FREE printable preschool assessment sheet for teachers and parents to record children's progress. We also reviewed the Mother Goose Time preschool curriculum which is an all-inclusive, low-prep monthly program that is conveniently delivered in a fun box full of hands-on learning and discovery.
Two Points: This is MY method, and not necessarily right for you, your teaching or care philosophy, your set-up, or your students. Curriculum participation by my students is VOLUNTARY. I invite them to participate, but if they choose not to, then that is fine. I usually offer them a choice of a few of the activities and let them decide where we start and where we go. An engaged child learns, a dis-engaged child rebels. The 3-year rotating curriculum is theme based. Some times we stick to the plan, but usually I observe what they are interested in learning about, what they are asking questions about, and suggest up to three different themes they can choose from for us to study. I make my own 3-year rotating curriculum for many reasons: Packaged curriculum is often only one year. Since I teach for 3 years, this would be redundant. Most packaged curriculum focuses on skills my students master early. My 2s count to 20, know 11 colors, know most of their phonics, uppercase and lowercase letters, 10 shapes and some of their numbers and I still have 3 years of curriculum to teach them. They often are worksheet intensive. My students usually are cognitively advanced from their fine motor skills. I have 4 year olds that still can't write well. If I had relied on worksheets for the last 2 years, there is no way they would have the skill sets they have. Worksheets are also not considered Developmentally Appropriate Practice [DAP] for children under the age of 8. We use them here for writing practice starting at age 4. [Yes, worksheet-intensive public schools are not using DAP for kindy through 3rd grade!] They can be expensive. If you are purchasing worksheets, why would you spend even $1 a week/$52 a year when you can purchase a 400 page Scholastic preschool workbook from Sam's Club for $8 that covers probably more material, is most likely aligned with the public school expectations, and is colorful. Colored copies are NOT affordable to make from packaged curriculum. Most [ALL!] preschool learning should be interactive. Pinterest is a better source for ideas. My students change every time I do a theme. I have to be able to tweak it to the interests and capabilities of those currently in my care. Plus, I'll find more interesting activities on Pinterest, have an idea for a new game, etc. It's a constant evolution to keep my curriculum relevant to our current group, situation and resources. However, curriculum planning and creation is very time consuming. Even with older curriculum I spend several hours going over it prior to teaching - updating, creating new materials, purchasing and setting new classroom decorations. While I have had my 3 year curriculum, this year I found myself wanting a more specific schedule to focus on specific skill sets for this particular group of children. Most of these skills can be incorporated into our themed curriculum, or they take 5 minute sessions to pop into our day. I have two groups, the younger preschoolers are 2-3 years old and the older ones are 4-5 years old, all at the same developmental and skill set level within their group. This makes it easier, as I can tailor everything to just 2 groups. If I were to have additional levels of children, then it would be tailored to each level. Children here are taught at their developmental level, not age. Asychronastic development is normal, so I may be teaching a child at various levels depending upon the subject matter. For the younger preschoolers, I came up with this structure. For the older pre-k students, I came up with this one. For instance, both of them have Measurement & Comparison on Friday for Reasoning. However, for the younger students, this would be a more/less, longer/shorter, big/little, etc. activity, while the older students would be measuring with rulers, yardsticks, tape measures, measuring cups, unit blocks, foot steps or themed units, and graphing the measurements to compare. Same skill set, differentiated at vastly different levels. Even this needs conditional tweaking. All the pre-k's know how to spell their last names now, so that is no longer a relevant skill activity for music and will be changed out. In another post I'll get into the curriculum components and the importance of each. For instance, how counting on Friday teaches 1-to-1 correspondence and creating method processes for counting groups of objects. CLICK PICTURES TO VIEW LARGER I use this MS Word template, available for FREE on TPT, for curriculum planning. Often, the daily skill sets above are either already incorporated, or can easily be incorporated, into the theme planning. For an example of a completed curriculum unit, check out our Owls Theme. Each monthly theme is broken down into 4 sub-themes. For instance: SPACE Astronauts & Rockets The Universe Our Solar System Aliens & Robots We also have a musical component, often classical, and an art component, often a master, and Spanish vocabulary component that we incorporate. This planning form may not include all games, file folder games, manipulatives, room-set up, etc. that I utilize. For those of you trained in curriculum creation, I do NOT do a full curriculum development for each activity. With having these children usually from infant to school-age, I keep an internal evaluation of progression and plan out only weekly learning objectives. Since I am creating the activities for my personal use, I do not need to create written procedures and evaluations. My curriculum is stored currently in file folders in a large office bookcase unit. I would like to get it into boxes so that I could have EVERY theme-related item, including dress-up, room set-up, manipulatives, etc. together for an easy pull. File boxes will most likely be the easiest, but they do take up a lot of space. In each file some of the things I probably have: Completed planning sheets All the books I own for that theme Flannel board Sentence and word walls File folder games Samples of previous crafts DVDs CDs Coloring pages Mini-book(s) Build-a-[theme item] game Curriculum creation is one of my great joys. I love the research and compilation, the creativity and excitement of bringing something fun and educational to my students. Learning is rarely linear. Children take developmental leaps, sometimes in odd directions. As a teacher, it is important that I keep each one challenged without pushing or inhibiting their growth, and that takes constant evaluation and a good eye for when those leaps happen so that we can move on to a higher level of instruction. When we do an activity, I constantly question if they WANT to do another round, another activity, and I usually cut them off while they are still engaged. I want them wanting more, and they will usually ask if they can continue. One of the most important desires and abilities I can instill in them is that of self-directed learning. So as they choose to go off with their rulers after we've spent several minutes doing a measuring activity, conferring between themselves as to procedures and what to measure next, I step back and let them. They know I am here as a resource, rather than an intrusive director. It is my job to ensure that when I invite my students to learn, they glow with excitement and anticipation of a fun, interactive, playful time. The results, so far, have been astounding. A few of my complete curriculum units are available through my TPT store. Apples Dental Ice Cream Penguins Rainbows St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Follow Connie -'s board Classroom on Pinterest. Tags: preschool, child care, pre-k, curriculum, development, teaching, education, homeschooling, homeschool, home, school, preschool curriculum development, planning
Five lamination hacks for teachers that will blow your mind and save you time. Read to learn more or watch the video! Only at Mrs. D's Corner.
Back to School is right around the corner for us and I am SUPER excited to kick of this school year with some fun, hands-on and engaging resources for The
Use this free printable teacher questionnaire to get to know the teacher. Find out exactly what to give the for birthday, Christmas and end of year gifts.
This Teacher Favorite Things Form will take the guesswork out of gift giving. Let teachers know how much you appreciate them!
This family theme preschool all about me printables includes activities, family worksheets for kindergarten + family tree worksheets too.
DIY Sensory Rooms: Have you ever thought about creating a sensory room or space for your child, but thought it would be too expensive or you would need to dedicate an entire room? We know that sensory rooms have a huge calming effect on our children, so, we challenged a couple of moms (and two behav
Pre-K and TK Back to School Worksheets. Name practice, fine motor skills, color identification, pre-k math skills and pre-k alphabet practice.
This simple and easy teacher gift idea is the perfect gift for any teacher. Get your favorite teacher what they really want this year!
Looking for new and faster ways to useDocs in your teaching? I have so many visual tutorials and Google Docs ideas for teachers....
Check out these 26 Halloween costumes for teachers! They are quick and easy to make and your students will love them this Halloween time!
Looking for easy Ocean Crafts? This printable Easy Octopus Craft is perfect! Preschoolers can practice their scissor skills with this fun idea
FREE printable puzzles to teach preschoolers about antonyms and opposites. Includes 12 self-correcting puzzles with visual cues to find the matching pair of antonyms.
11 free, printable Dot Sticker Art Activities for Kids. Kids place dot stickers on pictures according to a key to make awesome dot art.
These free printable Mickey colors cutting practice pages are a great way for preschoolers to practice scissor skills.
LEARN TO WRITE YOUR NAME It is so exciting when children become curious about how to write their name. I believe teaching them to write their name should be the first word they learn how to spell . It is personal, concrete and helps them realize that putting letters together in writing has me
Oh, the first day of school! It's such a fun, but chaotic day. Most of my first days are a little bit of a blur. This is why I have to write very detailed lesson plans or I'll forget everything from that day. I always try to have the same activities for that first day
What do you do as a special ed. teacher when a student with autism refuses to work? It depends on the function of the behavior! Learn the 12 Best Strategies!
Learn how to make pretend snow with only 2 simple ingredients. The perfect winter sensory play idea.
A ton of free printable worksheets for kindergarten you'll love to use in your class or at home. Fun kindergarten worksheets to download!
I’m so excited about this little project I get to share with you today! And just in time for Earth Day, too! It’s kind of hilarious because it has been a lonnnnng time coming. I started making these books with my students back in October and I JUST NOW sent the last one home. SHEESH. […]
If I Were a Superhero Identify a few well-known superheroes with your students and brainstorm adjectives that describe these superheroes and their actions. After reviewing the list, ask students to identify people in their real lives that possess these characteristics. Ask students to complete this thinksheet and describe what kind…
10 fun and easy hallway songs to prepare students to go into the hall quietly!
Looking for fun Preschool Zoo Theme Activities for kids? Check out these 16 Hands-On Preschool Zoo inspired Learning Activities and Crafts for Preschool or Kindergarten.
Flowers, insects, and sunshine! Just in time for the month of May, and these Transitional Kindergarten May Worksheets! These printables have been a life saver for me! In the midst of distance learning, I have been sending these electronically to my parents to help my TK students continue their learning at home. You can also...
These hands-on farm activities for preschoolers will be loved by toddlers kindergarteners too. Includes math and literacy activities.
Not only will cutting sheets help teach your child how to cut properly, but they offer great practice for cutting a straight line.
A round-up of 10 fabulous ocean experiments. These are easy to do at school or home. Your kids will love them!
Free Jellyfish art tutorial for kids and adults! This stunning jelly can be recreated with a few watercolors and a bit of clear glue. This mixed media art project creates lots of interesting textures and designs that are sure to delight your students.
You and your kids will love putting together these simple helicopters and watching them fly! *Video below
Create a positive and well-managed classroom environment with our class rules posters and activity book! This editable resource features 6 simple, yet powerful, classroom rules designed to foster a bright, happy, and productive learning space. These visually appealing posters serve as constant reminders for students to follow expected behaviors, helping them stay on track with positive actions. This comprehensive classroom management tool includes six essential rules that cover most behavioral expectations in any classroom: Listen Be Nice Try Hard Be Safe Share Care To suit your classroom’s needs, we’ve provided three display options: Full-page posters for prominent visibility. Half-page landscape posters for a streamlined look. A consolidated "All on One Page" poster for quick reference. These rules are written in positive language, making them easy for students to remember and apply to various situations. For example, "no running" aligns with "be safe," ensuring that every expectation is clear and simple. To further reinforce these rules, we've included a student activity book where students can draw pictures for each rule and create their own personal copy of the classroom rules. Plus, the editable versions of all rule posters and activity pages allow you to customize the text and font to perfectly match your classroom's needs. What's Included: 6 Editable Classroom Rules Posters in 3 Display Options Student Activity Book: Encourages students to engage with and understand each rule. Editable PowerPoint File: Customize text and fonts to fit your classroom style. Return to our store home page here
FREE printable Paper Hats that kids can color and wear when learning about community helpers, occupations, or when doing dramatic and pretend play. Great for preschool and kindergarten!
If you have little ones or are a teacher of little ones, I’m guessing you probably have at least one (if not many) Eric Carle books in your collection. We certainly do– like, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider,and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see”. These are some of the boys’ very favorite […]
Are you looking for free preschool curriculum? This is the ultimate list of free preschool curriculum to help you make the best choice!
Get up close with the photosynthesis process by painting with chlorophyll. This STEM chlorophyll science lesson will be memorable for all.
Rainbow walking water science experiment for kids. An easy science project for kids with free printable walking water worksheet. This walking rainbow experiment is perfect for preschoolers learning about colour mixing.
Practice fine motor skills with this free fall craft! Looking for acorn crafts for preschool students? This acorn printable includes 5 pages of acorn activities
The newly crowned Miss America 2020, Camille Schrier from Virginia, did a chemistry demonstration for her talent. It was an elaborate version of the classic elephant toothpaste experiment. This was the first time a Miss America participant has ever won with a science experiment for their talent. Unfortunately, I have seen people criticize her talent […]
