Teacher Assistants

1. Teacher Assistants

2. Foundations • North Carolina Early Learning Standards • Widely Held Expectations • Approaches to Learning • Emotional and Social • Physical and Health • Language and Communication • Cognitive

3. Foundations • Guiding Principals • Each child is unique. • Development occurs in predictable patterns. • 4 year olds are active learners • Many factors influence a child’s development • Children with disabilities learn best in an inclusive environment

4. Foundations • Active Learning • “learning to learn” • Importance of Environment • Making connections across domains • Imprinting a positive attitude toward learning

5. Approaches to Learning • Children begin to: • Draw on everyday experiences and apply it to new situations • Demonstrate an eagerness in learning while playing, listening, questioning and interacting • Use multiple senses to explore

6. Social/Emotional • Children begin to: • Show self-confidence • Use pretend play to express thoughts and feelings • Show persistence • Enjoy playing alone or near others • Follow simple classroom rules • Interact easily with familiar children and adults

7. Health and Physical • Children begin to: • Increase independence of self help skills • Help care for the environment (pick up toys, wipe tables) • Take care of own belongings

8. Physical • Children begin to: • Gain control of small and large muscles • Uses pincer grasp to hold crayons or pencils • Develop body strength, stamina, and balance • Develop eye-hand coordination through activities (blocks, play dough, puzzles, etc.)

9. Language • Children begin to: • Understand increasingly complex sentences • Understand and use a growing vocabulary • Attend to language for longer periods of time (story time, conversations, etc.) • Comprehend and use language for multiple social and cognitive purposes

10. Communication • Children begin to” • Initiate and engage in conversations • Use increasing complex language • Use language as part of pretend play

11. Cognitive • Children begin to: • Use numbers and counting in play • Sort by 1 or 2 attributes • Recognize simple patterns and shapes • Understand the passage of time within their daily routines

12. Curriculum Opening the World of Learning

13. OWL • The OWL acronym stands for… • Opening the World of Learning • Developed by Pearson Early Learning • from authors Judy Schickendanz, Ph.D. • and David Dickinson, Ed. D. along with • CMS

14. OWL • Develops language and early literacy skills • Builds a foundation in mathematics, science, and social studies • Prepares every child to succeed • Provides a research- based and field- tested curriculum • Provides instruction for whole-group, small-group, and individual activities

15. Daily Components • Morning Meeting • Centers • Transitions • Story Time • Songs, Word Play, and Letters (SWPL) • Small Groups • Let’s Find Out About It/ Let’s Talk About It

17. Study Units Unit 1- Family Unit 2- Friends Unit 3- Wind and Water Unit 4-The World of Color Unit 5-Shadows and Reflections Unit 6-Things That Grow

18. Teaching Materials • 6 Teacher’s Guides • OWL Program Guide • 48 Children’s Books • 100 full-color pictures • The Big Book of Poetry • A Sing-Along Songs and Poems CD

19. Additional Teaching Materials • Evaluating Language and Literacy in Four- Year- Olds: A Practical Guide for Teachers • Math Activity Aids • Preschool – 4 Developmental Guidelines: The Work Sampling System • A Professional Development DVD • Family Connections

20. Adaptation Resources • Adaptations for English Language Learners • Adaptations for Children with Special Needs • Adaptations for Mixed-Aged Groups

21. Morning Meeting • Short meeting before Center Time to demonstrate centers to children. Sets the stage for the day, especially Center Time. • Enables children to make informed center choices and use center activities purposefully

22. Sample Morning Meeting • Welcome • Preview the Day • Center Materials Demonstration/s • Simple Modeled Writing • Transition to Centers

23. What do you think is MISSING from Morning Meeting? • Calendar • Helpers • Weather

24. Morning Meeting sets the stage for the day!

25. Story Time • Central to the OWL Curriculum • Purposeful and planned • Whole group, 20 minutes daily • High quality children’s literature • Multiple “reads”

26. First Read“Introduction” • Introduce key vocabulary • Build comprehension • Use “think aloud strategy” • Maintain the flow of the story

27. Second Read“Reconstruction” • Guide the “reconstruction” of the story as the book is read • Prompt children to recall events and sequence with questions as the story is read • Ask questions that support comprehension • Enrich and review vocabulary from 1st read

28. Third Read“Chime In” • Invite all children to “chime in” with key storybook text. • Provide prompts as needed. • Ask questions about characters’ thoughts, feelings, and actions. • What are the reasons for them? • How they relate to story events? • How do they relate to child’s experiences?

29. Fourth Read“Dramatization” • Invite children to participate actively • Assign speaking parts to all children or • Choose an alternate book if a fourth read is not appropriate

30. Story Time Format • Summary of the story and link to unit theme • Purpose • Read the Story/Story Discussion • Suggested Vocabulary & Definitions • ELL suggestions and Extensions

31. Story Time Model • Cover: Introduction • Model (not a script) • Story Discussion • Transition activity

32. Prepare for Story Time Reading • Read the story ahead of time. • Review the Purposes, Vocabulary and Guidance in the Teacher’s Guide • Choose which vocabulary words you will explain. • Read the Story Time Model in the Teacher’s Guide. • Plan your own read. • Practice out loud until you are confident.

33. Making Story Time Work • Remember the Story time model in the Teacher’s Guide is a model, NOT a script. • Consider your children’s background knowledge and interest in the book. • Prepare-prepare-prepare ENJOY the book!

34. Songs, Word Play, and Letters(SWPL) • Whole Group activity (songs, poems, literacy games) • Purpose – To develop phonological awareness • Enjoyable • About 20 minutes every day

35. Songs, Word Play, and LettersActivities (SWPL) • Songs“Five Green and Speckled Frogs” • Word Play Poems“Diddle Diddle Dumpling” Predictable BooksOver in the Meadow • Letters (Literacy Skills) Alphabet Memory Pocket Game I’m Thinking of ____ Clue Game

37. Early Literacy Skills in SWPL • Phonological awareness • Syllables • Rhyme • Beginning sounds • Phonemic awareness • Blending • Segmenting • Substituting • Alphabet knowledge • Uppercase and lowercase letters • Print awareness • Poems and predictable books • Vocabulary • New story words

38. SWPL = Phonological Awareness • Phonological Awareness = • the ability to attend to sounds of speech • No letters, just sounds Phonemic awareness = • speech is made up of a sequence of small units of sound – phonemes – the ability to manipulate those sounds • No Letters, just sounds

39. What is the difference? Developmental progression • from large units of speech • (phonological awareness) • to the small units of speech • (phonemic awareness)

40. Successful SWPL Songs, poems, and other activities PLAY with sound, print, and letters. This is not drill. SWPL should be engaging andFUN!

41. SONGS, WORD PLAY AND LETTERS

42. SWPL Format Use the unit curriculum guide and read carefully and completely! • List of songs, Word Play & Letter activities for each day • Purposes – combined for the entire component • Suggested sequence • Description of activities – Look for little changes used for important learning

43. Centers

44. The purpose of centers is to allow the children to have first hand contact with many materials, to explore and experiment, and to learn to conduct themselves appropriately in a group of peers.

45. 4Center Times • Start the Day Centers – 30 minutes at arrival. Only a few centers open. 2. Center Time – about 60 minutes in morning 3. Lunch/Quiet Time/Centers – 10 minutes after lunch. Also may only open a few 4. End the Day Centers – 20 minutes at departure. Only a few centers open

46. Classroom Centers • Book Area • Writing Center • Art Area: Table and Easel • Sand and Water • Puzzles and Manipulatives (math too!) • Blocks • Dramatic Play Area

47. BOOK AREA

48. Writing Center

49. Art Table and Easel

50. SAND AND WATER TABLES