and I explored a cute-as-a-button wonderland in the children's garden. This garden included three shopping carts loaded with a delicious bounty of gorgeous flowers and a fully functional water pump!

An adorable gift shop held a wide variety of woodsy and botanical inspired jewelry, books and clothing that were perfect for everyone. Their children's nook was filled with glorious picture books, t-shirts and much more.

As a preschool teacher this is a must-see site for young children interested in nature and fun. Remember, a walk through an arboretum today may result in a future botanist, horticulturist or arborist of tomorrow. 

One of the Best Non-Fiction Social Series for Preschoolers: Welcome Books by Lloyd G. Douglas

Social studies in preschool is a particularly sticky topic. Too much info, your little cutie-pies eyes glaze over, too little and an attack of ants in the pants settles in. Thankfully, during this patriotic Fourth of July week I was able to find an awesome series for preschoolers.

Welcome Books authored by Lloyd G. Douglas gives straightforward, simple facts which need little explanation for even the youngest of students. The photographs are large and stunning. Each volume offers an index and definitions of the bold words in the book. My favorites in the series include those on the American flag, Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty. Check out these small wonders at your local library for an extra special touch to your next civic-minded lesson plan.

(This post is from my other blog: Pump Up the Volumes) 

Marching for Old Glory: A Patriotic Preschool Parade

On Wednesday morning, a group of patriotic preschoolers could be found marching down the street. Sporting red, white and blue and holding homemade firework streamers (toilet paper holders with streamers attached) they proudly marched on.

Cars honked and people waved as the kids gave it their all waving, screaming and dancing along. Shouts of Happy Fourth of July were heard for miles around.

After our patriotic march, we sang stupendous songs such as "God Bless America" and "Yankee Doodle Dandy" to say Happy Birthday America in a local park.

Of course, after this, the tuckered out troops needed some sustenance in the form of some yummy fruit snacks in the park.

Then we paraded back to our preschool tired, happy, and proud to be Americans!

My Fourth of July Went Off With a Bang! Check Out a cute Firecracker/Fireworks 4th of July Guessing Game

As I gazed at the brilliant fireworks yesterday, I remembered the firecracker lesson plan I developed for my students.

I will be presenting it during tomorrows circletime and I am sure it will be an explosive hit!

Why not try this circletime activity with your students too? I promise it will really "spark" their imagination, memory and logical thinking skills.

To add a little extra sparkle and honor America's birthday, I have added some views of the flaming fireworks I witnessed last night.

Have a Happy and Healthy Fourth of July!

The teacher has the children guess what square the firecracker is under and lifts each up to reveal
 either a firework or the firecracker 

The squares were created using fireworks fabric 

The fireworks were cut from foam 

The firecracker is from a Cricut cartridge 

Blazing Thanks To Firefighther Chuck

Our class recently went on a field trip to tour our local fire station. The tour was led by the jovial and kind Firefighter Chuck whose easygoing attitude and sweet nature break through that tough as nails macho firefighter persona. 

To thank Firefighter Chuck, our class created a book filled with some smoking drawings about what their favorite part of the firehouse visit was. We even included a picture of the children standing on the bumper of a fire engine hamming it up for the camera. 

After over a month of dragging our feet, we trudged to the fire station in sweltering heat to deliver our homemade picture book to Firefighter Chuck. To our surprise, Firefighter Chuck let the children "ride" (sit inside) on the fire truck and fire engines again! 

The children were excited as ever to experience the life of a firefighter again! As we left the fire station, Firefighter Chuck sweetly rang the fire truck bell as a firefighter tootaloo.

Four alarm thanks, Firefighter Chuck! 

I Dig It!: "Dig Into Reading Daycare Storytimes" are Solid as a Rock!

Wiggly worms squirmed into our recent daycare library visit! Librarian Laura gave a soil-d performance for my little bookworms, who got wiggly with it during a worm-de-ful 5 Little Wiggles rhyme.

The brainy Miss Laura gave the children metallic-hued pipe cleaners (worms) as props in order to act out the rhyme. Some skills that were sharpened during this rhyme included listening, fine motor and pre-subtraction skills.  

And of course, my kids really "dug" all the stories to boot! 

The Write Stuff: Confessions of a Wannabe Writer

After I've ventured through the preschool jungle, I like to take a break and venture to a nice, relaxing class I've begun taking taught by a published author and former English teacher. This class teaches author wannabes (yes, that's me), about different writing styles such as humorous fiction, short stories and essays.

A few days after the class, I picked up my pen and wrote about the fabulous fate of the preschool teacher and my adventures in the field of early childhood education so far. I so look forward to reading this to my classmates later this week!

My dream is to one day write a picture book for preschoolers and I hope this class will help me more quickly reach my goal. As Eleanor Roosevelt once beautifully stated:

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams".