FACS: Early Childhood Education Preschool

Summary

Students will create and participate in a developmentally appropriate preschool experience with preschoolers in class.

Materials

For Preschool Prep Day:

• Toddler Tunes CD
• Picture Book appropriate for toddlers
• Construction paper
• Brown Paper lunchsacks
• Preschool craft supplies

Background for Teachers

I usually have a theme picked out for the preschool so all my classes are doing the same theme and it doesn't take so much time deciding what to focus on. I do have some ideas to get them thinking, but I let them plan the preschool.

Student Prior Knowledge

Usually the day or two before we plan the preschool, we talk about child care safety and preschoolers specifically. We talk about child care needs and how to make sure we are fulfilling those needs. That way when we plan the preschool, they understand what would be appropriate activities to plan for them, and what won't work so well.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will understand the age-appropriate activities you can do with preschoolers and execute a successful preschool experience with toddlers.

Instructional Procedures

PRESCHOOL PREP DAY:
Before I explain about the preschool we talk about attitude and being genuine with the preschoolers. I tell them that they must participate appropriately in the preschool because the preschoolers watch them and look to them as examples and they need to be good examples for the little children we have that come to our classroom. I have them sing a song with me, then I start reading a story to them. I begin reading it really, really bad (mumbling, not showing pictures, my face in the book, etc. It usually takes them three or four pages before they start complaining they can't see or hear, etc. Then we talk about how to present things to little kids. I especially emphasize that they need to be sure they are happy and enthusiastic with the preschoolers, NOT SARCASTIC! The preschoolers can tell.

Explain groups before allowing students to split into groups. Groups are:

1. WELCOME: (name tags, activity for kids to do as they arrive, welcome to preschool and introduce the theme)
2. SONGS/FINGERPLAYS: This group is in charge of having 5-6 songs or fingerplays that go with the theme that they can teach to the preschoolers (including visual aids).
3. STORY/SKIT: This group is in charge of picking a story that would work really well as a skit also, so they read the story along with acting it out so the preschoolers are engaged well in the story.
   
4. MATCHING GAME: This group gets to organize and decide a matching game that matches the theme. For example: if the theme was Spring, they could do a mother animal on one card and the matching baby animal on another card, and do enough that all the preschoolers would get a card, and have to find their matching partner.
   
5. HAND PUPPETS: This group gets to make up a story about the theme with each person in the group being a character in their puppet show. They make the puppets and write the script and pass it off with the teacher before they can perform it.
   
6. ART PROJECT: This group is in charge of coming up with an art project that goes with the theme for the preschool. It needs to be a project that can be completed in 15-20 minutes.
   
7. NUTRITIOUS SNACK: This group (only 2 people) gets to plan the snack that the preschoolers and 7th graders get to have. I usually have them choose some kind of crackers, fruit or fruit snacks, and a drink. They are in charge of dishing up correct toddler portion sizes for both toddlers and 7th graders that are in attendance for the preschool. They usually get the snack ready during the hand puppets and the art project. I have the two people in the snack group be two students who weren't able to find a preschooler to invite to the preschool (so they don't have a toddler following them around as they are preparing the snack for the group).
8. At the end of the preschool, we usually have another songs/fingerplays session if we have time before parents come to pick up their preschoolers.

PRESCHOOL DAY
When the preschoolers come with their 7th grader "host" they pick up name tags and we do the preschool together as one big group. We have the groups rotate up at the front as their turn comes up. I tell them they need to make sure the transitions happen smoothly and quickly so they don't lose the preschooler's attention.

1. Welcome
2. Songs/Fingerplays
3. Story
4. Matching Game
5. Hand Puppets
6. Art Project
7. Snack
8. Song/Conclusion

Assessment Plan

The next day when they come to class I have them get in their groups and fill out an evaluation of their group and also, an evaluation of the preschool. How well did it go? What would you do better next time, etc.