teaching tools

Creating a stick puppet stage for your preschool classroom

March 5, 2010

A week or so ago, I blogged about the use of puppets in the preschool classroom. At that time, I showed you a very plain puppet stage – all white with no bells and whistles. Now I want to illustrate the potential use of a display board once you get it all fixed up! I [...]

Preschool proof your teaching resources

January 12, 2010

Let’s face it – laminating posters, file folder games, and bulletin board pieces can get expensive. I wish I could offer up some great alternatives to laminating but all I can tell you is that in the long run, laminating produces the best results. In the old days, I used clear contact paper to laminate my resources [...]

Using personalized photos in the preschool classroom

January 8, 2010

A guest post by Shara-Lawrence Weiss When Deborah approached me about guest blogging, I was honored. I have gotten to know a little about Deborah through twitter and facebook and have found her to be kind, gentle and caring. She clearly loves children and enjoys working with preschoolers, making crafts, writing songs and more. The [...]

Reading aloud to Preschoolers

December 3, 2009

When reading aloud to a group of students, be sure to hold the book up where all of the children can see it as you read. This will help eliminate some of the complaining during story time and allow the preschoolers to stay engaged. They do want to see the pictures – so make sure [...]

Extending music in the preschool classroom

December 3, 2009

Music and fingerplays are a wonderful tool for teaching in the preschool classroom. Do you have a favorite song or fingerplay that you sing or say often with your preschool students? Print the words Choose a favorite song or fingerplay that your students know well and print the words out on a large sheet of chart [...]

Teaching Tools for Circle Time

September 21, 2009

There are many tools teachers can use to introduce educational concepts during circle time to their preschool students for example… Puppets – puppets are a great way to capture the attention of preschool age children. Preschoolers of all ages love to interact with and watch puppets. Children’s books – a well selected book can kick [...]

Make Bulletin Boards a Priority in Your Classroom

September 14, 2009

Messy, outdated, torn, and faded bulletin boards have a negative impact on parents and students where as bright, clean, and updated bulletin boards have a positive impact on parents and students. It is easy to forget that what goes on the wall is just as critical in the learning environment as the furniture on the [...]

Choosing the Right Books

May 21, 2009

Reading to preschoolers starts with choosing the right books. There are several points to consider when choosing books to capture a preschooler’s interest and keep groups of preschoolers engaged in the story. Illustrations: The books you choose for young children should include quality illustrations. Most preschool-age children are not yet reading and depend on the [...]

Reading Aloud to preschoolers

May 17, 2009

During the preschool years, preschoolers are developing life-long attitudes about the reading experience. A preschool teacher plays a major role in developing a joy for reading by creating the right reading experiences. For this reason, a preschool teacher should have a good grasp on how to best read-aloud to a group of preschool children. When [...]

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