ECH Assignment

This blog is created as part of my GCU course ECH 135.  This is a summary of the four blogs that I found interesting. 

One of the teacher websites I found is Chalk Talk: Teaching Ideas and Tips for Early Childhood Teachers and the website address is http://larremoreteachertips.blogspot.com/.   I like this website because it talks about the importance of early literacy and there are many great examples of using literacy in the classroom.  There is also a section on writing with young children that was posted on October 12, 2014.  In this post, it is discussed the importance of fine motor skills that are needed to assist children with improving their writing skills.  It is important for early childhood teachers to help develop their skills to help them as they progress through school.  Their hand eye coordination also needs to improve and there needs to be several opportunities during the day for the children to work on their skills.   One example, was putting rubber bands around a soup can.  Another example, involved putting wooden sticks into play dough so the sticks would stand up.  Then children would put color sorted fruit loops on the other end of the stick, making fruit loop towers. 

       Kindergarten Is Crazy (Fun) is a blog about Teaching Math in Kindergarten: Numbers and Number Sense Activities.  The website link is http://kindergarteniscrazy.blogspot.com/2013/11/teaching-math-in-kindergarten-numbers.html.  Number sense is the ability of the child to understand that four means a collection of four items and one to one correspondence.   On this blog are some great ideas to help the child improve their math skills.  One of the math games requires the student to roll a die and based on the number they roll they build a tower out of cubes.  Then they put the stacks next to each other and build a staircase.  There are activities that use dots and ten frames to help with counting. 

              12 Tips to Start a Successful Kindergarten Year provides tips to start the school year off right by planning ahead of time.  The website link is http://www.kindergartenworks.com/classroom-management/12-tips-to-start-successful/.  I like the blog because it can be used by new teachers or veteran teachers.  The first step that is listed is having a classroom management plan in place.  Even if there needs to be changes made later, there needs to be some type of plan in place.  If the teacher knows what words they will use when situations arise, they will fell more prepared.   Another idea that is listed is to explain why the class has certain procedures.  Explain why we take turns talking and listen to the teacher for instructions.  If the class listens the first time then the teacher does not have to keep repeating herself, which is no fun for the class.    Some ideas that could be used to help the classroom to learn procedures is to create a social story.  The teacher can use pictures of the room so the students can relate to the story.  There is information about how to say good bye to parents and how to be independent in school. 

              A Differentiated Kindergarten is a blog site that has information about using different management styles and differentiated instruction in the kindergarten classroom.  The web site is http://www.differentiatedkindergarten.com/2012/08/classroom-management-hodge-podge-and.html .  One of the management theories that is suggested to be used is Love and Logic.  This theory suggest giving the children choices and letting them choose.  If they do not want to complete their work, the teacher can suggest they do it now or later when the other students are having fun in centers.  Another theory that is suggested to be used is Whole Brain Teaching.  This theory refers to using visual, physical and verbal cues to teach to all types of learners and make learning fun.  A suggestion in the blog recommends using a monkey tree for behavior.  As the child moves down the tree there are different consequences.  If the monkey falls off the tree then a letter will be sent home.