Additional Classroom Connections This storytime can be expanded to continue children’s exploration of transportation.
Social & Emotional Curiosity Walk: Vehicles! Take children on a curiosity walk around the neighborhood with a focus on vehicles, signs, roads, and other transportation-related objects. As you walk, encourage children to point out and describe interesting things and to ask related questions. Model curiosity by stating observations and asking questions of your own. I see that this car has four doors. I wonder if all cars have four doors? I see that this truck has eight wheels. I wonder how many wheels most trucks have? After you return to the class, record children’s questions on a class chart. As you continue to explore transportation throughout the theme, return to the chart to answer relevant questions. Make a follow-up trip to the school library to research answers. Classroom Interactions Encourage Curiosity Use the following ideas to help create a classroom environment that fosters and supports children’s natural curiosity. • Create an interesting classroom environment with multiple opportunities for independent exploration. (For example, sand and water tables, dress-up areas, or block centers.) • Refresh your centers regularly with new materials and questions for children to think about as they explore. • Build on children’s curiosity as it naturally occurs. Be flexible enough to incorporate their interests and questions into your plans. • Allow time for open-ended activities and choice. • Give children the opportunity to choose their own books at the library or in the classroom.
Music & Movement Circle Game Invite children to innovate on a favorite song, “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat.”
Row, Row, Row, Your Boat Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream, Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream. Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream, When a cat (shark, frog, horse, etc.) jumps on your boat, Say, “Welcome to the team!”
Actions: 1. Have children stand in a circle and “row.” 2. They can take turns calling out a new animal.
3. Then give children time to ”jump” onto the boat as that animal might.
Language & Literacy Alphabetic Knowledge: Uppercase and Lowercase Letters Explore letters children already know by asking them to identify the first letter of their first name. Some children may be able to identify all of the letters in their names. You can also show letters from Alphabet Rescue . Guide them to note the uppercase and lowercase letters. Providing children with a tactile experience of the alphabet can make the abstract idea of letters more concrete. Place plastic on a table or floor and squirt shaving cream in the shape of the first letter of each child’s name. Guide the child’s finger through the shaving cream to trace the shape of the letter. Then allow the children to trace the letters independently. Point out uppercase and lowercase examples of the letters.
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