COUNTRY FUN

an early education learning space ~ where play equals learning

May 21, 2013
by countryfun
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A Window into Our Morning

It’s raining out so it’s an inside day today. I’m going through my seasonal loss of voice. A perfect day to just let them play while I observe.

Thought you might like to observe with me.

 

Now you can see why our space can get really messy at times.

I also know that you saw all the learning happening – fine motor, gross motor, social interaction, language, problem-solving, imagination, exploration.

We picked up before lunch and story time. Wonder what it will look like for evening pick-up?

May 20, 2013
by countryfun
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Sunny Means Lessons Change

Last week was one of those Springtime weeks made up of really nice, sunny days. That means we were outside pretty much all day every day. That means no projects, which is ok, because around here learning occurs from whatever we are doing. I had planned on doing lessons on self and senses. They got shelved and it became all about Dandelions and Bugs.

dandelions The fields around us are loaded with dandelions which means lots of bouquets to go home at night. These sunny yellow flowers are a child magnet. A good chance to talk about sharing with someone you love, best ways to pick, length of stems, color, plant parts, life cycle of the dandelion.

and grub Grubs are easy to find in the newly weeded or turned gardens around here. The white grub is the larval form of the Japanese beetle.  A good time to learn how some insects and bugs are not of benefit and ok to smoosh. Another life cycle to learn about.

and June Bug This large beetle lets one get a closer look at the parts of a bug. We know these as the May or June Bug. It is a large (about 1″ long), slower moving bettle that we could see the hair on the legs, antenna and mouth parts. Yes, we smushed this one also, as they eat foliage and the grub larve eat roots of plants. Not good.

Checked into the sprouting garden. peas up 2013 DSC03107

and managed to get lots of pretend play in around camping. campfire DSC03108

listening

May 16, 2013
by countryfun
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Listening and Young Children

We teach our children so many other skills, but do we really think about teaching them to listen?

How often do we as parents and teachers complain about children not listening?

The art of listening is something they’ll use throughout their entire lives and while it usually takes a back seat to learning how to talk, walk, ABC’s… it’s just as important a skill. In some ways maybe even more important.u18822434

There are many fun ways to “play” while teaching listening skills. On any of the activities below be sure to comment on what a good listener they are. That makes the connection to the value of listening. That is the teaching.

  1. Talk with your child about ordinary things that may happen during the day and question them on things you both hear. For example- talk about the sounds you hear as you are outside like birds, airplanes, traffic.
  2. Read books aloud to your child asking questions about what they think will happen next. At the end of the story, question them about events in the story to see how well they were listening. No “yes” or “no” questions, we want information shared.
  3. Play games that encourage listening skills, such as “Simon Says,” or “I Spy.” Games like this can also help make car trips easier for everyone. Yes, even “Simon Says” – just do smaller motions like: turn your face to the window, rub your nose, tap your lips….
  4. Sing one of your child’s favorite songs together. Sing again (which children love to do) and change important words in the song to see if they notice. They will point out your “mistakes.”

Now listening skills are not just about the fun or play activities. There are other components, that as adults we need to use when talking with young children which will foster good listening.

  1. Kneel down to eye level. It’s easier to talk to someone when you are on the same level or can look them in the eye. Getting down to their level makes it more likely they will focus and listen to you. If it’s hard to kneel down, adapt – pick them up, sit in chairs. What’s most important is that you’re eye to eye, or on a similar level.
  2. Speak at a steady pace, in a normal voice, in a language your toddler can understand. Don’t dumb down your language (baby talk), because they understands more than you realize. If your words sound like gibberish, they’ll likely ignore you.
  3. Say it once. If your toddler doesn’t respond, gently show them the way or how to follow your directions. Saying it over and over means they don’t need to listen the first time. That is not a behavior pattern we want to set in place or encourage. Make sure your directions aren’t too wordy – one or two steps. Toddlers have a short attention span, and you’ll lose them if you don’t get to the point.
  4. Keep your word. If you tell your toddler that they must eat a good meal or they can’t have dessert, stick to it. One important part of a toddler’s development isn’t just listening to what you say, it’s also important that they know you mean it and will consistently follow through.
  5. Control your yelling. It’s often better to drop your voice tone or whisper to get your point across. When they are ignoring you, it’s tempting to yell to get them to do what you want. However, if you yell too much, your toddler could learn to tune you out, or just see this as normal. Save your yelling for times when you really need it, like when you notice your toddler is about to run out into the street. We keep telling them not to do something to another child they don’t want done to them. Do you like being yelled at?
  6. Listen to your toddler.  This seems like such common sense, but so often we do not truly listen to them. Especially at a young age, children like to be just like their mom or dad. Good role models are needed in developing good listening skills. The other benefit of listening to your young child is supporting the development of their personal sense of self-worth.
  7. It’s also good to have conversations with your toddler, even if their vocabulary isn’t completely understandable. These “pretend” conversations build strong communication skills that your toddler will use the rest of their life. Repeat what you hear them saying. Take the opportunity to expand by adding a descriptive word. This not only works on listening skills, but increases their vocabulary.

It all seems to come down to being involved and interacting with purpose with our children. Enjoy them.

I wonder what you’ll hear?

May 15, 2013
by countryfun
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Self-Esteem… Emotionally Healthy

 

 

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Children who like themselves develop the confidence to try new things. The greater your child’s self-esteem, the more willing they will be to try something new and continue without giving up. It’s a skill that increases your child’s success in school and in life! When you celebrate the things that make your child special, you help increase their confidence.

  • Praise your child for trying new things even if they do not succeed at the start. Be positive and patient.
  • When praising your child begin your statement with “I like…”. Keep the praise specific and truthful.

 

messy

May 14, 2013
by countryfun
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Oh, Outside Play…….

Must admit I love being able to get outside for hours at this time of year. This group loves being outside and stays busy running, climbing, digging and recently making campfires. Being outside is also a great opportunity for friends to stop by and join us.

However, it also means the inside space doesn’t always get picked up. Oh, well.

 (and this is just from the early morning hour of inside play)

love

May 10, 2013
by countryfun
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All about “Love”

Mother’s Day is this weekend and if you are online or watching TV you are seeing ideas for special gifts for Moms. In childcares across the USA children are doing special projects for their Moms.

The Problem

In general I have a problem with doing special celebration projects directed at a specific individual with a group of children. Being a child who lost their father at a very young age and having to do Father’s Day projects in school with no Father to give them to I have a long standing bias on this. With all the changes we are seeing across our society to family structures this bias has been reinforced.

There have been years when I have done individual specific projects. There may have been a request by a child, or the make-up of the group was homogeneous, but usually the projects follow the direction of this one.

Solution …..    

My solution is to do projects that are not specific to individuals, but about a feeling.

This time we talked about “Love”. I offered a choice of words I could tape off for the children. As you will see some choose “MOM” most choose “LOVE”.

Everyone was involved, happy with what they accomplished and proud to give to someone(s) special to them.

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