Nursing

Examples of Prompts/Activities for Water, Sand, and Other Materials Digging: bury items in sand to be uncovered (perhaps relating to a current theme) such as plastic dinosaurs, insects, worms, coins, plastic “jewels,” small mirrors or laminated photos of the children Washing: wash baby dolls, small cars, dishes, toys Molding: provide molds of different kinds for […]

Sensory Table Materials, Tools/Props, and Activities Water and Additives Sand and Other Natural Materials Other Media Including Recyclables Food-Based Materials Food coloring Beach or playground sand, plain or colored Packing materials (peanut-shaped, disc-shaped, etc.) Rice Dish soap Potting media Cotton or fiberfill Flour/cornstarch Bubble liquid Pebbles or small rocks Buttons Oatmeal or other cereal Ice

Sand/Water (Sensory) Table A sand or water sensory table provides children with opportunities to touch, feel, and manipulate different types of solid and liquid materials. (Sand and water tables are also used to promote the development of mathematics and science concepts, discussed in Chapter 10.) The ATL standards are supported because children are intensely curious

Sensory Play More From the Field Teachers Jennifer and Elise describe the need to balance pre-planned curriculum and on-going adaptation based on the interests and needs of children. Critical Thinking Question What part do you think teacher confidence plays in teachers taking the initiative to adapt curriculum? Teachers understand that sensory play provides a perfect

Sensory Play More From the Field Teachers Jennifer and Elise describe the need to balance pre-planned curriculum and on-going adaptation based on the interests and needs of children. Critical Thinking Question What part do you think teacher confidence plays in teachers taking the initiative to adapt curriculum? Teachers understand that sensory play provides a perfect

Key Elements of Executive Functioning Executive functioning is the process by which the brain organizes, processes, and applies information to active problem solving. ATL early learning standards stress the importance of mental processes that represent, “learning how to learn” (Kagan, Moore, & Bredekamp, 1995). They further suggest that the mere acquisition of knowledge, skills, and

Approaches to Learning Standards and Interest Areas for Exploratory Play Approaches to Learning (ATL) standards are grounded in research on brain development. They emphasize the importance of a particular set of skills and mental processes that constitute executive functioning, which is necessary for effective problem solving and higher-order thinking (Berk, 2001). Central to executive functioning

Academic Standards While the early learning standards clearly reflect the developmental focus from which they are written, it can be more difficult to discern those developmental goals in K-2 standards. For instance, the South Carolina Good Start, Grow Smart early learning standards explicitly state one standard as: “Children [will] demonstrate initiative, engagement, and persistence in

Early Learning Standards In 1990, the president and fifty governors created the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) to formulate goals for education in the twenty-first century. Subsequently, in 1995, the NEGP endorsed recommendations from the early childhood education field to write learning standards for young children from a developmental perspective, encouraging the use of common

Early Learning and Academic Standards Most states now have two types of standards for children in the early childhood period. Standards for children from birth to age 5 are provided as guidelines for infants and toddlers, and early learning standards for 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers. These standards emphasize child development. Standards that apply to children