February Guidelines

Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experience
February 2009 “Full of Feelings!”

English Language Arts
Communicate personal experiences or interests, create representations (drawings of their feelings), play guessing games in which children use description (feeling guessing game), listen to stories and poems that use formal and informal language (about feelings), use a listening center with books on tape, explore letters through sensory experiences (alphabet cookie cutters, stamps and alphabet pasta), dictate words to tell a story (drawing and explaining how they feel), act out a story through flannel boards, puppets or dramatic play with props. Compare events in books with their own experiences, create original books, create, display and describe representations of their investigations through drawings, paintings, photographs, constructions and stories.
Mathematics
Play games and listen to stories that contain numbers and counting sequences, follow visual or rebus recipes (apple heart pizza, soap clay), manipulate objects in and out of patterns (heart patterns), eat snacks in various shapes (funny face snack), build structures with blocks and compare their length or height, find examples of basic shapes such as circle, square, triangle and rectangle in the environment. (In the block area or on “frost walks”)
Science
Determine which objects sink or float in the water table (water feeling sensory table), predict “what will happen if…”(ice was left in the water table overnight?), discuss why predictions were correct or incorrect, draw their own interpretations of materials observed, explore parachute activities, use a “feely box” to identify objects or match textures by touching without looking, play in a sensory table filled with various materials (snow, ice), manipulate and describe materials such as water, clay (soap clay), experiment with “magic mixtures” of common materials, observe the results. (flour, baking soda, cornstarch, water, salt, food coloring)







History and Social Science
Listen to and discuss age appropriate stories with characters that make a difference to others, or situations in which characters take care of each other, engage in dramatic play to act out their ideas, understandings and personal experiences related to human character and relationships, Listen to age appropriate stories about national figures and holidays, participate in developmentally appropriate and meaningful events and activities related to national holidays.
Health Education
Use materials on vertical surfaces (easels, chalkboard), manipulate modeling materials of varying consistency (soap clay), use scissors that cut fancy patterns, create puppet chows with finger puppets, trace around simple stencils and templates. Listen to/discuss books about emotions and respond to situations in stories in that evoke emotions, reflect on personal experiences that evoked strong emotions, talk about ways to express emotions without harming themselves, others or property (second step). Create drawings, paintings, collage or a class book about emotions. (Songs: “If you’re happy and you know it”) act out powerful emotions (fear, anger) through dramatic play.
Arts
Movement & Dance- Act out ways that movement and dance can show feelings or convey meaning, express emotions, listen or move to music that evokes emotion and talk about how it makes them feel.
Music- Sing chants, action songs and songs that use intonation to set the mood.
Theater Arts- Play out roles with dolls, prop boxes, costumes (post office and first aid station) play with other children in dramatic play.
Visual Arts- Use found materials to create collages, use different types of paints and various textures of paper, use a variety of painting techniques and tools, make sculptures out of play dough and soap clay.