1)  Create recycling bins that are clearly labeled. These could be located in the “Dramatic Play” area, hopefully replicating what is seen at home. Of course, attention to child safety must be maintained, but hard plastic, paper, foam trays, newspaper, wrapping paper, etc. can be recycled. Think of all the opportunities for sorting, sensory stimulation, and counting, just to name a few. What a great way to involve parents and help them recycle as well.

Welcome to our new ELM Centers

·        Academy of Tampa Bay – Village

·        Backyard Bears

·        Children’s Nest – Hyde Park

·        Children’s Nest – Temple Terrace

·        Gabrielle’s Glen

·        Lola’s Childcare

·        Lowry Park Zoo School

·        Temple Terrace Presbyterian Weekday School

·        The Learning Center at John Calvin Presbyterian

Rhonda’s Readings

Why is Phonological/Phonemic Awareness important in the curriculum or during circle time?

Phonological awareness is an important component of any curriculum that values young children’s success in learning to read. It is the foundation of which their reading skills are built. Beginning sound recognition and letter recognition skills are essential for children to be able to identify and put together different sounds that letters and a combination of letters makes in order to associate them with the written word.

Phonemic awareness is an important element for reading progression. Children must have many opportunities to practice letter and sound recognition, segmentation and blends in all phases of the curriculum including circle time, outdoor and movement activities. The curriculum should reflect phonological awareness lesson plans which include letter identification, simple songs and games incorporated throughout the day in all areas of the classroom. Educators must engage young children in PA activities that are planned parts of the curriculum and circle time. These kinds of things helps to focus their attention to the sounds in words, such as word rhyming and matching, singing songs, alliteration games, and syllable segmentation. All of these activities serve as a prelude to children learning how to read.

When we teach PA to young children, we as educators must remember to utilize group settings as much as possible to encourage peer interaction and socialization. We must allow children to express their individuality and creativity. We have to be careful to encourage rather than stifle their natural curiosity and always strive to make each and every lesson a fun and playful experience.

When we take time, and make the effort to engage our preschoolers and other young children in oral activities which emphasize and express the sounds of language, we are building the foundation to help them become successful readers and learners

Pat’s Postings

Helpful Bits of Advice

Celebrate!! A new school year has begun. As school begins the best thing we can do for “our children” in the classroom is to be excited.

Here are some of the hints and suggestions veteran teachers have said about starting a new school year:

·         A smile in those first critical few moments when facing the class for the first time sets the mood of the day.

·         Keep a sense of humor, stay organized but be flexible and documenteverything.

·         Leave your personal problems at the doorand show the kids you care.

·         Find a mentor!A veteran teacher that you 

·         can go to anytime and ask lots of questions.

·         Say something personal and something positive to every child, every day.Kids need to know that you care.

·         Accept help whenever it is offered

·        Find as many ways as possible to praise students because that is what they respond to the best.

·         A simple, kind word or smile means everything to a child.

·         Take time to listen to your students and give them adequate time to share.

·         Trust your instincts and judgments.

·         Teach your students as you would wish your children to be taught.

·         Have one premise for your classroom rules – mutual respect.

·         Have few rules – mine are: think, be polite, do your work.

·         Never fight a battle you can't win,

·         Realize that you will make mistakes, because becoming a teacher did not make you perfect.

·         Don't be afraid to apologize to your students when you have made a mistake.

·         Realize that the lesson plan is just that – a plan. Remember, we make plans every day of our life but rarely do we carry them out 100% of the time.

·         Get a good night sleep every night.

Write your name in permanent ink on the front of everything you own in your classroom. Teachers are notorious for borrowing something of interest and then forgetting where they got it.

Don't let your teaching job become your life! Of all the professions in the world, teachers could easily work themselves to death because so much in this world can be used to teach our students.

Cram some fun into every lesson and the rest will follow.

No matter how hard you tryto please the parents, the administration, and the students, never stop trying to please yourself.

You can't do it all at once.Be sensitive to your own needs and temper your drive to succeed with moments for milk, cookies, and a good book. Renew your reasons for teaching as often as possible. It will always bring you back to the pleasure of a toothless smile.

Melody’s Message

Print Rich Environment

The new school year has begun and you have rearranged your environment and cleaned your classroom.  You are now ready for the first day.  What have you forgotten?  Have you labeled any of the centers?  Are the children’s name displayed in several areas of the room?  Do you have pictures with words on them?

Where is the Environmental Print?

Environmental print is the print that children observe in their everyday surroundings such as street signs, billboards, and store signs.  A “print rich” classroom is one in which many different kinds of print are displayed.  Displaying environmental print in the classroom helps children to feel successful “reading” at an early age.  These early successes motivate young children to read more and more! 

·         Your role as a teacher is to provide:

·         Timeand opportunity for multiple literacy activities during the day

·         Role modelingof correct reading and writing throughout the day.

·         Many opportunitiesfor students to read and write throughout the day.

·         A selection and varietyof literature; rotate books every week.

·         Listening timeas children read, even if they are creating a story.

·         Small group availability in writing area

·         Print displaysthat are at children’s eye level.

·         New displays

·         Functional printsuch as classroom schedule, routines, center labels, graphs, and sign-in sheets

·         Books and writing materialsin a variety of centers and places throughout the room

·         Printthat is displayed at each center.

·         A wide varietyof writing tools and materials for the children to use

·         Displaysof songs, poetry, and student print around the room

·         Comfortable placesto read and write.

·         Menus,cereal boxes, magazines, books, in your Housekeeping and/or Dramatic Play area.

·         An “environmental print” book for your library.

·         Encouragementand opportunities for the children in your classroom to be successful readers. 

By creating and adding a few new things in your classroom each week will keep the children interested and eager to explore their environment.

First Class Project:

Have your children and parents create their own “environmental print” book.  They can take pictures favorite restaurants, favorite books, cereal boxes, and pictures from magazines and they can share with the class.

Marni’s Memo

Quote by Dr. Seuss “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”

The purpose of healthy competition is to help encourage employees to have fun with one another. A little competition in the work place can actually foster greater productivity, because it acts as an incentive for employees to produce results.

In other words, team building competition events provide a greater incentive for each employee to try their best and to work hard. Without competition, less would most likely get done in the workplace because it is easy to become complacent with doing the bare minimum.

To keep competition healthy in the workplace requires that each person get ahead because of the work done to satisfy their individual responsibilities, not by doing what undermines another. Promoting our good points is healthy, while at the same time we do not point out another's weaknesses. Improving our job skills is healthy, so that we can naturally stand out in the competition.

I encourage all of you to create some healthy competition in your centers this year.  Ask yourself: What can I do better?  How can I help others improve? What are my goals? By engaging in healthy competition we can improving ourselves and build our skills and character.  The ELM coaches are here to support you, and always like to reward progress.   

Food for thought...

“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we loved so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.”Marcel Post , French Novelist and Author

“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.”Tom Stoppard, British Playwright

“Childhood is that wonderful time of life when all you need to do is lose weight is take a bath.” Richard Zera