This week, we learned about bears. We played a game called, “Scare the Bear.” I loved that this game combined math and literacy. We practiced naming our letters and their sound. And we practiced number recognition and counting. Plus, we had fun while doing it!
Giving children experiences to practice literacy and math skills is so important to me and one of the most important things I can do for my students. I love when Mother Goose Time sends literacy and math games in their curriculum box because I know that my students will play these games throughout the month. They get to practice skills necessary for their growth and get to have fun while doing it.
Another thing I do for my kids that is beneficial to their learning is let them think for themselves. I ask a lot of questions and accept all answers. Sometimes the questions are to get them to think of experiences they’ve had with the topic. Sometimes the questions are for me to judge how much a child might already know about a topic. We also do a lot of “Invitation to Create” projects which help the students take ownership of their craft. They get to decide how they want it to look. I love letting them get creative. Letting them think for themselves builds critical thinking skills.
One last thing that I feel is important is exposing the students to as much language as I can and then giving them opportunities to use the language during play. While playing, they learn how to communicate with peers, work/play with others, use language appropriately, and they learn about the world around them.
(Above picture is from a previous post.)
We have loved this camping theme from Mother Goose Time.
** I receive curriculum from Mother Goose Time for honest and authentic stories resulting from my daily experiences using the curriculum. This is my 3rd year using Mother Goose Time, and I am pleased to promote quality educational learning experiences through play with Mother Goose Time!
