IELDS Standard: 8.A.ECa
-
Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Math Is Everywhere
Keep children engaged when you have to wait
-
Topic Webs in Project Work: Part 2—Organizing the Children’s Web
Making a topic web with the children in a class can be an important part of preparation for project work. A topic web is a kind of visual organizer. A topic web helps to represent the understandings and questions that the class has about a topic. Note: This lesson planning aid is a companion to…
-
Things to Sit On
Projects are the part of the curriculum that involves children in investigating objects and events around them that are worth knowing more about. Project work is a way of uncovering a subject rather than just covering it. A project focusing on “Things to Sit On” has the potential to involve the entire class from the…
-
All About Gardens
Projects are the part of the curriculum that involves children in investigating objects and events around them that are worth knowing more about. Project work is a way of uncovering a subject rather than just covering it. A project focusing on gardens has the potential to involve the entire class, the children’s families, and community…
-
From Door to Door: A Project about Doors and Gates
Projects are the part of the curriculum that involves children in investigating objects and events around them that are worth knowing more about. Project work is a way of uncovering a subject rather than just covering it. Doors are so much a part of our daily lives that we tend to take them for granted.…
-
Changes in the Trees around Us
Projects are the part of the curriculum that involves children in investigating objects and events around them that are worth knowing more about. Project work is a way of uncovering a subject rather than just covering it. Most young children growing up in Illinois have opportunities to observe and study the dramatic seasonal changes that…
-
Investigating Wheels
A project is a part of the curriculum that involves children in investigating objects and events around them that are worth knowing more about. Project work is a way of uncovering a subject rather than just covering it. A project on wheels has the potential to involve the entire class, the children’s families, and community…
-
Dual Language Use During Choice Time
This video shows 5-year-old Imelda interacting in English with an adult visitor and singing in Spanish during choice time in her half-day bilingual classroom.
-
Observing Chickens on the Playground
Teachers have given children an opportunity to observe chickens during free play, after first having arranged some activities that allowed the children to become somewhat familiar with the chickens in another setting.
-
Mila Sticks With Art
The video shows Mila creating an “outline” or frame of construction paper strips around a piece of drawing paper, then drawing inside the frame.
-
Magnets and Cars
The teacher took the 3- and 4-year-olds to visit the automotive lab next door to the classroom. The next day she asked the children to predict what parts of a car would attract a magnet.
-
Exploring Sound on the Dam
This video clip shows one kind of exploration that is possible when educators arrange outdoor experiences for young children.
-
Bouncing Balls
During circle time, the children played a guessing game about balls.
-
Bethany Draws a Wheel
The community college child care center in this video was near the automotive lab, where auto mechanics were trained. The families of the children were students, faculty, and members of the local community. Many of the families qualified for subsidized child care because of their income. Children had many different attendance patterns, due to their…
-
Sorting, Classifying, and Organizing
Sorting and organizing things into sets and groups is an important math skill for young children to develop.
-
Comparing Firefighter Coats
This preschool class has been investigating fire safety. In this clip, the class has gathered for a group meeting.
-
Math and the Project Approach
Young children develop math competencies when their teachers know what math concepts and skills young children are most likely to be ready to learn and should know (Illinois State Board of Education, 2013) and when teachers know where each child’s individual level of progress and performance is in relation to mastery of those competencies.
-
Get Growing: Planning a Garden with Young Children
Here are some first steps for teachers who want to involve a preschool class in gardening—whether indoors, on the rooftop, or on the playground.
-
Get Growing: Learning about Seeds
Preschoolers can find out many things about seeds before planting them. Here are some teacher-tested activities to help children investigate seeds.
-
Get Growing: From Seeds to Sprouts
Here are some suggestions for seed-sprouting activities.
-
Time for Preschoolers: In Sequence!
Here are some activities that can help children find out more about sequences.
-
Path to Math: Real Graphs for Preschoolers
Graphing can be a way for 4- and 5-year-olds to apply what they know about classification, counting, and one-to-one correspondence.
-
Path to Math: Classification
Children classify objects, ideas, sounds, smells, or flavors into groups (categories) according to traits they have in common.
-
Math Sense: Learning about Coins
To help 3- and 4-year-olds become more familiar with money, teachers and caregivers can first engage them in investigations of coins.
-
Natural Illinois: Mammals
Look carefully and you may see squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, or field mice—or the tracks they leave behind.
-
Natural Illinois: Rock On!
You don’t have to go to exotic places to find interesting rocks for preschoolers to study!
-
Math Lesson Addressing Benchmark 8.A.ECa
The children in Mrs. Silva’s class are working on a project about community helpers, guided by the question, “Who are the community helpers in our neighborhood?” During this project, the children are investigating the local post office. With guidance from Mrs. Silva, the children recognized that a mail carrier delivered mail to the school office…
-
Learning Math Through Games
Playing active games is fun for most children, and it can build a strong sense of community in a classroom.
-
Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Math
You can use waiting time to show your child that Math = Part of Life.