Daily Routines!

How does a typical day with Mother Goose Time look for you?

A typical day begins with circle time. All of the children gather in the circle time area and dance to the opening song. They enjoy holding hands and dancing with one another. Generally, one song is not enough. They like to listen to several songs while they sing and dance along. The toddlers are not as inclined to dancing in a circle, so I take this time to pick them up and dance with them in my arms. The toddlers enjoy swaying back and forth to the music. 

Next, we move right into circle time calendar. I like to give the kids a gentle reminder that when the music stops, they are to find their name in the circle and sit down criss cross applesauce. We typically do not have any issues once the music stops. The kids know right where they need to be. Normally, I have the infants and toddlers next to me, or have them take turns in my lap. They are free to move around wherever their heart desires since they are not quite ready to sit still for more than a few seconds. We go over the calendar month in English and Spanish, put up the date and go over the day the week in English and Spanish as well. If the kids have trouble remembering the days of the week, we sing the "The Days of the Week" song. The kids like to sing it fast, slow, quiet and loud. We shift to singing it in different ways. This also helps the kids to take a mental break if they are sitting for too long. Then, we get right back into the introduction of the lesson. 

How often do you take breaks?

I have the kids take breaks as often as they need to. Sometimes, I will have to give a feeding or change a diaper in the middle of learning times. I usually will finish my thought pattern or discussion, Then, I'll get them set up for the next activity (typically an exploration activity). This gives the children an opportunity to move around and get the wiggles out. Once I am done, I gain the students attention and get them refocused on an activity or task. If it seems that the children are still having a hard time focusing, I will skip a scheduled activity, and move onto something that is more engaging like a group project that involves physical motor movement, or arts and crafts. 

Which of the outdoor or free play suggestions from the Planning Journal do you use during these breaks?

I typically number my activities in an order that coordinates with our schedule. If we have an outdoor activity, I typically will schedule it during our outdoor playtime. We live in Anchorage, so it can be very cold and dark first thing in the morning. If we are having below freezing temperatures and we need objects from outdoors such as leaves, branches etc. I will gather the items prior to teaching it and lay out the objects for the children to observe, trace, cut or glue.

How has a daily routine helped your child's behavior and/or attitude towards learning?

I believe having a schedule for the kids to follow has helped  tremendously. The children know what to expect every day. I believe it helps the kids to maintain their behavior when you keep them engaged in learning throughout the day. If a child becomes bored or not interested in an activity, I try to gain their interest by presenting the lesson in a way that they can relate to. One good example, I can give is when we were using socks to make a snake. One of the kids was was not interested in making a snake. I suggested we make a dolphin out of socks because I knew how much he liked dolphins. The child really enjoyed helping me make the dolphin. The other kids thought it would be neat to make a boat out of socks. Then, they started jumping into the boat made from socks. This turned the activity into more physical exercise. All of the children had a great time pretending and using their imagination for learning.

This is a picture of  a dolphin we made with socks.

M, C and E made a boat with socks. They had fun jumping into their sock boat. S used a stool to jump off of since she was not big enough to use the chair.
Mother Goose Time