qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui

opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfgh
jklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvb
nmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer
Resource Binder
tyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopas
Education 466
dfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzx
cvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq
wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuio
pasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghj
klzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn
mqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwerty
uiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdf
ghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc
vbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrty
uiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdf
ghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc
7/31/2012

Brittney Louwerse

Contents
The Built Environment ............................................................................................................................... 3
My ideal kindergarten classroom ............................................................................................................. 4
Theoretical Rational .................................................................................................................................. 5
Room Arrangement .................................................................................................................................. 6
Classroom Rhythm and Routines ............................................................................................................ 9
Schedule .................................................................................................................................................. 10
Transitions............................................................................................................................................... 11
Nutrition, Health & Hygiene ................................................................................................................... 11
Play and Drama ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Drama...................................................................................................................................................... 14
Play .......................................................................................................................................................... 15
12 key types of play ................................................................................................................................ 16
Movement and Music............................................................................................................................... 17
Why Music & Movement? ...................................................................................................................... 18
Incorporating music ................................................................................................................................ 19
References ................................................................................................................................................ 20

The Built
Environment

My ideal kindergarten classroom

Theoretical Rational
As autonomy is very important for student learning (according to Piaget), my ideal
classroom is child-based and set up so that children can be in control of their own learning
as much as possible. Children will visit certain centers that can accommodate several
children at a time (I may limit certain areas, depending on student interaction or nature of
the center). The toys and items I have chosen for the centers are authentic, as students
discovery, learning and role-play become realistic.
As you can tell, my ideal classroom is quite large, but each space in the room has a
designation. I chose to put the observation table towards the center of the room,
between the loud play and quite play, so that children may stop and observe a week-long
experiment or say hi to a pet. I chose to have minimal seating, and have a designated
work desk station where children can work on projects or have an area to work quietly, if
they so choose. The furniture is child-sized (as are the washroom amenities and sinks) so
it is obviously their space. I have also learned how valuable it is to have windows in a
classroom. Not only do they allow light into a room, but they also provide a surface for
students to work on. Students can learn to write or be encouraged to draw when they are
provided with a safe, erasable surface.

Room Arrangement
CARPET
The carpet area is where students and teacher meet for circle time. It is in the corner to
avoid distractions to the other areas of the classroom, next to large windows to allow for
natural light to fill the room. This also allows children to see the weather for tracking and
charting in packet charts and calendars.
LIBRARY
The library is in a corner for privacy, and is
designed to be comfy and relaxing. It is away
from high activity centers as to avoid noise and
distraction. Large windows are on one side for
ample light.
PLAY CENTERS
Play centers are essential because it fosters imagination, dramatic play, friendship and use
of scientific or mathematical concepts. It also creates a fun learning experience and is
developmentally appropriate.
LIGHT TABLE
Here, children can play with light and colour, and create ideas surrounding silhouettes.
Children can also use light to trace pictures or words
AUDIO CENTER
This center helps stimulate a childs sense of hearing, as music has been shown to be very
relaxing and calming. Students are also able to record stories and play them back.
LEGO TABLE
This manipulative table hones fine motor skills and develops problem solving skills
BLOCK AREA
Blocks help stimulate children to use their
imagination to build things using open-ended
materials. Through building, they can develop
concepts of symmetry and balance. Pretend play
also happens, and students are able to associate

an object with something they want it to be (pretend the block is a car).

WALKING SPACE
There is an open area that allows children to engage in music and movement activities or
in projects that require lots of space.
OBSERVATION TABLE
The observation table allows kids to observe science experiments that require more than
one day of observation. The table can also be the home of a class pet, where students
learn how to be responsible when taking care of another living being (food, water &
attention).
SCIENCE AND ART CENTER
The science and art center is for exploration
through inquiry. It is close to the kitchen for
baking and cooking experiments. The easels
and art supplies are located next to the sink.
SAND AND WATER TABLE
This allows children to explore, play and imagine. It is next to the sink for easy cleanup.
WORK DESKS
This allows kids to work in groups, pairs or individually, and is also an area where the kids
can work on projects with each other during academic periods.
GREETING AREA
This is to build a strong parent-teacher-child relationship, and fosters openness for the
teacher and parent. For the child, it shows that home and school are partners, not
separate entities. A parent bulletin board is there to inform parents of the current
happenings in the classroom.
EXIT TO PLAYGROUND
This is so students can exit straight to the playground, instead of having to go through the
school. There is a large overhang and a small garden that houses plants. It also serves as a
fire escape.
TEACHERS TABLE/STORAGE
This is placed in a way that the teacher can view the whole room, but also be involved in
what the students are doing.
7

Classroom Rhythm
and Routines

Schedule
According to the BC full-day Kindergarten Guide, there are two examples that fit
many of the ideals that were discussed in our Educ 466 class. I find that they are great
examples, as they have soft starts and opening and closing circles to reflect on the day.
However, I do feel that the 1st example (left) provides that balance of indoor/outdoor
time, reflection time, and the use of group transitions that I would want in my classroom.

10

Transitions

According to Early Childhood Australia, understanding schedules and routines are

important for young children. Routines and schedules that are predicable have been
shown to influence young childrens emotional, cognitive, and social
development. Therefore, planning for and supporting transitions
between activities are quite beneficial, and should be ones that are
developmentally appropriate and support the diversity of the children in the classroom.
During our lecture, Jocelyn Reeves suggested many different techniques to get the
attention of kids, such as clapping rhythms, flicking the lights off and on, and singing.
Although these seem like little things, these can also help the teacher to stretch students
learning. A teacher must ask: Are the kids using or activating their brain? For example,
pattern knowledge is addressed very early on in the curriculum for both kindergarten and
grade 1. Using these songs, patterns and games as transitions are also helpful. In our
lecture, the professor stressed how important these physiological transitions are for K/1
students. They need help to learn how to transition! Reeves stated that this helps
students to become responsible, caring, knowledgeable citizens that contribute to society
in a positive way.
Nutrition, Health & Hygiene

It is very important to teach our young students to be healthy individuals. Building on the
knowledge they receive from home, teachers should be examples, so eating healthy and promoting
healthy alternatives is a necessity. In addition, teachers should regularly
include healthy lifestyles in parts of the curriculum, not solely during Health
and Careers Education time. Transitions to lunch or food breaks can simply be
the teacher asking each student what their favourite fruit is as they are
dismissed to go outside. The teacher can also include nutrition and health
when teaching about the 5 senses. The school where I volunteered had a lunch program that had a
mandatory fruit or vegetable, and often the second break was where the children had a snack food

11

such as cookies. Hygiene is also important to consider, especially as many children are coming from the
home and straight to Kindergarten. Although children should know how to use the toilet on their own,
each classroom should have at least one designated washroom. Students are also expected to wash
their hands after using the washroom, before and after eating, and when switching from a messy center
to another center (for example, sand & water, arts & crafts or painting). Children should be encouraged
to answer why this is important, instead of just thinking of it as just another rule.
-

Personal hygiene and good grooming

o

Germs

Washing hands (why?)

Using a personal cloth/paper towel

Wearing clean undergarments

Brushing teeth

Good eating habits

o

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

Making delicious and healthy snacks

Drinking water regularly

The food groups (variety)

Physical fitness and rest (at least 8 hours of sleep)

Safety to and from school

o

Stranger danger

Walking in groups

Stick to the route (go with parents)

Crossing the street safely

12

Play and Drama

13

Drama
How cool would it be if childrens stories could come to life? Through drama, childrens stories
could become a valuable part of the classroom community, and as a result, children feel validated and
able to succeed. According to the BC K-7 Drama IRPs, drama is both a journey of inquiry and an art
form that provides opportunities for exploring, integrating, and learning. Drama invites students to
explore issues, ideas, feelings, and events through imagined roles and situations that may be drawn
from reality or imagination (p. 7).
Drama can also enable children to make sense of the world around them, take responsibility for
their actions, and explore their curiosity all in a safe, predictable environment. Therefore, it is
important that teachers stay fully aware of how a
negative situation may have started. According to Educ
466 lecture notes, Jocelyn Reeves stressed the
importance of being attachment-minded. Children need
to feel attached to the individual so they feel loved and
they feel they are able to take risks because their teacher
cares for them above all.
Ive also learned that drama is not only learning lines and performing, although that is a part of
it. But drama includes such elements at movement, emotion, and speaking clearly. Thus, drama is an
integral part of the Kindergarten classroom. Two examples of drama in a non-play format:
-

Mirror Exercises help children learn about body movement. Children can stand in a circle, and
the teacher leads in an exercise or dance move, which the children mirror. A child may also lead.
To stretch children cognitively, have them watch the exercise, then mirror the last exercise that
was shown while seeing a new one. (T does jumping jacks, Ss watch; T does foot touches, Ss do
jumping jacks; T does a twirl, Ss do foot touches, and so on).

SMART learning incorporates drama into storytelling. Students feel the character instead of
being a passive audience.

14

Play
I find this the most exciting part about kindergarten. Its PLAY-BASED! When I volunteered in a
Kindergarten classroom this past year, the teacher so strongly advocated play time, as children learn
optimally through play.
Children are naturally curious
through play. It helps them to
problem solve, make friends,
learn how to express
themselves, recognize letters
and numbers, and above all, to enjoy the beauty of the world around them. Vivian Pelay also relates
that when children play, a whole new world seems to open up to a child. Edward Miller and Joan Almon,
from New Alliance Childhood, suggest that risk is one of the most important aspects of play. Moreover,
in an age when children scarcely play from morning till night (p. 2) because of TV, video games,
computers and over-scheduled lives, it is ever more essential that children get quality time engaged in
free play. Play is more than just fun and games. It boosts healthy development across a broad spectrum
of critical areas: intellectual, social, emotional, and physical. The benefits are so impressive that every
day of childhood should be a day for play (p. 1). The last sentence is evidence for me that play is
valuable beyond belief, and should be incorporated as much as possible. The inquiry approach to
learning leans towards gaining knowledge and understanding through natural curiosity, which is a an
explorative play.
Other things to consider
-

What might children feel when participating in creating story and drama?

Does this activity support comprehension of a story

What values are conveyed?

What type of symbolic representation is used?

How is the imagination being used?

Is this story/drama helping children take different perspectives?

Are children able to demonstrate different emotions?

15

Copied from Alliance for Childhood

12 key types of play

16

Movement and
Music

17

Why Music & Movement?

Leanne Ewen stated during a lecture, Music brings joy to the classroom and delights the heart.
These words speak volumes to me. I started relying on music early on in my life. Before going to school,
my parents would spend hours teaching us Bible songs during bed time, after supper, when driving to
school or church. I did not understand then, but now I understand how music can be a responsive
exercise, a relaxation technique, and a memory booster. I went to an independent school and
memorized many songs, at least two or three songs a week, not including learning new tunes! To this
day, I still know these songs by heart because they were not kid songs, but were songs that everyone
in our community, both young and old, knew. On Sundays when the young children sing along with
everyone else, it truly melts your heart they can sing better than any adult in the room because they
have passion, zeal, and contentment!
Overall, the joy and pride they exude and the excitement while singing speaks to the words
previously quoted above. Upitis (2000) notes that children naturally respond to musical stimuli, and the
patterns, noises and sounds of music provide development for many areas of the human brain. She
notes that children should be immersed in a rich music experience through playful exploration,
manipulation of sounds from various instruments, and through the integration of music with story,
visual arts, drama, poetry and math patterns. This last point really sticks with me My father taught me
how to count with a guitar in hand!
Teachers can also incorporate dance and yoga into music and movement. Calming music, combined
with a calming pose can help children concentrate or focus on the work ahead of them. It also helps with
their relaxation and self-regulation; they are learning to be aware of their body and how they can
control the way they feel. Maggie Rudkowski also talked about the importance of bodily movements
when she visited our Educ 466 class. She incorporated yoga and music with storytelling, making this
topic truly cross-curricular.

18

Incorporating music
Ewen has a few ideas how to incorporate music and movement into the classroom:
-

As a management technique (Oral), the teacher can notice when students are ready. Students
love to be noticed for good things, and students who are not yet ready will want to have the
attention and will come quicker.

If youre Ready on the Floor (smile at me)

Who is Ready, Who is Ready?

Clapping rhythmic patterns

Follow me children copy the leader

Flash

Filling in time/ needing wiggle time between lessons

o

Itsy Bitsy Spider normal, slow, fast, exaggerated, heavy...

Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes saying some words silently (cognitive
extension)

o
-

Show and Tell Have children show their songs or dances they made

To teach concepts or memorization of facts

o

Math songs!

Literacy songs

Social responsibility

19

References
Alliance for Childhood. (2012). 12 key types of play. From Crisis in the Kindergarten. Retrieved from
http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/sites/allianceforchildhood.org/files/file/12_types_of_play.
pdf
Aronoff, F. (1988). Reaching the young child through music: Howard Gardner's theory of multiple
intelligences as model. International Journal of Music Education, 12, 18-22.
British Columbia Ministry of Education (2010). Drama: Kindergarten to Grade 7. Curriculum 2010.
Retrieved from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/pdfs/arts_education/2010dramak7.pdf
British Columbia Ministry of Education (nd). Full Day Kindergarten: Program Guide. Retrieved from
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/fdk/pdfs/fdk_program_guide.pdf
Early Childhood Australia: A voice for young children (2010). Routines and transitions.
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/learning_and_teaching/early_childhood_practices/r
outines_and_transitions.html
Marzollo, Jean. (1987)The New Kindergarten: Full Day, Child Centered, Academic. A book for teachers,
administrators, practice teachers, teachers aides, and parents. Virginia: Harper & Row.
Miller, E., & Almon, J. (2009). Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School. Alliance
for Childhood, 1(1) 1-8.
Pelay, Vivian. (1990). The Boy who would be a helicopter: the uses of storytelling in the classroom.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Upitis, R. (2000). Music Experiences in early childhood. Orbit, 31(1) 16-18.
Jocelyn Reeves, Maggie Rudkowski & Leanne Ewen Lecture notes

20