The document outlines the winter curriculum plan for a preschool classroom. It covers 12 key areas: safety, health, learning environment, physical development, cognitive development, creative experiences, communication, self-help, social skills, guidance, family engagement, and program/professional development. For each area, 1-2 specific activities or strategies are described to promote children's growth and learning during the winter months.

1. Wonderland By: Michelle Desimone April 29, 2009

2. Winter Topic Web

3. Safe Provide a safe environment to prevent and reduce injuries Classroom rules are posted using words and pictures Toy and manipulative storage is clearly marked

4. Healthy Promote good health and nutrition and provide an environment that contributes to the prevention of illness. Cook Hedgehog cookies Maintain a balanced schedule that has active and quiet activities Wash hands upon arrival, before communal play, before eating, after outdoor play, after sneeze, cough or blow nose Snack menu contains two food groups

5. Learning Environment Use space, relationships, materials and routines as resources for constructing an interesting, secure, and enjoyable environment that encourages play, exploration and learning. I use wall space wisely to display required materials and children’s art work “ Mrs. Desimone, we kept it from falling! The chairs hold it up! The chairs kept it from breaking!”

6. Physical Provide a variety of equipment, activities and opportunities to promote the physical development of children. Fine motor: “shirt” activity, finger knitting and sew mitten Gross motor: obstacle course “Jump Jim Joe” partner dance find the missing mitten game

7. Cognitive Thermometer Ice Cream Taste Test Observe Winter Tree Microscope of wool, cotton, silk fibers Alphabet & # book

8. Creative Open-ended creative experiences: Symmetrical mitten Winter collages, water colors Music is an integral part of literacy development “ All My Friends Live in the Woods” by Dan Zanes

9. Communication Actively communicate with children and provide opportunities and support for children to understand, acquire, and use verbal and nonverbal means of communicating thoughts and feelings. Children create Nature Center Class book I immerse myself in classroom centers to model language and facilitate peer interactions I ask open ended questions to elicit a wide variety of responses from the children (topic focus questions) I use a variety of songs, stories, literature rich books, movies and games that have rhymes, rhythms, repetition, conflict resolution and sequencing (e.g, The Mitten, retell with puppets)

10. Self Provide physical and emotional security for each child and helps each child to know, accept, and take pride in himself or herself and to develop a sense of independence. Children participate in running the classroom, e.g., job chart Children participate in independent activities such as self portraits, journals Art show to view collages

11. Social Help each child feel accepted in the group, help children learn to communicate and get along with others, and encourage feelings of empathy and mutual respect among children and adults. One of themes for dramatic play is a skating rink. Children seen are acting out January poem from “Chicken Soup with Rice” Another theme for dramatic play was a laundry room since we were discussing fabrics of winter clothes: wool, cotton, fleece. Children washed, dried, ironed clothes and sorted socks.

12. Guidance Provide a supportive environment in which children can begin to learn and practice appropriate and acceptable behaviors as individuals and as a group. Involve children in problem solving strategies: Some children were afraid of the games being played outdoors. I asked children to name the games they were playing outside and the resulting behavior. I asked children to name outdoor activities that resulted in kind behavior and choose their favorite for outdoor play. This process resulted in clear expectations set by the children and a calmer outdoor experience for everyone.

13. Families Establish positive and productive relationships with families. January newsletter Guest Reader Program Parent-Teacher Conferences Parents have my email address Family photo album kept in library Daily whiteboard I include “Ask your child how we….” statements to facilitate conversations between parents and children

14. Program Management Manage and use all available resources to ensure an effective program operation. Competent organizer, planner, record keeper, communicator, and a cooperative co-worker. January topic web Weekly curriculum plans Child Progress Reports

15. Professionalism Makes decisions based on knowledge of early childhood theories and practices, promote quality in child care services, and take advantage of opportunities to improve competence, both for personal and professional growth and for the benefit of children and families. Taking final two courses to obtain my Child Development Associate (CDA) Apply what I learn to my preschool classroom Organize handouts according to areas of functional development to use as a resource