Good first impressions make a difference, which is why everything leading up to that very first day of class is of great importance. The very first thing that the parent's will receive from me prior to the first day is a welcome packet which would be sent via mail. This packet will include a welcome letter, my business card, a physical copy of Parent FAQ which will also be posted on our classroom blog and a PTA (Parent Teacher Association) membership forms for the parents, and a questionnaire/survey, picture choice coloring activity, and a link to a prek entry assessment for the children all of which will have a due date for return and/ or completion.
Everything in the welcome packet serves a specific purpose. The welcome letter does exactly
…show more content…
This picture will be placed in the child’s progress folder and that picture will be used as a symbol for that child throughout the entire school year. Items such as the child’s cubby, seat and weekly folder will be marked with their symbol. So for example a butterfly may be the symbol for a child named Bianca. The same picture will be given to the child again towards the end of the school year and placed in the progress folder next to the first color page so that both parents and teachers could see the how the child’s fine motor skills have developed. The children will be presented with their folder of progress at their commencement …show more content…
Parents/ Guardians are welcome and encouraged to stay with their child for as long as they would like for the first day to show them support and help them adjust. After a he first day parents/ guardians will be asked to get into the habit of leaving wishing the first few minutes of arrival to make the transition easier. The first day of school should be planned from beginning to end to help avoid any unnecessary mistaken behavior from occurring. As the children enter the classroom they would have their very first health check done be after putting their belongings in their cubby. They would then be directed to the sink area to wash their hands before looking for their symbol and finding their seat. On the tables there would be crayons and a blank color sheet for each child with the words "I drew this on my first day!" on it. As an icebreaker activity the children can take individual pictures at the photo booth set up, copies of these pictures may be used to put on each child's cubby until picture day.
The lessons taught on the first day would be very basic and geared more towards developing an understanding of the rules and guidelines of the classroom. For the first two weeks of school, the children will only have access to a limited amount of materials
The infant that was observed for the purposes of this essay was Phoebe, a two-month old girl, born via cesarean section at thirty-eight weeks of gestation to interracial parents. She was observed in her own home, in normal behavior and interactions between her and her mother. The observation was separated into two different one hour sessions.
I try to add in the theme lesson plans an activity the child leads through being creative and with all sorts of materials available. I have observed when you allow a child to be hands on and leading the process they become more interested in the information, and excited to ask questions even to share with everyone what they made and how it fits with the lesson.
If were to be lucky to go to school, the first school children would attend would be a petty school, also known as a dame school that were run by an educated local woman, but the teachers had no specific training. Boys and even some girls ages five to seven would go there, and were give instruction on how to be good Christians, have proper behavior such as table manners. School would begin at six or seven in the morning and end at sundown. They were to be
A copy of the Ages & Stages is given to the parent with their child’s result ASQ. If there is an area or areas that need to be strengthened, we created an Individual Learning Plan to help the child reach his potential. When a weakness is observed in an area, we work with the child on those specific goals. We will observe and document the child’s progress. Parents are asked to provide a 1” binder and clear sheet protectors in order to build a portfolio of the child’s progressive work and parents are welcome to review their child’s portfolio at any time. Usually, when the children are fourteen months, they are sent to the next classroom. If they are not ready in some area or areas, there might be some delays in advancing them to the next classroom. In the meantime, we work with the child to overcome the weakness is having. We work with the child in each age intervals by reinforcing an activity related to the weakness he is having in a particular area of development that will put him/her where he/she supposed to be for his/her
Nilson, Barbara Ann. Week by Week: Plans for Documenting Children's Development. 6th ed. . Belmont, CA: Cenage Learning, 2012. 114-115. eBook.
For less than two hours, I observed the grandson of a visitor at my aunt’s home.
The classroom that I observed in was arranged in a simple way. In the dramatic play center there was a long coat rack and each hook was labeled with an image and name of the outfit. This was done so the children know where do place the clothing when they are done with it or cleaning up. Also in this center was a cash register, puppets, an oven, refrigerator, ironing board, sing, dishwasher, a table set and a comfy chair. Their block center was small, and sectioned off by a shelf and an arch way in the corner of the room. In this center there was also a table. I felt that they children would not have enough room to build although I did not measure the area. The art center had stamps, children’s art work, an easel, magazines and other essential art supplies. In the same area as the art center was the writing center. In this center was maps, chalk and chalk board, stencils, a ruler, notepads, loose paper and pencils.
This portfolio will be focusing on the holistic development of a child. It will include: three observations (using various methods) and an in depth evaluation of each observation, which will assess the child’s current development and their individual next steps.
The child I observed is Lucy, she is three years old, weighs about 30 lbs, and is 35.5 inches tall. Lucy is white, has blonde hair and blue eyes. In her usual household Lucy lives with her mother, father, older brother and older sister. Due to some flooding in the basement, the family had to temporarily move out of their home and into the father’s parents’ house. At the time of the observation the members in the house hold consisted of Lucy, her brother, sister, mother, father and paternal grandmother and grandfather.
For 12 weeks I observed a young pre-schooler Child C aged 31/2 years old, through my account I would give an observer’s view of Child C, three theories peculiar to Child C and my the emotions evoked in me as an observer. My observation assisted in my understanding of the changes in Child C as the week progressed over the 12 weeks.
Another rather consistent observation I saw was the indication that most children used their parent as a secure base. A secure base is provided through a relationship that harbors one or more responsive caregivers who meets the child’s needs and to whom the child can turn to as a safe haven, when upset or distraught. This relationship can be seen in many of the observations I made. The one that stands out the most and that clearly depicts how a child uses a secure base is Susy. Susy used her parents as secure base when she was frightened by the boy that was older than her and whom she didn’t know. She ran to her parents for protection and comfort from the stranger. Another clear depiction of a secure base was when Susy demonstrated separation
When and how does the child cooperate with other children, does she share, take turns, negotiate or help the other child with tasks?
The child I observed was a seven-year-old girl in Year 2 who sat on the second highest ability table in a mixed class. While not in school, she lived a substantial distance away meaning she travelled to and from school by car and was often the first child to arrive in the morning and the last to leave in the afternoon. I will focus on the social and emotional development of this child who, from now onwards, will be referred to as C.
The child I observed was born on February 21st, so the baby that I observed is just weeks old. The baby is white and a male. The baby is a friend’s child and I observed him in the living room of their home and in his personal bedroom while he was in his crib. There was two couches in the living room, a television, two end tables, and a big sectional rug which was where the child was most of the time. There was 4 adults. The mom, the dad, my mom, and I. There were no other children in the house at this time.
The class I visited is comprised of 24 five and six year old children, a lead teacher and a ‘Para-Pro” who assists the teacher and provides support and guidance for the children. Within the classroom itself, there are 6 tables organized in the center of the room in a grid formation. Children have their own workspace at a shared table. Around the perimeter of the room are ‘centers’ where each day, the children work on tasks such as listening, story development, gross and fine motor skills, math, reading and other important skills that are needed to develop socially and academically. In several places on the walls, there are displays or ‘brag boards’ where children can post their work that they feel best represents their efforts. The walls are brightly decorated and are filled with pictures, letters, numbers and other basic elementary school information. It is energizing and interesting without being chaotic or overstimulating.