IMAGINE THAT! Hello Weather Week 5

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

Sound/Symbol Relationship: The musical raindrops activity is one of many ways to present the idea that sounds can be written down without the need for printing the letters of the alphabet. Understanding the sound/symbol relationship is a necessary building block in literacy development. Classrooms filled with print, language and literacy play and writing allow children to experience the joy and power associated with reading and writing while mastering basic concepts about print that research has shown are strong predictors of achievement.

Dance: When movement experiences and the sensations of moving are connected to the expressive and imaginative powers of the mover, we have dance. Dance involves a heightened kinesthetic awareness, a bodily intelligence, and a sharpened perception of movement as an aesthetic experience.

Self-Esteem: The possibility of multiple ways to interact with the Rainbow Puzzle Pieces provides many learning opportunities for children, including: problem solving, decision making, exploration and discover, and content knowledge. Allowing children to self-direct the play with the manipulatives results in higher self-esteem, self-confidence, and sense of accomplishment and lets them know “I am in charge.”

Explore & Discover: The preschool-aged child is ready to research, find out more or explore & discover. Exploration becomes play when the child shifts from the question, “What does this object do?” to a slightly different questions, “What can I do with this object?” The object itself ceases to be the major focus of concern as the child incorporates the object into play in which meanings and goals are assigned by him.

Through repeated exploratory experiences, the child discovers that every object has unlimited possibilities for use. He can then transfer this explorer attitude to other areas of his daily life.

Play: Young children’s play is symbolic, in that it represents reality with an ‘as if’ or ‘what if’ attitude. It is meaningful, in that it connects or relates experiences, and it is active, in that children are doing things. Play is pleasurable, even when children are engaged seriously in an activity. Play is also voluntary and intrinsically motivated, whether the motive is curiosity, mastery, affiliation, or something else. Finally, play is rule governed, whether implicitly or explicitly expressed.

Analytical Listening: Analytical listening require children to evaluate what is heard and comprehended, contemplate and reflect, weigh new information against what is already known, and discussion, sharing thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints.

Movement Response to a Musical Cue: By inviting a movement response to a musical cue you can help children to coordinate auditory and motor skills at specific moments, control movement through focused listening over time, be involved at different levels, and make free, expressive movement choices.