ABC's and 123's

Counting and the alphabet are some of the first lessons learned in early childhood.  After all, counting is considered the cornerstone for all future Math lessons and the ABC’s are a prerequisite for learning to read and write.  These activities don’t have to be dull, as there are many ways to make them fun and easily understandable to ages as young as 3. 

Magnetic boards are wonderful ways to make counting and alphabet recognition a playful activity.  Alphabet letters are readily available and can be placed on magnetic easels and boards so children can move them around and build words.  Children subconsciously remember the letter shapes without realizing they are learning.  Consistently looking at the shapes of the letters, even during playtime, causes the child to be familiar with the letters and makes literacy lessons easier.

Magnets are also excellent objects for counting.  The same alphabet magnets can be used in a lesson by asking children to count all of the letters of a certain color or that are vowels, etc.  Counting magnets are also commonly available.  These are usually magnetic strips that can be used as is or can be spiced up by affixing images, pom poms, or other enticing items.  Again, this activity seems like simple child’s play to the student, but is actually building a foundation for future Math classes.  (An important thing to remember is that magnets can be dangerous if ingested by small children, therefore, should always be used under close supervision).

Wood Designs offers great additions to your classroom that contain magnetic boards which are perfect for counting and alphabet fun.  Our WD54100 Big Book Display allows ample storage for books large and small with a magnetic marker board on the front to encourage letter exploration.  The Wood Designs WD95411 Art Center and WD99541 Teaching Center also have a large magnetic marker board for use in counting and alphabet lessons with magnets.  Check out www.WoodDesigns.org to see which will best suit your needs!

Blocks, Shaving Cream, and Kiddos, Oh My!

Sensory play is an important part of Preschool and Kindergarten.  It helps to build motor skills and coordination while educating small children on different tactile experiences.  A great way to do this is by using items in the classroom for multiple purposes so you get the most use out of them. 

Blocks are an excellent way to inspire the imaginations of children while teaching them problem solving.  These same blocks can be used as sensory experience for additional benefits.  Adding shaving cream as a “mortar” for building creates an entirely new experience.  The shaving cream adds a new texture for kids to explore while demonstrating how walls and building are constructed.  Additions such as food coloring for color or water beads for texture can also create new sensorial experiences to the activity. 

Although this activity can create a bit of a mess, fun clean up time can also be incorporated into the lesson.  Having the children clean the blocks with soap and water teaches responsibility and the importance of following steps, all while a great time is had by everyone.  Children will feel a sense of pride at completing the activity from start to finish and cleaning up to restore the blocks back to their common state.

Visit the Wood Designs web site and see the variety of block sets we have to offer so you can begin incorporating block and sensory play into your lessons!

Turning the page

Successfully encouraging children to read can be a challenge at times, but it is an important one to take on.  Reading is one of the most crucial skills taught in young children.  It encourages focus, a foundation that is built upon in all future years of schooling. 

One of the greatest benefits of reading is a higher aptitude for learning in general.  Children exposed to consistent reading early on are more likely to excel in all areas of formal education. Reading is a necessary tool for understanding all other lessons and subjects.  Additionally, it teaches concentration and discipline which is needed to thrive in school and life.  Being read to is extremely beneficial to young children.  Listening to a teacher read stories reinforces the basic sounds and words in language, thus improving the speech of a child.  This familiarity encourages better communication and interaction with other children and adults, while solidifying an interest in reading.

Sometimes, children may not be interested in books because they find the task boring or lack the attention needed to fully focus.  There are numerous ways to encourage literacy and make it an enjoyable event.  One of the most important ways to encourage reading is to have a large assortment of books for children to pick from.  Not every child is alike and their tastes differ accordingly.  Having a wide selection shows them there are more books to read in the future so they do not anticipate running out of choices.  

Need great storage items for your classroom library?  Wood Designs offers a variety of options such as book cases, book stands, and book displays to house all of your literacy items.  Frequent trips to the library can also entice children’s interests.  It is important to make reading a fun and enjoyable experience so why not use your imagination and create an exciting journey to the library?  Once there, create a game of finding books and seeing who can read their book first.  Create charts or fun diagrams listing which books each child has read.

Another important factor to remember when encouraging reading is that children need a comfortable and quiet place to read.  Children are easily distracted so it is important to set up a reading/literacy area that is far away from activity areas and doors so they can focus on the task at hand.  It is also helpful to provide a setting that is warm and enticing.  Comfy chairs and cushions welcome children to sit and enjoy the area with a good book.  Wood Designs has the perfect children’s furniture for your reading nook including cozy chairs, sofas, and benches that are just the right size for your students. Our Imagination Cube with its comfy cushion provides a wonderful space that is inviting for kids to cuddle up with a good book.

So remember the importance of promoting literacy in your classroom and what you can do to make it a fun and entertaining experience that will benefit the children you interact with for years to come.

Exploring the World Around Us

An important cognitive skill in preschool is the ability to observe and compare objects.  A great way to incorporate this into a classroom is through a nature walk with your class.  This fun outdoor journey encourages children’s imaginations and spikes their interest in the world around them. 

Wood Designs WD93021 Science Table

While on your walk, have children collect various natural objects such as rocks, flowers, leaves, bark, etc.  Once back in the classroom, give them the opportunity to examine the items they collected.  Children can investigate their found objects with magnifying glasses and tweezers to learn more about them.  Wood Designs manufactures a Science Table that is perfect for such exploration.  This table comes with built-in magnifiers, mirrors, and marker boards so they may examine the items with their classmates. This encourages social interaction while developing their observational skills.

Decluttering the Classroom and the Mind

Organization is an important skill to learn for any age, but it is especially important for young children.  Children as young as 15 months can walk with a parent or teacher to assist in putting away toys and supplies. 

Why is this skill so important?  Not only does organization in the classroom help the teacher with his/her tasks, it also teaches responsibility and value to children.  Putting away toys or manipulatives teaches children that these items hold value and should be treated with care.  Furthermore, when kids take on the chores of straightening up their classroom, they feel more competent and gain confidence in their abilities.  They become proud of their accomplishments and take pride in their work.  One of the biggest advantages in teaching organizational skills at a young age is that it is a tremendous benefit to the child later in life.  Studies have shown that high school children taught organizational skills when young are more apt to excel academically .  This is because they have been taught effective use of time and methods for organizing both their classes and materials.  Most academic problems are rooted in the inability to arrange their time, their workload, and commitments.  When items are tidy and in their place, it frees the mind to focus and carry out assignments.

Providing the right materials in the classroom can help to initiate organization.  Personalized lockers and cubbies help children to feel empowered and more likely to take ownership of their areas, keeping them in order.  Labeling bins with words or images for small children makes it fun to organize while teaching the importance of categorizing.  Wood Designs provides a variety of storage and cubby options for this purpose.  Multiple styles and sizes of lockers give many options for every classroom.  Wood Designs also provides numerous cubby storage styles with different colored bins to keep your rooms organized and stylish.Let us help you make organization a part of your classroom environment.

The World of Manipulatives

They can be found in most classrooms – baskets of cubes, tangrams, counters, and blocks.  These are math manipulatives and they have received much acclaim as one of the most effective ways to introduce mathematics to young children.  They are often used to assist in the learning of the concepts of problem solving, reasoning, counting, and the skill of geometry.  Much in the same way that a city map helps an adult to become familiar with a new town, manipulatives help young children to become accustomed to mathematical theories and reasoning.  This introduction makes formal mathematical lessons in the future more familiar and easier to grasp. 

The physical interaction with manipulatives is advantageous to children in a variety of ways.  As an architect constructs models to search for solutions, children use manipulative materials to solve problems.  This physical evidence of a solution not only fosters problem resolution, but also makes the lesson more memorable because there is a visual representation to go along with it.  This teaches abstract reasoning and encourages independent thinking, raising a child’s confidence level.  This form of three-dimensional teaching can be used in children of all ages.  Young children can learn counting with the use of blocks and shapes while older school age children can use them to learn more complex concepts.

No matter what the age or the lesson, manipulatives make useful tools for solving problems while making the exercise enjoyable and motivational.  Wood Designs offers a variety of units to house your manipulatives.  These products provide open shelving which is conducive to Montessori teaching and a raised lip on the top to allow children to move objects around and experiment.  We pride ourselves on the functionality and features of these classroom options.

Splashing Fun with Sand & Water Tables

In most early childhood classrooms you will find a sand and water or sensory table.  This is not only because they are great fun for children, but because they are also important in the world of movement play.  Movement play involves the use of moveable items that react and can be manipulated to teach cause & effect, math/science, social skills and motor control.

These sensory tables are commonly filled with water, sand, shapes and other tactile elements.  Usually 2-4 children will use a sensory table at one time.  This allows for sharing lessons and group interaction.  Children are forced to work within close proximity of each other and learn to work together.  This cooperative play is a beneficial skill to develop at this age as it will affect their social interactions now and later in life.

Through the use of these tables, children are able to experience how items react to their movements.  When using a sand or water table, for example, a child can explore what happens when they move water this way or that, when they scoop sand up with objects, when they combine it with other ingredients.  Handling different objects and moving them through the sand or water can also help to develop a child’s hand/eye coordination and gross motor skills.  Sensory tables can facilitate important math and science lessons.  A good way to introduce these subjects to children is by placing various sized containers and objects near and in the table.  Children will naturally experiment by filling up the different sized containers, thus introducing lessons on volume and displacement.  Kids also love playing with objects in the water.  Caregivers can use this fun time as a time to discuss and test which objects float and which items sink. 

Want to change up the sensory table play time?  There are many ways to create new and interesting experiences.  An easy way to do this is to add different colors to the water so children can mix new colors on their own.  Another fun tactile experiment is to add cornstarch to the water to create a different texture and sensation.  Bubbles are yet another exciting way to change up the sensory experience for your students.

Sensory tables are a common element in classrooms for a reason-they teach a variety of lessons and improve interaction in children.  And-they are fun!  Wood Designs offers a variety of sizes of sand and water sensory tables to suit your classroom needs.  Check out our sensory section at WoodDesigns.com to see what we have in stock for your room.