BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?

Subject: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: SingsIrish Songs
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 11:06 PM

I am going back to work in a 3 year old classroom after not being in a classroom for about 5 years...okay, so I've been raising my 3 year old in the meantime....

I could use a few ideas to get started: simple art project for thanks giving?

Good resource books for fingerplays, fun songs or project ideas.....

Guess I am asking for a jumpstart to get my creative processes in the right gear.

Thanks.

Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: SingsIrish Songs
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 11:08 PM

BTW, if you wish to email me, the address is: [e-mail]

Cheers

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: sophocleese
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 11:37 PM

Three little monkeys swinging in a tree
Teasing mister Alligator, "Can't catch me, Can't catch me!"
Along comes mister alligator, quiet as can be...SNAP!

two little monkeys swinging in a tree...etc, SNAP!

one little monkey...etc, SNAP!

"Missed me, Missed me, now you gotta kiss me!" mmmmmmKISS!

My kids love this one. You can hold your fingers up for the number of monkeys, waggle your hands at your ears when they're teasing mister A., two hands with palms together can wiggle forward for the Alligator "quiet as can be" and the snap is the hands opening and snapping shut. At the end you blow a big kiss to the whole class.

Sorry I'm not a teacher. I have two kids and am doing occasional child care for a local Parent Child Mother Goose Program. This weekend I'm heading into Toronto for a couple of days for a training workshop in the program.

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: Thyme2dream
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 12:57 AM

I Homeschool my two youngest boys...they are both older now (11 and 13) but I have homeschooled since they started school and I have quite a plethora of free online resources for all age levels-I can email links if you are interested?

Karla

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: KT
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 01:35 AM

Hi Mary. The old standby ...tracing hands and turning them into turkeys still works! And the kids love it! Sharon , Lois and Bram do some great preshool music!! Have fun!! KT

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: SingsIrish Songs
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 12:14 PM

Thanks for the ideas...

Karla, would appreciate the links you might have...might help broaden my search.

Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: Tig
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 12:26 PM

I wouldn't go into any infant school classroom without my copy of This Little Puffin published by Penguin books - in fact I can't give you the IBSN number 'cos I'm in Reception right now and it's at school.

It's a great collection which includes songs, finger rhymes, story songs etc. ideal for pre-schoolers and is a godsend to primary teachers.

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: MAG (inactive)
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 08:47 PM

Check your public library and see if they have Marion Grayson's *Let's do Fingerplays.* It's chock-ful, as is my second favorite, *Ring o' Ring of roses,* from Flint, Michigan Public Library. Circle Time Books are good, and some of the Totline stuff.

In my daycare resource file, kept specifically for caregivers help, we have *Building Blocks,* *Copycat,* and *Totline* which are monthly newsprint things, all ideas.

We also have about 50 themed story bag packages available for group use. check yours out; most PLs do some kind of daycare outreach; that's where the kids are these days.

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: Pixie
Date: 16 Nov 00 - 08:52 AM

Wee Sing Books are great for song/finger plays, but the sky's the limit! In terms of activities, we have moved to a "child-driven" curriculum, which, in essence, means following the childrens' lead regarding activities and ideas. We have moved from doing "thematic" units and are incorporating more High-Scope/Reggio-Amelia concepts such as learning centres, and so on. This does tend to take some pressure off the old "creative juices" because the children have that market cornered.....

"Wheels on the Bus", itsy bitsy, bingo, down by the bay, way down south in the Yankety-yank, the list is endless. For Thanksgiving, we had the children decide what kind of food they thought would be served at the Thanksgiving meal, and involved them in the preparation (it was VERY interesting). Gives you some feedback on what children perceive Thanksgiving to be all about......

Good Luck and Enjoy your new challenge!

Pixie

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: GUEST,Matt_R
Date: 16 Nov 00 - 09:10 AM

Hey cool Karla. I was homeschooled after dropping out after 1st grade, up until I took my GED and came to college.

BTW, don't forget "We're Going To The Zoo" and "The Marvelous Toy" by Tom Paxton.

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: SingsIrish Songs
Date: 16 Nov 00 - 07:39 PM

Way cool stuff folks! Thanks!

:-D

Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 16 Nov 00 - 09:55 PM

My wife teaches Headstart and recommends "Totline" publications, available at teacher supply stores. Their fingerplay book is called "Totline Fingerplays."

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: Thyme2dream
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 02:53 AM

Nifty Matt...so you'd say homeshool was a good start to life then? It's always nice to hear success stories! My oldest son is now in public high school after completing K-8th at home. He sometimes thinks about going back to homeschooling...says he learned more in 3 months at home than he does in an entire school year at 'regular' school, and he hates things like pep assemblies that they do in the name of 'socialization'. Over all tho, I'd say his experience in high school has been positive...I think he mostly just hates the schedule (we're all night owls here!!).

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: black walnut
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 12:41 PM

testing re: posting problems....

~'nut

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: GUEST,Brian
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 08:19 AM

I put this one to my wife who is a Nursery Teacher (4 year olds, but has also taught younger ones too). Her recommendations:-

The 'Singing Kettle' series of tapes and videos by Cilla Fisher & Artie Trazise. The videos give actions for the songs.

Canadian singer 'Raffi' - a good source of silly songs.

A & C Black Publications - series of music for children.

Recorded music - Tim Hart and friends 'My very favourite Nursery Rhyme Record'

also the traditional nursery rhymes in general.

We hope these help.

I'll send you my e-mail address, so if you want any other ideas, she's always willing to share.

Good luck

Brian

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 08:21 AM

From Black Walnut:

(Here's a message I've been attempting to post here since the thread began.........)
Welcome back to teaching, Mary! I have been teaching Early Childhood Music for over 10 years. These days I'm teaching music classes for children ages 3 months to 3 years, along with their parents or caregivers. I have about 90 students plus grownups a week, in 9 classes. I have many resources, but I'm always looking for new ones!

Here's the tip of my iceberg:

* This Little Puffin" is a must....Tig is right on. I have it in 3 editions, and they all have different materials in them.

* The 3 recordings of Kathy Reid-Naiman ,a preschool music teacher herself, are excellent for teachers, parents and children are described on her website: Kathy's Recordings. The quality of these recordings is wonderful, and there are many traditional and newly composed gems here. They are "Tickles and Tunes", "More Tickles and Tunes", and "Say Hello to the Morning". None is better than the other. A Mudcat thread which talks about Kathy's recordings is: Children's Recording Praised.

* This site, PerpetualPreschool.com has more than you can ever begin to imagine......if you haven't been there, go there. Music, fingerplays, crafts, seasonal themes, and on and on.....

* "Musical Games, Fingerplays and Rhythmic Activities for Early Childhood" by Wirth, Stassevitch, Shotwell, & Stemmler, pub. by Parker, is full of good songs and rhymes, and great ideas on how to use them in the classroom.

* Another bottomless well for me is "Music for Fun: Music for Learning" (For Regular and Special Classrooms) by Lois Birkenshaw, pub. by Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada,Toronto.

So many of the songs and rhymes I find in books or hear on records need to be specially adapted for these young ones. I keep binders in alphabetical order of all of the songs and rhymes I do or really want to do some day, one page for each, and make sure to include the source, words, the tune, actions, ideas for use in the class, what session I used the material, and I keep track of modifications I make. I also have a complete index on the computer, which is up to something close to 1,000 songs and rhymes. I encourage you to start some kind of system like that for yourself. You might want to make a projects binder as well. It might sound complicated, but it's easy when you add things gradually as you go, and saves so much time and hassle looking things up and remembering good ideas down the road.....

~black walnut

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: black walnut
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 01:55 PM

thanks, jon!!!

~'nut

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: GUEST,TheMuse
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 11:14 PM

I'm visiting my sister for Thanksgiving and she is director of a Nursery School. Her advice is using the magazine "The Mailbox". See the website, www.themailbox.com (what else? :-) )

Good Luck

TheMuse

P.S. She says "thanks" to you, Tig, for the Puffin idea

Subject: RE: BS: Any preschool teachers in the house?
From: SingsIrish Songs
Date: 23 Nov 00 - 10:20 PM

Thanks again for all the suggestions and resources! It will certainly help me getting things planned ahead and hopefully make my "returning to work" transition an easier one. One thing I am thrilled about is that it is my son's class, so I don't feel so guilty about returning to work...

Cheers!

Mary