Fun foundations class: big & little
May 28-June 01, 2018
Big and Little!
We are spending so much time outside right now that Callum and I have been talking about bugs on an HOURLY basis! :)
The topic of bugs offers the opportunity to share, discuss and teach SO MUCH vocabulary, it's awesome! Keep in mind that the brain's of infants and toddlers are like little sponges when it comes to language: just keep pouring that language in and they WILL soak it up! Keep in mind: the quantity of words spoken to a child in the first 3 years of life are associated with language skills, vocabulary size and IQ
We are spending so much time outside right now that Callum and I have been talking about bugs on an HOURLY basis! :)
The topic of bugs offers the opportunity to share, discuss and teach SO MUCH vocabulary, it's awesome! Keep in mind that the brain's of infants and toddlers are like little sponges when it comes to language: just keep pouring that language in and they WILL soak it up! Keep in mind: the quantity of words spoken to a child in the first 3 years of life are associated with language skills, vocabulary size and IQ
- The words directly spoken to a child are responsible for vocabulary growth, not those passively heard like while watching TV or being around adults who talk to each other
- Another study showed toddlers 12-24 months benefit more from QUANTITY of words – children 24-36 months benefit from QUALITY of words (variety of more sophisticated words)
- When the goal is talking about something children are interested in, language growth occurs at a higher rate. Children as young as 18 months have higher vocabularies than peers if their parents talk about things they are interested in
skills + strategies discussed in class
sensory play
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We had lots of fun sensory bins out in this class! They included:
We also had a fine motor activity that is just a plastic basket with yarn woven through it. I placed plastic bugs in it for this class, but you could use a variety of different items inside! For older kiddos, this could be paired with large plastic tweezers, but younger kiddos will be challenged enough just getting their fingers through. Curious about the benefits of sensory play? Check this out. Wondering how to make dyed-rice sensory bins for home? Check this out. |
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signs we learned
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BIG
TO sign BIG , start with your hands open and parallel out in front of your body. Move the two hands apart. I remember this sign because it looks a bit like you are saying, “I caught a fish and it was this BIG.” |
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MEDIUM
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LITTLE
The sign for LITTLE, bring your hands together toward the center of your body while making your body small by pulling your shoulders in. |
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Songs from BIG & LITTLE class
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Tiny Tim the Turtle
1. I had a LITTLE TURTLE His name was Tiny Tim I put him in the BATHtub To see if he could swim. He drank up all the WATER (gulp, gulp, gulp) He ATE up all the soap (nom, nom, nom) And now he's home, sick in BED with BUBBLES in his throat! BUBBLES, BUBBLES, BUBBLES BUBBLES, BUBBLES POP! x2 2. I had a MEDIUM TURTLE His name was Medium Tim… 3. I had a BIG BIG TURTLE His name was Gigantic Tim… |
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We All Fall Down!
1. Walk around the circle. Walk around the circle. Walking, walking. We all fall down. 2. Gallop 3. Tiptoe. 4. I'm so sleepy! 5. Hop 6. Twirl 6. Hop AND twirl! |
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Jump High
1. Go up, go down Move your body all around Go up, go down And jump high ---------------------------------- 2. Sway side to side Now aren’t you happy you’re alive Sway side to side And jump high CHORUS: And can you throw your hands up in the air And see how long you can keep them there. And hug yourself/baby like a teddy bear And jump high, so high As high as you can go 3. Can you clap your hands? That tells me that you understand Clap your hands And jump high ---------------------------------- 4. And can you do a crazy dance? Don’t be afraid to take a chance Do a crazy dance And jump high ---------------------------------- CHORUS ---------------------------------- Repeat Verse 1 |
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Shoo Fly!
1. Shoo fly, don't bother me Shoo fly, don't bother me Shoo fly, don't bother me For I belong to somebody! 2. I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star (x3) |
BOokS FOR TALKING ABOUT BIG & LITTLE
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Big Cat Little Cat
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Big Bug
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