Need some help with curriculum...

[nanglgrl]

This month we're going on the shape train. I'm making a train out of boxes (with the children's help) and different shapes and we are going to explore all of the shapes in common everyday items.

All my children are 21 months to 2 1/2 so I need craft ideas, song, rhyme and other ideas besides just pointing to shapes and asking over and over again.

Next month we are going on a cruise (making a boat out of boxes to kick it off) and will be exploring the colors of the ocean. Any ideas for that would also be appreciated.

I find it incredibly hard to teach 2's. If my group was all 3 or 4 years olds I would have no problem but 2's have shorter attention spans and a few months difference in age can really make a difference in their abilities. I rarely know if they are actually learning what I teach.

The funny thing is that my own children have always been well ahead of their peers. My oldest 3 all read before kindergarten (one starts next year) and my youngest (2 yr) seems to be following the same path. I never felt like I did anything special but it seems parenting has changed and a lot of children aren't learning basics at home anymore.

[butterfly]

I love your ideas! I'm trying to picture your train... Could the boxes hold items that are that shape. You could use this like a sensory box. For circle you could have pompoms, cotton balls, a ball of yarn, etc.

Triangle could use makeup wedges, etc. Ovals could have plastic eggs, rice, etc.

Colors of the ocean would be fun with all the colorful saltwater fish. Maybe even a trip to a local pet shop to see the fish tanks...

That sounds like fun!!

[NeedaVaca]

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems82.html

http://www.mrsjonesroom.com/songs/shapes.html

I have done my own version of hullabuloo and used that to teach shapes, colors, all kinds of things. Play music, when the music stops they get on a square, or whatever shape you say. Same for colors, abc's, etc. They love it!

also found this online:
Tune: The Muffin Man
Do you know what shape this is?
What shape this is? What shape this is?
Do you know what shape this is, I'm holding in my hand?

I then call a child to name the shape. I have stapled shapes on the bulletin board and written the children's names on them when they could properly identify the shape. They liked seeing their names being written on the shapes.

[MsLaura529]

I did this with my daughter when she was abut 2.5 and she LOVED it ... probably mostly because I let her do the glue herself, haha. But I cut out a large triangle, square, and circle out of black paper. Then I cut out smaller versions of those shapes on colored paper. I put those smaller shapes and put them into a paper bag and taped the large shapes down onto the table. Then she would pick out a shape from the bag, and glue it onto the correct larger shape. She had a lot of fun with it, and asked to do it many many days in a row.

Your colors of the ocean sounds like a lot of fun! You could have different shades of blue crepe paper on one of the walls, and every day introduced a new color: orange fish, purple octopus, etc, and tape those onto the wall.

[nanglgrl]

I love all of these ideas, keep them coming!

Your colors of the ocean sounds like a lot of fun! You could have different shades of blue crepe paper on one of the walls, and every day introduced a new color: orange fish, purple octopus, etc, and tape those onto the wall.

This is going to be a sure thing! Thank you for the awesome idea!happyface

[nanglgrl]

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems82.html

http://www.mrsjonesroom.com/songs/shapes.html

I have done my own version of hullabuloo and used that to teach shapes, colors, all kinds of things. Play music, when the music stops they get on a square, or whatever shape you say. Same for colors, abc's, etc. They love it!

also found this online:
Tune: The Muffin Man
Do you know what shape this is?
What shape this is? What shape this is?
Do you know what shape this is, I'm holding in my hand?

I then call a child to name the shape. I have stapled shapes on the bulletin board and written the children's names on them when they could properly identify the shape. They liked seeing their names being written on the shapes.

Thank you! There are lots of great rhymes songs to go with our theme!

[nanglgrl]

I have stapled shapes on the bulletin board and written the children's names on them when they could properly identify the shape. They liked seeing their names being written on the shapes.

I love this!

[nanglgrl]

Colors of the ocean would be fun with all the colorful saltwater fish. Maybe even a trip to a local pet shop to see the fish tanks...

I will definitely have to try to fit that in. The children would love it.

[allsmiles]

what a coincidence!! we are doing shapes next week as well!!!
try

http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/shapes/index.htm

good ideas on games, music, art..

[bunnyslippers]

Totally starting the Shape Train Idea on Monday. I needed some inspiration!!! Yippee!

[nanglgrl]

Totally starting the Shape Train Idea on Monday. I needed some inspiration!!! Yippee!

All aboard the shape train..choo!choo!

[nanglgrl]

what a coincidence!! we are doing shapes next week as well!!!
try

http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/shapes/index.htm

good ideas on games, music, art..

Great site...a wealth of information!

[DCBlessings27]

I like the idea of the shape train, and I might have to do that sometime.

I don't really do a curriculum, but my daughter loves the song I made up for her before we took a train trip to Chicago last year. It doesn't have a lot to do with this, but it makes her happy to sing it. (She's 3.5)

Whoo, Whoo, Whoo goes the Choo-Choo Train
All day long even through the rain
All I want to do is go and play
Outside all night and day