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Visual Reward & Token Boards

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Classroom Rules Posters with Visuals

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Whole Class Reward System Classroom Management Behavior Chart

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Break Cards

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Chico CEU Form intd_registration_form_23-24 (1)

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Function of Behavior - Determine the function of behavior first -

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Function of Behavior Chart for Documentation

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Function of Behavior Chart for Documentation

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ASQ 36 Months

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The Alphabetic Principle - Name Guess Who Game

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The Alphabetic Principle - Name Guess Who Game

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Phonics Development   The Alphabetic Principle

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Trauma-Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators

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Trauma-Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators

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Julie Kurtz is an author, international speaker consulting and training on trauma, social-emotional skills and resilience for all ages. She promotes the concept of optimal brain integration to maximize the human growth potential. Julie is the Founder for the Center for Optimal Brain Integration®.

She is a co-author of:

* Trauma-Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators: Relationship-Based Approaches that Support Healing and Build

Resilience in Young Children, Edition 2

* Culturally Responsive Self-Care Practices for Early Childhood Educators

* Trauma Informed Practices for Early Childhood Leaders: Creating and Sustaining Healing and Engaged Organizations

* Trauma-Responsive Family Engagement Practices for Early Childhood: Asset-Focused Partnerships to Improve Equity

*. Supporting Young Children to Cope, Build Resilience and Heal from Trauma through Play: A Practical Guide for Early

Childhood Educators

* Understanding My Brain: Becoming Human(E)! (Ages 4-8 and Ages 5-10)

* Entendiendo Mi Cerebro Convirtiéndose en un Ser Humanitario y Compasivo! (Spanish Edition Ages 4-8)

Julie Kurtz is the creator of the phone/tablet Application (APP) Trigger Stop: Sensory and Emotional Check-in designed specifically for children ages 3-8 years to promote sensory and emotional literacy and to support self-regulation.

www.optimalbrainintegration.com

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Trauma-Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators

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Trauma-Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators [Nicholson, Julie, Kurtz, Julie, Perez, Linda] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Trauma-Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators

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What Are My Feelings - Workbook - Middle School Edition

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What Are My Feelings - Workbook - Middle School Edition

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The majority of public school principals are now required to supervise and evaluate early childhood teachers and classrooms, yet many do not have a sufficient understanding of child development and early childhood pedagogy to lead for equity. This practical and comprehensive resource addresses this critical gap by presenting current research on child development, an understanding of the elements of high-quality early childhood classrooms, essential information on trauma-responsive practices, and strategies for reducing bias and preventing the use of exclusionary discipline with young children. School leaders learn about the pivotal role they can play in improving equity for young children, their families, and the early childhood workforce. Each chapter includes key takeaways and central questions that can be used for individual reflection or to guide group discussions. Authentic examples, illustrations, and actionable strategies help readers to successfully implement the content in their school. Principals as Early Learning Leaders is essential reading for principals, vice principals, administrators, and others responsible for leading preschool and pre-K programs for equity.

Book Features:

Supports elementary school principals to better understand the role early education plays in their school.

Addresses essential issues of equity in all aspects of early learning programs that require focus and leadership.

Provides current research and practical strategies that principals can put into practice immediately to be effective instructional leaders.

Uses authentic examples and vignettes throughout to help readers see the ideas in the context of real preschool classrooms.

Includes reflection questions and key takeaways to help principals think about how the information presented can inform the work they do.

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Principals as Early Learning Leaders: Effectively Supporting Our Youngest Learners (Early Childhood Education Series)

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Amazon.com: Principals as Early Learning Leaders: Effectively Supporting Our Youngest Learners (Early Childhood Education Series): 9780807766170: Nicholson, Julie, Maniates, Helen, Yee, Serene, Williams, Thomas, Ufoegbune, Veronica, Erazo-Chavez, Raul, File, Nancy, Brown, Christopher P.: Books

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Are you looking for ways to improve your circle time to make it more fun and engaging for your preschool or pre-k students? Or maybe you're in need of a good circle time routine that includes songs and games to spice things up? Either way, you're in the right place! Here you'll learn the purpose of circle time, how long it should be, how to manage it, the best circle time songs and games... and more!

Circle Time 101: What is it?

Circle time is an important part of any high-quality early childhood program. Each day, you gather together with your entire class in your circle time area to engage in activities such as reviewing your daily schedule, singing a welcome or good morning song, and reading a story.

What is the Purpose of Circle Time in Preschool?

It used to be that circle time was viewed by many early childhood educators as a way to "teach" children important academic concepts like shapes, colors, numbers, and letters - with calendar and weather thrown in for good measure.

But the thinking around this practice has evolved as more research has emerged about how young children learn best and how their brains acquire new knowledge. We now know that young children retain information more quickly if it is meaningful to them and presented in short increments to match their attention spans. Abstract concepts such as the calendar aren't very meaningful to kids, and reporting on the weather each day doesn't have many educational benefits.

In the classrooms of today, the main purpose of circle time is to set the tone for the day. Reviewing the schedule will help your students feel safe and secure because they will know what comes next.

How Long Should Preschool Circle Time Be?

Every good preschool teacher knows that young children have very short attention spans. I think most preschool teachers would agree that getting their kids to pay attention during circle time can be challenging at times.

The reason some young children struggle to pay attention during circle time is that we're teaching beyond the capacity of their attention spans. So, can you keep your kids engaged during circle time while still accomplishing your goals? Yes, absolutely!

To keep circle time short you limit it to no more than 2 or 3 minutes per year of age for the children in your classroom. When done properly, the time spent in large group is brief and focused, but it is still very powerful.

What Do You Do at Preschool Circle Time?

Your circle time routine should include the following:

Welcome or Good Morning Song that remains the same each day

Picture schedule review for the day

Read a story

Movement activities (sing songs with movement)

Group games or activity

You may also choose to briefly discuss an issue or noticing you've had with your students during this time.

Here's a collection of the best preschool songs you can use in your classroom.

If you need some fun games to you can play with your kids, these Hide and Seek Number Games are always a huge hit in the early childhood classroom!

How to Manage Circle Time

Managing your circle time effectively can be challenging, you've got to balance your circle time activities, and establish a solid routine that keeps young children engaged. In the list above, notice how reading a story, a passive activity, was followed by a movement activity - this structure honors how the brain of a young child works.

If we were to break it down by minutes allotted for each activity here is what it would look like:

Good Morning Song: no more than 2 minutes

Picture schedule review: no more than 2 minutes

Story: 5-7 minutes (5 minutes or less in the beginning of the school year)

Movement song: no more than 2-3 minutes

Group game: 4-5 minutes (this is something you can work up to, they won't be ready in the beginning of the school year)

The Best Preschool Circle Time Routine

The most effective circle time routine for any class includes a balance of active and passive activities. Another essential element is limiting the amount of time spent in large group activities to no more than 2-3 minutes per year of your age group. As young children mature during the school year, your circle times may become longer to match their growing attention spans.

Watch the Video

Calendar Time in Preschool

Above, you can see our whole group meeting area. Some teachers refer to this as Circle Time or Calendar Time, while others may use the term Morning Meeting. I hung this oil drip pan on the wall using Command Strips. We use this as our whole group area for Morning Meeting.

You can learn more about our calendar time routine and how it works HERE.

Birthday Bag Display

There are twelve bags hanging above our birthday bulletin board, each bag is labeled with a different month. Each student's name and birth date is printed on a people shaped craft stick, and then the sticks are placed in the appropriate bags. At the beginning of each month we take a bag down to see which birthdays are coming soon, then we mark the dates on the calendar so we won't forget the important birthdays.

Read more about how to celebrate birthdays in your classroom.

How to Plan for Preschool Circle Time: Daily Schedule

My best circle time tip is to review your daily picture schedule consistently. While it may seem boring to us as adults to review the schedule daily, having consistency and routine is something that young children need in order to feel safe and secure in their environment. Having a consistent, predictable routine lets young children know "what comes next." When your students know and feel comfortable with their daily routine, they will learn more.

You, as the teacher, can add variety and novelty to your circle time activities to pique your student's interest and keep them engaged, but the routine during this time should be predictable.

Our daily schedule is displayed on the oil drip pan, a magnet is moved at the beginning of every transition to indicate what we are doing. You can also display these cards in a pocket chart and use a clothespin to indicate each activity.

You can read more about the daily schedule and how you can use it HERE.

Classroom Helpers

Circle time is a good time to review or assign helper jobs. You can quickly and easily select and rotate your classroom helpers with this library pocket system.

You can learn more about these classroom helper jobs and how they work HERE.

Interactive Attendance Chart

Each morning when the children arrive, they find their name card on the table and "sign-in" by placing their card in the appropriate column on the chart. During our morning meeting we can count how many students are here today, how many are absent etc. The cards pictured here are printed on Avery Magnet Sheets and the attendance chart is on an oil drip pan.

Circle Time Dos and Don'ts

There are some things you should always do during circle time, and others you should avoid. The keys to a successful circle time include:

Time: Limit the time spent to no more than 2-3 minutes per year of the child's age.

Routine: Stick to a consistent, predictable routine.

Balance: Alternate your activities between active and passive.

Flexibility: If things aren't going well, adjust accordingly.

Circle Time Mistakes to Avoid

Try to avoid these outdated practices:

1. Assigning Seats: Some teachers feel it's important to assign a spot to each child during circle time. While it may not seem like a big deal to us as adults, making their own choices about where to sit is very important to young children. You can allow them to select their seats, then you can make "suggestions" based on their choices.
2. Sitting Criss-Cross: While it may seem necessary to require your students to sit this way during your large group time, it really isn't. As long as students aren't bothering others and they're still participating and paying attention, then it really shouldn't matter how they sit. You might suggest some different seating options, especially for those students who find it difficult to sit in the more traditional criss-cross style.

What About Show and Tell?

3. Show and tell is another throwback to a bygone era that is no longer effective or necessary. While show and tell may have been started with the very best of intentions, it no longer meets the needs of today's young children. The origins of this practice go back to a time when the purpose of preschool was entirely different than it is today. Today, we have more effective ways to develop oral language skills and turn taking in the classroom without excessive wait time or a misplaced emphasis on consumerism.

Research has shown that the most effective way for young children to develop oral language skills (and the importance of taking turns) is through peer-to-peer conversations. This tells us that young children's time is much better spent talking and interacting with their friends in informal settings such as recess and center time.

For a more structured oral language activity, you can invite students to participate in the narration and retelling of a favorite story by acting it out.

How to Get Kids to Pay Attention During Circle Time

Watch the video above or read this blog post for tips to help your kids pay attention during large group activities.

How to Handle Interruptions in the Classroom

If your kids frequently interrupt during whole group activities watch this video for tips that can help.

7 Tips for Reading Aloud to Kids

If your kids have difficulty listening to you when you read a story, then you'll want to read my best tips HERE.

The Teaching Trailblazers

Having a successful circle time routine is awesome! But let's face it, circle time is only one small part of your day. If you really want to become a better teacher, the best place to discuss teaching best practices and get the support you need is in the Teaching Trailblazers. We have many printable lessons and on-demand video trainings to help you become the best teacher you can be! If you want to get on the waiting list for the Teaching Trailblazers, do it soon so you don't miss the next open enrollment period!

More Teaching Tips from Pre-K Pages

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Circle Time tips and ideas for your pre-k, preschool, Head Start, or kindergarten classroom. Pictures and materials list included.

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You searched for PreK - Playdough To Plato

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Equipping teachers with everything you need to help EVERY student learn to read.

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ASQ SE 60 Months

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Milestones 5 Years

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ASQ SE 48 Months

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ASQ 60 Months

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Finding the First Sound in Words with Movement

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Finding the First Sound in Words with Movement

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Finding the first sound in words with movement

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Finding the Middle Sound with Movement - Rollercoaster Words

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Finding the Middle Sound with Movement - Rollercoaster Words

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Rollercoaster Words

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Rollercoaster Words: finding the middle sound

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Finding the ending sound in words - Punching

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The Powerful Role of Play

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Guides to Speech and Action - Katherine Read Baker

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Authored and Presented By: Debbie Laffranchini

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UPK Supports & Services Presentation TCOE 9/18/2023

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UPK Supports & Services Presentation TCOE 9/18/2023

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Pre-K Baseline Data, SST's, Intervention, etc.

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Intervention Toolkit for Preschool Parents

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Intervention Toolkit for Preschool Parents

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Intensive Interventions: A Teacher's Toolkit

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Welcome to the Intensive Interventions: A Teacher's Toolkit App. To begin, click on the tool or phase of implementation you are interested in.

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25 PreK Math Centers

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With the summer half over by now, places like Pinterest are flooded with back to school checklists and quizzes to determine if children are ready for kindergarten this fall. Scattered among those checklists and quizzes are questions about pencil grasp development. They all seem to ask, "Does your child have it, or not?"

To ensure that your child is kindergarten ready, hop on over to our shop and check out our Ultimate Preschool Activity Pack!

As a parent, you might be wondering at what age you should be encouraging correct pencil grasp, or at what age you should begin to worry about your child's pencil grasp. There are several distinct stages that most children work their way through when learning how to correctly hold a pencil, and because of this, pencil grasp development is much more complex than some might think.

This is the final post in a series of three where I go in depth about pencil grasp development. The first post I shared how baby's first grasps develop into the beginning pencil grasps common for toddlers. Then, I shared how preschoolers transition from those common grasps used by toddlers into a grasp that is more developed and allows more control. Finally, today I will share what a proper pencil grasp looks like and when parents should begin to worry about their child's pencil grasp.

Pencil Grasp Development in Kindergartners

As a child's fine motor muscles in the hands, fingers and wrists become stronger, their pencil grasp will change to reflect that added strength. Between the ages of four and seven years, most children will develop the desired tripod grasp recommended by pediatricians and occupational therapists.

The tripod grasp is where the thumb and pointed finger pinch the pencil. (Remember I mentioned the importance of the pincher grasp in the first post about pencil grasp development in babies?) The pencil rests on the middle finger, which is also touching the pad of the thumb. The ring and pinkie fingers are tucked under for added support, but do not actually touch the pencil. With the tripod grasp, the pencil is held at more of an angle, not vertical to the paper as is seen with the cylindrical grasp.

The tripod grasp is the most mature pencil grasp. It allows more flexibility and mobility in the hand and wrist, allowing for dynamic movement, thus giving more control. This allows children to accurately and efficiently write letters and draw intricate patterns. It allows for the most dexterity in writing, as well as other fine motor activities that may be required, such as a professional jeweler beading pearls between links on a gold chain, or a plastic surgeon doing sutures.

Closely related to the tripod grasp is the quadruped grasp, which is actually how I hold my pencil.

For a long while, only the tripod grasp was accepted as correct, but now many occupational therapists and pediatricians are accepting the quadruped grasp as long as writing can be produced effortlessly and legibly. The quadruped grasp is nearly identical to the tripod grasp with the exception that instead of the middle finger being tucked under the pencil, the pad of the middle finger helps pinch the pencil between the thumb and the pointer, leaving the pencil to rest on the ring finger. Thus, four fingers touching the pencil instead of only three. The quadruped grasp offers the nearly the same mobility as the tripod grasp, which is why is has become more common.

When Should You Worry?

In many cases, pencil grasp development will work itself out. There is a fair amount of research that states pencil grasp doesn't actually impact legibility. But, there are some reasons for intervention:

Stress on the joints of the wrist and hand - If a child has not developed the strength needed to adequately hold a pencil, she may try locking her joints to gain the control needed. This causes unnecessary stress which can have adverse side effects later in life.

Fatigue and/or pain during actual writing - A child who uses an immature pencil grasp may experience physical pain and fatigue as she writes. This is problematic because it can lead to avoidance behaviors. If the physical act of writing is difficult, a child is likely to fight it.

Compromised writing speed - There is no need to be a "speed writer," but children do need to write at a speed appropriate for their age and development. The reason for this is that if a child is using an inferior pencil grasp that is causing slow writing, she may have trouble completing in-class assignments in a timely manner.

For More Information

Please note that I am an experienced preschool teacher, not an occupational therapist nor a pediatrician. This information is provided to you via my own research. If you have questions or concerns, please direct them to the appropriate specialist.

For more information about pencil grasp development, please check out the following links:

Difficulties in Writing by Dr. Mel Levine

Pencil Grip: a Descriptive Model and Four Empirical Studies by Ann Sophie Selin

Comparison of Pencil-Grip Patterns in First Graders With Good and Poor Writing Skills by Colleen M. Schneck

Then, check out the Ultimate Preschool Activity Pack in our shop!

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Pencil Grasp Development in Kindergartners

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Pencil grasp development in kindergartners...what a proper pencil grasp looks like and when parents should begin to worry about their child's pencil grasp.

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Pencil Grasp Development Preschool (4 year olds)

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Pencil Grasp Development Preschool (4 year olds)

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[et_pb_column type="4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"]Pencil grasp development in preschoolers is a complex topic. Acquiring the correct pencil grasp is one of the most important physical skills children develop and most of that takes place during the preschool years. Children transition from holding a pencil with a very crude grasp to something that nearly resembles a more advanced, adult-like hold.

To work on more preschool fun, check out our Ultimate Preschool Activity Pack!

This is the second post in a series of three where I go in depth about pencil grasp development. Yesterday, I shared how baby's first grasps develop into the beginning pencil grasps common for toddlers. Today is all about how preschoolers transition from those common grasps used by toddlers into a grasp that is more developed and allows more control. Finally, tomorrow I will share what a proper pencil grasp looks like and when parents should begin to worry about their child's pencil grasp.

Pencil Grasp Development in Older Toddlers

Between two and three years of age, a child's pencil grasp will transition from the cylindrical grasp (this fisted, whole hand grasp) into the radial cross palmer, where the fingers are all pointed down toward the paper, rather than the palm.

All fingers and the thumb are still utilized in the radial cross palmer grasp, however there is less support from the palm and slightly more pressure on the fingers and thumb. This is the beginning of what looks likes a traditional pencil grasp, where the control shifts from the whole hand and more to the fingers and thumb.

Many toddlers as young as two years will begin experimenting with the digital pencil grasp, and will sometimes flip flop between it and the palmer supinate grasp I wrote about yesterday.

While most children make use of the radial cross palmer grasp during those early preschool years, between two and three years-old, some children may continue to use this grasp when they are four. Parents may be inclined to worry at this point, and a discussion with a pediatrician or occupational therapist may be helpful. However, parents should never force their child to use a pencil grasp that is uncomfortable for them. That may cause bad habits to develop, which will make writing more difficult in the long term.

Instead, parents should offer their child a variety of fine motor activities to strengthen the fine motor muscles in the hands and wrists. Some fine motor activities, like threading beads or lacing cards, will exactly mimic the same grasps as holding a pencil.

Pencil Grasp Development in Preschoolers

By the time children become preschoolers, they transition into the modified tripod grasp. With this grasp it is not uncommon for children to use the entire pad of their fingers for support, rather than just the tips.

They might try to grip the pencil with unnecessary strength. In addition, in the modified tripod grasp children use the ring and pinkie fingers for added support on the pencil itself, rather than having them tucked under the pencil.

With the modified tripod grasp, the arm moves very little, as the wrist and hand control most movement in the writing process. This added control allows for the child to make more deliberate lines when drawing, such as completely closed circles, making squares with four obvious corners, or making an "x." And these are all skills your child's pediatrician may look for at a check-up.

Because of this added control, children may also begin to make more recognizable pictures in their drawings, such as a person drawn up of a circle, square and lines for arms and legs, something included in kindergarten screenings. Making drawings like this are an excellent way to develop writing skills. Doing so will make the transition to formal letter formation in kindergarten easier.

While the modified tripod grasp is close to the targeted pencil grip that is recommended by occupational therapists, it is not the same, and therefore a child who consistently uses the modified tripod grasp beyond what is developmentally appropriate may experience fatigue and other side effects while writing.

Correct pencil grasp becomes increasingly important as a child nears formal schooling where more writing will be required. Again, exposure to various writing and art materials will improve pencil grip, as will fine motor activities that do not require a pencil and paper. Activities like popping bubble wrap, squishing playdough, and twisting nuts onto bolts will increase the strength of fine motor muscles and will thus have a positive impact on pencil grasp development.

What Happens Next?

Find out what a correct tripod and quadruped pencil grasp looks like, why occupational therapists and pediatricians recommend those specific pencil grasps, and when parents should begin to worry here.

For More Information

Please note that I am an experienced preschool teacher, not an occupational therapist nor a pediatrician. This information is provided to you via my own research. If you have questions or concerns, please direct them to the appropriate specialist.

For more information about pencil grasp development, please check out the following links:

Difficulties in Writing by Dr. Mel Levine

Pencil Grip: a Descriptive Model and Four Empirical Studies by Ann Sophie Selin

Comparison of Pencil-Grip Patterns in First Graders With Good and Poor Writing Skills by Colleen M. Schneck

Want more preschool learning!? Check out our super awesome Ultimate Preschool Activity Pack in our shop![/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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Pencil Grasp Development in Preschoolers

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Pencil grasp development in preschoolers is a complex topic. Acquiring correct pencil grasp is one of the most important physical skills children develop.

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RTI Posters

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School Readiness Assessment

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Speech Norms Chart

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Kindergarten Roundup Screener

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Lots of hands-on preschool activities

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As an occupational therapist, I love to work with preschoolers. Here, you will find hands-on preschool activities designed to promote child development, learning, and engagement through messy play, multisensory learning, and developmentally appropriate activities for young . Whether you need ideas for early intervention, ideas for the home learning space, or movement based ideas, this space has you covered! Also be sure to check out our fine motor skills for preschoolers resource for more ideas and developmentally appropriate activity ideas.

This is a collection of all of our Learning and Play activities for kids aged 2 and a half to 5 (and Pre-K).

The years are a season of growth and development in every skill area. Language, fine motor, gross motor, self-care, behavior, humor, direction-following, creativity, and social-emotional areas are all blossoming with tremendous growth during the years. It is so much fun to see the changes that preschoolers go through in each of these areas. They truly develop into their own person. Play is essential for development in the child. It is my hope that these activities will inspire fun and creative play and learning with you and your special Preschooler!

Preschool Activities and Child Development

During the preschool years, children are developing in astounding ways. From language to motor skills, the preschool years mean children go from very needy individuals to children that are ready to move on to kindergarten!

You'll want to get a better handle on child development by reading many of our development resources:

So what kind of activities do preschoolers need?

Preschool aged kids need play!

It's through play that all learning happens, and in the 2-5 age range especially, play is the driving force behind child development, learning, and skill building.

Play offers the opportunity to develop so many skills in preschoolers:

literacy

math skills

social emotional learning

self-confidence

creativity

communication

self-care skills

sensory exploration

physical motor skills (gross motor, fine motor, balance, coordination, etc.

fine motor tool use: crayons, pencils, scissors, etc.

self-regulation

attention, organization, focus

direction-following

so much more!

It's hands-on activities, founded in child development, and the tasks that are appropriate for this age, in play, that help children develop skills!

This is a collection of all of our Preschool Learning and Play activities for kids aged 2 and a half to 5 (and Pre-K). We love creating, crafting, and playing with preschool-aged kids. It's a season of growth and development in every skill area. Language, fine motor, gross motor, self-care, behavior, humor, direction-following, creativity, and social-emotional areas are all blossoming with tremendous growth during the preschool years.

It is so much fun to see the changes that preschoolers go through in each of these areas. They truly develop into their own person. Play is essential for development in the child. It is my hope that these activities will inspire fun and creative play and learning with you and your special Preschooler!

Preschool Crafts

Crafts with kids can get a bad rap. Some may say that crafts stifle creativity; that kids are not able to express themselves when they are given a definite end-product that they are to replicate. There is definitely a need for process-oriented free craft time without a specific end-result.

Process art has it's benefits for kids, and we definitely create a lot of creative painting art.

Crafts with a product-oriented end result have a very different point for kids. Crafts provide kids with a specific end-result when tasks are done. You can assess tool use, direction-following, hand dominance, visual perceptual processing, fine motor strength, sensory discrimination, and so many more areas by completing a craft with children.

Sure, you can assess these areas in a non-craft setting, but the assessment results may take much longer to achieve. Children are proud of the crafts they make. They gain self-confidence by completing a task to MAKE something.

These Preschool crafts are perfect for fun or assessment of skill area. Have fun crafting and enjoy your time creating with your child!

Art Activities for Preschoolers

Art activities for young children have the potential for messy play that develops the senses. Children are proud of the art projects they make, and art activities can be a creative way to expand on language, self-confidence, motor skill development, and sensory exploration. They gain self-confidence by completing a task to MAKE something.

Preschool Sensory Exploration Play

Preschool children learn through their senses. What better way to invite a child to learn than through exploring the senses.

The wonderful thing about sensory play and learning is that almost any learning objective can be achieved through the senses. What a wonderful classroom or home environment a child will have when they are given the opportunity to discover and explore with the senses.

Preschool Building Blocks and Tools

Blocks develop fine motor skills and visual motor skills. Using blocks also develop visual motor skills, core strength, eye-hand coordination and much more.

In preschool, using blocks is a powerful tool! These block activities for preschoolers help children to develop so many skills.

Children learn and develop with block and building activities. Engineering, pattern development, size awareness, visual perceptual integration, and fine motor skills will flourish while playing with blocks and building materials.

Preschool children build their skill areas through play with blocks and building tools.

Preschool Color Learning

In preschool, children learn colors! Color sorting, making patterns, and coloring are all part of the ages 2-5. This resource on how to teach coloring skills is helpful for young children to develop greater fine motor skills, to color with a crayon, and the visual motor skills to color in lines.

Activities that Teach colors to children are fun ways to learn!

Preschool children will love these color identification and color sorting activities.

Preschool Math Activities

During the preschool years, math skills occur through play. By counting, sorting, and creating patterns right in the play experience, young children are developing skills they need for later years.

Activities like the ones listed below can help kids build skills such as:

Sorting skills

Counting skills

Weights

Measurements

Size awareness

Shape awareness

These are math activities that my kids have loved when they were in Preschool and Pre-K. You will want to follow along on our Playful Math Pinterest board for more playful math ideas.

Literacy Activities for Preschoolers

During the preschool years, there is a huge leap in literacy development. And, when you add a hands-on component, children have the ability to learn through play.

Hands-on literacy activities for preschoolers can help kids to rhyme with finger and movement rhyme games. Ideas can use movement and music, and teach the alphabet. Literacy begins at this young age and compounds through the school-age years in the way of phonetic understanding of letters as a building block for literacy and reading.

It is possible to give preschool aged children the best start to their education with simple learning activities that build a love for learning from the start, using hands-on activities that are founded in age-appropriateness, but also help to develop strong hands, bodies, self-confidence, social emotional learning, creativity, problem solving and many other areas...all while helping children to recognize the letters in their name, understand and learn the alphabet, and begin a foundation for education.

Engaging literacy activities offer a chance for preschoolers to practice letter recognition.

Hands-on play allows kids to practice the alphabet.

Movement and music can help children to learn rhyming and cadence in reading and literacy.

Letter recognition activities offer the opportunity to develop visual and motor skills needed for writing letters (when they are developmentally ready to write letters, AFTER preschool age)

We've got lots of playful ideas for letter identification, letter learning, letter order, and letter formation for preschool aged children.

Alphabet Activities in Preschool

Preschool is the perfect time to teach the alphabet. This building block of literacy is so important for reading skills and literacy. In preschool, teaching the alphabet song is key. So too is letter discrimination, recognizing different letters, and playing with letters.

We've got lots of playful ideas for letter identification, letter learning, letter order, and letter formation for preschool aged children. Be sure to follow along on our Alphabet Play Pinterest Board.

Preschool Books and Activities

We love to create activities, crafts, and fun based on Preschool books. You can find all of our creative book extension ideas here. Some of our favorite Preschool books and activities that we've done:

Preschool Fine Motor Activities:

In preschool years, fine motor development grows and develops by great strides. From scooping and pouring, to coloring and scissor use, fine motor skills develop. With tool use like scissor skills and clothing management, these areas are refined. Try the following fine motor activities in preschool:

Preschool Christmas Activities

Christmas ideas for preschool are fun! Try some of these to develop skills through play during the holidays:

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Hands-On Preschool Activities Based on Child Development - The OT Toolbox

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As an occupational therapist, I love to work with preschoolers. Here, you will find hands-on preschool activities designed to promote child development, learning, and engagement through messy play, multisensory learning, and developmentally appropriate activities for young . Whether you need ideas for early intervention, ideas for the home learning space, or movement based ideas, this space has you covered!

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Many online resources :)

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CIU20 Early Intervention - Activities to Support Development

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Resources are provided for informational purposes and do not indicate a specific endorsement by IU20 or the Early Intervention program.