CHAPTER 3 Planning and Implementing Effective Small Group Activities

Why Plan? Organize our thoughts and actions Think creatively about what they want to do Gather needed equipment and materials in advance Map ways to address immediate instructional objectives and long term educational goals Address the needs of the whole child

Why Plan Continued Tailor programs to accommodate the needs of specific children Address differences among learners Communicate to others what they are doing Identify the standards by which learning and teaching can be accurately and appropriately evaluated.

Planning requires Sense of purpose Organization skills Foresight Preparation Deliberate decision making

Phase one of planning Think about the children  Skills they possess  Previous experiences they have had  Goals the program has for children

Phase Two Designing the instruction to fit within DAP  What is culturally and developmentally appropriate for the children as a group and for the individual child in the classroom?  How will I support all the children

Phase Three Organizing the resources  Considering long term objectives  Determining short range objectives  Identifying potential materials  Matching goals and objectives with teaching strategies.

Phase Four Evaluation phase  Did I follow my plan?  What did the children accomplish?  What changes are necessary if any for next time?  Reflect on the day!!

Written Plans Help us to really plan and effectively carry out the plan, not just pull things off the shelf, or plan as we go which does not work.

Principles of Developmental Direction Children’s understandings and skills progress from: (page 71-74)  Known to Unknown  Self to Other  Whole to Part  Concrete to Abstract  Enactive to Iconic to Symbolic Representation  Exploratory to Goal Directed  Less Accurate to More Accurate  Simple to Complex

Representation Enactive Representation: when childrne reconstruct roles and events with their bodies Iconic Representation: involves children’s making pictures or constructing three dimensional images of what they see and thnk about Symbolic Representation: children use words and symbols such as signs and numerals to interpret and represent phenomena.

Activity Pyramid Exploratory Play Guided Discovery Problem Solving  Becoming Aware  Hypothesizing  Experimenting  Concluding  Communication Results

Activity Pyramid continued Discussions Demonstrations  Gain attention  Show children something  Prompt children to respond Direct Instruction  Attend  Show or tell  Differentiate  Apply

Show and Share Article from TLC Share the article and discuss