Materials
- 35 mm or digital camera
- card stock paper
- glue stick
- markers
- stickers
- hole punch
- yarn
What to do
1. Children will love looking at a book all about them while they wait for activities to begin or when there are a few extra minutes to fill.
2. Take several photos of each child as he goes about the day. Make sure to take photos of the child interacting with friends and teachers.
3. Print the photos (4" x 6") or have them developed.
4. Give each child a few pieces of card stock. Help them cut the card stock paper in half, creating 8 1/2 " x 5 1/2 " pages.
5. Encourage the children to glue their photos on separate pages (one photo per page).
6. Ask each child to dictate a caption for each of their photos. Print the caption under each photo using brightly colored markers.
7. Provide stickers for the children to decorate the pages.
8. Help each child punch three holes on the edge of each page and then bind the pages together using the yarn.
9. The children can store their own books in their cubbies or keep them in a common bin.
10. During difficult transition times, let the children get out their own books to look at and read.
-Virginia Jean Herrod, Columbia, SC
Instructions
1. Place a small object or book inside the box. Shake it and give clues as to
what is inside. Let the children guess what it is. Then open the box and show
them the object to start the lesson.
2. Use a drawstring bag for the same purpose as the box, but let the children
reach inside or feel the outside of the bag to help them guess what it is. When
you take the object out, let just a small bit show at first to increase suspense.
3. Use a puppet to ask the children questions or bring the new object or book
to circle time. The puppet can also make silly assumptions about the topic
that the children can correct. The humor and imagination of puppets is a
sure attention-getter.
4. When calling a child to a work station, cup your hands around your mouth,
face the child, and call her name. The new sound will usually get the child's
attention even if the room is noisy.
