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Learning through Play Photo by James Emery

Directed and undirected play is an important part of learning for children. Daycare jobs include allowing children to play naturally and directing their play as well.  Play helps children learn new concepts and problem-solving skills in a natural, fun way. Gale Kelleher, director of Rainbow Nursery School in New York explains the importance of learning through play. Kelleher describes how play in daycare centers leads to real life learning in various areas of development.

OwnADaycare: What is the importance of learning through play?

Gale Kelleher: Learning through play introduces and teaches new skills with a happy, comfortable and fun approach.

OwnADaycare How does play lead to real life learning in the area of social and emotional learning? What are some examples of play activities in this area?

Gale Kelleher: Play in a classroom leads to real life learning through experiences of sharing, turn -taking, listening, being helpful and kind to others.  It teaches social interaction skills and enhances responsibilities. Example:  Waiting your turn to get on line, answer questions, do a classroom job,   listen and help your friends, clean your place after snack, etc.

OwnADaycare How does play lead to real life learning in the area of cognitive development? What are some examples of play activities preschool teachers can offer in this area?

Gale Kelleher: Concrete learning and problem solving through play enhances higher thinking skills.  Example:  Role playing, teaching basic steps to learn a specific task and modeling an activity.

OwnADaycare How does play lead to real life learning in the area of language and literacy development? What are some examples of play activities preschool teachers can offer in this area?

Gale Kelleher: Through play skills the children learn to develop their vocabulary.  They learn the meaning of new words and develop and sharpen their thought process.  This is through receptive and expressive language.

OwnADaycare How does play lead to real life learning in the area of physical development? What are some examples of play activities preschool teachers can offer in this area?

Gale Kelleher: The children improve their physical development through play.  Such activities include skipping, jumping, hopping, ball throwing, swinging on swings sand box play and slides.  These are some activities that develop their gross motor skills.  Fine motor skills are developed through activities such as cutting, coloring, play dough, puzzles and drawing.

OwnADaycare What are examples of good verbal cues that preschool teachers can use to enhance learning through play?

Gale Kelleher: Some verbal cues might be: “Use your words, look at your friends and talk to them.  Wait your turn, be nice, share and express your wants and needs”.

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Preparing for kindergarten is an important topic for many parents, early childhood educators, and daycare providers.  In our interview with Dr. Gloria Rothenberg, clinical psychologist and school psychologist at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Kindergarten Center in New York, Dr. Rothenberg describes signs of kindergarten readiness in the areas of concept development, physical, social, and emotional development, number concepts, language, and reading and writing.

OwnADaycare: What are some signs of kindergarten readiness that parents and child care center owners should look for with respect to language and writing and reading?

Dr. Rothenberg:

Language:
Speaks in full sentences and can maintain a topic for at least 2 exchanges
Understands and can follow 2 step directions
Uses language to interact in play and to express needs
Can label simple items in pictures and books
Can repeat a sentence spoken by another
Can remember directions given in a large group to perform some activity on his/her own (e.g., “When you get your paper, write your name at the top and draw an apple”.)
Can report their name on demand
Can name items in simple categories such as colors, animals, foods, drinks, toys, clothes, body parts

Writing and reading: Neither reading nor writing are expected upon entrance to kindergarten.  Concepts of print such as how to hold and turn the pages of a book, that the pictures are related to the story, and being able to listen to a story book are adequate.  Exposure to the alphabet, such as singing it and identifying letters visually is common among preschoolers.  Knowing some nursery rhymes is helpful when the concept of letter-sound association is taught.  Knowing the letters in one’s own name and being able to attempt to write it are common.  Pre-writing concepts such as top/middle/bottom, up/down, straight lines /curved or loopy lines are very useful.  The willingness to try writing and drawing activities is more important than the ability to produce an accurate product at this age.

OwnADaycare: Are preschool readiness programs necessary or advisable?

Dr. Rothenberg: They are extremely helpful in providing the child with opportunities to develop social skills, listening skills, and the concept that we all follow rules to function in a group or community.  They also provide language enrichment activities and exposure to a wide variety of play materials and creative media to spark imagination.  They also rescue many children from an over-reliance upon visual media (TV, computer, and video games) in the home setting in the current culture.

OwnADaycare: In your opinion, can a child who has never attended preschool be as successful in kindergarten as a child who has attended preschool?

Dr. Rothenberg: In my experience, they spend the first 2-3 months working on the social-emotional adjustment of being outside the home and following a set of group rules and expectations.  This leaves less energy and attention for absorbing the specific curriculum in literacy and math, so they may be somewhat behind academically by the end of kindergarten, but most are likely to catch up by the third grade when a great deal of academic, cognitive and study skills get consolidated for typical children.

OwnADaycare: Do you have any additional comments/tips?

Dr. Rothenberg: The current high pressure testing mentality in education has created unnecessary anxiety in parents about academic preparation for kindergarten.  The social-emotional goals and the establishment of a safe, nurturing community where each child feels valued and is eager to learn and share with others, is a much more important goal for fostering lifelong learning and resilience as problem solvers in the real world.

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Preparing for kindergarten is an important topic for many parents, early childhood educators, and daycare providers.  In our interview with Dr. Gloria Rothenberg, clinical psychologist and school psychologist at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Kindergarten Center in New York, Dr. Rothenberg describes signs of kindergarten readiness in the areas of concept development, physical, social, and emotional development, number concepts, language, and reading and writing.

OwnADaycare: What is kindergarten readiness?

Dr. Rothenberg: Readiness for kindergarten refers to the ability of the child to participate in a learning community apart from his/her parents.  They need to be able to separate from parents at least part of the day, be able to use language to communicate their needs and understand language to comprehend the wishes of others, be able to apply social rules to the extent that they can delay gratification and not engage in physical means to get their way or negotiate conflict, and be able to understand the concept of adults as authority figures whose directions are important to follow.  In addition, they need to be independent in the area of self-help skills so that they can use the toilet appropriately and feed themselves without adult assistance.

OwnADaycare: Is there a best age to start kindergarten?

Dr. Rothenberg: There is no universal agreement on this but most schools around the nation set age cut-offs so that children have turned five years old by the time they enter kindergarten in September.  It is not uncommon for children who are still 4 years old upon entrance to kindergarten to exhibit problems with fine motor skills such as cutting with scissors, drawing, and learning to write letters and numerals.  Proficiency in some of these fine motor skills are not developmentally expected prior to age 5.

OwnADaycare: What are some signs of kindergarten readiness that parents and child care center owners should look for with respect to the following areas of development: Concept development, physical development, social and emotional development, and number concept?

Dr. Rothenberg:
Concept development:
Can identify colors, some shapes, and own name in print
Can name letters in own name
Has had exposure to letters of the alphabet and that letters are connected to words which are connected to objects that they name
Has been exposed to some number ideas and can identify numerals 1-10 in print.
Can understand and use imaginary play schemes
Are able to learn the idea of safety

Physical development:
Can walk up and down stairs independently
Can use the bathroom (including knowing when they need to use the bathroom) and wash own hands independently
Can eat and drink independently
Can handle some fasteners on clothes and with minimal assistance
Can sit in one place for 10 minutes
Can manage seat belt on a school bus

Social and emotional development:
Is willing and able to follow verbal directions (up to 2 steps) from adults
Can delay gratification of wishes
Can make eye contact with a speaker
Can share and take turns with peers with some assistance from adults
Can use words (not grabbing, hitting, crying or whining) to make requests and express preferences
Can pay attention in a large group (e.g. class of 20) for at least 10 minutes
Can accept comfort from adults when upset

Number concept:
Can count aloud from 1-10
Can count out a group of items up to 5
Knows own age
Has some rudimentary concepts of quantity such as more, less, bigger, smaller

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Experts agree that introducing children to foreign languages should begin as early as possible. The earlier, the better!

Teaching young children foreign languages a huge topic and one that many daycare providers or those that own childcare centers debate.  In our interview with Myelita Melton, CEO of SpeakEasy Communications, Inc, and author of the SpeakEasy Spanish™ series, Melton explains the importance of teaching foreign language to young children.

OwnADaycare: What is an appropriate age to begin learning foreign languages?

Melton: Experts agree that introducing children to second and third languages as early as possible is best. The earlier a child is exposed to another language the greater the likelihood that the child will become truly proficient in the language. Some suggest that waiting until age 10 or later is too late to develop true fluency.

OwnADaycare: What are the benefits of learning foreign languages at an early age (infants, toddlers, preschoolers)?

Melton: The benefits of learning foreign languages at an early age are numerous:

1. Children develop a life-long love of communicating with others
2. Standardized test scores are often higher than for those of children who do not learn second languages
3. Children develop a greater appreciation for diversity.
4. A child’s ability in English is enhanced from learning about the structure of other languages.
5. Children have the capacity to learn many languages without getting them confused. The body automatically compartmentalizes each language correctly.
6. Children will achieve a more native grasp of both grammar and pronunciation in the second language.
7. Since we live in a global community that’s filled with diversity, the need for a child to have second language capability is greater today than ever before.
8. Bilingual skills are in great demand in the job market

OwnADaycare: What are some of the myths about exposing young children to foreign languages?

Melton: Common myths about exposing children to languages are:

1. A child’s short attention span prohibits second language learning
2. A child must be able to read and write in English before beginning second language study
3. A child must be totally immersed in the language in order to begin learning a second language

OwnADaycare: Are there benefits to being bilingual when you are learning to read?

Melton: By being exposed to foreign languages a child can more easily see vocabulary and grammatical structures that the English and the other language have in common. Seeing commonalities in vocabulary helps a child learn new words more easily.

OwnADaycare: Can you describe how a full immersion daycare or preschool program works?

Melton: During language immersion programs children spend all or a large portion of their day learning in a foreign language. The foreign language is used to teach in all other subject areas. It is not a separate subject area.

OwnADaycare: What are the advantages of a full immersion daycare or preschool program? Any disadvantages?

Melton: Children in total immersion programs work toward total fluency in the foreign language. They are more likely to “think” and function naturally in the language. Normally, they are able to achieve an extremely high level of overall competency, and they hold speakers of that language in high regard. In addition, their skills in English flourish.

OwnADaycare: What are some tips for daycare provider and preschool teachers who wish to begin incorporating foreign language learning into their curriculum?

Melton:

1. Determine the long and short-term goals for your language immersion program
2. Purchase age and subject appropriate materials
3. Hire qualified instructors
4. Get the support of parents
5. Offer frequent staff development opportunities and planning time

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Preschool teachers and daycare providers can help children learn to recognize and write the letter V through fun activities that support clear learning objectives.

Learning Objectives

• The students will identify the letter V.
• The students make and recognize the V sound.
• The students will learn to trace and write upper and lower case V’s.
• The students will identify objects that begin with the letter V.
• The students will make a Valentine’s Day wreath.
• The students will make a letter V vase.
• The students will learn about volcanoes and create an erupting volcano.
• The students will listen to books that feature the letter V.

Handwriting and Alphabet Recognition

Introduce the children to the letter V along with simple objects that begin with the letter V. Create a colorful letter V poster board or bulletin board that presents both the upper and lower case V. Include pictures of objects cut from magazines that begin with the letter V. For example: valentine, violin, vulture, volcano, vegetables, van, vase, vine, vacuum, vest, volleyball, and vampire.

Write both the upper and lowercase V on a whiteboard or chalkboard. Demonstrate the V sound and ask the children to make (repeat) the V sound. Next ask the children to think of words (names, objects, or places) that might begin with the letter V.

Allow the children to practice tracing the letter V in both upper and lower case using a letter V worksheet. A good example of such a worksheet is available on the Kid’s Learning Station website. Children can also practice writing and tracing the letter V on blank sheets of paper using pencils, colored pencils, or crayon.

Letter V Crafts

Valentine’s Day Wreath

Materials: Red and pink construction paper, sturdy paper plates, glue, scissors.

Cut heart shapes from red and pink construction paper. Cut a large whole out of a paper plate to create a ring. Next, glue red and pink hearts to the paper plate to create a Valentine’s Day wreath.

Letter V Vase

Materials: construction paper in the color of your choice, crayons, colored pencils, markers, scissors, and glue. Cut a large letter V, flowers shapes (flowers with stems) from construction paper. Then, glue the letter V on a large piece of construction paper. This is the flower vase. Next, glue flowers to appear as if they are coming out of the vase. Decorate the vase with crayons, colored pencils, or markers.

Letter V Science Activity

Erupting Volcano Activity
Materials: Paper plates, clear plastic cups, baking soda, vinegar, red food coloring.

Before implementing this science activity, explain the basics of volcanoes and volcano activity. Create lava by mixing vinegar with red food coloring. Give each child a paper plate and place a cup on each paper plate. Place one teaspoon of baking soda in each child’s cup. Next go around and pour the vinegar into each cup. The mixture will fizz in the cup and overflow onto the paper plate, creating a “volcano eruption”.

Letter V Story Time

• Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Mass and Marjorie Priceman [Aladdin, 2000]
• The Magic Violin by Mayra Calvani and K.C. Snider [Guardian Angel, 2007]
• What is a Volcano by Chris Avertis [Checkerboard PR, 1983]
• The Best Book of Volcanoes by Simon Adams [Kingfisher, 2007]
• The Biggest Valentine Ever by Steven Kroll and Jeni Bassett [Cartwheel, 2006]
• Where is Baby’s Valentine by Karen Katz [Little Simon, 2006]

Including these simple activities into the curriculum of child care centers will greatly enhance preschoolers’ language learning. Lesson plans should contain clear learning objectives but also remember to seize spontaneous moments of opportunity to teach.

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If your daycare or preschool program does not include curriculum that introduces children to foreign languages, you may want to rethink or restructure your daycare program.

According to experts, introducing children to foreign languages should begin as early as possible. For a child in a daycare center, the advantages and benefits of learning multiple languages at an early age are extremely valuable and continue long into adulthood.

In our interview with Myelita Melton, CEO of SpeakEasy Communications, Inc., and author of the SpeakEasy Spanish™, discusses the importance of teaching foreign languages to young children.

OwnADaycare: What is an appropriate age to begin learning foreign languages?

Melton:  Experts agree that introducing children to second and third languages as early as possible is best. The earlier a child is exposed to another language the greater the likelihood that the child will become truly proficient in the language. Some suggest that waiting until age 10 or later is too late to develop true fluency.

OwnADaycare: What are the benefits of learning foreign languages at an early age (infants, toddlers, preschoolers)?

Melton: The benefits of learning foreign languages at an early age are numerous:

1. Children develop a life-long love of communicating with others
2. Standardized test scores are often higher than for those of children who do not learn second languages
3. Children develop a greater appreciation for diversity
4. A child’s ability in English is enhanced from learning about the structure of other languages
5. Children have the capacity to learn many languages without getting them confused. The body automatically compartmentalizes each language correctly.
6. Children will achieve a more native grasp of both grammar and pronunciation in the second language
7. Since we live in a global community that’s filled with diversity, the need for a child to have second language capability is greater today than ever before.
8. Bilingual skills are in great demand in the job market

OwnADaycare: What are some of the myths about exposing young children to foreign languages?

Melton: Common myths about exposing children to languages are:

1. A child’s short attention span prohibits second language learning
2. A child must be able to read and write in English before beginning second language study
3. A child must be totally immersed in the language in order to begin learning a second language

OwnADaycare: Are there benefits to being bilingual when you are learning to read?

Melton: By being exposed to foreign languages a child can more easily see vocabulary and grammatical structures that the English and the other language have in common. Seeing commonalities in vocabulary helps a child learn new words more easily.

OwnADaycare: Can you describe how a full immersion daycare or preschool program works?

Melton: During language immersion programs children spend all or a large portion of their day learning in a foreign language. The foreign language is used to teach in all other subject areas. It is not a separate subject area.

OwnADaycare: What are the advantages of a full immersion daycare or preschool program? Any disadvantages?

Melton: Children in total immersion programs work toward total fluency in the foreign language. They are more likely to “think” and function naturally in the language. Normally, they are able to achieve an extremely high level of overall competency, and they hold speakers of that language in high regard. In addition, their skills in English flourish.

OwnADaycare: What are some tips for daycare providers and preschool teachers who wish to begin incorporating foreign language learning into their curriculum?

Melton:

1. Determine the long and short-term goals for your language immersion program
2. Purchase age and subject appropriate materials
3. Hire qualified instructors
4. Get the support of parents
5. Offer frequent staff development opportunities and planning time

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One important duty of childcare centers and preschools is to prepare children to enter preschool. Is your child preschool ready?

In this interview with Stacey Kannenberg, co-author of the award winning, California and Texas Approved books Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten! and Let’s Get Ready For First Grade!, discusses signs of kindergarten readiness.

OwnADaycare: What is kindergarten readiness?  Is there a best age to start kindergarten?

Kannenberg: I believe age 5 is the best time to start Kindergarten.  It might not always work that way due to late birthdays. But I also believe parents and preschool or daycare teachers can start getting children ready for Kindergarten as early as age 2.  Children at a young age can start to learn their colors, shapes, numbers and the alphabet.

OwnADaycare: What are some signs of kindergarten readiness that parents and educators should look for with respect to concept, physical, number, language, reading, and writing development?

Kannenberg:

• Concept development – children will be tested on basic shapes, colors, the numbers 1-10 and the alphabet mixed up
• Physical development – children should be able to use the bathroom, independently as well as able have good motor skills
• Social and emotional development – Share, take turns, answer questions with more than a yes or no response
• Number concept – be able to recognize numbers out of sequence, count objects to 10, start to count toward 100
• Language – Children should be able to talk in complete sentences and hold a conversation with an adult and answer in more than just a yes or no response.
• Writing and reading – Children should be able to focus along while someone is reading them a picture book as well as writing their first name.OwnADaycare: Are preschool readiness programs necessary or advisable?

Kannenberg: Yes!  As part of its $100 million, 10-year investment in school readiness, PNC Financial Services Group commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a national survey to measure the opinions of teachers, parents, U.S. Congress and more regarding this issue. Some interesting top-line points include:
A child’s readiness to start school as a Kindergartner is paramount for success – not only in school, but in life.

• 56 percent say U.S. youngsters are not very/not at all prepared with basic skills, like counting and spelling their name, when they enter kindergarten.

• The primary weakness here is that only 2 percent of parents say their own child was not very/not at all prepared with the basics.

• Both  parents and teachers associate some clear benefits of having a child who is  ready to learn entering kindergarten versus one who is not as well prepared to  learn, including:
  • More likely to  attend college
  • More likely to have  greater self-confidence as adults
  • More likely to earn  higher income
  • Have lower rates in  social problems, such as teenage pregnancy and welfare dependency

Today, 38 states are talking about all day 4 year old Kindergarten programs.  We have a crisis in education and will continue to have one until parents, preschool teachers, Kindergarten teachers and kids are all on the same page.  How can we empower parents to be involved in education if we are not sharing with them the information that their children will be tested on until after they are already tested.  It’s like building a foundation without providing the blueprint.

OwnADaycare: In your opinion, can a child who has never attended preschool be as successful in kindergarten as a child who has attended preschool?

Kannenberg: Absolutely!! The parent is the first and foremost teacher and if that child has been preparing for school at home and has good social and motor skills, Kindergarten will a successful first year of school.

OwnADaycare: Any additional comments or tips?

Kannenberg: Yes, here are those 7 Things Kindergartener’s Need to Know and will be tested on within the first month of Kindergarten with the results shared with parents at their first parent/teacher conference:

1. The upper case alphabet out of sequence or mixed up.  Kids will be asked to name the letters listed, such as: B, D, X, K, J, M, O, etc.

1. The numbers to 10, out of sequence or mixed up.  Kids will be asked to name the letters, listed, such as:  2, 5, 9, 8, 1, 3, 4, etc.
2. Kids will be asked to identify basic colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple
3. Kids will be asked to identify basic shapes: circle, diamond, rectangle, triangle, oval and square
4. Kids will be asked to identify basic coins: penny, nickel and dime
5. Kids will be asked to count objects to 10
6. Kids will be asked how far they can count to 100.

As the year progresses, kindergarteners will need to know both upper and lower case letters and numbers to 30, out of sequence.  More colors and shapes will be added including hexagon and octagon and more coins such as quarter and dollar.  Children need to know their name, address and phone number and be able to get dressed for outside play and use the bathroom independently, to make that first year a success!

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Fall is in full swing! The leaves are changing colors and falling and the air is nice and brisk.  As many child daycare centers begin to implement fall themed activities, consider this pumpkin sorting activity. Pumpkin sorting is a fun autumn-themed activity that supports cognitive development.

Cognitive Development in Preschoolers

Cognitive development focuses on developing functions of the brain such as thinking, learning, awareness, judgment, and processing information. According to developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, children go through several stages of cognitive development and learning activities for toddlers and children should correspond to the appropriate developmental stage.

Pumpkin sorting is a cognitive activity for preschoolers that helps them learn and practice the skills of classification, relationships, and counting. This lesson plan includes preparation instructions, procedures, and materials list for this activity. The lesson plan also includes age-appropriate learning objectives and examples of the simple supporting verbal cues necessary to encourage participation and support learning in child care centers.

Activity Materials

• Large Felt Board
• Orange Felt
• Pumpkin templates (optional)
• Scissors

Activity Preparation

Trace pumpkins in various sizes (some large and some small) on a large piece of orange felt. You may also use pumpkin templates to trace the pumpkins on the felt. Cut the pumpkins out the felt. Arrange them randomly on a large felt board.

Procedure

Invite the children over to the felt board. Explain to them that they will be sorting pumpkins and arranging them biggest to smallest. Encourage the children to place the pumpkin cut outs in graduated order from biggest to smallest. After they are arranged encourage the children to sort into two categories, placing big pumpkins on one side of the board and small pumpkins on the other. Next ask them to count the number of pumpkins in each group.

Objective 1: To develop an understanding of classification by encourage children to sort pumpkins by size

• Verbal Cue A: Can you sort the pumpkins into big and small?
• Verbal Cue B: Let’s put the big large pumpkins on this side of the board and the small pumpkins on the other side.

Objective 2: To teach about relationships using the terms small, big, and bigger

• Verbal cue A: Let’s arrange all of the pumpkins in order from big to small.
• Verbal Cue B: Which pumpkin is bigger? This pumpkin or this pumpkin?

Objective 3: To introduce the number concept of 1-10

• Verbal Cue A: Let’s count the number of small pumpkins
• Verbal Cue B: How many large pumpkins are there?

By participating in this pumpkin sorting activity, young children will learn important cognitive skills such as sorting and classification, spend time becoming familiar with the symbols of autumn, and have great fun.

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Through storytelling and activities, celebrate and teach young children in your daycare center about  the season autumn (or fall).  This resource list will provide you with a fall themed reading list and free autumn themed  printable worksheets and activities for young children in child daycare centers.

Reading List

Autumn Board Books and Picture Books (Baby – Age 3)

Dappled Apples by Jan Carr and Dorothy Donohue [Holiday House, 2001]

Leaf Baby: Baby Seasons Board Books by Mary Bridgid Barrett and Eve Chwast [Red Wagon Books, 1998]

Autumn by Gerda Muller [Floris Books, 1994]

Fall: Seasons Board Books by Chris L. Demarest [Red Wagon Books, 1996]

5 Little Pumpkins by Michael Scott [Hyperion Books, 2003]

One Fall Day by Molly Bang [Greenwillow books, 1994]

Pumpkin Baby by Jane Yollen and Susan Mitchell [Key Porter Books, 2009]

Acorns Everywhere by Kevin Sherry [Dial, 2009]

Early Readers Ages 4-8

Clifford’s First Autumn by Norman Bridwell [Cartwheel, 1997]

Why Do Leaves Change Color? By Betsy Maestro and Loretta Krupinski [Collins, 1994]

In November by Cynthia Rylant and Jill Kastner [Sandpiper, 2008]

Corn is Maize by Aliki [Collins, 1986]

We Gather Together by Wendy Pfeiffer and Linda Beck [Dutton Juvenile, 2006]

Autumn An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur and  Leslie Evans [Clarion Books, 1997]

When Autumn Comes by Robert Mass [Henry Holt & co., 1992]

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Elhert [Harcourt Children’s Books, 1991]

Fall (Four Seasons Series) by Nuria Roca [Barron’s Educational Series, 2004]

Arthur Jumps into Fall by Marc Brown [LB Kids, 2006]

Fall is Here by Elaine W. Good [Good Books, 1969]

Leaves by David Ezra Stein [Putnam Juvenile, 2007]

Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper [Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005]

Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky [Putnam, 1996]

Free Autumn Preschool Worksheets and Printables
There are many worksheets for fall that you can print out and use for your lesson plans. Worksheets should include coloring pages, handwriting worksheets like those on First-Preschool’s website, and printable craft patterns. For older children, try DLTK’s autumn worksheets which are appropriate for school aged children.

The following websites provide free fall printables:
First- Preschool: Autumn Coloring Pages
DLTK:  Autumn activities for Kids
KidZone: Autumn Themed Resources
PrintActivities.com: Fall Activities
Apples for the Teacher: Autumn Coloring Book Pages

Autumn symbols and themes include leaves, pumpkins, corn, scarecrows, apples, wheat, harvest, cornucopia, sunflowers, trees, acorns, pinecones, and wreaths. Building lesson plans around these symbols help teach young children in daycare centers about autumn, fall, harvesting, and thanksgiving.

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All child care services must incorporate some type of learning through play. Your child care business should focus on a strong preschool curriculum that builds learning opportunities directly into play so that learning develops at the same pace as the growing child. Children by nature are curious, active, and eager to learn and try new things. To keep them that way, preschoolers need a readiness curriculum that encourages “playful learning.”

Different types of play support many different types of development:

• Singing, with movement develops memory and language, social participation and imitation, rhythm, rhyme and body awareness
• Undirected playing encourages social skills, such as cooperation, taking turns and following instructions
• Hands on letter play builds pre-writing skill. The teacher shows children how to make letters with dough, wood pieces, or magnetic stamps. They learn letters (and numbers) in multi-sensory active play.
• Coloring and drawing with small crayons help children develop a good pencil grip and developmentally appropriate pages make for easy coloring and drawing. Building structures and simple shapes with wood pieces leads naturally to drawing success.

At its core, play is a physical, kinetic activity. Sitting at a table playing a literacy game, for example, can be a great opportunity to build fine motor skills. A teacher could give a child of preschooler age plastic tweezers and cover a table with paper-cut out letters and ask the students to pick out all of the B’s, or the letters in their name. Not only are her students building their letter identification, they are practicing the skills essential for later writing development.

Gross motor play, including outside time, is full of pretend play and physical activity. This type of play is often easiest for an adult to enter without disrupting the flow of the activity. Adults should observe for a few moments before entering the game, and then ask, “What are we playing?” A simple verbal cue can set the stage for the pretend story at hand. Very quickly, she will find herself running, laughing, and enjoying as much physical development as her young playmates.

In pretend play, children use their imaginations and generate different ideas and images. This helps them to learn to think of different ways to solve a problem, either in a creativity task or in daily life. Children who have good pretend play ability can think of more things to do in a situation (like being at the doctor). This ability is usually independent of intelligence. Pretend play also relates to ability to understand the emotions of others and to take the perspective of the other. This is probably because children take many different roles when they play. For example, they pretend to be the mother, baby, boy, girl, teacher, dentist, etc.

Do not discount the importance of learning through play. Play allows children to learn through their natural curiosity about the world at large. Daycare providers should take advantage of the opportunity to facilitate this type of learning by offering play activities that foster creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills like negotiation.

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