1. Working With 4-Year-Olds
Presented by:
Debbie Fanning
Parenting/Early Childhood Coordinator
Scottsboro High School

2. FOUR-YEAR-OLDS ARE Curious Imaginative Talkative Inquisitive
Affectionate
Energetic
Sponges
Eager
Explorers
FUN

3. 4-Year-Olds Need Teachers Who:
Creative
Energetic
Enthusiastic
Organized
Prepared
Loving
Patient

4. What Do You Need to Know Before you teach?
What I know about teaching 4’s
What I want to know about teaching 4’s ?

7. Snowball
Fight Now!

8. Stop
Read one near you
Share with the rest of us

9. Preschoolers Need to Learn
To follow rules and routines
To listen
To share, take turns, cooperate
To express their feelings and needs in appropriate ways
To develop early literacy skills
To develop early math concepts
To become familiar with the world around them
To write their name

10. Language Objectives
Attention span should increase- listening for a few minutes at a time.
Interpret gestures, and actions as modes of communication
Recognize letters
Retell simple stories from memory
Increasing vocabulary and carry on basic conversations. When he sees or creates a picture, he should be able to draw simple conclusions or tell simple stories about it.

11. Motor Objectives
Develop a sense of balance that allows them to stand on one foot for a few moments and walk backward several steps, throw and kick a ball
Improve coordination- enough to perform jumping jacks correctly, climb without falling and hop on one foot
Fine motor control development-hold a pencil or crayon, copy simple shapes, open a door and operate a pair of scissors

12. Social Objectives
Develop an awareness of others' feelings and an ability to form and maintain friendships with peers
Respect others' space and learn to share
Gain a strong awareness of cause and effect,
Follow directions, and rules
Control strong emotions,
Express herself clearly with a variety of mediums such as actions, facial expressions, gestures and words.

13. Personal Care and Self-Help Objectives
Button or zip clothing with minimal assistance,
Use Velcro correctly and pull on his shoes.
Use a spoon and fork and decant liquids from one container to another.
Hygiene -wash his hands and face regularly,
Practice independence-help himself whenever possible instead of asking for help
Know first and last name

14. Problem Solving Promoting curiosity and basic problem-solving skills.
Try out a few different options to solve problems and perseverance is encouraged.
Learn the simple skills associated with figuring out how to fix or work through any problem.

15. Math
Counting and number recognition. For example, children learn to count to 20 and can recognize numbers from one to 10 in written form.
Understand math concepts in words like near, between, around or behind.
Shape recognition, like identifying squares or triangles

16. Self-Awareness
Learning concepts about how people differ, starting with self-awareness.
Know the basics of myself versus others.
Recognize emotions and feelings and how to stand up for their personal rights.
Understand family relationships and responsibilities within the family

17. Resources
Read more: Objectives For Preschool | eHow.com

18. I believe we do this by: Literature (reading to them) Music
Creative play
Meaningful conversation
Opportunities to Explore
Rotating Centers

19. Organized Chaos? Paint, glue, scissors, dictation Teacher Intensive
Activity
Rotation 2
Rotation 3
Lacing activity
Play-doh

20. Theme of the week:
Find books with title, character, or subject matter that starts with topic
Moncure books
Music
Classroom resources
Brainstorm session

21. Brainstorm “L” L show and tell Lions Lizards Leap frog Limbo Letters
Lips
Love
Long
Legs
Logs or Legos
Listening
Healthy Lunches
Likes/dislikes
Lick
Laser
Library
Lazy
Ladybug
Lightning bug
Light
Lemon or Lime
London
Laugh
Lincoln
Left/right
Follow the leader
Lake
Lamb

22. Take words and make into activities and lessons
Math concepts: charts/graphs of likes
Lego count to determine # blocks used
Sort by color, size, measure height of towers
Counting laps around the wildcat in gym
Science concepts: compare lizards to lions (reptiles vs. mammals)
Concepts of light with prisms etc.
What you would find at the lake
Social studies: Abraham Lincoln story
Art/crafts: lines, Letter shaped cookie cutters dipped in paint, lion masks

23. Activities Continued…
Fine Motor: writing L’s, lacing L’s, play-doh l’s, sign language “I love you”
Music and Movement (cooperative play/gross motor): London Bridge, Libby Lou, Electric slide (left/right), Hokey, Poky, Parachute Launch, Follow the Leader
Health: Packing a healthy Lunch
Self-concept: Likes, I love my ________,

24. Language Activities Books with L themes
Field Trip to Library to check out books
Dictate love letters to parents, or letters of appreciation/encouragement to lunch room ladies or our adopt a soldier
Vocabulary is growing and they are hearing the initial sound everywhere
Mary had a little lamb

25. Outside play Climbing the ladder on slide
Parachute launch and left to right
Leap frog
Follow the leader
Run, hop, skip, jump laps and count them
Gather leaves for leaf rubbings

26. Let’s Pretend Play charades Lovely lady Lazy lion Leaping lizard
Long legged clown on stilts
Little lamb
Large leopard
Loud/soft
Little/large

27. What do you do with a 4 year-old class?
Do anything, you can’t do everything, but do not expect 4 year olds to sit at the table and do worksheets with some free play thrown in all day!

28. Appeal to all the senses
Let them to hear, see, touch, sing, and smell the letter L
Reach the whole child
Appeal to all learning styles
Immerse them in the theme

29. Transitions Attention getters? Line up? Go to tables? Come to circle?
Clean-up?
Center time?
Washing hands?
Few children finish activity too quickly?

30. Waiting times Quiet Mouse, Still Mouse Heads up 7-up
doggy doggy who stole your bone?
Charades
Simon says
I spy
Review by asking each child 1 thing they learned today
Listening games
Make me laugh
Drawing on backs and guessing what letter or shape was drawn
Going on a trip taking an _______
Telephone (gossip) game.

31. Interruptions?
During story time relevant questions are answered because we want to involve the children in the story
Repeated interruptions or questions off subject we ask that they hold it to the end of the story.
Story time should involve the children and be an exciting time.
The key is the motivator that makes the children eager to hear the story/lesson.

32. Behavior? We recognize and praise appropriate behavior
Minimize the attention given to those who don’t
A disruptive/uncooperative child is consulted with in private
apple is moved
then removed from activity until they decide they can return and follow the rules.

33. Classroom Management/Groupings
Change table tags monthly rearranging children’s groupings and tables as well as rearranging circle seating as needed
Limit #’s in centers use a chart with clothes pins to determine who belongs in which center (really helpful at clean-up time)
Established routines help tremendously with behavior and classroom management.
Keep them engaged and they won’t have time to cause disruptions.