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Why a Positive Class Climate is Important:

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Why a Positive Class Climate is Important:

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Creating a Positive Class Climate is important because it can help the students to learn better. For Instance, we talked about the teacher giving positive feedback like “It was so kind of you to work together”. This shows the students that you are proud of the work they are doing rather than just focusing on the negatives. Giving Specific Praise can be more meaningful towards the students. When students are in a Positive Class Climate can help students feel more comfortable overall which could lead them to open up more.

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Why Home-School connections are important: 

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Why Home-School connections are important: 

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I believe that having home-school connections to dramatic play is important because they can use what they have learned or done in the class at home with their families! Through dramatic-play children will more likely remember what they did/ learned because they acted it out or even did it through play! They then will go home and show their families what they played today in class. For example when our students are playing in the kitchen, they are able to incorporate math and telling time into their play! Math is incorporated through the measuring cups and spoons that are in the kitchen, which they can use when helping their parents at home cook! They can also use a play clock at school in their play centers to tell time when playing with their friends. Then they can go home and show their families they know time and how to tell it! In dramatic play, children always use their imaginations. They use different props like babies! When playing with the babies they act as if they are the parents to the doll and take care of them! They can do this at home if they have younger siblings or even pets!

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Why Culturally Responsive Connections are Important!

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Why Culturally Responsive Connections are Important!

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I believe that culturally responsive connections are super important when having dramatic play because when students are seeing other cultures it helps them realize that so many people are different and diverse. If the students were to play in the pretend kitchen and see unique and diverse food they will most likely question what they are. When they do question it the students who know what it is can explain it to them. They will have a better understanding of how different cultures have different foods and that is what their classmates enjoy eating or having in their families which is very important for the students to learn about. By encouraging dramatic play with different culture's food they can learn without being taught about it which makes them have a better connection with their peers!

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I believe that effective teaching for the dramatic play center is important because it enforces that students will be learning to their fullest potential. Effective teaching can include  using a bunch of various approaches / styles. Using different techniques such as literacy skills, reading and writing, commnication skills can all be incorporated into Dramamtic play which can make teaching more effective. Allowing young children to engage in dramamtic play will make overall lesson plans runs more smoothly. Effective teaching provides a safe and positive environment both physically and emotionally to have students reach their fullest potential and overall growth. Students learn and grow the most when they feel most comfortable with their peers and teachers. Forming connections with students will allow effective teaching to take place  and will make it easier to help students meet all their needs academically, socially or emotionally.

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                                                                                                                        Reasons Why These Thing are Important

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                                                                                                                        Reasons Why These Thing are Important

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I believe that dramatic play is important because it helps teach and promote expressive learning to our students. Expressive learning is an approach that focuses on the creativity and performance of the learners. Students as we know all learn differently. Expressive learning and dramatic play help learners communicate with us what they have learned in a creative way. This includes them showing us via the arts; music, dance, theater, etc. Dramatic play in a classroom especially at younger ages helps children who are more shy participate in a group!  Dramatic play also helps build life skills, such as language, social and emotional, and thinking.

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Why Props Are Important In Dramatic Play?

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Why Props Are Important In Dramatic Play?

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Props are super important when it comes to dramatic play! Children need to have visuals and actual objects to hold onto, use, and play with to better their sense of communication, social-emotional skills, and motor skills to list some examples. Props can also boost a child's self-esteem and confidence levels as they feel that they are practicing what they would say if they were to be in whatever social situation they are playing in. Setting up the props is important, it allows the children to see what they have the options of playing with, and lets them choose what to play with, instead of forcing them to only play with blocks or dolls. Playing with props allows them to express themselves freely and creatively as well. They can do or be anything they want to be, and express that with said props. I think that props are one of the most important things for children to have as I have seen first hand in a daycare I worked at for 3 years how much these students love using and expressing themselves with props. It makes them happy to be able to do things with their imagination and to also be able to "cook/serve food" just as if they were to do in their own houses.

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While having a dramatic play center, it should be connected to a lesson / theme for that week. You want to have a sign with goals / expectations of how children are supposed to behave in this center. The children should be able to play with each other and problem solve with minimal help. The expectations should change depending on the theme and items for children to play with.

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It's important to include a few signs throughout the Dramatic play center. The sign can change for a new theme such as kitchen items to baby nursery / family life. These signs can help children to familiarize themselves with reading more words. It will also keep the students able to point out thing related to the theme and to form recognition of words / vocabulary. Children can use the new words they are learning related to that theme when then use their imagination and play.

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- Give Specific Praise to Students
- Use a Nice Tone
- "I Like the way you are thinking"
- Show enthusiasm during activities

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Metro Nashville Public Schools Pre-K Partnership Project

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What is a Positive Classroom Climate?

Positive classrooms are marked by responsive teachers who manage behavior and attention challenges as well as the social and emotional needs of individual children.

Strategies for cultivating a positive climate:

Use behavior-approving language more frequently than behavior-disapproving

Eliminate damaging forms of redirection (e.g., threats, shaming, and sarcasm)

Give specific praise

Maintain a pleasant affect and tone when interacting with children

Examples of Behavior-Approving Language

Behavior approving reinforces a particular behavior; it says to the child that whatever he/she is doing, the teacher/EA wants it to continue or approves of it.

Behavior approving can come in the form of verbal comments, facial expressions, or physical contact with the children.
Verbal examples of Behavior Approving:

"I like the way you are sitting."

"Pat yourself on the back."

"You are working really carefully."

"I like the way you are thinking."

Non-verbal examples of Behavior Approving:

Smiling, winking, nodding at one or more children in response to behaviors.

The teacher/EA's intent is to change the child's behavior; to say to the child, "I want you to do something different from what you are doing."

Teacher/EA uses disapproving facial expressions, verbal comments, tone of voice, and/or physical contact with children.
Verbal examples of Behavior Disapproving:

"Criss-cross applesauce, Jonathan."

"Put a bubble in it, Janie."

"Well, that wasn't a good choice, was it?"

"You must not want to go to the playground today, Keisha!"

Non-verbal examples of Behavior Disapproving:

Grimacing, frowning, side-to-side head-shaking, gesturing
Please note: Statements do not have to be negative, as long as the intent is to change the child's behavior

"I know that you can sit on your bottom, Kenny."

"We're waiting for Tim and Rose and Carlos to get in line."

"I hear too many loud voices at the Circle Table."

The teacher's tone of voice and facial expressions can convey specific messages to children about how teachers feel about them, the teacher's interest in activities, and the teacher's attitude toward other children in the classroom. Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to be aware of one's affect. Even the slightest awareness and effort to develop a more positive tone can make a difference!

Ways to Improve Teacher Tone

Show enthusiasm for activities. Children take their cues from the teacher. If the teacher is barely singing "5 Little Monkeys" with a flat affect, children might assume that the teacher is bored by the song and so it's not worth their attention either.

The facial expressions and tone must match the words. If the teacher is praising a child, the teacher must be smiling and looking interested. In describing an exciting new material the teacher wants children to use during centers, the teacher's expression must convey a high level of interest.

Engage in dramatic play and story reading. Taking on a pretend role in a dramatic play scenario or using a character voice during a read-aloud can be an easy way to incorporate a vibrant tone.

Develop a positive "listening" face. Children are encouraged to participate in discussions when the audience looks interested! Teachers can do a self-check during sharing time and consider eye contact, posture, and facial expressions. Do they say to a child, "That is so interesting - please tell me more!"?

Model pleasantness and respect. Teachers who respond pleasantly to children's requests for attention provide a powerful model for children as they interact with adults and each other. Teachers must remember to say "please" and "thank you" with children, just as they would with a peer or co-worker.

Praise is most effective when it is meaningful and concrete.

Praise should be specific to children's actions, efforts, accomplishments.

Instead of:

"Kiss your brain!"

"Good job!"

"High five!"

"You're so smart!"

"Great! That's the right answer!"

"It was so kind of you to work together to solve the problem of having too many friends in the art center!"

"You must have stacked the blocks very carefully to make that tower so high!"

"That's a great suggestion for another ending to the story."

"I can tell you really worked hard to sort all of those dinosaurs."

Stop and think...What messages are you sending children about the actions and traits that are most valued in your classroom?

What are the Benefits of a Positive Emotional Classroom Climate?

Children who feel emotionally supported, valued, and safe in their classrooms are more likely to take academic risks and to deeply engage in learning tasks. These children also tend to have more positive interactions with their teachers and their peers. Better relationships between students and teachers predict higher achievement, social competency, and stronger social and emotional skills. Teachers who are warmer and more responsive to their students' needs tend to see fewer instances of problem behavior. As a result, the classroom becomes a less stressful environment for both children AND adults.

According to evidence from prior PRI research, children demonstrated significantly greater social competence and fewer problem behaviors in first grade when they'd experienced preschool settings with

a) more positive peer interactions

b) teachers who had a more positive emotional tone, and

c) teachers who spent more time positively reinforcing behavior (rather than correcting less desirable behaviors)

Further, children in emotionally supportive classrooms have frequent opportunities to develop positive self-regulation. In these classrooms, teachers model appropriate choices, reinforce children for making those choices, and guide children in developing strategies for themselves. An example would be the guided use of the Teaching Pyramid Solution Kit (from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MAGIC 8 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES TACSEI Backpack Series Handout on Positive Language This handout provides concrete strategies for how to positive language to shape children's behavior. These handouts are designed for parents to use with children at home, but these strategies can easily be applied in classroom environments as well.
Children who experienced classrooms in which teachers used morebehavior approving commentsand f ewer behavior disapproving commentsshowed much stronger gains in spelling and writing, vocabulary, and math knowledge.

Children who experienced classrooms with more positive emotional tone showed greater gains in interpersonal skills, spelling and writing, knowledge of letters and sight words, vocabulary, and math knowledge. This was especially true for children who entered pre-k with lower skills than their peers!

RELATED TOPICS: associative/cooperative interactions, engagement in learning

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Positive classrooms are marked by responsive teachers who manage behavior and attention challenges as well as the social and emotional needs of individual children.

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Including labels for the items in the dramatic play center, will allow for children to develop their literacy skills and vocabulary. Through playing with their peers, they are able to gain more comprehension of vocabulary.

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There are different ways to create a positive classroom. You can use behavior-approving language. A few examples of verbal behavior approving are complimenting your students! You can compliment the way they are sitting or the way they work! Non-verbal examples are smiling or nodding at your students in response to behaviors.
Another way of creating a positive class is the tone you use. Teachers should stay between a  neutral (being the lowest) and a vibrant (being the highest) tone. When using these tones you are using facial expression, making eye contact and you show enthusiasm for the activities!

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Effective Teaching Strategies to incorporate into any Dramatic Play Center:

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Effective Teaching Strategies to incorporate into any Dramatic Play Center:

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(ideally the classroom would have an oven/stove, sink, cabinets, microwave, table, chairs/stools)
• spoons, forks, knives
• cups (of various sizes) also stacking cups
• bowls (of various sizes)
• plates (of various sizes)
• pots/pans (of various sizes)
• whisker/pasta spoon/tongs/soup spoon/spatula, etc.
• empty or painted soap bottle
• sponges
• towels
• coffee pot
• placemats
• pitcher
• table cloth
• measuring cups/spoons
• salt/pepper shakers
• chopsticks
• soup spoons
• maybe even empty dog/cat food cans to feed the "pets"

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                                      Positive Class Climate:

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                                      Positive Class Climate:

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                                                                            PROPS:

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                                                                            PROPS:

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• box of taco/tortilla shells
• canned beans/corn
• plastic fruits/veggies
• bread
• boxed rice
• boxed pasta
• various spice containers (all emptied and/or painted) (peppers, curry, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, anise, cumin, garlic, etc.)
• empty yogurt containers
• cookies
• different cereals
• oatmeal jug
• coffee canister
• different kinds of soups
• eggs (whole/made)
• jars of sauce
• oil bottles
• cocoa powder
• play cheeses
• sour cream
• jello boxes
• pizza box

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Open ended props: (these can be whatever the child wants them to be!):

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Open ended props: (these can be whatever the child wants them to be!):

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• pompoms (maybe as veggies)
• empty cans
• popsicle sticks (maybe pasta)
• construction paper (maybe a menu)
• stuffed animals (maybe as who they're feeding)
• beads (maybe for cereal)
• feathers
• flowers
•  colorful, multi-shaped blocks/legos
• rocks/shells/leaves
• clay/play dough
• cars/trains/planes/boats
• books! (such as the very hungry caterpillar) (connect to literacy)
• toy mini plastic animals/dinosaurs (connect to science/history)
• stickers
• dolls (to use as people)
• magnets
• guitar/musical instruments
• foam/regular puzzle pieces
• fake/real plants (could connect to science on how they grow)

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• apron
• chefs/hats
• jacket
• shoes
• sun/glasses
• smocks
• gloves/socks
• shoes/slippers
• capes
• crowns
• bags/backpacks
• jewelry
• wands
• scarves/feather boas
• blankets/pillows
• dresses
• suits

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In a dramatic play center having different diverse and ethnic foods in the play kitchen is a way to make the classroom more culturally responsive. Having such items help's the students understand their peers traditions, values, cultures and more just by adding in things that they might not see in their house but will be in others.

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Incorporating math opportunities into play!

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Incorporating math opportunities into play!

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At your dramatic play center, having different size cups, measuring spoons, and a clock are all fun way to have math in your play center! Your students can measure with the measuring spoons, use the clock to tell time and have them sort the cups by size.

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Dramatic Play Defined by earlychildhoodnews.com:

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Dramatic Play Defined by earlychildhoodnews.com:

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Dramatic play can be defined as a type of play where children accept and assign roles, and then act them out. It is a time when they break through the walls of reality, pretend to be someone or something different from themselves, and dramatize situations and actions to go along with the roles they have chosen to play.

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Dramatic Play Defined by healthofchildren.com:

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Dramatic Play Defined by healthofchildren.com:

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Dramatic play. Children act out situations they suspect may happen to them, that they are fearful will happen, or that they have witnessed. Dramatic play can be either spontaneous or guided and may be therapeutic for children in the hospital.

Read more: http://www.healthofchildren.com/P/Play.html#ixzz6maHuwAfK

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In a dramatic play center having role necklaces is important because it is a visual reminder of who they are! This helps keep a positive class climate because it reminds our students what their roles are during play.

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Play is the work of children. It consists of those activities performed for self-amusement that have behavioral, social, and psychomotor rewards. It is child-directed, and the rewards come from within the individual child; it is enjoyable and spontaneous.