Communication, Language, and Literacy
Ways children learn to communicate with others.
5 Materials that can be used: Indestructibles books in various languages, educational cd's, puppets, Mighty Echo Microphone, and a whiteboard with dry erase markers.
1
Planning Form
Name of Activity
Food is Delicious
Originating Idea
Children develop their expressive vocabulary by talking about everyday food items.
Curriculum Area
D. Communication, Language, and Literacy
19. Speaking: children speak
Materials
Dramatic play kitchen, play serving bowls, play serving spoons, play bowls, play plates, play silverware, play cups, and a variety of play foods, real food boxes, and drink containers (including ethnic choices)
Appropriate Age group:
Infant and toddlers
Beginning of Activity
Children are excited to explore new pretend foods and drinks in the dramatic play kitchen.
Middle of Activity
Your ideas for scaffolding children at different developmental levels
Early:
Infants and children explore the various play food items by grasping, holding, touching, tasting, and dropping them into or on top of plates, bowls, or cups. The teacher will start a reciprocal back-and-forth conversation by saying, “You have a cookie. Yummy, I eat my cookies with a glass of milk.” While pretending to eat the food.
Middle:
Children can hold onto and mix up a variety of play foods putting them together, such as making a salad with multiple vegetables or creating their coffee drinks by adding milk and creamer to the coffee cup containers. The teacher will start a reciprocal back-and-forth conversation by saying things “I see you are making a salad, what vegetables are you using?” (Then help them with the names if they need assistance).
Later:
Children will prepare a full meal as they soon mimic the lunch meals by finding a fruit, vegetable, main dish, and drink. The teacher will start a reciprocal back-and-forth conversation such as “I can’t wait for lunchtime today, Ms. Butters is making our macaroni and cheese for our main dish, we are going to have broccoli for our vegetable and pineapples for our fruit. Are you going to drink milk with your lunch? Do you think we can prepare the same meal as Ms. Butters?”
End of Activity
Sing the classroom clean-up song while assisting the children in cleaning up our toys and putting them away.
Follow-up Ideas
Introduce children to ethnic foods that they are unaware of. Allow them to play and explore those.
2
Planning Form
Name of Activity
What is That?
Originating Idea
Infants and toddlers become familiar with objects are them and can identify them in books.
Curriculum Area
D. Communication, Language, and Literacy
20. Exploring print: children explore picture books and magazines
Materials
Multiple copies of the same familiar books
Appropriate Age group:
Infant and toddlers
Beginning of Activity
Children are excited to read familiar books
Middle of Activity
Your ideas for scaffolding children at different developmental levels
Early:
Children explore the book by holding, grasping, and eating/tasting the pages and spine.
Middle:
Children orientate the book appropriately, turn the pages independently, and point to different pictures within the story. While reading the book, the teacher initiates a back-and-forth conversation, saying, “What do you see in this picture? Can you point to the brown bear?”
Later:
Children orientate the book appropriately, turn the pages independently, identify, and “read” the pictures within the story to the teacher.
End of Activity
Sing the classroom clean-up song while assisting the children in cleaning up our books and putting them away inside the bookshelf.
Follow-up Ideas
Introduce a new book that has similar pictures and see if they can associate and identify that the pictures are the same type of thing.
3
Planning Form
Name of Activity
Five Little Monkeys
Originating Idea
Children develop humor and learn easy stories, rhymes, and songs
Curriculum Area
D. Communication, Language, and Literacy
21. Enjoying language: children enjoy stories, rhymes, and songs
Materials
None
Appropriate Age group:
Infant and toddlers
Beginning of Activity
Start singing the song, Five Little Monkeys
Middle of Activity
Your ideas for scaffolding children at different developmental levels
Early:
Children listen to the song Five Little Monkeys.
Middle:
Children attempt to sing the song with the teacher Five Little Monkeys.
Later:
Children sing the song and act out Five Little Monkeys, by jumping up and falling down.
End of Activity
Start singing a different song.
Follow-up Ideas
Integrate the book Five Little Monkeys and see if the children can “read/sing” the book independently.