Materials
- Sponges
- Scissors
- Water
- Foam tray
- Grass seed
- Sunlight
- Squirt bottle
What to do
1. Cut sponges into shapes that correspond to your current theme, such as dinosaur shapes when discussing dinosaurs or umbrella shapes when discussing rain.
2. Give each child a sponge. Help them moisten their sponges with water.
3. Place each sponge on a foam tray.
4. Encourage the children to sprinkle their sponges generously with grass seed.
5. Place them in a sunny area. Squirt the sponges with water every day.
6. In a couple of days, the seeds will begin to sprout!
More to do
Art: Encourage the children to make collages using grass seed.
Sand and Water Table: Add grass seed to the sensory table.
-Sandy L. Scott, Vancouver, WA
Instructions
1. Because three-year-olds find comfort in structure and routine, I developed a
pictorial agenda for my classroom that I use daily with the children. Instead of
clock time, I use the numbers 1-10. I also use pictures of activities instead of
words. This immediately gives the children control of the agenda and begins
the process of early language and reading.
2. Following is an example of a pictorial agenda:
* pictures of little children=welcoming and begin to play
* picture of a circle=circle time
* pictures of numbers, markers, ABC's, blocks, and so on=center time
* picture of a book=language experience: story, music, drama
* picture of a lunchbox=lunchtime
* picture of outdoors=outside play
* picture of an empty sack=surprise activity of the day
* pictures of blankets and pillows=quiet time
* picture of snack=snack time
* picture of coats and backpacks=time to go home
3. As the year progresses, the children rely on the agenda more and more. It will
also help them to understand sequence. For example, if a child asks, "When
is lunch?" You might respond with, "We are finishing #3 very soon." Children
will go to the agenda and use pre-reading skills to answer their own questions.
4. Following numbers instead of a clock allows the teacher greater flexibility. For
example, you might cut #7 a little shorter to provide ample time for a #9
birthday celebration.
5. You can also change the agenda for special circumstances. For example, if
you are on a half-day schedule, cover up #6-9 on the agenda. If the class is
having a special visitor or a field trip, draw the corrected agenda first thing in
the morning. If someone is leaving early, sit down individually with that child
and plan his day so he knows his schedule.
