Early Years Resources

ENCHANTED LEARNING SITE - PRIMARY LINKS: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

SUPER 3 RESEARCH METHOD: http://www.big6.com/showarticle.php?id=166 http://www.big6.com/showarticle.php?id=109 http://www.big6.com/showarticle.php?id=73

A shorter version of the Big6 research method for primary students.

ACTIVITIES

THE SCIENCE OF GERMS: http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/preschool_themes/germs/science.htm
How can you best explain to preschoolers how they can spread germs? Try the glitter and hand cream idea listed here, or the balloon sneeze to show how to cover their mouths when sneezing or coughing, instilling good personal hygiene habits at the very start of the school year.

HOW DO GERMS WORK: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/life24.html

This exercise for preschoolers effectively demonstrates just how germs are spread from person to person, using cooked rice in a zip-lock bag. Follow through with proper hand-washing procedures to teach a valuable lesson in cleanliness.

OLYMPIC ART: http://www.childfun.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=170
Make your own Olympic torches and flags or try a classroom mural following the instructions here. Music, movement, and suitable snacks are also included--a perfect time to review healthy eating habits.

I SPY CLEAN-UP: http://www.theteacherscorner.net/resources/ispy.htm

Just like Mary Poppins, this educator knows how to make cleanup time both effective and fun. Try this idea at the beginning of the school year to set your cleanup practices and expectations in motion.

THEMATIC UNITS

COMMUNITY CLUB: http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/index.htm

Scholastic's approach to jobs in our community. Students click on the links and listen to workers in our communities.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: http://www.123child.com/selfconcept/friend.html

How can you encourage cooperation and positive friendship practices amongst your preschool students? Find several ideas here, involving art projects, songs, language arts, and physical education activities. Consider incorporating this theme in your curriculum at the start of the school year to encourage the concepts as an ongoing thread throughout the year.

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES: http://www.preschoolideas.co.uk/Construction%20theme.htm

Discuss how our homes and schools are built, and then try the many activities, songs, and cross-curricular exercises here to explore the theme of construction.

ESPECIES FACT SHEETS: http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html

KidsPlanet's approach to studying species with links to over 50 fact sheets on different animals.

BACK TO SCHOOL: http://www.childfun.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=166

The first day in preschool is not always an easy one. Use the suggestions here to help ease small children into the environment, making it both secure and fun.

FIRE SAFETY: http://www.kinderhive.net/Fire.html http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/firesafety/games.htm
Numerous activities support fire awareness and safety with your preschool classroom, with creative learning exercises across the curriculum. Learning center ideas are included. Use the 2nd URL for a list of preschool games to support fire safety.

PRESCHOOL FALL ACTIVITIES: http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/preschool-fall.htm
Have fun acting out a squirrel song, using droppers to create paint-splotched fall leaves, playing magical pumpkins, making fall leaf placemats, and more.

EXPLORING CHANGE: http://essc.calumet.purdue.edu/classroom_Activites/change

Primary students are introduced to the principles behind scientific observation and study with this excellent lesson plan for kindergarten and first grade classes. They will be learning how to observe, record, and analyze changes, as well as use response sheets and make predictions. Student pictorial response sheets are included.

HOMEMADE INSTRUMENTS: http://www.nancymusic.com/PRINThomemade.htm

Get ready to shake, rattle, and roll out those preschool tunes... Find easy instructions her to create drums, jingle bracelets, juice can shakers, sand blocks, and more, and get ready to make some music.

FLOWER ACTIVITIES: http://www.preschoolexpress.com/pattern_station02/flower_activities_apr02.shtml http://www.preschoolexpress.com/art_station01/art_station_aug01.shtml

Everyone cannot help but notice the abundance of beautiful flowers that bloom in the summer, and these sites will help you take advantage of this flower theme for learning opportunities in the preschool classroom.

TECHNOLOGY AND TOTS

THE MUSIC BOX: http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/musicbox/music.html
Preschoolers will click "play" to start the featured song, then assemble all of the pieces of the scrambled puzzle on one panel to correctly create a reconstructed Arthur picture on the other side.

BOTTLED MUSIC: http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/shockwave/jar.html
Six glass bottles have been filled with different amounts of water to produce different notes. Your preschoolers can play some of their favorite songs, simply by clicking on the correct numbers as listed for the tunes.

PAINT A VEHICLE: http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/vehicles/paintonline.shtml

Choose between various modes of transportation--the fire truck and the steam shovel are sure to be popular choices--then choose a color, click on a space of your picture, and color online.

MAKING PATTERNS: http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games/game2.htm

In this online game, preschool students can use the objects in the room to create their own patterns. You can vary the difficulty of the game by asking them to place two objects together, or match objects, etc., according to students' ability levels.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR

DISCIPLINE TIPS FOR PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS: http://www.preschoolbystormie.com/discipline.htm
It's not always easy to maintain discipline and order in a preschool classroom. Find a list of teacher-submitted tips here to cover making positive choices, giving encouragement, how to handle the "no" issue, group time challenges, and more.

ART RECIPES: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/7788/Funrecipes.htm

How many ways can you think of to make playdough? Bet that even if you're a pro, you'll find some new ideas here--along with goop, glurch, silly putty, sand clay, and thematic ideas to use with all your clay recipes.

THE MANY USES OF ZIP-LOCK BAGS IN PRESCHOOL: http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/preschool_activities.htm#Dolly
Find several creative activities here to show you how to make useful preschool learning tools with simple items and zip-lock storage bags. Activities include sorting, counting, cutting, beading, tracing, and more.

USING POCKET CHARTS IN THE PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM: http://mrsbonthuisclass.com/pocketcharts.htm
These pocket chart classroom activities are very creative. Try the Giving Tree, or use a pocket chart for your changing classroom calendar.

PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUES FOR PRESCHOOLERS: http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/products/I.want.my.way/I.Want.It.My.Way.html
Help young children understand that they have some choices for resolving their conflicts, while assisting them in gaining skills that will last throughout their school years.

BULLETIN BOARD IDEAS: http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/bulletinboards/bboardideas.html
This site does not offer images of decorated bulletin boards, but the suggestions are numerous and quite varied--enough here to last you throughout the school year.

OPEN HOUSE, ORIENTATION, AND SEPARATION: http://www.preschoolbystormie.com/openhsorientation.htm
How can you relieve preschool anxiety at being left alone in an unknown environment? What kinds of activities should you plan for Open House night? And how can you best prepare for orientation? Find numerous creative suggestions here to help get you started.

SCHEDULING HELP: http://www.preschoolbystormie.com/schedulehelpr.htm

If you are new to preschool or you simply want some creative input for organizing your day in fresh ways, try the suggestions here. Also included are ideas for choosing classroom helpers and organizing charts.

PRESCHOOL CLIPART: http://schoolhouseprintable.tripod.com/clrclipart.html

Designed specifically to reflect preschool themes, find clip art here to use throughout the school year for your web pages or student worksheets.

CREATING LEARNING CENTERS: http://www.preschoolbystormie.com/learncentrs.htm

Find not only suggestions about what to include in your various classroom centers regarding materials and activities, but also tips on what does and does not necessarily work well.

FUNDRAISING IDEAS: http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/fundideas.html
Do you need to raise funds for a special preschool project, a classroom printer, or other supplies? These teachers have provided several great ideas to help you get the funds flowing.

CREATING BULLETIN BOARDS: http://www.middleschool.net/MainFeatures/bulletin.htm

It's almost that time--back-to-school--and in order to create a welcome, cheery environment for your students, your bulletin board should be both creative and inspiring. Find several resources here for suggestions on how to make dazzling bulletin boards in your own classroom.

PRIMARY CLIPART: http://www.evan-moor.com/ca.pdf

Download pages of reproducible clipart here, all perfect for primary classroom use with assorted but relevant learning themes.

CONDUCT CARDS: http://www.theteacherscorner.net/resources/conduct.htm

Handling both home communications and behavioral issues at the same time, these cards are a great idea for reinforcing good behavior and letting parents know if there are any problems during the week.

WINDOW TO THE CLASSROOM: http://www.theteacherscorner.net/resources/album.htm

Instead of scrambling at the end of the school year for a class project to exhibit, try this simple idea from the very beginning of the school year. Students will have a wonderful album to take home, and you can already showcase and explain your ongoing project at Open House night.

SINGING WITH CHILDREN: http://www.nancymusic.com/PRINTsinging.htm

Written specifically for teachers, find several tips here to explore the wonderful world of music with your preschool classes.

PRESCHOOL PLANNING GUIDE: http://www.nncc.org/Curriculum/planguide.html

Find a detailed package here to help you plan several elements of your preschool program, from themes, curricular areas, materials, to developmental considerations.

COLORFUL ALPHABET CHARTS: http://teachers.net/gazette/NOV02/images/letterchart.pdf

I always found that it was helpful to have individual alphabet charts on each student's desk to help identify letters, word sounds, and printing formations. Here is the perfect chart to download and print for just such a purpose.

POSITIVE DISCIPLINE: http://members.tripod.com/~preschoolresource/discipline.html

If you find yourself saying "No!" too many times during your day, then consider some of the suggestions offered at this site to encourage a positive discipline approach with your preschoolers.

THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE -- READY OR NOT: http://www.educarer.com/as-3-5.htm

What is typical behavior for 3-5 year olds? Actually, the skill level and emotional reactions vary quite a bit between these different age groups. Know what to
expect, what can be considered normal ranges, and what to be on the lookout for.

PRINTABLE NOTES: http://www.abcteach.com/Extras/notes.htm

Most of your preschoolers will not be able to read independently yet, but they will nevertheless enjoy taking these colorful notes home and sharing their successes with their families.

MEET YOUR TEACHER: http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1157.html

Here is a wonderful idea for easing young children into a back-to-school mode, while encouraging sharing and discussion as well. Using a full bulletin board, the teacher brings in an all-about-her/him theme; find several suggestions here to make it work.

10 SIGNS OF A GREAT PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM: http://www.readingrockets.org/article.php?ID=46

What elements do you think constitutes a great preschool learning environment? Check your list with the one here to see if you share the formula for success.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER? http://www.givekidsgoodschools.com/characteristics.html

As you start off your school year, particularly as a new teacher, give an ear to these considerations, in which characteristics help contribute to creating an effective educator.

WHAT SHOULD PREK STUDENTS KNOW? http://www.readingrockets.org/article.php?ID=44

As a preschool teacher, you are preparing a foundation for success in later school years. But just what should Pre-K students know before entering primary grades? Find a skills checklist here to help target your own curriculum.

NUMBERS AND LETTERS

MAGIC ABC'S: http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/magic_abc.html
Students' names will magically appear as they do a chalk rubbing over sandpaper alphabet letters. Try first letters only for the beginning of the school year, offering further attempts at completing the whole name as students become more adept at spelling their names. Be sure to post the completed names either by desks or prominently in the classroom.

A SNACKING ALPHABET: http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/theme/alphabet/abcsnacking.html
Several recipes and activity suggestions follow alphabet learning with preschoolers, and are guaranteed to make letters fun.

ALPHABET REVIEW ACTIVITIES: http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1015.html

Find a new alphabet song here, one which chants not only the letters, but offers a word beginning with the letter as well. Or play an alphabetic version of Old McDonald with flashcards... Find instructions for these and other singing alphabet review activities.

ALPHABET ACTIVITIES! http://members.tripod.com/%7EPatricia_F/abc123.html

Encourage your active preschoolers to try designing letters with their bodies, for a lesson to encourage group cooperation, following instructions, and kinesthetic learning opportunities. Also included are alphabet freezes, rhymes, texture letters, alphabet tubs, and much more.

THE ANTS GO MARCHING ONE BY ONE: http://www.cleverisland.com/calendar/ant_parade.asp

These colorful, printable pages support counting--with ants... Students will fold and assemble their own mini-book to take home.

MATCHING MAILMAN: http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1298.html

This ongoing alphabet activity provides a unique and engaging way for students to both learn and practice letter recognition. They become mailmen, matching letters above doors (you draw the houses) in varying degrees of difficulty throughout the year, as they become more proficient.

LESSONS AND SKILLS

APPLE SONGS AND POEMS: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems23.html
Fall is rapidly approaching, and it's a great time to explore the wonderful world of apples. Find several preschool songs and poems here, all geared to apples.

APPLE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN: http://www.123child.com/fall/apple.html

If you are planning an apple theme at the beginning of the school year, or to coincide with Johnny "Appleseed" Chapman's birthday in the fall, you will find several
wonderful resources and activities here to help round out your unit.

HEALTH AND SAFETY TIPS: http://www.nnccorg/Series/good.time.health.html
Here is a fairly comprehensive guide for going over all health and safety concerns with young children, with suggestions for addressing such issues at various stages of development.

SAFETY WITH PRESCHOOLERS: http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/ps-open.cfm?searchTheme=safety
Teach your preschoolers how to dial 9-1-1, how to become familiar with their own personal data, what various safety signs mean, and more. Several printables are available for student activities.

COLORS, SHAPES, RAINBOWS, AND ROBINS: http://essc.calumet.purdue.edu/classroom_Activites/preschool

Here's a great starting point for a year-round science curriculum for preschool, with suggestions on how to explore the themes for each month.

TURN ON THE LIGHT IN PRESCHOOL: http://www.coreknowledge.org/CKproto2/resrcs/lessons/01_PreK_TurnLight.pdf

This unit introduces the concepts of light to the preschool classroom, with hands-on experiments with plants, colors, sunshine and shadows, and more. All activities are geared to understanding how light affects the world around us.

LETTER WORK IN KINDERGARTEN: http://www.coe.iup.edu/worldofkindergarten/LW.html

Excellent ideas support your own letter work in the kindergarten classroom, with exercises given for each day of the week.

HOW TO TEACH NAMES, PHONE NUMBERS, AND ADDRESSES: http://www.hummingbirded.com/name_phone_address_time.html

Clapping rhymes, name Bingo games, lunch bag houses, and pizza delivery addresses... These are just a few of the very creative suggestions for helping to teach your early elementary students name recognition and address memory.

SCIENCE AND WATER TABLE ACTIVITIES: http://www.preschoolbystormie.com/science.htm

Preschoolers will develop their scientific curiosity and learn how to experiment and observe with the many water table activities listed here. Try predicting
which soda will sink and float (and be sure to try lots of other sink/float objects as well), or make your own baby food water globes.

RAINBOW WATER: http://www.kinderart.com/littles/rainbow.shtml

Students will investigate how colors become diluted and paler in water as they dissolve and spread. Also play with mixing different colors and predicting what
will happen.

BUBBLE, BUBBLE, POP: http://www.earlychildhood.com/Articles/index.cfm?FuseAction=Article&A=211

Several bubble activities are cataloged here, along with tips on how preschool children can learn through bubble explorations.

WATER FUN: http://www.preschoolbystormie.com/waterfun.htm

Inspire beginning investigation skills in your early learners with the activities listed here. Teachers have submitted several suggestions for water explorations with preschoolers.

SUDS: http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/tf/s/suds/suds.html

Food coloring is the magic ingredient for these bubble magic art prints. Easy to make and to clean up.

EXPLORATIONS AND EXPEDITIONS

WORMS AND SPIDERS: http://entowww.tamu.edu/academic/ucourses/ento489/lessons/worms.html

Explore critters that crawl through eleven inspiring activities--with some Styrofoam, oatmeal, garden worms, chocolate, and chow mien noodles.

EGGSHELL COLLAGES: http://alphabet-soup.net/dir7/eggshell.html

You can dye your eggshells right in your classroom with food coloring and water, incorporating a lesson in mixing colors. Also let your students help to crush
the eggshells when dry, and then proceed on to the instructions for this art exercise. You can choose to form your collage with shapes or simply let your students freely express themselves; either way the results are quite beautiful and worth exhibiting.

COOPERATION TRAIN: http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/cooperate.html?cat=life
Toot! Toot! All aboard for this cooperative learning activity, where students will form their own train, moving along as a unit to the beat of drums as speed picks up or slows down. Further excellent cooperation activities are also included.

STORY FUN: http://www.kinderart.com/littles/little9.shtml
Spark imaginations and reinforce interest in story time and, of course, reading development, with several of the creative suggestions offered at this site.

SONGS FOR MONTHS AND DAYS OF THE WEEK: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems4.html

With catchy, familiar tunes, find songs for preschoolers to help them learn the months of the year or the days of the week. Several options are available for each topic.

CREATE AN EDIBLE MAP: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/wenviron1.html

Preschoolers will love contributing their ideas for this edible map, where you will use icing, chocolate chips, and M&M's to create your own map of the school, playground, or community. Take a tour of your playground, telling them to observe everything very closely. When back in the classroom, ask them which features they remember, where you should place it on your map, and which edible item should mark it. This activity makes a great introduction to the school environment at the beginning of the school year.

PRINTABLES

PRINT AN AWARD: http://pbskids.org/arthur/print/highfive/index.html
Start rewarding great behavior early in your school year, with these "High Five" printable awards from PBS. Either choose one of their categories or write your own, according to your needs. Be sure to eventually create an award for every one of your students.

ALPHABET PICTURES: http://www.alphabet-soup.net/ttools/abcpictures.html

These printable alphabet pages teach children to reinforce knowledge of upper and lower case letters by coloring each with a different color until a hidden
picture emerges.

PRINTABLE STICKER REWARD BOOKMARKS: http://www.createdbyteachers.com/stickerbookmarksept.html
Download and print these back-to-school September-themed bookmarks for your students. Use them with small circle stickers for good behavior, work well done, books read, etc.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU SEND-HOME FORM: http://stepbystepcc.com/forms/knowyou.html
Get to know your students and their families by sending home this form for parents to fill out, offering tips on eating habits, expectations, health problems, etc.

PRINTABLE COUNTING AWARD: http://www.preschoolprintables.com/award/awardcount.shtml

Celebrate the ability of your three and four year old students to count with these colorful, printable awards. Fill in their names and how high they can count; try offering a new certificate each week for motivation to count even higher throughout the school year.

AIRPLANE ALPHABET BANNER: http://www.funlessonplans.com/free/airplane.pdf

Take off this school year with the help of this wonderful alphabet banner, complete with printing exercises, coloring pages, cut and assemble activities, and of course, an alphabet banner to hang above your bulletin board.

APPLE NUMBERS: http://www.bry-backmanor.org/oct2001calendar.html

Print out these apple numbers, color them, and use them on your class bulletin board for a fall learning theme.

You are visitor number Hit Counter

This site was last updated on