Activities

As children arrive at school, ask them to tell you a story. Use a clipboard to write it down. Prompt with a question such as, “Tell me a story about where the sun goes at night.

Attach VELCRO® dots or magnets to simple picture cards of different daily routines (such as washing hands, reading a book or of a child napping).

Inside of the dramatic play area provide a variety of small figures, stuffed animals and small toys with accessories to encourage the children to make up stories for their friends or act out a familiar story or nursery rhyme.

Create a chart called “Do I Need Help?” with YES and NO at the top. Encourage children to share things they need help with and things they can do by themselves.

Tell me (child's name) what did ya do

What did ya do at school today!

Place familiar objects in a container. Provide an opportunity for the children to remove an object and tell you what it is called and how to use it, such as, “This is my ball. I bounce it and I play with it.

When an infant has a book, ask him/her to show you the book, and encourage the infant to look at the book with you. For example, say, “I see a cow in that book.

Show the class a piece of art, a photograph or an illustration from a book and ask the children to tell you what happened, is happening or will happen next.

Use the children's own artwork to help them focus on detail. Give each child an art piece they recently completed. First, ask them to tell one thing about their own picture – “It's a picture of my house,” or “I drew lots of flowers.

Bring in a variety of items that are broken or empty that the children can use to tell some cause and effect stories. For example, an empty water bottle, a sock with a hole in it, a broken toy or an empty box of cookies.

During large group, give the children the opportunity to use a microphone to share with the other children.

In the dramatic play area provide marker tops and other materials for the children to create ten “nails” for each of their ten fingers.

Tape 10 cutouts of apples to 10 blocks and read Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss stacking the blocks as you read the story.

Read the big book, Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews. Touch the large black dots as you count on each page. This is a fun book to let the children explore independently afterwards, give them black dots to use for one-to-one correspondence.

I have ten little fingers, 

And they all belong to me. 
(hold hands out in front) 

I can make them do things, 

Would you like to see? 

I can shut them up tight.

Teach the children this simple fingerplay with the motions. “Ten Fingers”:
(Point to self.)
I can make them do things –

Would you like to see?

I can shut them up tight. (Make fists.

Read There Were Ten in the Bed by Annie Kubler, Ten in the Bed by Jane Cabrera or Ten in the Bed by Gill Guile. Place a sleeping mat or a folded quilt on the floor to represent the bed.

Sing the following song while interacting with the infant. Touch or point to body parts.
Ten little fingers, ten little toes,

Two little eyes, and a mouth and a nose.

Read Ten Tiny Toes by Caroline Jayne Church. Encourage the infant to communicate as you read the book as it explores an infant's mouth, ears, eyes, nose and a love that grows and grows.

Read Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang. A young girl counts items in her room as she gets ready for bed. Encourage the children to help you count the items as you read, such as 10 small toes, all soft and warm.