Winter Animals

During the winter months I teach a unit on winter animals. One of my objectives is to introduce various animal habitats.

Big book: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? As I read to the class, I have students come up one by one and point to the sight word you. Children love being a "word detective" and finding you in the book. We also predict which animal will come next in the story. By the end of the week students know in correct sequence the order of animals.

Dramatic play: My objective is to teach students about hibernation. At the beginning of the week I make a KWL chart to determine what students know about hibernation, what they want to know, and what they learned.  Students enjoy sorting animals via various habitats.

Science: All about ice! Using a globe, we discuss where ice can be found. Then we list animals that live in icy climates. Students are always amazed to learn that penguins do not live in the northern part of the world. In the science center I set up two ice stations. This center is a teacher guided center. At the first station students try to pick up an ice cube using a piece of string. Without salt, nothing happens. You need to sprinkle salt on the ice cube, then place the string on top of it for 20-30 seconds. My students enjoyed trying over and over again! At the second station I place two bowls. One is empty and the other has ice in it. Students use tongs to transfer ice from bowl to bowl. This is a great counting activity as well.

Knowledge is free

I have been teaching preschool for over five years. There are minimal qualifications for preschool teachers. For instance, when I applied I needed to have a high school diploma and 12 hours of early education courses. Experience working with preschool children was recommended, but not required. Now that I have been teaching preschool for over five years, have a Bachelor's Degree, and on the job training, I cannot believe how much more I know now than when I started teaching. One thing that has made me more knowledgeable is sharing ideas with other teachers. I spend time working one-on-one with teachers who have years and years of experience. I wanted to start this blog to help other preschool teachers become better teachers. Better teachers = more educated students.