Imagine That! Hello Weather, Week 7

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING

Sign Language: Sign language is considered the “unvoiced language” and is easily learned by preschool-aged children. Signing can create an environment for understanding without words and help children avoid frustration when words don’t come easily. It can also foster language refinement and provide ways to communicate with non-hearing people as more children are “mainstreamed” into preschools. Sign language also helps children attend more easily as it requires eye contact (many children are overloaded with sound in their environment). It makes language active; children are active participants in the learning process. Sign language can foster self-esteem by giving children more control in expressing themselves and is an acquired skill. Finally, sign language can lessen conflict in the classroom as it channels kinetic energy positively and can be a quiet way to “correct”.

Integrated Learning: I Can Hear the Rain & Wind is another example of integrated learning. It requires that the children apply analytical listening, label sounds with music terminology, demonstrate a musical interpretation with sound (sticks) and with movement (scarves), and sing the appropriate verses.