A well-designed language-focused curriculum creates natural and teacher-directed opportunities for preschoolers to develop the language and communication skills that are essential to later academic success. And all children benefit -- those with language impairments, those learning English as a second language, and those developing typically. Volume II offers a semester's worth of activities and ideas for more than 50 dramatic play, art, and group exercises that emphasize social, cognitive, and motor skills.
A well-designed language-focused curriculum creates natural and teacher-directed opportunities for preschoolers to develop the language and communication skills that are essential to later academic success. And all children benefit -- those with language impairments, those learning English as a second language, and those developing typically. Volume I explains how children acquire language and proves the merits of a culturally sensitive, individualized approach to helping young children learn.
Discover new, practical methods for teaching literacy skills in your early childhood classroom. Has teaching early literacy skills become a stumbling block to getting your preschool students kindergarten ready? Break out of the tired “letter of the week” routine and learn how to transform your lessons with fun and effective techniques. Teach Smarter: Literacy Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers will equip teachers to infuse every aspect of their teaching with exciting hands-on literacy teaching methods that engage students and help them build authentic connections with books, so that 100% of their students will have a strong literacy foundation and will be fully prepared for success in kindergarten and beyond. Respected author Vanessa Levin, veteran early childhood educator and author of the “Pre-K Pages” blog, breaks down the research and translates it into realistic, actionable steps you can take to improve your teaching. Features specific examples of teaching techniques and activities that engage students in hands-on, experiential learning during circle time, centers, and small groups. Offers a simple, four-step system for teaching literacy skills, based on the foundational principles of early literacy teaching Demonstrates how to build your confidence in your ability to get 100% of your students ready for kindergarten, long before the end of the school year Understand the problems with traditional literacy teaching and identify gaps in your current teaching practice with this valuable resource.
Child-centered lesson planning provides a system to strengthen teaching. Great lesson planning helps teachers to choose a range of strategies that match what children are learning and doing-- from directed mini-lessons to facilitated group activities.
The Creative Curriculum comes alive! This videotape-winner of the 1989 Silver Apple Award at the National Educational Film and Video Festival-demonstrates how teachers set the stage for learning by creating a dynamic well-organized environment. It shows children involved in seven of the interest areas in the The Creative Curriculum and explains how they learn in each area. Everyone conducts in-service training workshops for staff and parents or who teaches early childhood education courses will find the video an indispensable tool for explainin appropriate practice.
How can inclusive early educators plan and deliver challenging instructions to help all young learners succeed in kindergarten? This guide has authoritative answers from some of today's most renowned names in early childhood education. Presenting the Children's School Success+ (CSS+) framework, for building a UDL-based plan for inclusive preschool instruction, this book is a powerful tool for using your existing curriculum to address each child's unique learning needs. Through practical, evidence-based strategies and guidelines, you'll discover how to equalize access to curriculum cotent while giving learners multiple ways to access and possess new knowledge. Keep this resource at your finertips to guide your curriculum and instruction, so all young children have the skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Learn how to: identify a developmentally appropriate scope and sequence for your students' learning bjectives; ensure a coherent, engaging curriculum that continuously builds on the knowledge and skills your students acquire; develop UDL-based activity plans that support every child's learning; use differentiation and individualization strategies for students who need extra supports; select and implement successful progress monitoring strategies; improve your teaching through a continuous loop of planning instruction, and monitoring; and engage in partnership with families to support their chidlren's success. You'll get a wealth of downloadable online resources for implementing the framework, plus specific tips and strategies on addressig key topics such as behaviour, classroom organization, and collaboration with families. You'll also see the framework in action, with recurring vignettes in diverse early childhood settings, including a public preschool, a Head Start classroom, and an early childhood special educaiton classroom.
What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.