Tools of the Mindby

HOPES CAP Inc.Education/Site Supervisors

10/12/17

TOTM Brief History

• 1993 at Metropolitan State University of Denver• Dr. Elena Bodrova and Dr. Deborah Leong• The concept of TOTM began with Russian

Psychologist Vygotsky• Crafted a variety of activities to promote • Self-regulation • Zone of Proximal Development• Scaffolding

Mystery Question

Mystery Question (Sept.)

• Choose a place (for question and for name cards)• Name cards should be the same (size, color)• Mystery Question: yes/no

• Are you wearing red? • Answered as they walk in• Parents are encouraged to help • Other classmates may help• Teachers summarize the question during opening

group or large group time• I see 10 children wearing red today and 5 children are not.

Mystery Question (cont.)

• Add a second color and the word “and”• Are you wearing red and blue?

• Add the “not” symbol:• Are you Ø wearing red?

• By now, other questions are added:• Do you like…? and Do you have…?

• Different yes/no questions are added (fruits, vegetables, clothes, sports, etc…)

• Do you like popcorn? Are you wearing a jacket? Do you have eyeglasses?

Mystery Question Changes

• Mystery Shape• Mystery Number• Mystery Letter (IS, ES, MS)• Mystery Rhyme• Mystery Pattern

Mystery Shape

Mystery Pattern

Mystery Rhyme

Opening Group

Opening Group

• Good Morning song• Calendar• Weather• Message of the Day/Modeled Writing• Freeze Dance• Share the News

Opening Group - Calendar

• Timeline Calendar• Home/School days• Say date: Today is September 22 (twenty-

two), 2017• Count to 22 by pointing to each number• Children will do a motion to each number• Example: “Tap your head as we count each

number.”

Opening Group -Weather

• Say a weather song• Encourage children to look outside to

answer• Use only one color • Make a dot on the chosen space (only one per

day)• Once the row is filled up to the top, erase

and start over• Compare each row.

Message of the Day

• The message should be about something they will be doing that day.

– We are going to the park.– We are going to eat chicken and rice.– We are going to jump ten times.– We are going to make a birthday card.– We are going to bathe the baby.

Freeze Dance • Music (stop and pause)• Freeze Dance cards (partner, pattern, colors)

Share the News

• Teacher asks an open-ended question • Children repeat question• Children will take turns asking their partner• Teacher summarizes answers

• What did you eat for breakfast?

Buddy Reading

Buddy Reading • 3-4 bins with book (themes)• Children sit on the rug or at the table • Teacher introduces bins (ie. Family, ABC’s/123’s, School)• Children choose books from bins• Chooses two more and gives the first two an ear and a pair

of lips and so on• Each pair of partners will take turns ‘reading’ their book• The lips will read • The ears will listen• The children will switch

Graphics Practice

Graphics Practice

• Use dry erase boards and markers• Encourage “Private Speech” • Music (classical) begins • Children are encouraged to make the marks while

they say the private speech• Music stops • Children stop • Repeat 2-3 times with different music pieces to

encourage a variety of tempos

Play Planning

•

Literacy Activities • Mystery Question – yes/no• Buddy Reading/ Graphics Practice• Puzzles & Manipulatives (language)• Remember and Replicate• I Have Who Has (Names/Letters/Sounds/Sight

Words/)• Story Lab: Connections, Vocabulary, Math & Science

Books, Character Empathy, Story Grammar, Predictions• Take Away Sounds

Math and Science Activities

• IHWH (Colors/Shapes/Numbers)

• Puzzles and Manipulatives

• Making Collections• Math Memory• Number Line Hopscotch

• Venger Drawing (collage)• Numerals Game• Patterns with

Manipulatives (math)• Vocabulary • Science Eyes (experiments)• Learning Facts• Attribute Game• Tallying

Q & A