little folks annual day performances - 2013

Little Folks 2008

Topic -Fruit.So many ways of teaching concepts in preschool

Aim: To teach recognition and names of  some fruits to non English speaking children

Methods: Stories, games, activities, rhymes, book reading

Activity 1- Story: Tweet bird
Materials needed: Models/flash cards There was a tweedy bird which was very hungry.So he went to the peacock and asked for some food.The peacock gave him some mangoes.The bird ate all the mangoes.Then he went to the parrot.It gave him some apples.[ Like this it goes to different birds and the birds give different fruits-as the child keeps learning. This should be done while showing the models /pictures of birds/fruits]

Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits and birds

Activity 2:Rhymes

Materials needed: Models

Pluck the mango fruit  from the tree and put it into the basket. [to the tune of here we go round the mulberry tree] Add bananas ,oranges , pine apples/strawberries,[ pluck them off the bush,] .
Method: while saying the name of the fruits I always insist on adding the word fruit so that children will categorize them as fruits and will not confuse with vegetables. while singing this rhyme we can show flashcards/models.Include colors of different fruits, number of fruits for counting, prepositions and acting it out]

Straw berries are red and sweet [improvise to include colors of different fruits [to the tune of London bridge]

 Activity 3:Story- A very hungry caterpillar

Materials needed: Book , Models, big Flash boards of  #s

 SHOWING written 1-2 along with fruits[children learn to recognize # along with fruits

Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits, Caterpillar life cycle

Activity 4:Prewriting-

Materials needed: worksheets ,crayons.

lines color to fruit ,# to fruits, alphabets to fruits

Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits Prewriting

Activity 5: Alphabets

Materials needed: , big Flash boards of  fruits with names  & alphabets written , pictures without words & words without  pictures ( so that children learn to recognize word s and also match them to fruits )

Activity 6:: Big/small

Materials needed: big and small pictures of each fruits

Matching pictures of big fruit with small fruit

Activity 7: Colors

Materials needed: Models, big Flash boards pictures of colors and also fruits

Matching colors to fruits

Activity 8: Thinking skills

Materials needed: Models /pictures

1.Sorting green and red apples. Learning Benefit:  Recognition of  apple fruit colors, sorting skill

2. Matching fruit to fruit and two halves of a fruit Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits.

3. Sorting different fruits into groups. Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits, sorting skill

4. Treasure hunting fruit. Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits, detective skill, fun

5. What fruit is missing?Method :Place the models of same # of fruits in two baskets. Start by removing one by one.Child to identify the missing fruits.

 Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits, detective skill

6.Gradation- From Biggest to smallest or from smallest to Biggest

Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits, gradation skill

7.Pattern : With two fruits. Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits, sorting skill

Activity 9 : Book Reading - Count with Dora,

 Materials needed: Book , Models, big Flash boards of  #s, animals

Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits, numbers and animals.

Activity 10: Book Reading-Recorded pictures of different fruits in G.K books.

Materials needed: Book

Learning Benefit:  Recognition of fruits,

Delivering learning responsibility to children

Montessori is all about Delivering learning responsibility to children themselves and not taking it in our hand. Whenever the adults interfered by too much caring for the  child , it ended up in disaster. When we feel responsible for  feeding the children, putting them to sleep, entertaining them, they always returned it with either over doing or being finicky .We should learn to let go. The same goes for learning also. Children have vast capacity for observation, vocabulary and absorption. All we have to do is provide them with a suitable atmosphere conducive for learning and step in only when anything is not put to proper use.

This way they learn much better and faster. So lot of care should be taken in preparing the environment, taking care to provide appropriate good quality materials according to the children’s age, capability and readiness. No over/under doing. In an environment that is natural, airy, comfortably furnished, enough brightness and moving space.

Until the child settles down materials displayed can be practical life objects and building blocks.

Initial learning materials can be for learning shapes and color, matching and gradation, look and tell story picture books /cards. Children can learn lot of vocabulary from this.

A story telling session based on what the teacher wants to impart .The instructor can also act out a scene ,a story/rhyme [that is based on reality] with lot of props.

Is Preschool Necessary?

Benjamin S. Bloom of the University of Chicago, wrote in 'Stability and Change in man Characteristics”, "From conception to age four, the individual develops 50% of his  
nature and intelligence; from ages four to eight he develops another 30%..." This 
suggests  the very  rapid growth of intelligence in the early years and the great influence 
of the environment in development.

Dr Montessori described the child’s mind between the time of birth and six years of age
 as  the absorbent mind. It is during this stage the child has tremendous ability to learn and assimilate from the world around him without conscious effort. They create their own opportunity to challenge and develop.

1.     Children need interaction with their peer group for their emotional and mental growth.

2.     The first step in being away from the family on their own for a comfortable short duration boost their confidence.

3.     The child benefits from the intellectual stimulation, guidance, learning materials and environment a school provides.

4.     Mothers get free time to engage in activities closer to their heart and by the time they come to collect the children they will be refreshed.