Understanding the Instructional Cycle in a 3 Year Old Classroom Kerry Roland, Martha Rodriguez, Michelle Melfi

3 Year Old Instruction Cycle Agenda 1:00 – 1:15 – Sign In, Introductions, Shared Agreement 1:15 – 1:30 – Power Point  1:30 – 1:45 – Activity – Chart Paper 1:45 – 2:00- BREAK 2:00 – 2:30 – Must Have Must Do’s 2:30 – 2:40 - Video 2:40 – 3:00 - Assessment 3:00 – 3:30 – Activity - Planning

The children who enter your 3 year old classroom in the fall are 2 years away from entering Kindergarten.   Michelle

I AM 3 I am not built to sit still, keep my hands to myself, take turns, be patient, stand in line, or keep quiet. I need motion, I need novelty, I need adventure, and I need to engage the world with my whole body. LET ME PLAY (Trust me I'm learning)

Objectives: The participant will be able to understand the Instructional Cycle in a 3 year old classroom. The participant will be able to demonstrate integrated lesson planning for 3 year olds. Martha

Instructional Cycle Martha

Integrated lesson planning for 3 year olds Martha

Stages of Development for a 3 year old 1. SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2. FINE MOTOR 3. GROSS MOTOR 4. LANGUAGE and COMMUNICATION 5. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 6. SELF HELP SKILLS Kerry

4. Duration of Learning Centers MUST HAVE MUST DO'S 1. Learning Objectives 2. Learning Centers 3. Choice Boards 4. Duration of Learning Centers 5. Materials 6. Schedule 7. Calm Down Area 8. Assessment 9. Wall Space 10. Communication Martha Kerry Michelle Martha`-1,4,7,10 Kerry 2,5,8 Michelle- 3,6,9, (Pass out the Must Have Must Do's)

Learning Objective LEARNING OBJECTIVE Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL? ·         Provide a clear understanding of the objective and skills being targeted through the materials and activities provided within and across all learning centers. Anyone entering the classroom should have a clear vision of what children are learning about. Post objectives weekly. ·       Objective are known and understood parents, teaching assistant(s) and all staff working in the classroom. ·       Classrooms will have children’s work displayed as evidence of what they are learning about.  ·         Provide opportunities to engage parents, children, and team members in the learning process. Learning objectives are the foundation of good instruction.

Learning Centers LEARNING CENTERS Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL?      ·     Each classroom will have clearly defined learning centers that offer multiple opportunities for all children to explore, practice skills, discover, and grow. Centers are: Blocks Dramatic Play  Sensory Library Listening Writing Science/Social Studies Math Easel   ·     Children learn best in an environment that fosters initiative, creativity, active exploration of materials, child choice and sustained engagement with other children, adults, and activities.

Learning Centers Continued Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL?      ·      Learning centers will have purposefully    planned instructional activities that transcend    the themes and learning objectives. Teachers    will be present and engaged in play and     conversation with children. ·   All learning centers will be open and equipped     during all open center opportunities.  ·   Each learning center is clearly defined into spaces that accommodate a few children at a time, and assist in teaching children the intended use of the materials contained in the center. 

Examples: Add manos

Choice Board CHOICE BOARD Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL? ·         There will be a choice board in every classroom. ·          The choice board will have pictures of the learning centers and written words that label the learning center. ·          The choice board will be used daily to introduce centers. ·          The choice board will be used along with concrete items from the classroom to demonstrate what is offered in each center. ·         The choice board provides a visual for children to make a choice on where they want to play, and allows teachers to individualize. ·        The choice board fosters math, literacy, and language development and prevents challenging behaviors. ·   The choice board also fosters Social emotional development by allowing children to take turns and at times, wait for a certain area/center to become available.

Example:

Duration of Learning Centers Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL? ·         Full day classrooms will have (3) uninterrupted 60 minute learning center opportunities daily.  ·         Half day classrooms will have (1) uninterrupted 60 minute learning center opportunity during each session.  ·         The allocation of extended time periods in learning centers allows children to become deeply involved in an activity and sustain it at a complex level. 

Materials MATERIALS Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL? ·    Materials will be attractive, inviting, relevant to children's experiences and cultures and support individual abilities and learning styles.  ·    Toys and materials will be well organized and accessible for all children to use independently. ·    Teachers will label materials, toys, bins, and furniture with both pictures and words in English and in the children's home languages. ·    Materials, toys, manipulatives, books, etc.  in learning centers will be changed to reflect current themes and objectives. ·   Each center will have enough     materials for the number of      children in a center (4 buckets      to 4 children). ·         Materials are the instructional tools (textbooks for children to learn and grow).

Example:

Schedule SCHEDULE Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL? ·         A visual schedule will be posted at the child’s eye level and will be referred to throughout the day to foster a sense of structure, community, and prepare children for changes in schedule and transitions.  ·    Components of a Daily Schedule include:  o    Morning meeting (Second Step) o    Center opportunities o    Breakfast/Lunch o    Gross Motor o    Circle time (read aloud with props) o    Closing ·    Schedule components will vary according to classrooms. ·     A visual schedule provides children with a clear and consistent understanding of the daily routine. When children internalize the daily routine they become active members of the classroom community. 

Example:

Calm Down Area CALM DOWN AREA Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL? ·   Each classroom will have a defined calm down area that consists of: o    Social emotional books o    Feeling cards, images  or dolls o    Mirror o    Sensory items o    Comfortable sitting (pillows,        bean bag) o    Timer ·    The calm down area will be introduced at the beginning of the year and taught throughout the school year. ·  The calm down area will be used as another    center in the room and children should be              taught how to use it in the same fashion as any    other center. ·  The calm down area will NOT be used as a time    out. ·  The calm down area will be used for one child    at a time to reset and join the classroom    environment in a timely fashion. ·         The calm down area builds social emotional competence and it gives children an outlet to express and calm their emotions.

Examples:

Assessment · Assessments are on-going. ASSESSMENT/PROGRESS MONITORING Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL? ·    A belief that all children can and will learn and grow. ·       Assessments are on-going. ·       Teaching staff will assess children in their natural environment (through play observations and conversations).  ·       Assessments will be used to drive instruction.  ·           Assessment/progress monitoring is the process of constantly looking at children’s progress toward meeting learning objectives and identifying children’s unique learning styles, strengths and weaknesses which inform teacher planning and delivery.

Wall Space · Items placed on the wall intended WALL SPACE Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL? ·    Classrooms will use wall space for children’s work (art, writing, etc.) to foster pride, build self esteem and confidence, show work is valued, offer an opportunity for reflection/conversation. It creates a sense of respect, risk taking and ownership of the classroom community.   ·       Limit wall space for adult purposes. ·       Items placed on the wall intended      for children to see, will be placed at a child's eye level. ·         The display of children’s work values their contribution to the learning process and deepens their understanding of the objectives.

Example:

Communication Reflective Practice - WHY IS THIS ESSENTIAL? ·         All instructional teams will establish and utilize a system of communication to support student’s success and needs: o    Instruction o    Progress Monitoring o    Social/Emotional needs of children o    IEP Goals ·         Communication fosters a positive learning environment for team members, children, and parents. 

Supporting High Quality 3 Year Old Programming with the use of the Administrative Walk Through  Michelle –will explain Martha- pass out 

Morning Meeting michelle

Schedule

Brown Bear

WHAT IS ASSESSMENT? Ongoing assessment is the process of gathering information in the context of everyday class activities to obtain a representative picture of children's abilities and progress. Up close, ongoing observation and recording of what children say and do can yield valuable information about children's interests and emerging understanding. Kerry

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENTS? When you know where children are on a continuum of learning then you can offer them challenging yet achievable experiences to gently nudge them along.  Supports learning    Program evaluation and monitoring trends Holds everyone accountable Highlights children's knowledge, skills, and interests Refer to the Instructional Cycle – assessment part of the cycle Martha  Provides constructive feedback of instructional programs Describes children's progress  toward specific learning goals Documents growth over time

HOW DO YOU ASSESS? Systematic observation and documentation of children's activities in their day to day settings doesn't require that children be removed from the program setting, nor does it pose unnatural or unfamiliar demands in their attention or actions. OBSERVATIONS AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT ONGOING SAMPLES/PORTFOLIO Authentic assessments engage children in tasks that are personally meaningful, take place in real-life context, and are grounded in naturally occurring learning activities. For example: to know if children can use their knowledge of numbers to solve every day problems instead of reciting digits aloud by rote ( how many napkins to give out at snack time). CONSTRUCTION – what a child builds. Kerry CONSTRUCTIONS ANECTODATAL  NOTES

Assessments Supports Children's Learning and Leads to Meaningful Planning The everyday decisions you make- about the activities and experiences you plan, the content you address, the context in which the learning takes place, the changes you make in the environment - are based on your knowledge of each child and the group as a whole. THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING....... Child's culture Language Michelle – Refer to instructional cycle Show planning sheet – Martha and Kerry pass out lesson planning sheet Each group shares one activity – Implement CKLA All About Me  Strengths Interests Learning Style Assessment Data

Integrated lesson planning for 3 year olds Martha

QUESTIONS TO REFELCT ON WHEN YOU ARE PLANNING 1. How long will you keep the materials in each center? 2. Who will, when will, how will, you teach the children how to use the new material at each center? 3. How do you know children have visited each center? 4. How do you know the child has an understanding of skills?  5. How and when does staff collect data? 6. How and when do you reflect on the data with staff? 7. How and when do you communicate the data with families? Martha  For 3 year old progress

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