On Break

Temporary leave from my blog while I await word from my new job. The anticipation is driving me crazy! When will this new business open its doors? I can't wait to be in the classroom...MY classroom. I am mentally preparing myself for the possibility that I might be teaching toddlers. Those of you who've raised one through toddler stage can hopefully understand my need for this mental break!!

Made it through the holidays. Still so much to do, while trying to enjoy this non-working time with my family.

Bless you all! Go enjoy the rest of this winter break with your kiddos! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Don't Take Away Hope

#6 Don't take away hope. Don't prepare for disappointment.

Children NEED their dreams. You might say "What does this have to do with their sense of independence?" but a child with a dream aspires to do what it takes to get there and make it happen. A child with a dream has motivation.

Maybe your child is a tad tone deaf and dreams of becoming a singer. Instead of dashing those dreams "Don't get your hopes up. There are a lot of talented voices out there," go with a response that speaks of something positive they DO display like "You'd have an awesome stage presence." Besides, dreams don't always live forever. I no longer want to be a ballerina. In fact, I never even took ballet. My parents gave me the ultimate gift of feeling like I could be successful at whatever I tried my hand at.

Our goal is self-governing people who CAN separate from us and function, living positive and happy lives no matter what they do!

Encourage Use of Outside Sources

#5 Encourage children to use sources outside the home.
It's ok to ask community members for help. We can seek information in a variety of ways (internet, library, personal experience, teachers, community helpers, professionals, etc.) Children need to be able to be "away" from their parents or caregiver and knowing whom to ask for help brings about confidence and security. Being able to ask for help when needed is huge! Knowing whom to ask is huge!

The result? Children feel empowered, and not completely dependent on us.

For example, a child inquiring about fire safety might be ready for a trip to the local firestation. A child interested in meerkats (C is!) can check out books from the local library. I want C to feel comfortable in certain situations and know when to raise a red flag. Being able to seek help or answers from others is a start.

#6 is big in THEIR minds. Wait for it and I think you'll see what I mean.

Asking Questions, Answering Questions

#3 and #4 refer to asking and answering questions so I've grouped them together.

#3 Don't ask too many questions.
This refers to the child feeling that questions are an invasion of privacy. I don't agree with this altogether, because sometimes asking questions IS necessary for you to gather information.

Try- Instead of a barrage of questions (HOW WAS SCHOOL? DID YOU HAVE ART? WHAT DID YOU MAKE? DO YOU LIKE THE ART TEACHER? HOW ABOUT THE COLOR BLUE?), ask in a way to invoke thought and response. There are going to be times children simply don't want to engage and that's OK! Anything that might invoke a response beyond YES or NO goes!

"Tell me something you enjoyed about your day..."

"Oh I see you had art today. How did that go?"

"You seem upset. I'm hear to listen if you need to talk about it..."

"I'd like to hear how your day went..."

"I'm interested in what you did at recess today..."

#4 Don't rush to answer questions.
Give children the opportunity to explore the answers to their own questions. Sometimes a pause or "Tell me what you think" goes a long way!

Stay tuned as #5 is tomorrow.

Give Information, Engage Cooperation

#2 Give information.
Giving information allows children to see for themselves what needs to be done. Giving information is just one of the ways to engage a child's cooperation:

a) DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEE OR DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM.
"There are toys in the walkway."

b) GIVE INFORMATION.
"Someone might step on these toys and get hurt."

c) SAY IT WITH A WORD.
"The toys."

d) DESCRIBE WHAT YOU FEEL.
"I don't like tripping on toys."

e) WRITE A NOTE.
Please put me away so I'm safe from people's feet. Thanks, Your Toys

#3 and #4 coming tomorrow!

Encouraging Independence - Help Children Help Themselves

One of the books I've encountered since entering this field that I have a lot of praise for is How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.

This book gives fantastic information on communication; I'm particularly partial to the section about encouraging children's sense of autonomy because I think it portrays my vision of what a parent and teacher can accomplish by NOT doing things for a child.

1. Help children to help themselves.
*Are we helping a child more by TELLING them how to put on a coat, or SHOWING them how to do it and then letting them try? If I put C's coat on for him, I took away a learning experience. When we let a little bit of struggle happen, learning is taking place. The child gets pride in accomplishment AND the courage to persist the next time. If I put C's coat on for him, I took away a learning experience.

See tomorrow's post for #2!

Character Qualities

I've decided that as part of my curriculum I'd like to explore character qualities. The depth to which I can explore them will depend on the age group I ultimately end up with, but I feel that we can all benefit from examining that which builds a person's character. If I have toddlers, I will probably focus on one quality per month. Similarly, if I have preschoolers I would focus on one quality per month but they may differ slightly. It would look something like this, order TBD.

TODDLER
1. SELF-CONTROL (turn-taking, sharing, waiting in line, patience)
2. HONESTY (tell the truth, accept responsibility)
3. LOVE (being accepting, giving, caring)
4. FLEXIBILITY (able to adjust to change)
5. RESPECT (good manners, help others, listen to adults, kind words)
6. SENSITIVITY (understanding feelings, aware of emotions in self and others)
7. RESPONSIBILITY (good choices, accept consequences, good listener)
8. GENTLENESS (show personal care and concern, speak and act kindly)
9. SECURITY (what/who makes me feel safe and secure)
10. PERSEVERANCE (try, learn, work hard, be determined)
11. GRATEFULNESS (be thankful for what you have, give thanks)
12. FAIRNESS (share, take turns, cooperate, appreciate differences)

PRESCHOOLER
1. RESPONSIBILITY (good choices, accept consequences, good listener)
2. COMPASSION (be kind, helpful, considerate)
3. RESPECT (good manners, help others, listen to adults, kind words)
4. TRUSTWORTHINESS (be dependable, keep promises, tell the truth)
5. FAIRNESS (share, take turns, cooperate, appreciate differences)
6. ORDERLINESS (organized, thorough, time-aware)
7. CITIZENSHIP (be a good classmate/friend, respect the rules, do your best)
8. SELF-DISCIPLINE (do a good job, respectful words, best use of time)
9. HONESTY (tell the truth, accept responsibility)
10. INTEGRITY (be loyal, be your best, doing the right thing)
11. INITIATIVE (recognizing and doing what needs to be done before being asked)
12. TOLERANCE (accepting others)

Playground Safety, Slides

My "learn something new each day" thing learned. I'm guilty of doing this a few times myself!

Why sliding with kids is dangerous

Four Seasons Poster

Divide a piece of paper into four sections and label Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. Have your child browse through old magazines for at least one picture to go with each season, from weather to clothing to activities we do during that season.

Butterfly Match

I bought two packages of butterfly party favors so the children can play a matching game. C also likes to sort them by color and line them up in patterns.

Dog Bones Counting and Addition

I found bone-shaped paperclips at Walmart. The puppy pictures were from the back of an old calendar. Children count and place the same number of bones on the picture as there is puppies. Some children will then be able to count the total number of bones.

Beginning Letter Box

I used a fishing tackle container and lowercase alphabet stickers. Any craft organizer will do. I placed one sticker in each slot and found an item that started with that letter. Note: I did not use all of the letters of the alphabet. You could use even less letters for younger children.

Amos 'n Andy

My mom used to call this snack "Amos 'n Andy," the same things as Egg in a Basket, Popeye, Toad in the Hole, Egg in a Nest, Egg in a Frame...whatever you call it, it is easy and tasty!

Use a cookie cutter and cut a shape out of a piece of bread. Butter that empty bread and put it into the frying pan. Crack an egg into the shape. Fry both sides.

What's cool about making this for kids, besides that it's an easy breakfast is that you can cut out any shape the kids will enjoy, think holiday and seasonal!

Coin Sort

Rummage up a handful of change and have your child sort the coins. Identify coins and explain their values.

*Extension: Open up shop and "sell" a few items to your child so he or she can practice counting the money.

Homemade Silly Putty Recipe

Way easy. Equal parts white school glue and liquid starch. I use 1/2 c. of each. Add a few drops of food coloring to get the desired color. Stir it up and you'll have your very own silly putty!

Best done over tile, kitchen counter or table.

Recycle It Tip: Save large empty cereal bags, cut open to form a large playmat or placemat. It'll make clean up easier!

Paint Pallette Tweezer Transfer

Using a paint pallette some tweezers or small tongs, you can set up a transfer activity. Pile pieces in the center and transfer small items (I used paperclips) using tweezers or tongs to each of the smaller cups.

Paint Pallette: $1.49 from craft store

Transfer items: Endless possibilities. Try cereal and eat after success!

*Pinching and grasping strengthens hand muscles in pre-writers.*

Using your " I's " outside

3 Ways to Enhance Outdoor Time

Investigate, Interact, Imagine

Investigate: Look at things often overlooked. Ask questions about the environment then seek answers. Spend time observing plants and trees over time, or bugs in their natural habitats. Let children experiment with what water does to sand and how the wind blows maple leaf pods. Ask "What are you experiencing with (each of your senses)?" as they explore.

Interact: Kids need to expend energy, and groups of kids are great at encouraging each other to do just this! You can often observe groups of children making up or playing games which are full of movement and action (gross motor development). Practice the fundamentals of sports with a few of the neighbor kids or teach them one of the games you used to play at recess when you were younger. The neighborhood park can be a comfortable place to practice early social skills.

Imagine: It takes time for children to conjure up imaginative plots and story lines. Give time to develop imaginative play. Set out a box of simple props or costumes OUTSIDE and they'll look at them in a whole new light! If children have a good thing going, give them time to play out the scene without interrupting.*

*I can remember having quite long periods of time outside with the neighborhood kids where we'd have to entertain ourselves and the longer we had it seems the more creative we had to be to occupy that time!

Recycling Greeting Cards

Turn a greeting card into a puzzle by cutting it into pieces, as many as you think your child can handle.

Punch holes around the outside of a card to make lacing cards. Weave a shoelace through the holes. Try cutting out specific shapes from the pictures on the cards and punch around those.

*Extension: Laminating will extend the life of the pieces.

Share recycling with your children.
Is this the world you want to leave them?

Pony Bead Patterning

Pipe cleaners make a great "string" to pattern on. It stands steady when pony beads are pushed on, unlike string which can be frustrating to little fingers holding and pushing beads on all at once. Bend one end so beads don't come cascading off. Encourage pattern making and then finish by turning the final product into wearable bracelets, or rings if they don't extend the pattern that far!

Play Today

Think back to what you did with your child yesterday. I hope you fit in a little time for playing together. Playing together sends a message of love. I want to spend my time with you, doing things you enjoy. You deserve my time and attention!

So, what will you play today? The more imagination required, the better!

BOARD GAMES*DANCE COMPETITION*JOKE CONTEST*TEA PARTY*FOLLOW THE LEADER*MUD PIES*HIDE AND SEEK*OBSTACLE COURSE*CLOUD WATCHING*BIKE RIDES*TAG*CATCH*MAKE MUSIC*DRESS UP*I SPY*SPORTS*PUPPET SHOW*FORT*ART*BOOKS*BLOCKS*PRETEND*HOUSE*TREASURE HUNT*CARS AND TRUCKS*LEGOS*DOLLS*CHEFS*MODELS*CARDS*COLLECTIONS*PLAYDOUGH*RAKE LEAVES THEN JUMP CARELESSLY INTO THEM*ASK THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO PLAY

Play is after all, justification to stay young forever!

What's it shaping up to be?

I cut shapes out of construction paper in a variety of colors and sizes. I challenged C "Can you make a sailboat? A house? A tree?" and he arranged the shapes to his interpretation. I also took a turn creating and asked C to guess as I added shapes to see how quickly he could figure out what I was making. C also created freely and had me guess what he'd made.

*Variation: Once you've made an arrangement you like, glue it down on another piece of construction paper for an art piece.

Toddler Property Laws

1. If I like it, it's mine.

2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.

3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.

4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.

5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.

6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.

7. If it looks just like mine, it is mine.

On Loving When Loving Gets Tough

I bet there are times when you've just had it with the whining/bickering/talking back. When you can't take one more "He touched me!" The arched-back temper tantrum in the middle of Costco has you pulling your hair out! Your child forgot something even though you've repeated a hundred times "Don't forget your (insert coat, backpack, homework, etc. here)!" At the point of anger, it's easy to overlook the message the child is sending...

"I want to be loved the most when I'm acting the most unloveable."

Ahhh, a cry for attention. And yes there are situations which call for denying that attention. But you have a CHOICE to react positively or negatively, keeping in mind that anger adds fuel to the fire.

In heated moments, remain calm and reassure your child I LOVE YOU. It is those times that they most need to hear it and probably the time you feel least able to say it! If you can manage, try "Listen, I love you like crazy and think we should talk about this in a few minutes once we've both calmed down." It's ok for parents to step away and take a time out. Children might even be intrigued if you say "I'm putting myself in time out so I can think about how to handle this." You'll come back refreshed and prepared to discipline with love instead of out of anger. And you are teaching your child a valuable lesson "I am loved NO MATTER WHAT."

10 Lessons the Arts Teach

A must-read about the benefits of teaching the arts to children:

National Art Education Association 10 Lessons Handout
SOURCE: Eisner, E. (2002). The Arts and the Creation of Mind, In Chapter 4, What the Arts Teach and How It Shows. (pp. 70-92). Yale University Press. Available from NAEA Publications.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Can I make a peanut butter cookie without baking it?

What is a mixture?

Can I follow directions and measure things correctly?

These simple cookies are fun to make together and require no baking time. A bonus blend of math and science too!
Making No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Employment Update

I got my dream job. I am now employed in the field of Early Childhood Education! I am officially a full-time lead preschool teacher, starting in January 2010.

I'm anxious to go to dinner with the boss tonight and meet some of my fellow co-workers. Not only are we getting treated to dinner but we are going to have a brainstorming session. It's a chance to find out details of what to expect with this brand new preschool facility, being built as I type this! I'm excited to be part of this from the very beginning, from planning curriculum to classroom furnishings and supplies. I should have many new updates, adventures, and activities to share in the future.

Fishful Thinking

Pepperidge Farm & Goldfish introduce a parenting resource to help us instill positive thinking in our children.

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Numeral Identification

Area Tested: Numeral Identification

Recognition of numbers - your child is asked to identify the numbers 0-5 on a piece of paper that are in random order.

Activities to strengthen numeral identification:

1. Make flash cards and once the numeral is identified, count out the same number of objects

2. After counting a group of objects, write the numeral

3. Observe the calendar or clock

4. Write the numbers down on cards then shuffle and order them

5. Invent domino games

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Counting

Area tested: Counting

Counting of blocks - your child is asked to count blocks (6). We are checking for number recognition associated with the value.

Activities to strengthen counting:

1. Count objects, hands-on

2. Kitchen helper

3. Fingerplays

4. Count by listening to the sound of items dropped into a can and saying the numbers out loud

5. Count down to an exciting event in the child's life

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Self Portrait

Area Tested: Self Portrait

Self portrait - your child is asked to draw a self-portrait and we use a rubric to score the drawing. (I wish I had that rubric, just curious!)

Activities to strengthen drawing:

1. This one is about the materials you provide. Provide an array of colors, lots of paper, and a mirror too! It's much easier to draw a self-portrait after you've studied your features in a mirror.

2. Sing body parts songs & play body part location games

3. Study pictures of others, expressing appreciation for differences

4. Small manipulatives to strengthen hand muscles

5. Positive self-image

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Name Writing

Area Tested: Name Writing

Name writing - Your child is asked to print his/her name on a blank piece of paper. We check for hand dominance, pencil grip, formation of letters and directionality.

Activities to strengthen name writing:

1. Practice, practice, practice! You can create your own handwriting work sheets here:

Handwriting Worksheet Maker

2. Opportunity- find reasons for your child to sign their name like on a card to grandma or at the top of their paper child's menu at the restaurant

3. Purchase or print out lined handwriting practice paper and make it easily accessible

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Oral Language

Area Tested: Oral Language

Verbal skills - grammatical check - your child is asked to look at a picture within the book and tell what is happening on the page. We are listening for sentence structure and clarity while making association to what the picture may be about (does your child communicate in complete sentences and train of thought, etc.)

Activities to strengthen verbal skills:

1. Sings songs

2. Use full sentences, require responses in full sentences

Mom: "Would you like some more milk?"

Child: "Yes I'd like more milk please."

As compared to

Mom: "More milk?"

Child: "Yeah."

3. Go on a "picture walk" through a book. Have your child predict what will happen in the story by looking at the pictures before reading.

4. Let your child talk on the phone and practice the back and forth skills of conversation

5. Encourage language with a tape recorder

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Concepts About Print

Area Tested: Concepts About Print

Concepts of Print - your child is asked a series of questions about a book

Where is the front of a book? Where is the back of a book? Where would you begin reading? (locating the beginning of a sentence) Point to the first word in the sentence. Where would you stop reading? (locating the end of a sentence) Once you finish this page, where would you go next?

Activities to strengthen concepts of print:

1. Read, read, read! Ask questions about what you are reading.

2. Exposure to all kinds of print - books, magazines, comics, newspapers, print is everywhere!

3. Ask your child to re-tell a story they've heard several times

4. Predict what will happen in a story by looking at the pictures first

5. Point to each word as you read it aloud

To read further on assessing the concepts of print, see

Assessing the Student's Concepts about Print

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Following Directions

Area Tested: Following Directions

Following directions - your child listens to two step and three step directions and then is to perform the task(s).

Activities to strengthen following directions:

1. Play board games together

2. Obstacle course

3. After you've given a few directions at once, have the child verbally repeat them back to you

4. Order and sequencing, for example being able to tell you what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of a story

5. Write action words on several notecards. Shuffle them up and select a few, read them to your child and see if they can perform them in order.

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Initial Sounds

Area Tested: Initial Sounds

Initial sound association - a word is said by the person assessing your child and he/she is to give the initial sound or letter that the word begins with; example - baby "buh" or b.

Activities to strengthen initial sound association:

1. Practice showing pictures and asking "What letter or sound does this begin with?"

2. Make a letter collage featuring the printed letter in the center of the page surrounded by magazine cut outs of other things that have that letter/sound

3. Alphabet "I Spy"... I spy something that begins with a letter B "buh"

4. Clap the syllables to familiar objects

5. Think of a word for each letter of the alphabet, giving cues as needed

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Letter Name and Sound

Area Tested: Letter Name and Sound

Letter recognition and letter sound association - your child is asked to recognize specific letters of the alphabet and the associated sounds from a sheet of paper.

Activities to strengthen letter recognition and letter sound association:

1. That's a (insert letter). Can you find another (letter) on this page?

2. What else starts with (letter)?

3. Can you show me the (letter)?

4. How many (letter)s can we find on this page?

5. Books of course!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate

Alphabet Soup by Scott Gustafson

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Environmental Print

Area Tested: Environmental Print

Environmental print recognition - basic signs are shown to your child and he/she is to identify each. For example: McDonald's, the cover of a box of crayons, a stop sign, men's restroom, women's restroom

Environmental print is the print seen in our
immediate surroundings and used in our everyday
lives. Environmental print is also the print found in
the natural environment of the child, or the child’s
immediate ecology (Kirkland, Aldridge, & Kuby, 1991).

Activities to strengthen environmental print recognition:

1. Identifying ads in magazines

2. Show child packaging in store and have them tell you what's inside

3. When going into a store, point out how many times you see the store name or logo

4. Point out relevant street signs on a neighborhood walk

5. Make a book of environmental print your child can already read and have them read it back to you. For example, logos, popular store signs, street signs, brand names.

When children can "read" environmental print, it shows the ability to recognize frequently occuring signs, symbols, and words in the environment. It boosts confidence. Yes, I can read some words already!

Kindergarten Screening Tools - Naming Colors

Area Tested: Naming Colors

Color recognition - the basic colors are held up to your child one at a time and your child is simply asked to identify the name of each band of color.
red yellow blue green purple brown black orange

Activities to strengthen color recognition:

1. I Spy (a red..., a yellow..., etc.)

2. Car Color Game - while riding in the car, have a hunt for cars of a certain color

3. Sort, match, count colored items (popcorn kernels, pom poms, buttons, etc.)

4. Color 8 sections of a paper plate and 8 clothespins with the colors. Have your child match and clip the clothespins to the plate.

5. Books that reinforce color recognition -

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

Color Dance by Ann Jonas

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni

Kindergarten Readiness and Kindergarten Screening Tools

Have you ever wondered "What is it exactly that kindergarten teachers will want my child to know?"

Is it a concern of yours that your child shows kindergarten readiness?

Over the next two weeks I'm going to spend time listing the kindergarten screening tools used by the public school C is attending. This should give you a general idea what we are working towards with our preschoolers, and I'll give you some activities you can do to strengthen each area.

Bubble Painting

Add food coloring OR liquid watercolor OR tempera paint drops to bubble solution and blow bubbles over a piece of paper. The bubbles POP! and leave behind colorful traces of circles and spatter.

*Variation: Use a straw to blow into a container of bubbles and let them bubble up and over the top, onto a sheet of paper.

*Variation: Use a straw and blow into the bubble solution to form a mountain of bubbles and lower a piece of paper down onto the bubbles.

First Day - a poem for mothers of kindergarteners

I left my last baby at kindergarten today. It's a bittersweet moment for me as it also marks the end of my time as a stay-at-home-mom. I want to share this poem for those of you saying a tearful good-bye to preschoolers and embarking on a new journey with your kindergartener!

First Day

Every one has a "First Day"

when they feel sad and all alone.

It can be so scary

when you're out on your own.

Take my hankie, dry your tears.

You'll find lots of things to do

and you'll probably make new friends.

I promise we'll be together

when the school day ends.

Here comes the teacher,

blow your nose and be brave.

Come on now wipe your eyes,

this is no way to behave.

"Well, good morning teacher.

We really must beg your pardon.

No, MOMMY doesn't always act this way.

But it's my first day of....KINDERGARTEN!"

Homemade Bubble Wand

Tape several straws together. That's it! Make hundreds of tiny bubbles or blow slowly to create a foamy tube of bubbles. Since we used bendy straws, C thought it would be funny to bend the ends and send bubbles in all directions.

Snake Pose or Cobra Pose

A child's breathing & relaxing technique. Also called the 'cobra pose' in yoga, though minus the silly snake sound!

1. Lie quietly on tummy.

2. Push up on arms.

3. Take a deep breath in.

4. Release hissssss of air like a snake and slowly settle back down.

This will flex the spine and neck. Flexible kids can also try bending their knees and bringing their feet to their head. Repeat several times for effect.

10 Leaf Activities

1. Arrange them on clear contact paper and seal with another sheet to make a placemat or window hanging

2. Leaf rubbings

3. Spread glue on paper and sprinkle on crushed leaves for a mosaic look

4. Cover leaves with light fabric (muslin works well) and pound with a hammer

5. Gather a collection of leaves and create a leaf monster or creature

6. Paint on one side of the leaf with watercolor and press on paper to leave a print

7. Paint the vein side with fabric paint and press onto a t-shirt

8. Catch leaves as they fall out of the tree

9. Gather two of each leaf and set up a matching game

10. Sing a leaf song

WELCOME AUTUMN

To the tune "London Bridge"

Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down,

autumn leaves are falling down,

welcome autumn.

Sweep the leaves and put them here, put them put here, put them here,

Sweep the leaves and put them here,

welcome autumn.

Jump right in and have some fun, have some fun, have some fun,

Jump right in and have some fun,

welcome autumn.

River Treasure

We took the boys to the river and let them explore. Our best find was amongst the little pebbles on the shore. The boys came home with pockets full of everything from agates to crawdad claws. I let those little fingers dig and explore in the tiny pebbles for obscure "treasures" and was sure to empty pockets before wash day.

Ice Cream Sundae Potluck

For your next celebration, how about an Ice Cream Sundae Potluck? Have each friend bring a unique ice cream flavor and a topping, while you provide plenty of bowls, sprinkles, and whipped cream for all.

Yeah, there's no nutritional value on this one, but factor in the "cool" points you'll get!

Tasty Toasty

You will need: Bread, milk, food coloring, q-tips, 4 paper cups or small dishes, toaster

Put a small amount of milk in each cup. Add two drops of food color to each cup. Using the q-tip (or a new/cleaned paintbrush) "paint" a design onto the bread with the colored milk. Toast and eat your masterpiece.

*Variation: Paint on a message before serving toast with a meal.

Reading Role Model

I found a new quote that I wholeheartedly agree with!

"Parents who read have kids who learn to read."

Think about how many times a day you read something to yourself. Is it something you can read out loud to your child? Books, magazines, newspapers, letters, signs, lists. Words are everywhere we look. Point out print and its purpose. Talk about what you are reading. Be a reading role model!

Foil Prints

Crumple a piece of foil slightly then unfold. Paint directly onto the foil and press a paper over the design to capture a print.

P.S. That is glitter paint.

P.P.S. The kids may want to keep the shiny painted foil too. Bonus: Two pieces of art in one!

*Variation: What happens if you try crumpled saran wrap or waxed paper?

Galloping

Back in my kindy days, I remember the teacher asking me to perform developmental tasks and making check marks in little boxes on the page. One of these was galloping. Have you taught your cowgirls and cowboys to gallop gallantly?

Gallop: An exaggerated slide step composed of a step and a leap.

Cues:
*Take a big step forward
*Keep one foot in front of the body at all times

Galloping Chant

(Preschoolers gallop quickly at first then slow their ponies down)

Galloping, galloping, galloping.

How fast my pony can go?

When he's tired we'll come home.

Slow, slow, slow.

*Variations: Challenge children to gallop forward and backward, in different pathways, and at different speeds.

18-Way PB&J

End of summer nears. School looms. Regular ol' PB&Js bore. Check out these variations on a classic.

The Great PB&J Makeover, courtesy Welch's

Dance a Part

Switch on the music and listen to the rhythm. Tell children to dance to the music using one body part at a time. Finger, hand, knee, face, shoulder, leg, toe and so on! This will help sync your preschoolers thoughts and actions, providing for more control over body movement.

Generating Rhyming Words - Down by the Bay

"The ability to recognize and generate rhyming words will eventually help children to use known words to decode new words." Literacy and the Youngest Learner by V. Susan Bennett-Armistead

A catchy little song that provides opportunity for generating rhymes is
"Down by the Bay":

Down by the bay

Where the watermelons grow

Back to my home

I dare not go

For if I do

My mother will say

Have you ever seen _____ wearing _____

Down by the bay


Have children help you fill in the blanks! Silly huh? Give these a go:

Have you ever seen a _____ eating a _____
Have you ever seen a _____ walk with a _____

The popular song is also available in book form. Thanks Raffi!
Down by the Bay (Raffi Songs to Read)

Body Pretzels

Print out a set of body part flash cards at ESL-Kids.com. Or make your own! An experience to see just how flexible the human body is. Can it twist like a pretzel?

Parent
1. Divide the cards into two piles. Upper body and lower body.
2. Shuffle each pile and turn face down.

Child

3. Draw one card from each pile.
4. GUESS...can I touch those two body parts together? Make a prediction.
5. Test your guess. Was your guess correct?

*Extension: Serve pretzels for snack.

Developmental Checklist: 4-5 Years

Fisher-Price provides a general developmental checklist in the areas of physical, intellectual, social and emotional, and language development. When it comes to child development, what is "normal" is influenced by a wide variety of genetic, cognitive, physical, family, cultural, nutritional, educational, and environmental factors.

Your 4-5 Year old is probably in some stage of each skill whether it be newly introduced and developing, or showing great progess!

Developmental Checklist: 4-5 Years

Exploring Sunflowers

The sunflowers are starting to droop and I decided to let C do a little sunflower dissection. They really are pretty interesting. Once you remove the little yellow buds, a whole sea of seeds lies underneath. He spent a good fifteen minutes removing the seeds one by one with tweezers!

5 Essential Rules for Stranger Safety

I ran across this article in Parents magazine January 2009 issue but now is a good time to review it. Many of us are sending preschool graduates out into the big wide world this school year! If you don't know exactly what to say when it comes to strangers, this is a must-read.

Security Check: 5 Rules for Stranger Safety

Simple Banana Smoothie

Whip up a smoothie in no time, as a cool summer treat or a healthy snack. Super easy and you can mix and match until you get the drink your child adores.

Combine in a blender:

1 frozen banana

1 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

A dash of sugar

A pinch of cinnamon

*Variations: Other varieties of fruit (C suggests his favorite, blueberries!), frozen yogurt, Splenda instead of sugar, 1 Tbsp. flaxseed oil or 1 Tbsp. brown rice protein

Happy UN-birthday!

You're invited! If it's been awhile since you've had a party, plan an UN-birthday. If it's not your birthday, then by golly it's your UN-birthday. It's like an excuse to have cake! Take a page from Alice's book. Ask your preschooler to help you plan the celebration from cake to decoration and enjoy a party just because. Pull out some mismatched party decor from parties past, bake and frost cupcakes, put up the balloons your child got for being a good kid while you waited in line at the bank, invite neighbor Nelly. You get the idea. Pretty much anything goes and your little party planner will be sure to love the special and unexpected day.

Cover a Sneeze!

Use a squirt bottle and pretend to "sneeze," spraying your captive audience. Whoever got wet now has your germs! Next demonstrate a "sneeze" into the crook of your arm or covered with your hand. Did your child get your germs that time? Nope, you've trapped them.

Bless you!

Visual Addition

This little contraption is a hardware store purchase. It's a PVC plumbing elbow with a drain and screw-on drain cap. The idea is to show children that combining sets of objects creates a new set. For example, in one hand you have 3 red beads and in the other 2 blue beads. If you drop them in either side at the same time, they combine to make a new set of 5. Remove from the cup and count. Practice with different objects and amounts to show that computation doesn't have to be frustration! Great for visual learners.

*Variation: Edible math, Cheerios and Kix for example...guess the number and you get to eat it.

Exploring Corn

There's nothing like eating fresh corn on the cob. But before the yum-fest happens, let it be explored. Spend some time examining the ears of corn in their husks.

What does the husk feel like?

How can we find out what's inside?

What does the silk feel like?

Why do you think the corn is inside the husk and silk?

How does your family prepare corn?

Where do we get corn on the cob?

Have you eaten corn other ways?

Shuck the corn. Prepare the corn. Eat (and enjoy!) the corn.

Buried Treasure

Ahead of time: Adult spray several rocks with gold paint and let dry. Bury in the sand for later discovery!

*Variation: Seashells or coins

Astronaut Puddin'

You'll need: pudding mix, zip top bag, milk

Directions: Put one Tbsp. pudding mix into a zip top bag. Add 1/4 c. milk. Seal. Mush and squish until it is pudding consistency. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag and eat your pudding like the astronauts do in space- without utensils!

Piquing Interest in Healthy Food

Sometimes HOW you serve the food up can stir up enough interest that the food gets eaten, even if it's HEALTHY! How you ask? Mommy's muffin tin special. A muffin tray with 6 sections and something healthy in each of the sections. It's all in the presentation momma!

*Variation: Ice cube tray, school lunch tray, divided container (such as Lock & Lock), an ancient piece of Tupperware from the depths of the cupboard, big brother's lunch box in preparation for back to school...you get the idea.

*Variation: Theme Lunch Ideas

Preschool Portion Control

Some handy tips from Gerber for keeping your preschooler's portions in check. To help children understand their bodies, use phrases like "Is your belly telling you that you're full?", "Has your tummy had enough?" or "Is your belly still making its hungry growling noise?"

Preschool Portion Control

Making Homemade Applesauce

When I think of fall and back to school, I think of apples! Making your own applesauce is a very simple process and one you can easily involve your preschooler in. Make a real trip of it and pick your own apples in the orchard or support your local farmer's market. A plastic knife or butter knife can further chop down apple slices.

We use this recipe from AllRecipes.com Note: The type of apple you use might affect how much sugar the recipe needs. We recommend "Pink Lady" apples, and use a little less sugar than the recipe calls for.

Sarah's Applesauce

Sensational Scarves

A scarf is a simple prop that encourages movement. Scarves are available for purchase on a number of children's stores. I suggest checking your local thrift store. They are light and showy. They flow with ease through the air as the mover prances and dances. It encourages crossing the midline. So many play possibilities!

Abracadabra! Scarf Magic!

Making Colored Noodles

Materials: Noodles, zip top baggies, food coloring, rubbing alcohol

1. Decide on what kind of noodles you want to use. To make noodle jewelry, find pasta with a hole in the center.

2. Use as many zip top bags as colors you want.

3. Place the desired amount of noodles into each bag.

4. Pour just enough rubbing alcohol in the bag so all the noodles are covered.

5. Add a generous amount of food coloring to each baggie of noodles.

6. Put the bags of noodles aside and let them sit until they are the desired color-- the longer they sit, the brighter the colors.

7. Remove from the baggies and spread in a single layer on paper towels to dry.

8. Craft away!

DO NOT EAT. It may take hours for coloring and up to 24 hours to dry. Store in an airtight container for future use.

*Variation: Colorations® Liquid Watercolors work to dye noodles as well.

School Supply Shopping

There's generally a list involved, and to me that means an opportunity for language and literacy. I let C hold our list and once we found the Kleenex I showed him the print on the box. He then found it on the list and crossed it off. He "matched" the words. Finding purpose in print! He was thrilled to do his part, and I could see this made him even more excited for back to school.

Fisher-Price Play and Learn Family Activities

Passing on some great ideas from Fisher-Price, organized by age group. The good news is they target multiple areas of child development.

Play and Learn Family Activities 5-6 Years

101 Ways to Praise a Child

So many ways to say "good job." Try a new one today!

101 Ways to Praise a Child

Arts & Crafts Gift Buckets

Here's a gift idea that encourages imagination and creativity. It would make a nice birthday gift or party favor! While I like Discount School Supply, a great time to pick up the "stuffings" would be during back to school sales.

Arts & Crafts Gift Buckets

P.S. Discount School Supply is one of my favorite online stores for materials!

All Purpose Bubble Solution

This is a good general use mixture.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 Cups Water (Distilled Water works best)

1/2 Cup hand dishwashing detergent (Dawn or Joy are best!)

Optional: 1/2 Cup Karo light corn syrup or Glycerin

1. Combine water and detergent. Stir well, but do not shake.

2. For stronger bubbles add corn syrup or glycerin, or more detergent.

*Extension: Make large bubble wands from straws threaded onto string.

Respectful Listening

Today is just a quote that got me thinking. I think the communication in our house would go more smoothly if we all invested a little more listening time.

We have 2 ears and 1 mouth to do twice as much listening as talking.

Holding a conversation has just as much to do with listening respectfully as it does your responses. Just something to think about.

Shake It Up, Baby

Materials: Ziploc baggies, sliced fruits such as bananas, apples, strawberries. Can use buttered toast squares too. Coatings: try cinnamon and raisins, hot chocolate mix, cinnamon and sugar, parmesan cheese, powdered sugar, ranch dressing mix, powdered drink mixes like strawberry flavor Nestle Nequik.

Pick a food and a coating. Here are some combos to get you started!

Sliced bananas + cinnamon-sugar + raisins
Sliced bananas + Nestle Nequik powder
Apple slices + cinnamon-sugar
Strawberries + powdered sugar
Toast squares + parmesan cheese
Sliced bananas + hot chocolate mix
Apple slices + parmesan cheese
Toast squares + ranch dressing mix

Kids can slice the fruit or toast and put it into the Ziploc bag. They can also measure and pour in the coating. Let 'em shake and eat their treat.

*Variation: Put heavy cream into a plastic jar that will seal tightly. Have children take turns shaking it (20 minutes or so) until it turns into butter. Serve with pancakes or toast or crackers.

Repeat the Beat

Snap, clap or pat a simple beat and ask your child to "repeat the beat." Start simple and increase difficulty. Mix snaps and claps and lap pats.

*Variations: Use a drum to pound out a beat that goes with the syllables in names of people you know. For example, Tyler would be clap-clap. Adrienne would be clap-clap-clap: three quick claps.

Air Moves Things

Materials: Straws, feathers, pom poms, plastic bottles, pebbles, crumpled paper balls, any objects that might move with air.

Place objects on a flat surface and blow through a straw, aiming air at the objects to see which ones move and how much air it takes to move them.

*Extension: Can you find 3 MORE things that air will move?

*Extension: Have air races. Who can move the feather to the end of the room the fastest?

*Extension: Go on a wind walk and observe all the things moving in the wind.

*Variation: Use turkey basters or paper fans to move objects.

*Variation: Create abstract paintings by dropping small amounts of paint on paper and blowing the paint around the paper with a straw.

Postal Clerk

I'm going to forgive myself the last week or so that I haven't posted. I've had an awesome time with my boys and my husband and enjoying summer has been our top priority!

Set up your very own pretend post office with a table and chairs and various writing utensils, paper, printing tools, and materials to encourage writing. Include materials for mailing- envelopes, stamps (stickers), address labels, greeting cards, postcards, stationery, lined and unlined paper, etc. Write, sort, and deliver!

*Extension: This is a great use for "junk mail," especially business reply mail envelopes. Pat yourself on the back for recycling!

Children's Development in Early Reading and Writing

What preschoolers can do:

*enjoy listening to and discussing storybooks
*understand that print has meaning
*attempt to read and write
*identify signs and labels from the environment
*produces rhymes
*identify some letters and make some letter-sound matches
*use known letters or approximations or letters to represent written language, especially one's own name and meaningful phrases like "I love you"

What parents and family members can do:

*talk to children, have conversations
*give names of things
*show interest in what the child says
*read and reread stories with predictable text (any story becomes predictable when read over and over!)
*ask children to recount experiences
*have children describe ideas and events important to them, recalling with detail and order
*visit the library
*provide writing and drawing materials and time to use them!

Environmental Print Game

For my older children, I started a game in which I pay them a quarter for every spelling mistake they find. The boys find misspellings in the books they read, on city signs, and everywhere in between! C wants to play too so I came up with a game especially for him as a beginning reader.

Beginning literacy builds on "environmental print" which is words in the environment that children may know & recognize from repeated exposures. The first that comes to mind is "McDonald's." If you ask them to read the word placed elsewhere like on the packaging, they can probably tell you that it is McDonald's! They may recognize their own name in print. They might be able to "read" the name of their favorite box of cereal. C reads environmental print for his quarters! Once he reads a word, I confirm and point out the beginning letter and sound out the word again. He's essentially recalling stored information and is so proud that he's "reading" like big brothers.

Great places to hunt for environmental print: foods in a grocery store, store names, candy aisle, in a favorite book, advertisements in magazines

I Can Hammer

For motor skills practice, a hammer and nails can be teaching tools. The optimal materials are the real thing- wood and metal! Don't worry moms, pair a hammer and nails with safety goggles. An old tree stump is a good surface. You've never seen concentration until you watch a preschooler use a hammer and nails!

If it is tricky, you can scaffold success by drilling or pounding a few partial holes into the stump first yourself so the nail stays upright, no holding necessary.

*Variation: Let your child practice hammering golf tees into a big chunk of styrofoam or floral foam with a toy hammer.

*Extension: A song

Johnny works with one hammer, (pound one arm)

One hammer, one hammer,

Johnny works with one hammer,

Then he works with two.

Johnny works with two hammers, (add other arm)

Two hammers, two hammers,

Johnny works with two hammers,

Then he works with three.

Repeat with:

Three – add one leg

Four – add the other leg

Five – add head

On last line of verse five say, “Then he goes to sleep.” (put hands under head like pillow)

The Shapes We Eat

Pick a time frame to pay special attention to the shapes that we eat. Pizza is a circle, cut into triangles. Crackers are round or square or even ovals. Graham crackers are rectangles but can be broken into squares or smaller rectangles. Oranges are spheres. Cheese slices can be cut with cookie cutters. Shapes are all around us!

*Extension: Cut out magazine pictures of food shapes.

*Extension: Play this game in a restaurant while looking at the menu.

Juice Can Lid Memory

Save up those metal juice can lids (or milk caps!) for a customized game of memory. Wash with warm soapy water to remove sticky juice residue. Dry thoroughly. Buy two sets of stickers in the theme of your choice and adhere the matches to the lids. Shuffle up and place sticker-side down to play.

*Variation: Get doubles of family photos to glue onto the lids.

Share recycling with your children.

Is this the world you want to leave them?

Bell Ringer

Tie a piece of string to a large bell and hang it from a tree branch at child's eye level. Toss a ball or beanbag at it to make the bell ring. Level up or down by changing how close or far away from the bell the child stands.

Iceberg, Right Ahead!

Fill a few plastic containers with water and food coloring. Put some small toys in the colored water and place into the freezer. These frozen blocks are a fun addition to water play or in the bath tub. Discover what happens as the ice melts.

Farmer's Market

**Next time you hit the farmer's market, let your child choose something new to try. If they are part of the process of selection and preparing, they are more likely to try it. This is how C learned to like spaghetti squash.**

It Looked Like Spilt Milk

Just want to recommend a book that might inspire a few activities this summer. It's called "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" by Charles G. Shaw and published by HarperFestival.

*Extension: Cloud watching.

*Extension: Paint white paint on blue paper and then fold it in half. What does it look like now?

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

**As part of the bedtime routine, you can teach this time concept that will later make calendar skills easier. Talk about what happened yesterday, what you did today, and what to expect tomorrow.**

Ballooning

Start with your arms at your side. Breathe in deeply, and as you breathe in raise your arms over your head. Blow out the air while making exaggerated noises, like a balloon deflating, and wiggle your arms until they are back at your side. Repeat several times.

Clever Clean-Up

**When outdoor toys get grungy and grimy, provide a bucket of warm soapy water with a sponge and a hose. When cleaning up is presented in a fun way, it no longer feels like work.**

Spilt Milk

**Don't cry over spilt milk, or other spills for that matter. Encourage independence by proving a dish of soapy water, a sponge, and some paper towels for easy clean up. Praise your child's efforts!**

Color INSIDE the Box

**Set a large cardboard box in the middle of the living room for their discovery, with a box of crayons inside. Watch what happens next!**

Balance Beam

**Place a stripe of masking tape across the floor for your child to practice walking on. Once that is mastered, she is ready to move on to a curb.**

Build a Fort

**Pull out a few sheets and blankets and build a good old fashioned fort together in the living room. Beyond structure and architecture, climb inside and read a good book together by flashlight.**

Finals Week Notice

I'm getting into finals week for the last time ever. I am one week away from graduating with high honors in the field of early childhood education! Please forgive my condensed activities until I can resume regular posting.

**Find 10 things in your house that are BLUE (or your child's favorite color.)**

Adopt a Tree

Meet my adopted tree, above. At first, I was a little hesitant to jump on this activity as a preschool activity, but I realize it's important to show children change over time. Select a tree nearby that you can observe throughout a year. It can be informal, as in talking about it each time you walk by. Or you can be formal "scientists" taking samples, collecting measurements, researching it, taking its picture, drawing it, and even getting crayon rubbings of the bark and leaves.

A fun book to read with this activity is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, Harper & Row, 1964.

Mentos in Diet Coke; Cause and Effect

Parents: I recommend your supervision while doing

the following activities with preschoolers.

Here's how I spent 30 seconds of my last science and math class. Have a little fun with cause and effect and drop some mint Mentos into a rolled up paper tube and release into Diet Coke!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_Coke_and_Mentos_eruption

*Variations: Explore the reaction of vinegar and baking soda. Or fill a film canister 1/3 full with water and drop in an Alka-Seltzer. Replace the lid and flip it over, setting it down on the lid. Wait for the POP as it blasts off!

Sun Prints

**Arrange a few interesting items on black construction paper and leave in the sun for about 1 hour. The sun will fade the paper leaving nice prints behind.**

Berry Basket Weaving

**Once you've enjoyed some summer berries (dipped in vanilla yogurt?), recycle the container by weaving pretty ribbons throughout.**

Share recycling with your children.
Is this the world you want to leave them?

Protect That Brain! Eggheads

This format is a bit different because I used it in my math & science class.

Materials: Eggs, newspaper, markers, scissors, tape, various materials to construct with (Examples: fabric, rubber bands, styrofoam, bubble wrap, egg cartons, cardboard, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, straws, anti-slip mat, etc.)

Objectives: Observing, comparing, and communicating. Discover why we wear helmets when we ride our wheeled toys.

Age Group: Preschool

Procedure: Your brain controls your entire body. You brain helps you move and think and learn! Our brains are soft and they are protected by our bony skull, just like the inside of an egg is protected by the shell.

Invite the children to draw faces on the eggs and create various helmets from the supplied materials to protect their “eggheads.”

Drop the eggs wearing the helmets from about waist height. If the eggs break while wearing the helmet you can ask “Was the helmet unsafe?”, “Did the egg fall at an angle so that it was not protected?”, “How would you make the best helmet?”

Scaling up: Challenge children to protect eggs dropped from a higher level.

Scaling down: Have a few egg-helmets ready made for trials. Or cut apart egg cartons for the helmets to eliminate the construction part.

Safety Concern: Raw egg can contain salmonella bacteria. Keep eggs cold until ready to use. Wash hands thoroughly! You could cook the eggs beforehand.

Slide Painting

Today we did slide painting. I covered the slide with butcher paper and extended it about 6 feet out and we dipped various items in tempera paint and rolled them down. I let the kids select items too based on what they thought would roll. Some of the more interesting prints came from a plastic hair curler, a golf ball, and a pinecone. It was a collaborative group effort but you could cut the finished product into squares to save or send home.

Benefits of Play

Play is SO important that the UN High Commission for Human Rights says play is the RIGHT of every child.

Play enhances every domain of a child's development- gross and fine motor, language, cognition, social and emotional development.

Children are not passive learners. Children learn best when they play- being actively involved, engaged, free to explore in safe and supportive environments, and using all of their senses- sight, taste, touch, hearing, smelling.

To reach children the best way we know how, we must expose them to a variety of rich learning experiences in multiple contexts.

Parenting a Prosocial Child

Ways to encourage Helping, Sharing, and Caring behaviors in your child

1. Children are the best copycats! Model caring behaviors for your child. Help other people out of the kindness of your heart and let the child participate when possible.

2. Make time for group play, whether it be a planned play date or casual interaction at the local playground. Play time is a perfect opportunity to develop social skills- making new friends, sharing, teamwork, starting and holding conversations, manners and more.

3. Label feelings & emotions expressed during play. Feelings are complicated! By putting a name to a feeling, the child gains some control over the emotion and may eventually be able to say “That makes me jealous!”

4. Help the child see how their behavior affects others. Ask “How do you think Margie feels when you color on her paper?”

5. During a social conflict, involve the child or children involved in problem solving. Gather ideas and examine how each might resolve the problem at hand, pick one together and proceed!

6. Giving the child age-appropriate chores will give them a sense of contribution to the household.

7. We all make mistakes. Let the child see you make apologies. Apologize to your children too. They are learning forgiveness.

8. Be gracious. Count your blessings together. Send Thank You notes. Show appreciation to the people around you for what they do.

9. Point out facial expressions in illustrations of books you read together. Talk about what feelings it might be expressing as well as what might make the character feel better. The child gets the benefit of gaining “emotional scripts” through reading, something they can act out next time they need the skill.

10. Praise your child’s acts of empathy, or attempts at such. Praise is powerful!

Using a Visual Schedule

This is a visual schedule I created to show a bedtime routine. Cards can be flipped over once completed.

Q: Why do we use visual schedules?
A:
1. To reduce anxiety/frustration! In order to communicate successfully, we need to know what is expected of us. Young children especially thrive on predictability!
2. Provide motivation to work through a less favored activity knowing a favored one follows.
3. To promote independent behavior.
4. To teach skills required for daily learning.
5. To reduce the possibility that challenging behaviors will occur.
6. To reinforce time organization and sequential memory.

Q: Who benefits from using a visual schedule?
A: Almost everyone can benefit. Consider the child’s ability to UNDERSTAND rather than the ability to speak. A visual schedule is especially important to children that may have difficulty understanding oral language and directions. Children with autism show strengths in the areas of rote memory and understanding visual information.

Q: How do I indicate changes on a visual schedule?
A: Once is in place, stick to the schedule as much as possible. If life interferes, return to the schedule as soon as possible. If a change must be made, a question mark can indicate a new activity.

A visual schedule should be:
Left to right, as in reading or top to bottom
Child manipulated
At least two items at a time so children learn events aren’t isolated but happen in sequence
Taught and practiced
Used with consistency

Most of us learn objects and actions through the following common levels of abstraction
Actual objects and actions
Photographs of objects and actions
Black and white line drawings of objects and actions
Written words which describe objects and actions

Use whatever makes the connection for the individual, decreasing the level of abstraction if the individual seems confused or frustrated.

When designing, ask:
1. Will the child understand or recognize the pictures or words?
2. Is the activity represented by the visual schedule obvious to the child?
3. Can the schedule be made clearer by the use of words, more images, or objects?
4. Does the child know and have available the tools required to successfully complete the activity?