Preschoolers Need to Sing!

Do you have a "clean-up" song that your class sings together? I am guessing for most of you the answer is "yes!" It's fun and helps motivate children to work together to tidy up after an activity. But songs do more than this in our classroom and homes. That's why we should celebrate our use of music.

Songs help children to express emotion and to appreciate music. Playing classical music may help soothe children. Lively songs can be played as children create art projects, and quiet melodies can be played as children transition from one activity to the next. Think about what you are trying to achieve in your classroom and play appropriate music. Your local library is sure to have recordings that you can borrow.

As teachers, we can be an important part of how children feel about music. It is important that we are enthusiastic with children when class songs are shared. On a personal note, I know teachers are busy and it is convenient to simply turn on a video to let children sing with it. But, when we sing (and dance) with our children, it helps us to develop a relationship and shows our enthusiasm.

Our involvement in music is important because songs help children develop key pre-reading skills. Lyrics as in "Down By the Bay" help children learn to rhyme, which is necessary for phonemic awareness. Words to patriotic songs help children learn new vocabulary. Music allows children to enjoy word play. For more on this please see our activity in either English or Spanish. Just click on the tabs above.

Three more music ideas:
Why not invite families to share their favorite songs with the class? This may give you an opportunity to celebrate the many cultures in your classroom.
Record your class singing a favorite song. Let children listen to themselves either as a group or at the listening center!
Remember to use your newsletter to explain to parents why music is important - feel free to provide our link! 

Standards Alignment:
NAEYC Alignment:

Children have opportunities in various academic disciplines; language and literacy; the arts – music, creative movement, dance, drama, visual arts; mathematics, science, physical activity, physical education, health and safety; and social studies.

Head Start Goal Alignment:
Language Development:  Demonstrates an increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Make Oral Reading Come Alive!

If you haven’t had a chance, watch my read of Green Eggs and Ham (below). It shows how important reading aloud is to developing an interest in reading.

When we read using different “voices,” using different speeds, including dramatic pauses, it draws children in to books. We become good models for how they should read when they are in elementary school, and more importantly, it shows them how books can come alive!

Think about how important this is – families and teachers are competing with television and on-line videos. We have to show children that books can be exciting, too!

And when we read with expression, it helps children picture the story, characters, and setting in their heads. This is an essential school-readiness skill, as children have to visualize the words on a page in their minds. I once asked a young child if she did that and her reply was, “I didn’t know I was allowed to do that.”  So, read with expression and invite children to picture what is happening as they listen.

Click here for more on fluency.

Standards Alignment:

NAEYC: Standard 4: Using Developmentally Effective Approaches
Head Start: Language and Literacy: Children will engage with literature in developmentally appropriate ways.

Green Eggs and Ham Can Be Great!

Listen and look as Dr. Kathy reads part of Green Eggs and Ham.
Stay tuned next week to learn more about expressive reading!

The BEST Way to Avoid b/d Confusion!

Have you ever had parents come in panicked with the thought their child might be dyslexic? I have and this is often because they see their child confusing b and d. I often told parents this is a very natural part of a child's literacy development. Then my own child did it and I understood the panic! So how do we reassure parents that a b/d confusion is natural? We have found that the best way to do this is to simply avoid the confusion completely!  

Last week we shared with you the funny finger play, "5 Little Monkeys." (See below) We encouraged you to have children follow your every movement and to turn so they saw your hands "make the bed." We want to be sure they are viewing your left hand showing the "headboard" and your right hand showing the "footboard." Why? It is THE BEST way we have found to avoid or correct b/d confusion! 

The children can say the word bed while looking at their hands making the bed. The left hand makes the letter b and begins the word, bed. The right hand makes the letter d and ends the word bed. 

As a teacher of young children, I have used this technique for years. Often third grade teachers will come to me and ask why some children stop and use their fingers before writing certain letters. I know immediately what is happening - they are checking themselves to be sure the b and d are facing the correct way! Use this tip to help children - but the key begins in preschool with a simple finger play!

Finger Plays and Songs Are Important!

Finger plays and songs are important in a preschooler's world. We suggest teaching children this funny finger play with all the motions as shown in our video above. Be sure to have children "make the bed" the correct way. You need to turn, as I do in the video, so they do not make the bed in the opposite direction. For specifics, see the photo below:

Stay tuned next week for the reason why this is so important!

Building Vocabulary

Vocabulary ~ vocabulary ~ vocabulary…many research studies have been conducted that tell us the importance of a large base of words to the future literacy success of children. We know that children, who have been exposed to a wider variety of words, comprehend what they read, write with greater ease, and need less literacy remediation than do children who have not been exposed to what we like to call “juicy” words.   Click here to read more about these studies.

But how to we go about developing a preschooler’s vocabulary? One thing to avoid is flashcards with pictures and words on them. These do little more than make learning new words a chore for young children.  New words need to be a natural part of a child’s world. With our guidance, children can develop a passion for learning new ways to describe their world.

Talking to children about what they are doing and observing is one of the best ways to develop a “juicy” vocabulary. When taking a walk with children, demonstrate different ways to walk. For example, you can show plod or scamper. Have children imitate you while saying the new word in a squeaky or growling voice.

This child played with different words like scurry, for the way he moved and used the word clover rather than flowers to more accurately describe his prized possessions.

Continue saying some of these words the rest of the day. Let children be the guide as to which “juicy” words are appealing to them. If children giggle in delight when you use and demonstrate the word, scurry, encourage children to scurry on the playground, when cleaning up, or ask them to find a picture in a book showing scurry.

Encourage parents to use these words at home. Why not post a white board outside your room and write the words children loved that day? This is a wonderful way to get parents in the habit of using fascinating words with their preschoolers. Children can even draw a picture next to the word showing their interpretation of the “juicy” word.

It doesn't matter if the illustration accurately depicts the word, if it does this in the child's mind, that is what is important.

When children learn to play with words, embrace new words, and find juicy ways to describe an experience or observation, it makes for a lifelong love of vocabulary.

Questions Matter!

Questions are important! They help develop critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and creative thought. But what kinds of questions help our preschoolers develop these life skills?  We like to think of questions as being divided into two main categories: those that help children remember and those that guide children to think for themselves.We are thinking of questions as recall questions and deep thinking questions.

You might ask a child to recall in what kind of house the first little pig lived in the story, "The Three Little Pigs.” This type of question helps children remember details and encourages them to listen for facts. We don’t want to minimize the importance of this type of question. Asking children to recall information does help prepare them for many aspects of formal school.  

But we believe it is another kind of question that really develops young minds. These are the types of questions that guide children to supply their own answers. They require children to stretch their thinking and rely on their background knowledge. Questions like the following help children think deeply about a book or experience:

What do you think would have happened if the third pig had not made his house of bricks?

What would have happened if all the pigs had worked together?

Should the pig have made his house of sticks? Why do you think he did?

These are just a few examples of ways questions can be posed to encourage deeper thought. Below is a general list of ways we can think about recall questions versus deep thinking questions:

We feel these are necessary questions not just when reading books but when out enjoying the natural world, too. Developing inquiring minds sets the stage for scientific thought. For example, when blowing bubbles children may encounter situations such as one child’s bubbles are larger or travel farther than another child’s bubbles. This is a wonderful opportunity to both pose questions and encourage children to ask questions. For example, you may say, “What do you notice about our bubbles?”

Children may note the difference in size. The adult can then use this observation to ask, “What questions do you have about this?” This open-ended question allows children to guide the resulting observations and to form their answers. They may notice that someone blows slowly and waits for the bubble to emerge on the wand while other children swing their bubble wands in the wand. This leads to experimentation. 

All generations can help children ask questions and then test answers as this grandparent shows.

There are different kinds of questions! While it is important to ask children what they remember about a book or an experience, it is also helpful to ask children questions that require them to think for themselves, use knowledge, or form an opinion.