The 20 Hour BasicSuccessful Solutions Professional Development LLC

Chapter 4Learning

Opportunities

Module 2

Chapter Topics

A well-planned classroom encourages children to play and develop socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually.

Chapter 4

Learning Opportunities

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Literacy

One of the greatest gifts child care program staff can give to children is the ability to enjoy reading.

Reading experts believe a love for reading develops when children are regularly read to, when they are shown the delights of poetry, and when trusted adults share special books with them.

When children discover that the experiences of characters in

books are similar to their own, they seek out books for answers

and comforts.

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This is one reason why it is so important it include books in the program that reflect the children’s cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Once children have the opportunity to see themselves in books, they can also find links to their own experiences that depict cultural backgrounds different than their own. By seeing that people who look differently than they do can share similar feelings, they vicariously experience the lives of many different people. Books link children to the past and offer them hope for the future.

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Picture books and early readers appeal to 5- to 7-year-olds. These books tend to be well illustrated to help children make the transition from what they see to what the printed word says. They also tend to be organized into chapters, like more advanced reading books. Many of these books are wonderful for shared reading experiences.

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Many classics are enjoyed by 8-to 10-year olds.

Adventure stories, mysteries, fairy tales, folk tales, and chapter books make appealing and exciting reading.

Older school-age children like reading about real people. They like reading about the teenagers they will soon be. Plots dealing with romance, family relationships, and school are always appealing, as are biographies and stories of beloved animal pets.

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Librarians and teachers can help select books.

Look, too, for books that are previous winners of the John Newberry and Randolph Caldecott Medals. These medals are awarded annually by a committee of children's libraries to distinguished authors and artists.

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It may also be important to include books that build on field trips, clubs or special activities offered in your program and books that respond well to problems experienced by children such as moving to a new home or adjusting to divorce. Books of short stories are helpful also, because they include fewer characters and simpler plots. Children sometimes like to use short stories as the basis for developing skits and plays. Finally, try to include a variety of general reference materials and magazines and special-interest journals.

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Some suggestions for encouraging children to become readers:• Read aloud to the children• Encourage skilled readers to read to younger children• Share the classic stories you enjoyed as a child• Let children read to you as often as possible• Stress that reading is a pleasure, not a chore• Be a role model• Play language and reading games

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Sensory

Sand and water play are often referred to as sensory experiences. They are provided in many programs with preschoolers. Both activities can occur indoors and outdoors. Children find pleasure in these unstructured and fluid materials. Working with sand or water is relaxing and relieves tension. Water and sand play also encourage social interaction as children play side-by-side or with others. In sensory play, children learn:

• size, shape, and volume• creativity• to experiment without fear of mistakes• control• discovery• releasing tension

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Sensory

Materials that should be available:

• a low-to-the-floor dry sensory table to use with various materials such as sand, rice, beans, grains, cornmeal, etc., and tools such as spoons and shovels, trucks, cars, containers, funnels, measuring cups, etc.

• a waist-high wet sensory table to use with plain or colored water, bubbles, cornstarch and water, ice or snow, shaving cream, whipped soap flakes, etc.

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Molding Materials

Play dough, Plasticine, and clay are materials that can be molded and formed. Children enjoy the tactile appeal of these materials. Because they can be reshaped, they stimulate the imagination and allow children the freedom to change their minds.

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You will observe them poking, rolling, stretching, pounding, squeezing, coiling, flattening, and tearing the clay or play dough.

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Molding Materials

It can be turned into a ball, snowman, cat, pancake, or snake. Often the children will use accessories such as pans, cookie cutters, and rolling pins to make pies, cookies, and other “baked goods” from these materials.

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Molding Materials

Children’s play with molding materials reflects their level of development. Two-year-old children pull, beat, push, and squeeze. When children are about three years of age, they make balls and snake-like shapes.

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By age four, children can make complex forms, some of which they name. By age five, children will often announce what they are going to make before they begin.

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Clay may be purchased at local art-supply stores and through school catalogs. It is available in two colors, white or red. When wet, the white clay appears grayish in color. Since red clay can stain clothing, most child care professionals prefer the white.

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Mixed properly, it should be stored in a plastic bag, diaper pail, or garbage pail to prevent drying. Clay can be used on a vinyl tablecloth or tile to save on cleanup time.

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Play dough is soft and pliable, and it has a softer texture than clay.

It offers little resistance to pressure and responds easily when touched. Each type of play dough has different features. Provide the children with a number of types by using different recipes. You can vary play dough recipes even further by adding rice, cornmeal, pebbles, sand, oats, and coffee grounds. Scented oils such as peppermint and wintergreen add a fragrant smell.

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Activity Overview: Make Play Dough

If we were providing this training to you in person, we would make play dough with you. Since this is an online training, we are encouraging you to do this project on your own.

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Make different types of homemade play dough:

• Cooked play dough• Uncooked play dough• Oatmeal clay• Bread clay

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Activity Overview: Make Play Dough

This activity is about the importance of play dough – a simple homemade modeling dough that has surprising value for young children. Learn why play dough is such an important part of a good child care program and what you can do to make play with play dough great for kids.

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Give the children their own portion of dough and show them how to play with it. Encourage them to make their own creations, but remember: the “doing” is more important than the end product.

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Activity Overview: Make Play Dough

Most children find playing with dough great fun, squeezing the soft materials in their hands, exploring the texture and consistency of the dough. Older children enjoy playing imaginatively, making things with the dough.

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Play dough is also a fun way to develop hand skills as young children poke, pinch, roll and cut. For children feeling grumpy and fed-up, play dough can be soothing and help them express their feelings. It’s economical to make your own play dough, and kids will love to help you!

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Sensory

Activity Overview: Make Play Dough

Explore language- talk about how the play dough feels. It can be sticky, gooey, slimy, wet or warm. Talk about what you are making: shape, size, color and number. Use lots of descriptive language: eg. Long, fat snake; big, flat pizza. If a child is reluctant to touch the play dough- encourage them to use a rolling pin and cutters first, and then explore the dough as they feel comfortable.

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Play dough is a sensory play material like sand and water. Children thrive on sensory activities. What can children learn just by squeezing and messing around with a little bit of dough? A lot!

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Play Dough Recipes

Choose at least one of the play dough recipes to make. Surprisingly, the bread clay is always a favorite, probably because there is such a transformation between starting with bread and glue to terrific play dough. ENJOY!

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Uncooked Play Dough

This recipe is easy and ideal if you care for younger children and don’t want to use a hot stove.

• ¼ cup salt • 1 cup flour• ¼ cup water • food coloring

Mix the salt and flour in a bowl. Add water and food coloring. Knead dough to make a clay consistency. Note: this dough doesn't last as long as the cooked recipe.

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Cooked Play Dough

• 3 cups flour• 1.5 cups salt• 6 tsp cream of tarter • 3 tbsp oil• 3 cups water

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat until a ball forms by pulling away from the sides. Knead the play dough until the texture matches play dough (1-2 minutes).

Store in plastic container. Should last for at least 3 months.

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What Do Children Learn from Play Dough?

Fine Motor Skills Children are developing their hand muscles as they use play dough. This is called fine motor development.Fine motor activities such as play dough strengthen muscles and develop coordination that children will later need for skills such as writing. Give children plastic knives to cut the play dough and cookie cutters and rolling pins to roll out the dough and cut shapes. Offer this activity every day.

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What Do Children Learn from Play Dough?

Imagination and Creativity Children who are beginning to play imaginatively can turn play dough into anything. Give them birthday candles and cake toppers and encourage them to shape play dough into a cake. Dramatic play is valuable for young children: It deepens their thinking and helps them get ready for success in school. Dramatic play is even more important than teaching children letters or numbers!

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What Do Children Learn from Play Dough?

Longer Attention Spans Young children naturally have short attention spans, moving like a tornado from one activity to another.

Sensory activities like sand, water, and play dough are activities that keep young children playing for longer periods of time, helping stretch attention spans.

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What Do Children Learn from Play Dough?

Emotional Development Play dough (like other sensory activities) is calming and soothing. Sensory activities are a good way for children to release tension.

While these activities may be messy, recognize that the mess is worth it because these activities are very relaxing and make the day go more smoothly.

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What Do Children Learn from Play Dough?

Social Development Children can practice sharing materials. When you add dramatic play props you can give children a chance to share their ideas and play imaginatively together.

Play dough helps young children grow physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially. There is a great deal of learning going on when children simply play with play dough.

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Chapter 4 Learning Opportunities

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