Touchable Literacy. ECMC Conference February 1-2, Wesley Gibson and Sarah Williams

Transcription

1 Touchable Literacy ECMC Conference February 1-2, 2018 Wesley Gibson and Sarah Williams Find us on Facebook and Instagram!

2 Multi-sensory Read Aloud/Circle Time Simply reading picture books aloud to children is primarily an auditory exercise. Although children are looking at the pictures in the book while listening, learners who are more visual or tactile benefit from additional comprehension activities. This hook helps all learners to stay actively engaged as the teacher reads. Paint sticks Puppets Felt Pieces/Magnets Instruments Costumes Multi-sensory Free Play Materials Providing a mix of open-ended and guided play materials enhances imagination and allows for children to invent and discover. Open-ended play supports the mission behind the American Academy of Pediatrics' Report on the Importance of Play, which emphasizes, all children need free, undirected play for creative growth, self-reflection, and decompression. Dramatic Play (any puppet theater, table or play market) We use a modified Ikea workbench Experts define dramatic play as a type of play where children assign and accept roles and act them out. This is a time for a child to pretend to be someone or something else, and while pretending may just look like playing, it is integral to the developmental learning process. Intellectual: increase in skills such as problem solving, negotiating, creativity, organizing and planning, retelling familiar stories, application of newly gained knowledge, making connections to previous experiences and mathematics

3 Physical: increase in skills such as gross and fine motor development, fitness, strength, hand-eye coordination, and visual discrimination Social: development of skills such as sharing, taking turns, cooperation, negotiation, impulse control, delayed gratification, and how to deal with disappointment Emotional: increase in self esteem, pride and accomplishment, and development of sense of self and individuality Language: use language to explain what they are doing, ask and answer questions, and personal vocabularies grow as they begin to use new words appropriately Any dramatic play area should be inviting and should inspire creative and imaginative play. Each area should incorporate a variety of materials that encourage dramatic play (clothing, cash registers, stuffed animals, tools, etc.) The types of materials you supply will depend on the theme of the area. Materials should include items that stimulate reading and writing. (pads of paper, pencils, a chalkboard, dry erase board, receipts, order forms, stationery, etc.) Materials should be developmentally appropriate and allow for both creativity and flexibility in play Themed Dramatic Play Areas: Valentine post office Vet s office Rodeo campsite Space center Bug museum Paleontologist office Pumpkin patch Ice cream shop Hot chocolate bar/ Ice skating rink Thanksgiving market Flower shop Pizza Parlor Easel - When young children stand at an easel, they are giving their shoulder and arm muscles a workout that is very different than when working while sitting at a table. These

4 are the muscles that will give them support and stability when they start writing. Learning to make strokes with a paintbrush or other tools also helps them learn to extend their wrists, something that is essential for the development of pencil grasp. Fine motor: Moving the painting tool from the paint container to the easel surface requires focus and control. Large motor: Because of the angle of the arm, using the easel works the shoulder and entire arm. The bigger the surface, the more exercise this area of the body gets. Cognitive skills: There is a lot to figure out while using an easel, such as how the paint will get on the paper, how the different colors will mix, and how to handle the drips that occur. Creativity: The child has the freedom to choose how much or how little to apply to the surface, creating any desired design. Tools to use at the easel: Corks Rolling pins Cotton Swabs Plastic animals Blocks Kitchen utensils Toy cars Feathers Combs Toothbrushes Cotton balls on clothespins Sticks Stamps Dot stampers Cookie cutters Straws Leaves Forks Toilet paper rolls Bath loofahs Pipettes Gel cling Play dough Squeezing and manipulating play dough is not only fun, it also helps to build up strength in all the tiny muscles and tendons in the hand. These muscles need to be

5 strong to be ready for pencil and scissor control in the future. It can be squished, squeezed, rolled, flattened, chopped, cut, scored, raked, and shredded. Each one of these actions aids fine motor development in a different way all while strengthening hand-eye coordination and concentration. Play dough Themes: Turkeys-brown play dough with google eyes, feathers Bugs-black play dough, pipe cleaners, google eyes Dinosaurs-green or brown play dough, google eyes Ice cream-pink, white and brown play dough, ice cream cones, scoops, pony bead sprinkles Mermaids-green or purple play dough with gem stones, plastic human figures/dolls to attach to play dough tail Monsters-eyes, pipe cleaners, Pizza-Italian seasoning in play dough, pizza cutter, pizza pan, rolling pin Hot chocolate-brown play dough scented with cocoa, plastic mugs, toy coffee maker, white pom pom marshmallows Slime Slime has many of the same benefits of play dough although it provides a different sensory experience. Cookie cutters can be used to cut out shapes that then melt back into slime. In one bowl mix equal parts glue and water. Add food coloring if you want colored slime. (add any confetti at this time) In another bowl, mix 1- teaspoon borax with 1 cup water until the borax is dissolved. Add the glue mixture to the borax solution, stirring slowly. The slime will begin to form immediately. Stir as much as you can, then mix with your hands. Pour out any excess water. Store it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to keep it from growing mold. Edible slime can be made using Metamucil. Plenty of recipes online! New Year s-glitter slime with confetti Halloween-purple with bat confetti

6 Ocean-blue glitter Space slime-green and blue to make the Earth Table Activities Pipe cleaners and pony beads: Dr. Seuss Truffala trees-stringing beads on pipe cleaners, jellyfish with egg carton and pipe cleaner legs Scissor practice-bead necklaces, cut wrapping paper strips, ribbon/yarn Rolling textured balls or marbles covered in paint in trays Picking corn kernels off cob and scooping them into containers Golf tees hammered into pumpkins with wooden mallets Cloud dough-can add spices to change scent Clothespins to count syllables, identify colors, beginning letter sounds Writing in sand/salt using cinnamon sticks, candy canes, fingers Spaghetti or pipe cleaners to make shapes/letters Magnet boards-matching paper doll clothing to seasons, counting/number practice, sorting activities, gel clings for fine motor practice, Gross Motor Activities Bubble wrap-jumping on it for NYE Painting with corn in pantyhose in Fall Jumping from colored masking tape lines to learn rainbow order Sticking cotton balls on rainbow cloud Sticking foam cut outs on the window using water from spray bottles Obstacle course for space theme Movement dice-bugs, space, zoo, ocean

7 Sensory Tubs In order to retain what we learn, all the senses must be involved. A meaningful tool that promotes learning and retention is the sensory tub. By providing children the opportunity to explore, figure out, get messy, and socialize we are providing a vital experience for young learners. Sensory tubs can be created using any empty container. The things you put in the tub can be found in your panty, yard, grocery store, etc. Having a tub with materials that goes along with your daily or weekly theme allows the children to make connections. Fillers Water Sand (dry and/or wet) Dirt (dry and/or wet) Cornmeal Rice Macaroni Soybeans Sawdust Cornstalks Dried beans Shaving cream (not mentholated) Playdough Clay Confetti Whipped Cream Foam pieces Easter grass Shredded paper Slime Gak Pompoms Ice Cubes Tools Basters Whisks Waterwheels Tongs Shaped sponges Cooking utensils (measuring cups, spoons, funnels, etc) Plumbers' joints and pipes

8 Gelatin molds Combs Different kinds of bowls and containers Cardboard tubes Plastic eggs Straws Pump and squeeze bottles Tweezers Themed Sensory Bins Apples: oatmeal, cinnamon sticks, red/green/yellow pompoms, basket, tongs Picnic: dried beans, plastic food, plastic ants Transportation: truck w/ paint on it, small amount of water, spray bottle, toothbrush, sponge, soap Dinosaurs: small plastic dinosaurs frozen in ice cubes, basters, medicine droppers Ice Cream: rainbow rice, colorful pompoms, ice cream scoop, empty ice cream containers Scarecrows: hay, buttons, pieces of fabric/denim Space: moon rocks (frozen baking soda/water/black liquid watercolor mixture formed into balls), basters, medicine droppers, small container of vinegar Flowers: silk flowers (without stem), pipe cleaners, plastic vase Winter: ice cubes (frozen with blue food coloring), plastic arctic animals Ocean: Tapioca Balls, edible seaweed (both found at Asian markets)