Why do we play so much?

Play is so important in child development that it's been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child.

Click the picture below to read an awesome article about playing with your child! It discusses the importance of play for your child and also the importance of play for you as a parent. Let me know what you think about it?

ECFE Re-mix!

We are going to mix it up a bit for ECFE! 

We are going to start with circle time at the beginning of class! We will sing some songs, read stories etc. Then I will introduce the activities that we have for that week! You will then choose an activity to do with your child. There will be 45 minutes of Parent/Child time where you will do one or more of the projects with your child. There may be art, science, books, playdough or other activities set up. After Parent/Child play time, we will go right to snack and parents will go to parent talk time. 
There are a few reasons why we are mixing it up this week. First, I just want to shake it up and try something new. Next, the kids are very reluctant to participate in circle time. The hope is that if they aren't pulled from play time, they will be more apt to sing the songs or sit and listen to a story. Finally, we really want to encourage the parents to try out the projects that are set out. A lot of time and thought are put into these projects and often times they sit untouched. We want to try and spark some excitement and also make directions clear while we are all together. Between mixing this up and some fun activities, we are hoping to bring the spark back to ECFE.

Our schedule will look like this:

5:30-5:45 circle time

5:45-6:30 parent/child time

6:30-7:00 parent talk/snack

1:30-1:45 circle time

1:45-2:30 parent/child time

2:30-3:00 parent talk/snack

9:00-9:15 circle time

9:15-10:00 parent/child time

10:00-1:30 parent talk/snack

IGDI Tests for Reading Corps

I would like to explain a little bit about what the IGDI's are and what the numbers mean. IGDI stands for Individual Growth and Development Indicators. The three year olds are tested in 3 areas: Rhyming, Alliteration (beginning with the same sound) and Picture Naming. They are also given a letter name assessment that is not timed. The IGDI's don't necessarily test if your child can rhyme or name a picture or hear the beginning sound. It is testing to see how fast they can process that information. Processing information is a key factor in learning to read. When we look at a word, we need to see it, process it and then say it. Children who aren't reading yet do this in other ways, such as with pictures. They need to look at the picture, find the word in their mind and then say it. If your child scored a low score or a 0 in Rhyming or Alliteration, that does not mean that they are unable to do that task. It means that they were unable to do so quickly. These skills take a lot of practice to master. By the end of the year, 3 year olds should be able to reach the following goals:

Picture Naming: 26 pictures named correctly in 1 minute
Rhyming: Identify 7 rhymes in 2 minutes
Alliteration: Identify 4 words (pictures) in 2 minutes that start with the same sound

Things you can do to help:
Read to your child! 
Point out pictures, name them, have your child name pictures
Play a rhyming game - Do ball and call rhyme? Do ball and cat rhyme?
Sing Nursery Rhymes and point out the rhyming words
Find or make up funny alliterative sentences: Funny fish fly forward.
Play a matching game - make sure you are naming the pictures, not just saying if they match.

Try to avoid flash cards and formal sit-down sessions. Make it short and fun! Learning with your child should be fun!

These same principals apply to learning math skills. Count the cars you pass on the road, count the leaves on a plant. Have them find numbers in books or on packages at the grocery store. Look for numbers on signs. Have a race to see who can find the number 1 first or the number 10 etc. Point out different shapes and colors that you see.  Don't forget the colors GRAY, BLACK and BROWN. They are the most frequently missed colors. Have a shape scavenger hunt! Who can find a rectangle? (doorway, window, tv), Who can find a triangle etc. RECTANGLE, TRIANGLE and DIAMOND are the most frequently missed shapes.

Most importantly, no matter what you are doing, HAVE  FUN DOING IT!! 

Song for Valentine's Day!

Click on the link below to see a beautiful song for Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day Song!

Valentine's Day Fun!!

I love Valentine's Day! There are so many fun projects and pretty colors! I have found a few fun and simple ideas for ECFE for Valentine's Week!

Here is one of the crafts we are going to do for ECFE next week! I can't wait to see how they turn out! 

I love fingerprint art! We are going to use our thumbs to make some sweet little heart cards similar to this one! With mom and dad's help, you can have all different sized hearts on your card!

This is one of my favorite crafts! It is so easy! All you need is a toilet paper tube, a piece of tape, paint and paper! Kids love stamping! 

I can't wait to see you all at ECFE this week! Let's spread the love!