The goal of this publication is to enrich young children''s lives through play. The activities will identify children''s strengths and weaknesses and allow the Educator to assess each child''s progress. The sections are grouped by theme. You will find additional activities at the end of each lesson, which you may want to use to help develop some of the children''s less developed skills.
The activities in this collection are designed for children aged 18 months to 4 years. The themes have been devided into 5 chapters. Each activity explains the curriculum area of learning, an objective of the activity followed by material and the procedure to implement the activity. The evaluation can be found at the bottom of the lesson to help you with outcomes for a positive learning experience. The themes are listed in the table of contents.
The objectives of the activites are to promote socialization and to encourage children to explore the world around them. Word repetition enhances language skills. The activites will help to make the children aware of spatial relation and their recognition of living things and objects. In each lesson they will use their senses and develop gross and fine motor skills. We will promote the use of classification, grouping and matching skills. My intent with these experiences is to enhance each child''s creativity.
The compiling of these activities can be a great resource for Pre-school Teachers. In my experience, I have found that there are too few activities designed for our very young children. I was inspired to write this book after spending several months observing a daycare setting. My intent is to provide a rich learning environment for children and the hope that Educators and Parents will benefit in using my activities to help teach young children to develop both intellectually and physically.
Acknowledgements
This collection of activities is dedicated to my late mother, Stella, whose enthusiasm and advice have been invaluable. Her zest for life and her kindness has inspired me. I would also like to thank my husband Jake, for his help, ideas and unwavering support that gave me courage to continue this endeavor. A special thanks to my children Christi-Lee and Dane for their patience and willingness to be "readers." I would also like to acknowledge Kim Taylor Horeck for her steadfast support.