Pre-K Diocese Curriculum
Diocese of Buffalo Department of Catholic Education
PREKINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
DIOCESE OF BUFFALO
October 2003-June 2004
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Religion Curriculum..........................................page 1
Social Development Curriculum............................page 2
Physical Development Curriculum..........................page 3
ELA Curriculum...............................................page 4
Math Curriculum..............................................page 7
Science Curriculum...........................................page 9
Technology Curriculum......................................page 10
Social Studies Curriculum....................................page 11
Appendices
A—Activities for Religion Curriculum.......................page 12
B—Activities for Social Development Curriculum.........page 15
C—Activities for Physical Development Curriculum......page 16
D—Activities for English-Language Arts Curriculum.....page 18
E—Activities for Math Curriculum...........................page 20
F—Support for At-Risk Children and Their Parents........page 24
G—Working with Parents......................................page 26
H—NYS Standards for Learning..............................page 29
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
RELIGION
PRAYER
The student will recognize that prayer is listening and talking to God.
• Sign of the Cross
• Know simple prayers: Grace, Glory Be
• Introduce Our Father, Hail Mary
SCRIPTURE
The student will understand, by listening to Bible stories, that the Bible contains God’s word for His people and teaches love for God and those around us.
RECOGNIZE GOD IN CREATION
The student will discover the wonders of the world God has created for us and that He loves and cares for His children. The student will appreciate his own family and recognize we are all a part of God’s special family.
• Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as the Holy Family
SOCIAL JUSTICE
The student will develop an awareness of the gifts God has given him and God’s desire that these gifts be shared with others. The student will grow in understanding the need to take care of the poor, the sick, and the helpless.
CATHOLIC TRADITION
The student will develop an awareness of the Holy Days and holidays that occur within the liturgical year.
• Advent/Christmas
• Lent/Easter
• Saints (Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day)
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
PERSONAL The student will:
• Dress self.
• Clean up after self.
• Exhibit self-control.
• Work independently.
• Seek help when needed.
• Display age-appropriate attention span.
• Complete a given task within an allotted time.
• Conform to routine.
• Show ability to make independent decisions and choices.
CITIZENSHIP The student will:
• Respect authority.
• Respect classmates.
• Respect others’ property.
• Initiate play.
• Join in play.
• Demonstrate good manners.
• Resolve conflict appropriately.
• Obey promptly.
• Display a cooperative attitude.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
PHYSICAL MOVEMENT
Safety: The student Prekindergarten will become aware of Curriculum
personal space.
Body Awareness: The student will identify body parts.
Move in Space: The student will develop skills to walk in/on a line, run, jump,
hop, skip, and gallop. The student will use directionality: forward, backward, toward, sideways, left, right.
Move in Boundaries: The student will develop an awareness of limited space:
tumbling, sitting on a mat or chair, using a hula hoop.
Move in Place: The student will develop skills to reach, march, twist, turn,
bend, and make unilateral and bilateral movements.
Move in Patterns: The student will learn to follow or match movements and
move in rhythm.
GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
Balance: The student will develop skills to balance on one foot, on tiptoes,
and walk across a balance beam.
Gross motor: The student will develop skills to throw/kick and bounce/catch a
large and small ball, use stairs alternating feet, and coordinate the movement of legs and arms.
SMALL MOTOR SKILLS
Eye-Hand Coordination: The student will successfully manipulate parts of objects, build with blocks, copy finger play, and manipulate puzzle pieces.
Digital Movement: The student will successfully cut on a straight/curved line, demonstrate correct scissors/pencil/crayon grip, trace, and string beads.
Pincor Grip: The student will develop skills to button, zip, lace, snap, and
use velcro.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ARTS
READING
PRINT AWARENESS The student will:
• Discriminate difference between letters and numbers.
• Understand concepts of print (i.e. left to right/top to bottom, directionality, parts of a book, etc).
• Distinguish between print and pictures to show awareness of printed words.
• Point to print as words are spoken to show awareness of print and that it conveys a message.
• Recognize and identify environmental print, including signs and labels.
ALPHABET AWARENESS The student will:
• Recognize first name and letters of own name.
• Identify all uppercase and lowercase alphabet letters.
PHONEMIC AND PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS The student will:
• Identify sounds in the environment.
• Identify and produce spoken words that rhyme.
• Recognize letter-sound correspondence.
• Produce letter-sound correspondence with increasing ease and accuracy.
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT The student will:
• Use new vocabulary words to talk about life experiences.
• Connect vocabulary and life experiences to ideas/themes in literature.
COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES The student will:
• Show interest in reading for different purposes. (see Listening)
• Make predictions about story events.
• Retell stories with attentiveness to sequence of events and main ideas.
• Ask and answer questions about literature.
MOTIVATION TO READ The student will:
• Show interest in a range of Prekindergarten leveled text such as alphabet books, stories, poems, and informational texts.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ARTS (continued)
WRITING
PRINT AWARENESS The student will:
• Use left-to-right and top-to-bottom direction when writing.
• Use spacing between letters and words.
SPELLING The student will:
• Write own first name correctly.
HANDWRITING The student will:
• Write some uppercase and lowercase manuscript letters and numbers.
• Write own first name, capitalizing only the first letter.
COMPOSITION The student will:
• “Write” by using painting, drawing, letters, or other graphics to represent a word or concept.
• Dictate words, phrases, and/or sentences to an adult recording on paper.
MOTIVATION TO WRITE The student will:
• “Write” and draw spontaneously to communicate meaning.
• Show interest in sharing writing and drawing with others.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ARTS (continued)
LISTENING
The student will:
• Listen attentively to spoken language (i.e. books read aloud, rhyming words, songs).
• Listen attentively for different purposes (i.e. to gain information, to communicate with others, for social interaction and enjoyment).
• Understand and follow two-step verbal directions.
• Listen respectfully without interrupting others.
• Attend to a listening activity for a specified period of time.
SPEAKING
The student will:
• Use Prekindergarten-level vocabulary and grammar in own speech.
• Speak for different purposes.
• Speak with increasing ease, accuracy, speed, expression, and volume appropriate for the purpose.
• Take turns when speaking in a group.
• Participate with confidence and success in oral discussion.
• Speak in complete sentences when required.
• Vocalize with proper articulation in conversation.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
MATHEMATICS
MATHEMATICAL REASONING
• Identify primary and secondary colors.
• Sort and classify by size, color, shape, texture.
• Demonstrate some understanding of 1:1 correspondence using manipulatives.
• Identify the common property in a group of objects.
• Express understanding of math concepts as they relate to everyday life (e.g. cooking, colors of clothing, sharing candy, having enough).
• Describe similarities and differences between objects.
• Sort objects into groups by a characteristic and begin to explain how the grouping was done.
NUMBER AND NUMERATION
• Count objects to ten or higher in 1:1 correspondence.
• Count to 20 or higher (rote).
• Identify numerals 0 to 10.
• Observe numbers in the environment.
• Identify between more or less/fewer/greater.
• Compare sets using terms more, less, same as, equal, before, after, over, under, next to, beside, behind, in front of, beginning, middle, end, inside, outside, above, and below using manipulatives.
• Recognize through manipulatives that numbers can be expressed in different ways.
• Develop the idea that the last number counted in a set indicates how many things there are in a set (numbers 0-10).
• Recognize fractions as part of a whole and group (e.g. segments of an orange) half and whole.
OPERATIONS
• Name “how many” are in a group of up to three (or more) objects without counting (e.g. recognize 2 or 3 in a box).
• Recognize and describe concept of zero (meaning there are none).
• Identify first and last in a series.
• Identify ordinals first through fifth.
• Combine, separate and name “how many” concrete objects.
Prekindergarten Curriculum
MATHEMATICS (continued) GEOMETRY
• Order objects by size (small, medium, large), shape, height, length, weight, color.
• Identify and match shapes of square, circle, rectangle, triangle, oval, heart, diamond, star.
• Identify shapes in the environment.
• Recognize when a shape’s position or orientation has changed.
MEASUREMENT
• Cover an area with shapes (e.g. tiles).
• Fill a shape with solids or liquids (e.g. ice cubes, water).
• Make size comparisons between objects (taller than, smaller than).
• Use tools to imitate measuring.
• Understand simple time concepts of day, night, yesterday, today and tomorrow.
• Categorize time intervals and use language associated with time in everyday situations (e.g. in the morning, after snack).
• Order 2 or 3 objects by size such as largest to smallest.
• Participate in activities that involve weighing, first in hands and then on balance scales.
• Explore and predict length, width, height, weight, and capacity using nonstandard units of measurement.
PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
• Participate in activities which involve predicting possible outcomes e.g.: stacking blocks until the pile falls.
• Practice estimating using phrases about as long as, almost as long as, heavier than, and wider than.
• Use spinners, dice, etc. for decision making in games and in choosing activities.
• Discuss probability of events e.g.: whether a bean bag will land on an indicated spot.
PATTERNS
• Identify and extend simple patterns of shapes, color and size using manipulatives.
• Represent patterns pictorially.
• Develop calendar skills (days of week, season).
• Imitate pattern sounds and physical movements (e.g. clap, stomp, clap, stomp).
• Recognize and reproduce simple patterns of concrete objects (string of beads).
• Recognize patterns in environment, such as day follows night, repeated phrases in a storybook, patterns in carpeting and clothing and patterns in nature.
• Predict what comes next when patterns are extended (sequencing).
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
SCIENCE/HEALTH
LIVING ENVIRONMENT The student will:
• Investigate what living things need to stay alive.
• Identify similarities and differences among living and nonliving things.
• Sort objects into groups and begin to describe how groups were organized.
• Recognize that offspring resemble their parents.
• Describe the major stages in the life cycles of living things.
• Describe the characteristics of plants and animals in relation to their environments.
• Describe how plants and animals depend on/complement each other.
• Identify ways humans have affected their environment.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT The student will:
• Describe weather and seasonal changes.
• Describe the relationship among air, water, and land on Earth.
• Observe and describe properties of materials using appropriate tools.
• Describe chemical and physical changes.
• Describe a variety of forms of energy (heat, light).
• Describe the effects of push/pull, gravity, magnetism.
HEALTH The student will:
• Describe how the body grows (nails, hair, bones) and heals (cuts/bruises).
• Describe the basic life functions of common living things.
• Describe survival behaviors of some living things.
• Describe factors that promote good health and growth in humans.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
TECHNOLOGY
COMPUTER AWARENESS OBJECTIVES The student will:
• Identify the parts of the computer-the monitor, keyboard, CPU, speakers, mouse, CD ROM, printer.
• Use basic computer related terms-hardware, software, click, CD ROM, web page, cursor.
• Demonstrate proper care of hardware and software.
SKILLS OBJECTIVES The student will:
• Identify some letters and numbers on the keyboard.
• Move, point and click the mouse.
• Put the CD in the CD ROM drive.
• Start a program using an icon on the desktop.
• Click on, drag and move objects around on the screen.
• Navigate through simple appropriate age level programs.
• Print from an activity using the print button.
SOFTWARE USAGE OBJECTIVES The student will:
• Use creativity programs such as Paint, Kid Pix.
• Select and launch drill and practice software using icons on the desktop.
• Interact with drill and practice software.
• Participate in talking and singing along with characters in program.
• Quit the drill and practice application.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Prekindergarten Curriculum
SOCIAL STUDIES
INDIVIDUAL, CULTURE, COMMUNITY The student will:
• Share ideas and take turns listening and speaking.
• Cooperate with others in a joint activity.
• Identify and follow classroom rules.
• Participate in classroom jobs and contribute to classroom community.
• Learn about roles as citizens by accepting responsibilities in classroom and learning.
• Identify similarities among people ( i.e. self and classmates, as well as among self and people from other cultures).
• Examine a situation from another person’s perspective.
HISTORY The student will:
• Identify common events and routines in the classroom.
• Categorize time intervals using vocabulary: today, tomorrow, yesterday.
• Recognize personal and environmental changes over time (i.e. growth).
• Connect past events to current events through repetition and scheduling (i.e. yesterday’s activity links to an event today)
• Examine cause and effect relationships.
GEOGRAPHY The student will:
• Identify common features in the home and school environments.
• Create simple representations of home, school, and community through drawings or block construction.
• Use words to indicate relative location (front, back, near, far)
• Identify common features of the local landscape (houses, buildings, streets)
• Recite full name, address (number and street), phone number.
ECONOMICS The student will:
• Understand the basic human needs of all people—food, shelter, clothing.
• Understand the roles, responsibilities, and services provided by the community.
• Gain awareness of what it means to be a consumer.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX A ACTIVITIES FOR RELIGION CURRICULUM
Prayer Activity Examples
• Motion Prayer: God made the earth. (make a circular motion with both hands) God made the sky. (raise both hands up and look up to sky) God made the fish, (wave one arm across as if swimming) And the birds that fly, (flap arms) Animals, (bend down like dog begging) Flowers, (while getting up, use hands to hold bouquet of flowers) And trees so tall. (keep rising to tiptoes, arms high) God made everything (motion left-right with hands) Great (separate hands as wide as they can go) And small. (hands close together) God made all that I can see. (side of hand on brow, looking around) God made you (point to others) And God made me. (point to self) God made me (point to self) To know (point to head) And love. (cross arms over heart) God is my Father in heaven above. (arms toward sky)
• Grace Motion Prayer: Lord, we give thanks for the food we are given. (cup right hand, make eating motions with left) We give thanks for the houses we live in. (make triangle above head) We give thanks for the sun that shines above. (circle arms over head) But mostly, Lord, we give thanks for those we love. (hands over heart)
Scripture Activity Examples and Resources:
• Sharing God’s Story—teaching kit...one-page Bible stories include comprehension questions with a closing prayer or blessing.
Brown-Roa (a division of Harcourt Brace), Dubuque IA Copyright 1998 ISBN 0-15-950434-1
• Seeds—Pflaum Gospel Weekly... A weekly subscription, Seeds prepares preschoolers to learn about God through touching, talking, cut-and-folding, and singing!
• Creative play: After hearing a story several times, children take parts using puppets to retell the Bible story. (i.e. Noah’s Ark, Nativity, Good Shepherd, Jesus and the Children)
APPENDIX A (continued)
Recognize God in Creation Activity Examples and Resources
• Bulletin Board idea: Each child supplies a picture of her family to be used in a year-round display in which the heading changes with the seasons.
• Hold a Mother’s Day Tea or Garden party with poetry readings, story retells, songs, gift presentation, and punch and cookies.
• Host a Parent or Grandparent Appreciation Day that may show a previously-made videotape of “A Day in PreK.”
• I Am Special—a consumable workbook from Our Sunday Visitor for the school year covers all pieces of curriculum
• Celebrate a child’s baptism rather than birthday.
Social Justice Activity Examples and Resources
• Create a Thanksgiving basket for a needy family or food pantry collection.
• Make gifts or cards for soldiers overseas or in a Veterans’ Hospital.
• Adopt a senior citizen from the parish. Treat him to cards, pictures, tape of children singing. Invite him in to read a story.
• Send home a “get well pack” to sick children from the class. It may include drawings/cards from friends, a tape of children’s messages or singing.
• In lieu of birthday gifts or Christmas gifts, have children bring a present for a baby (i.e. Harvest House on Seneca St, Buffalo) or a classroom gift.
Catholic Tradition Activity Examples and Resources
• Connect the children’s names to their saints.
• Thanksgiving--Read Stone Soup and cook a stone soup recipe in a crockpot in the classroom, serving for lunch or snack.
• Christmas--Perform Bright Star, Bright Star Christmas play.
• Christmas--Share the meaning of candy canes.
ANNOUNCING A BIRTH How can a candy treat be a birth announcement? Many years ago a candy maker had an idea. He wanted to show, through the candy he made, that Jesus Christ was born among us, lived and died to save us all. So, through the use of color and shape, he created a piece of candy that told the story of Jesus from Christmas to Easter. He created the candy cane!
COLOR The white stripes on the candy cane stand for the fact that Jesus was sinless and pure. The three small red stripes stand for the scourging Jesus endured before he died. The large red stripe stands for Jesus' blood, shed on the cross.
SHAPE The candy cane is shaped like a shepherd's staff, reminding us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Turn it upside down, and it is a letter "J", the first letter of Jesus' name.
We can learn a lot from a candy cane - both to look at it and see Jesus, and, like the candymaker, to share the story of Jesus in whatever we do.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX A (continued)
• The snack during Lent may be pretzels and water.
• Lent--Pretzel Story: “The Story of Little Arms” About 700 years after Jesus was born, there was a monk named Brother John. He lived in a monastery in the German Alps. Every day, Brother John measured, mixed, rolled, kneaded, and baked hearty breads, cookies, and cakes for the village people to buy. He worked in the kitchen with Brother Boniface, who allowed him to create special treats for the children he loved.
“Are these sacks of flour for the Lenten bread?” Brother Boniface asked one morning. “Next Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday and we will need to begin baking early that morning so there will be enough bread for the entire village.”
“I know,” replied Brother John. “After the shriving bell rings at midnight, Lent begins. Then we will eat less and pray more,” he added as he crossed his arms and put his hands on his shoulders in prayer. “And then, Brother Boniface, it will be time for little arms.”
“What are little arms?” Brother Boniface asked in a puzzled voice. “I’ve never heard of them before.”
“In my country of Italy,” Brother John told him, “we make our bread into the shape of little arms. We mix flour and water and then twist the dough into the shape of praying arms to remind us that Lent is a special time to pray.”
“That’s a wonderful kind of Lenten bread!” Brother Boniface said. “Will you teach me how to make little arms?”
And so Brother John taught Brother Boniface to make little arms. When the little arms were ready to come out of the oven, Brother Boniface smiled and laughed.
“In our country,” he said, “we call your ‘little arms’ pretzels.” And so it happened that pretzels became part of our Lenten tradition. You may be used to thinking of pretzels as heart-shaped, but turn one upside down to see the shape of the crossed arms.
• Lent—Soft Pretzel recipe:
Use thawed bread dough torn into small strands. Roll out like ropes. Form each rope into crossed arms. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake in a 425o oven for 12 minutes or until golden. OR—from scratch: Ingredients: 1 pkg dry yeast
1⁄2 cup warm water
THE JELLY BEAN PRAYER Red is for the blood He gave; Green is for the grass He made. Yellow is for His sun so bright, Orange is for the edge of night. Black is for the sins we made, White is for the grace He gave. Purple is for His hour of sorrow, Pink is for a new tomorrow. A bag of jelly beans, so colorful and sweet, Is a prayer, is a promise, and a special treat.
Dissolve the yeast in water. Add sugar and salt. Blend in flour and turn the dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth. Cut off slices of the dough and roll 1 tbsp sugar
them into ropes. Twist the ropes into pretzel shapes and 4 cups flour 1 beaten egg coarse salt
arrange them on a cookie sheet lined with greased brown paper. Brush the pretzels with the egg and sprinkle coarse salt on them. Bake in a 425o oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Easter—Share the meaning of jellybean colors:
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX B ACTIVITIES FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM
Personal Activity Examples and Resources
• Allow extra time to dress self, especially in winter months. Children can help each other.
• Use pillowcases adapted with zipper, snaps, or buttons to slide over the back of chairs. Each makes an intriguing center children will enjoy as well as practice skills.
• Listen to stories on headsets to increase attention span.
• Use a timer to gradually increase time on task.
• Create an activity board for centers. Use picture icons for the stations and the student will manipulate his printed name or photo for work choices. He must complete the activity as well as clean up before choosing the next station. If a station is full on the board, he must choose another center.
Citizenship Activity Examples and Resources
• Greet visitors to the classroom.
• Learn how/when to shake hands, ask with a please, respond with a thank-you, invite someone to play.
• If a rule is frequently broken, the child may receive a ticket with the issue stated and sent home to parents.
• “Caught being good”—Add a sticker to a certificate for extraordinary service, kindness...
• Use “I statements”—I like how (name) is putting the blocks away. (modeling expected behavior) I am pleased to hear your manners.
• Put toys in ”time out” when not being used properly.
• Use a traffic light for behavior: green-keep going, yellow-think about what you’re doing, red-stop what you’re doing. It can be used with the whole class or cluster individual names around the color.
• Transition activities: Shelley Tyrone Nash Sondra Stephen Chloe John Rachel
Grandpa’s Glasses Here are Grandpa’s glasses. Here is Grandpa’s hat. Here’s the way he folded his arms And here’s the way he sat.
Here are Grandma’s glasses. Here is Grandma’s cap. Here’s the way she folds her hands And lays them in her lap.
I’m Looking for... I’m looking for people that have one hand on their head and the other one in their lap. (As you find children that are carrying out the task , call them to do something like line up or wash up.)
Busy Fingers This is the way my fingers stand, fingers, stand, fingers stand. This is the way my fingers stand So early in the morning.
(This is the way they dance about...) (This is the way I fold my hands...) (This is the way they go to rest...)
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX C ACTIVITIES FOR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM
Physical Movement Activity Examples and Resources
• Greg and Steve tapes: “Rhythm and Movement” Youngheart Records, Los Angeles, CA, 1-800-444-4287
• Hap Palmer tapes:
“Getting to Know Myself”--body awareness and promote positive self-image. Concepts include body parts identification, spatial awareness, laterality and feelings. Also available on video.
“Walter the Waltzing Worm”--identification of body parts, actions, spatial concepts, movement qualities, and relationships.
<website> happalmer.com has lyrics and other tapes described Educational Activities, P.O. Box 392, Freeport, NY 11520
• Games: Simon Says, Hokey Pokey, Ring Around the Rosy, Duck Duck Goose
• Trace child on butcher paper and label body parts (i.e. shoulder, chest, tummy, ankle)
• Have children draw monthly self portraits, labeling different body parts, and use as a photo album for the end of the year.
• Transitional activities:
Follow the Leader
Come follow, follow, follow. Come follow, follow me. Come follow, follow, follow. And this is where you’ll be.
Gross Motor Activity Examples
• Tape a line on the classroom floor that leads to a certain part of the room. Child will walk the line. Change destinations often.
• Beware of height of steps in older buildings. Have a set of steps, 1 foot in height, constructed.
• Play “Twister”.
I Wiggle My Fingers I wiggle my fingers. I wiggle my toes. I wiggle my shoulders. I wiggle my nose. No more wiggles are left in me And I can sit-—1-2-3.
Touch I’ll touch my hair, my lips, my eyes. I’ll sit up straight and then I’ll rise. I’ll touch my ears, my nose, my chin Then quietly sit down again.
Left Hand, Right Hand This is my right hand. I’ll hold it up high. This is my left hand. I’ll touch the sky. Right hand, left hand Roll them around. Left hand, right hand Pound, pound, pound. Ten Fingers
My Own Little Place I have ten fingers
(with finger, draw circle on floor And they all belong to me. I can make them do things. Would you like to see? I can shut them up tight Or open them wide. I can put them together Or make them all hide. I can make them jump high, I can make them jump low. I can fold them quietly and
around body) My own little place Where I can be My own little place No one can see. Here I can wiggle, Make faces, and giggle.. For this is the place That belongs to me.
hold them just so.
APPENDIX C (continued)
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004 Small Motor Activity Examples
• Have children cut out coupons. Remember: hold the scissors so the thumb is pointing up to heaven in the small hole, and fingers in the bigger hole at the bottom. Point the scissors away from your body. The child must learn to turn the paper with the hand that is holding the paper, not the scissors. This hand should also have the thumb pointing up to heaven. The elbow of the hand that is holding the scissors should stay close to the child’s side (near the waist).
• Have child trace over her name with her pointing finger, then with a writing utensil. This also helps in naming objects, shapes, and the letters of the alphabet.
• At the water or sand table: pour, stir, measure, etc.
• Using a hole puncher to develop the strength in small muscles, punch holes in an index card--it is a firmer piece of paper, but it also lets the child hear the puncher punching the hole. The child should use the dominant hand.
• Use tongs to move objects from one container to another. (i.e. cotton balls, crayons packing peanuts, etc).
• Transfer small objects with tweezers (holding the tweezers with punching fingers... the same ones as they hold their writing utensils).
• At the sand or water table have the child pour from one container to another. This develops hand eye coordination.
• Play with finger puppets.
• Laminate lined paper for write-on/wipe off practice. Rose Art brand dry erase markers have no aroma and clean off well.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX D ACTIVITIES FOR ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM
Reading Activity Examples and Resources
• Use a print-rich environment...student names, label pocket charts, room items, color words.
• Use a photo and name for student self-attendance procedure. A tongue depressor with a name also works well.
• Coordinate activities around a letter each week.
Writing Activity Examples and Resources
• Use pointer to touch while reading a calendar, practicing skills return-sweep, left-to-right.
• Use a space marker between words when printing.
• Create a sentence that correspondence with calendar activity. Cut the sentence into parts and put back together.
Today is / Tuesday / June 4, 2004.
• Use font software with dots and lines for name tracing. (Zaner Bloser)
• Apply new vocabulary word. Draw and/or dictate a sentence about it.
• Create or use a daily journal.
Listening Activity Examples and Resources
• Transition activities:
Time for Story Time
Story Time (tune: Muffin Man) Now it’s time for story time,
Sometimes my hands are at my side
(hold hands at side) Story time, story time. Now it’s time for story time.
Then behind my back they hide .
(put them behind your back) It’s story time right now.
Sometimes I wiggle my fingers too.
(wiggle fingers) Shake them fast, shake them slow.
(shake fast, then slow) Open-Shut Open, shut them Open, shut them. Give a little clap. Open, shut them Open, shut them. Place them in your lap.
Sometimes my hands go clap, clap, clap
(clap hands) Then I rest them in my lap
(sit down, hands in lap) Now they’re quiet as quiet can be
(finger to lip for “shh”) because it’s story time, you see.
(hands to lap, nod)
• Build vocabulary with audio tapes: Greg and Steve : “Holidays and Special Times,” “We All Live Together, Vol 1-5” Hap Palmer: “Learning Basic Skills Through Music—Health and Safety,” “A Child’s
World of Lullabies--Multicultural Songs for Quiet Times, ” Rhythms on Parade” Dr. Jean: “All Day Long,” “Silly Songs”
APPENDIX D (continued)
• Use a variety of ways to line children up: Line up if you can tell me... Line up if you have... 1. what you would wish if you had one wish. 1. been to the circus. 2. a safety rule for school. 2. two persons in your family. 3. where you father works. 3. taken piano lessons. 4. your favorite cereal. 4. flown in an airplane. 5. an animal in the zoo. 5. helped wash the car.
Speaking Activity Samples
• Play “I Spy” in which the child must verbalize in a complete sentence with descriptors.
• Use old calendar scenes, greeting cards, and photos to stimulate conversation in a group or between child and teacher.
• Tape a child’s discussion with the teacher. Replay to listen for phrasing, vocabulary use, sentence structure, and concept clarity.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX E ACTIVITIES FOR MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM
Mathematical Reasoning Activity Examples
• Scatter the colored shapes on the floor. Call on one child at a time to find a certain color (ex. red, blue etc.) Put them into categories by color (one pile for each color).
• Have the child find just the named shape you are introducing. Have the children put the shapes in groups by shape.
• Have the children name the color and shape of one of the ones they found.
• Reinforce with Greg and Steve - We All Live Together, Vol. 3 Song/Activity “Shapes”.
• Have the children set the snack table, placing each item in the proper location on placemat
• Compare the amount of snack to the number of children.
• Sort a variety of buttons by size, color, etc.
• Describe similarities and differences
• The children can put colored bears into a bowl of the same color.
• Sort the bears by size and color.
• Group children by the color of their hair, clothing, eyes, etc.
• Identify the common property in a group of objects such as calendar pictures, post cards or pictures from magazines.
• Provide the children with a selection of calendar pictures, postcards and pictures from magazines.
• Measure and observe (feel, look, smell) and compare materials (sand, flour, rice, etc) in a container.
• Count the number of and describe types of clothing or other items hung on a clothesline.
• Describe and identify object in a “feely” box.
• Use various cups, spoons, etc. to predict which holds more, less, etc.
Number & Numeration Activity Examples
• Count objects 1-10 such as candy corn, M&M’s and/or other countable objects.
• Count the number of school days; chart & label.
• Cut out footprints. Number the footprints and place on the floor.
• Encourage children to count their steps as they follow the footprints.
• Have children count & label the supplies in different learning centers.
• Make graphs or charts using concrete objects to show more or less.
• Have children separate & count M&M’s into colors. Ask which is less, more, the same/equal.
• Have children collect equal numbers of blocks & crayons. Compare the same number of objects.
• Create a mini book for children by writing the lyrics to 5 Little Ducks, one stanza to a page. Have children draw the appropriate number of ducks on each page.
• Have children share a snack with a partner by dividing the snack into two parts. Begin with dividing bananas, apples, graham crackers, etc.
APPENDIX E (continued)
Operations Activity Examples
• Match the correct number of objects to the corresponding numeral such as paperclips, pictures, bingo markers, etc.
• Using a flannel board, cards or muffin tin, count the number of objects in a named set in the classroom including a set of zero.
• Play the game,” Line ‘Em Up”. Cut out one 4x4 square of red construction paper, one green and enough yellow squares so that each child in the class has one square. Place the paper squares in a small box and allow each child to draw one square. Allow the child holding the green square to be first in line, followed by those children holding yellow squares and finally the child holding red is last.
• Reinforce the concept of first and last in a series using felt pieces with finger play such as five little monkeys. Cut out felt pieces to represent the characters in these finger plays and use them on the flannel board.
• Use your classroom calendar and ask questions-“What is the first day of the week and the last day of the week?” “What is the first day of the month and the last day of the month?”
• Predict and chart the results of sinking or floating objects, the types of weather in a month, etc.
• Use the child’s own footprint to measure objects in the classroom using phrases such as “almost”, “wider”, etc.
Geometry Activity Examples
• Eat snacks in various shapes: Doritos, Club Crackers, Ritz crackers, Saltine crackers.
• Cut cookie dough into basic shapes, baking, eating as snack.
• Represent shapes using play dough, yarn, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners.
• Create shapes through body movements.
• Place parquetry blocks on top of their silhouettes.
• Feel and describe attribute blocks, then try to identify them without looking.
• Go on a "shape walk" indoors or outdoors to find examples of basic shapes (e.g., in buildings, in the classroom, in nature) such as circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles.
• Compare familiar objects with similar shapes (i.e. various kinds of unit blocks and other manipulatives).
• Use their bodies to explore concepts related to position and relative distance among objects/locations (i.e. up, down, high, low, above, below, in front of, behind, beside, near, far, next to, apart and together.
• Determine how much space is needed to build a structure using large interlocking panels, or whether two children can fit inside a cardboard box.
• Use all shapes in various colors and sizes, shape dominoes, geoform boards.
• Use the words circle, square, triangle and rectangle to play "Shape Bingo.”
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX E (continued)
Measurement Activity Examples
• Cover a letter of the alphabet with objects such as beads for ‘B’ or Cheerios cereal for the letter ‘C’.
• Use teacups to measure ‘soup’ (water) into a bowl, determining how many teacups equals one bowl.
• Arrange children in a line by height.
• Use different lengths of string to estimate the circumference of a pumpkin.
• Make and remove links of an Advent count down calendar each day, counting and comparing remaining links to yesterday and tomorrow.
• Display a pictorial schedule of daily activities and compare when each will take place (music will be after snack).
• Sort leaves by size and compare which is larger, which is smaller.
• Compare weight of different size and shape pinecones by lifting in hand and on a balance scale.
• Compare heights of each student, marked on a growth chart mounted on wall in the classroom.
Probability and Statistics-Activity Examples
• Estimate and chart the number of seeds in an apple.
• Graph children’s preferences to different colored apples.
• Estimate, count and compare objects that will fit in a container.
• Estimate, count, record and compare number of objects placed in a container.
• Predict and compare outcomes of a given situation.
• Predict the color of an object or multicolored ball of yarn to be pulled out from a container.
• Predict the results of pin the tail on the donkey (or other variation)
• Have the correct number of students stand inside a hoop labeled with the corresponding number.
Pattern Activity Examples
• Students repeat a rhythmic pattern produced by clapping or musical instruments.
• Create patterns using manipulative objects and identify beginning, end, what’s next, etc.
• Make graphs to compare. Some topics that might be of interest to young children are:
- Heights of children in the class - Favorite storybooks - Type of weather each day for a month - Comparison of the number of seeds in an apple or a pumpkin - Kinds of pets - Favorite colors - Do you like gloves or mittens? - Kinds of pets, etc.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX E (continued)
Pattern Activity Examples (continued)
• Arrange objects or pictures by size, shape, etc.
• On a table set up pre-cut shapes of clay, have the children match the cookie cutter to the shape.
• In the sandbox use several blocks to make footprints in the sand. Have the children identify the block used to make each print.
• Compare groups of shapes using more than, less than, same, equal, etc.
• Identify and record patterns in classroom and/or environment.
• Record daily progress on colored shapes to create a repeated pattern.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX F SUPPORT FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS
I have a concern...What should I do? Children learn and develop differently and at different rates. For some, there may be delays that warrant further testing or therapy. When a teacher has concerns about a child’s development:
Step 1---Gather information about the child’s development. Observations should be
documented over a period of time in the form of anecdotal record, teacher’s log, video, etc.
Spend time observing and documenting the child’s development. What are the child’s strengths—what have you done to build on them? What are the areas of concern---are your expectations developmentally appropriate? If you see behavioral concerns—what is happening before or after the behavior? Have you made changes in the environment or program that will help the child? Are there issues interfering with the child’s ability to learn, participate, and interact
within the learning environment? What is your classroom structure? Do you have a consistent routine? Do you provide a language-rich environment? Are there safety concerns? Does the child frequently harm himself or others? Does the child need more supervisions during certain activities (i.e. eating, playground)? Step 2---Discuss concerns with your administrator. Step 3---Approach parents with concerns. Protect their confidentiality. Discuss your
concerns with only the parents –not the grandma, aunt, babysitter, or whoever picks up the child.
Begin by sharing your observations and notes. Share strengths first. Describe what you see. Do not diagnose or label! Be sensitive to the parents. They may need time to digest what you share. You may need to share information on child development. When parents are ready, guide them through the process of accessing services. Outline a plan. Be positive. Step 4---The Referral Process
Parents should contact the chairperson of the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE)
in their school district. There is no cost to the parent or Preschool Program. The CPSE will provide the family with a list of NYSED approved evaluations agencies and a parent consent form to be signed and returned to the district before the process can begin. An evaluation (cognitive, physical. Speech/language, social/emotional, motor and adaptive
development) will be conducted and must include an observation of the child in the Preschool setting. A CPSE meeting will take place with the parents, evaluator, teacher, and district personnel.
Services may be needed if evaluations reveal moderate developmental delays (25%) in two different areas or a severe developmental delay (33%) in one area. If services are recommended, an IEP (Individual Education Program) will be developed by the CPSE. It will be the plan that must be followed, by law, in the Preschool setting. Services must have written parent permission before they can begin. Should services be provided in the Preschool setting, the service provider should sign in and out when entering your school, as your normal school procedures dictate.
APPENDIX F (continued)
What are some indicators a child may need help?
...the three-year old who
• Does not respond when you call from another area of the room
• Is not conversing in simple 2-3 word sentences
• Is not asking questions
• Is not responding to simple what, who, why, where questions
• Shows unusual responses such as ritualistic behavior, resistance to change, or peculiar interest in /attachment to objects
• Shows self-stimulating behaviors (hand flapping, spinning, rocking)
• Cries easily or frequently, displays extreme anxiety, frequently worried or afraid ...the four-year old who
• Does not respond to simple 2-step directions
• Speaks in jumbled sentences
• Is overly aggressive
• Is socially withdrawn
• Is not able to listen to and retell simple stories
• Talks, but remarks are not relevant or whose speech cannot be understood
• Has poor coordination—cannot pedal a tricycle, catch a large ball, or hold a crayon to draw
What kinds of services or therapies may be provided?
Physical Therapy (PT)...works on gross motor skills (balance, floor play in positions on the
belly or back, standing, running, jumping or rolling. PT may also focus on how muscles, bones, and joints work together. Occupational Therapy (OT)...looks at daily living skills (playing, eating, dressing, relaxing).
Some skills are fine motor such as hand coordination (reaching, grasping), sensory integration skills such as eye-hand coordination (tracking with the eyes), visual perception skills (puzzles), imitation (finger play), and self-help skills (feeding, dressing). Speech Language Pathology (SLP)...works on developing the child’s speech and language skills (production of speech, pronouncing words, using language to express self, understanding what is said). The child’s ability to answer questions and follow directions and oral motor skills are also addressed. Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT)...addresses the learning and educational needs of the
child encompassing all areas of development. Social Work/Counseling (SW)...addresses social and emotional needs of a child.
As a teacher, you can request/expect regular contact and consultation with the service providers.
This appendix was adapted from “Working with Young Children with Special Needs: A Resource Directory” written by the Early Childhood Inclusion Committee.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX G WORKING WITH PARENTS
Getting ready for school starts well before the child approaches the school building on opening day. Parents have primary responsibility for laying the critical foundations for school readiness. They are indeed the child's first teachers!! They have assisted the child in learning to use the home language to express ideas and feelings. They have met the child's needs for safety, emotional security, nutrition, and mental stimulation. They have communicated to the child the importance of school and view themselves as partners in their children's educational experiences.
Parenting, however, is challenging under the best of circumstances, and current day realities confirm that many families are coping with numerous stress factors: unemployment, divorce or separation, illness, unsafe environments, and many others. Providing the basics is sometimes beyond the resources of families with whom we work. Our role as early childhood educators is to work in partnership with families and the family service coordinator to meet the needs of children. Foremost, this means providing the highest quality care and education possible, continually communicating to parents the progress and needs of their children, and supporting their efforts to reinforce the skills learned in school. At times, our role will extend to helping families identify community resources to meet critical needs. Setting the stage for successful parent-teacher relationships is fundamental to an excellent preschool program.
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM PARENTS
• The child's developmental and health history
• Preferred styles of learning, special interests or talents
• Any special learning needs or developmental concerns
• Effective strategies for child guidance or discipline
• Traditions (i.e., dietary practices) important to the family
WHAT PARENTS CAN LEARN FROM TEACHERS
• Age-related skills or developmental norms
• The child's progress and areas of need
• Activities and experiences to enhance skill development at home
• School and community support services available
• Effective strategies for child guidance or discipline
IDEAS FOR PROMOTING PARENT INVOLVEMENT
• Orientation for new parents
• Open house
• Parent monthly newsletter or weekly agenda of activities
• Opportunities for parents to share talents with class
• Opportunities for parents to volunteer in the classroom or chaperone field trips
• Inviting parents to make materials for classroom activities
• Making phone calls or sending notes giving "good news" about the children
APPENDIX G (continued)
LANGUAGE AT HOME
Here are some language activities for parents and children to do together:
• Read at least one book together everyday.
• Look at street signs - point out and read.
• Look for familiar logos to point out.
• Have conversations about any family routines: meals, bath time, dressing and undressing, shopping, eating out, special events. Notice, remark on, explain, ask questions, listen to your child.
• Play with a tape recorder if one is available.
• Play word games like "I spy something red," "Would you expect to find," "I'm thinking of something round."
• "Write" letters together to a friend or relative. Put in special pictures your child has drawn.
• Look at magazines and cut out familiar logos and letters. Make a collage.
• Put aside a time when you read your books or magazines as your child looks at her own picture book. Enjoyment of books is important for the whole family.
• Sing songs ad recite poems together.
• Have your child cut coupons and sort them by food type, hot/cold foods, foods/household items.
MATH AT HOME
Here are some math activities for parents and children to do together:
• Let children set the table; they learn one-to-one correspondence by matching one fork, to one plate, to one cup, etc.
• Match pairs of socks while folding laundry.
• Use a recipe to make playdough; allow child to help measure ingredients; review which steps were followed first, second, next, etc.
• Use a calendar to mark birthdays and other events; count the number of days until the event.
• Sort buttons, hair barrettes, nuts, bolts, etc. according to size, color, or other feature.
• Make patterns with a healthy fruit kabob - one strawberry, two grapes, one pineapple chunk, (repeat this sequence at least three times to make sure the child understands the pattern)
• Look for shapes while riding in the car - rectangular road signs, square windows, round truck tires, etc. Make shapes out of colored paper for a car game. Match shapes to street signs - Stop, Yield, School Crossing, Hospital, Railroad Crossing, street lights. Be creative.
• Keep a height chart; compare growth at each birthday or check-up
• Place plastic containers of various sizes in the tub at bath time; have children decide which holds more; count how many small containers it takes to fill up a large container.
• While grocery shopping, name the different colors you see - red tomatoes, yellow bananas, purple grapes.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
APPENDIX G (continued)
• Match plastic lids and containers of assorted sizes.
• Save old envelopes with your mailing address; let child copy the numbers and letters below the label.
• Use cookie cutters of various shapes to cut out cheese slices to make fun snacks; eat with animal crackers.
• Share snapshots and photo albums often with your child; talking about past events helps them develop a sense of time - past and present.
• Count the pieces of mail delivered each day. Sort by name.
SCIENCE AT HOME
Here are some science activities for parents and children to do together:
• Grow something together: a small window garden, flowers in a pot or plot, vegetables for eating.
• Observe and talk about how things work: blenders, dishwasher, tools, clocks, etc.
• Set up ways your child can prepare food, measure, cut, cook.
• Observe and comment on the weather day by day.
• Go out at night and look at the sky. Observe and wonder.
• Put a bowl of water outside in freezing weather. Watch what happens.
• On a hot summer day, paint the sidewalk or side of the house using a large paintbrush, water, and bucket. Paint shapes, letters, lines, etc.
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004
Diocese of Buffalo PreK Curriculum March 2004