1. I CAN START ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WıTH YOUR CONTRıBUTıONS Betül Yaşar 1664903 İrem Örgüç Gülnihal Sunay

2. G ENERAL I NFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT Duration of the Project: 5 Weeks Definition of School Readiness: ◦children's readiness for school ◦schools' readiness for children ◦family and teachers’ supports that contribute to children's readiness for school success Age Group: 60-72 Months Numbers of Children: 20

3. A IMS OF THE P ROJECT : To develop children’s awareness for reading and writing skills and support children’s fine motor skills Main Points; To be in cooperation with parents and families for our project To prepare children for reading and writing skills with activities To prepare children for responsibility of elementary school To provide development of fine motor skills of children with activities

4. T HE PARTIES IN OUR PROJECT In this program, we planned a 5-week- process for; Children Families Educators (Teachers) The importance of these parties for our project is: Children should be ready for elementary school. Families contributes development of children at home. Educators observe children’s development and prepare activities for children at school.

5. 1 ST WEEK (B OTH F AMILIES AND TEACHERS ) Day: Sunday Hours: 12:00- 13:00 Activity: Brunch By means of brunch activity, firstly, positive home- school relationships are supported. Aim of this activity is giving detailed information about this 5-week- program to parent. During Brunch activity, teacher presents detailed and clear information about the program and distributes handbooks about the content of this program.

6. 1 ST W EEK C ONT … After brunch, teacher tends to parents to congress hall. Hours: 13:00-14:30 Activity: CONFERENCE Subject of Conference: The transition process from preschool to elementary school Presenter of Conference: Üstün Dökmen Place of Conference: In school- Congress Hall Day: On Saturday Hours: 17:00- 18:00

7. 1 ST W EEK C ONT … Aim of Conference: To develop children’s awareness for literacy in the transition process from preschool to elementary school Content of Conference: -Why is it importance for children to gain awareness of literacy in the early years -What we should for children to develop their awareness -Example activities for children to develop their fine motor skills in the home

8. 2 ND WEEK (F OR CHILDREN ) Activity: FRUIT STICKS ( Kitchen & Reading and Writing Integrated Activity) Aims of the activity: Discover and recognize lines, dots, and curves and develop awareness for writing Materials: Oranges, mandarins, apples, bananas, kiwis, pomegranates, Japanese persimmon, pineapple. Plates for each child, forks, crayons, pencils, and 3 big Drawing papers. A song which is composed of slow rhythms, and sticks.

9. L EARNING PROCESS : The teacher brings the fruits in a big basket in the circle time while children are sitting on the carpet. S/he wants each child to take one of them and examine them. Each child describes the fruit in his/her hand by turn. The teacher asks probing questions like “What color is it?” “Which shape does it look like?” “What do you see on the fruit?” S/he manipulates children to focus on the dots, lines and curves on the fruits. Fruits are cut fruits by horizontal and vertical, there is a shape like star in apples that children would enjoy to discover “Now, I will play the music, and you will move slowly as music. I want you to peel the mandarins, bananas or oranges. While you are peeling them, observe how the skins separate from the fruit.” The children observe, touch both the fruits and the skins of the fruits. Then the teacher turns off the music, children move in normal mood.

10. “What does the lines look like?” and children describe or show the lines that they discovered. All children show the lines to other children and they try to find the same or alike lines among the fruits that they have. Then the teacher gives children the letters O and İ. S/he vocalize these letters. S/he asks “Is there any lines look like these letters?” and children seek for these letters among the lines they discovered. S/he says “Form these letters by using the fruits you have.” The fruits are used to make fruit sticks and children eat them

12. Finally the children groups in 3 and gather around the drawing papers. The pencils are distributed. The children determines the turns by casting lots and the teacher tells that “According to your turn, you will draw a line that you see on the fruits, then your friend will go on your line. You can use any dot, curve or line that you discovered.” When this process finished, the teacher distributes the crayon and all children in that group paints/ the remaining parts as they wish at the same time.

13. 3. WEEK : P ARENT INVOLVEMENT ACYIVITY Activity: Dream a school day Teacher provides «Harry and The Dinosaurs Go To School» for each parents and parents read this storybook for children. Then, a child dreams his/her own school day and she/he create their own story with parent. They do a school day book and brigns to the school. «Harry and The Dinosaurs Go To School» : This story about the first day at school of Harry. He doesn't quite know what to expect, & is even more unsure of how he feels when he has to leave his precious bucket of dinosaurs in the cloakroom. Suddenly he notices another classmate who looks unhappy & focuses on how he can help them feel better. Great for encouraging confidence & empathy.

15. 4. WEEK: PICNIC PARTY (B OTH CHILDREN AND PARENTS ) Time: Saturday at 7- 8 pm Place: Kızılcahamam Details of activity: Each child brings to his/her storybook about the first day at school. Also, each child prepare his «lunch box» Also, they exhibit their storybooks on the ropes between the trees. Children present their books. They examine their books and share their opinions about the books with their friends.

16. The aim of the activity: To learn the importance of books in our lives Gaining awareness for literacy To learn preparing a lunch box for school To learn cooperative work with parents To learn the importance of reading and writing skills for to elementary school

17. 5. WEEK: (F OR CHILDREN ) Activity: Letters of the Name Materials: Paper, pen, old magazines, crayons or markers Learning Process: Children recognize first letter of their name and know the sound of. For example, one child’s first letter of his name might start the letter “B.” Teacher calls out the name of the letter and encourages children to find as many objects around the room that start with that letter as they can. For example, each child who has the name of Banu “B” might run around pointing out a “bebek”, a “bardak”, a “balon”, and a “balık”. As they find each object, teacher should respond, “Yes! ‘B’ is for ‘balık’!”

19. Teacher makes a list of all of the “B” objects that the child has found. When the child finishes finding all of the objects, teacher reads the list back to them and congratulates them on finding so many objects that begin with the same letter. Teacher looks through some old magazines and lets children add pictures from the magazine to the list. For example, the child might find a picture of a “bardak” or a “buket”. Children can illustrate the list with any writing or drawing materials teacher has handy.

21. Parent Involvement: Teacher wants parents write name of the family members on a cardboard. Parents writes first letter of the names in big type size. At home, parents direct their children to find objects starting with same letter. After children find the materials, they match objects and first letter and draw a found picture side of the materials on the cardboard. Each child and parents prepares this way. Children bring cardboards to the classroom and exhibit them. Teacher creates a discussion about letters

22. R EFERENCES http://www.pinterest.com/pin/2380575302774528 78/ http://www.sunhatsandwellieboots.com/2012/08/s tarting-school-10-books-to-help.html https://sites.google.com/a/acsd.k12.ca.us/early- childhood-education/home/what-is-school- readiness

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