Category Archives: Kindergarten Teacher

Why and How to Play Kindergarten Games

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The age-old saying that all work and no play make Jack a dull boy holds true for all age groups. Even for people who are 40 or 50 years of age. One cannot go on working without doing some recreational activities. Naturally, kindergarten students need to play games actively with their batch mates. This gives various opportunities to interact with other kids, learn many things and have loads of fun. There are so many kindergarten games, which teachers have designed especially for the kids in kindergarten. The main quality of these games is that they are fun and informative at the same time.

There are both indoor games and outdoor games for the kids studying in kindergarten. Kids do not like to stay indoors a lot. They need to play out of the class, in fresh air and run about freely. These games involve Hide & Seek, playing on swings, Mary Go Around, Soccer and loads of other outdoor activities. Teachers can come up with new games which kids will enjoy playing.

Kindergarten games also include indoor games like board games, puzzles, building blocks, card games etc. These games sharpen the motor skills of the kids. They are very informative in nature as well. The puzzles can have various themes from children’s literature. The card games often feature everyday objects like fruits, cars, gadgets, toys and other things that fascinate children. Teachers also introduce new games in class so as to the class interactive and kindergarten time enjoyable for the children.

If kids only learnt to read and write at kindergarten, then their other skills like hand-eye co-ordination, recognition skills, talking skills etc will remain underdeveloped. If all they do is play with other children in kindergarten, then they will not learn the basic concepts in English, Math and Science. Learning these is very important because immediately after kindergarten, a kid starts proper school. The basic knowledge in the core subjects makes is easier for the kids to cope with tougher curriculum in school. Therefore, the kindergartens try to strike a balance between study and play.

These days kindergarten games also include games on computers and laptops. Teachers are using iPads to teach the students, who can also play interesting games on the iPads and computers.

All About Kindergarten Curriculum

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It is a rather tough task to design a kindergarten curriculum. This is so because the kids at this age are very impressionable. They are like a sponge, which absorbs almost everything. Therefore, teachers have to take care to teach the right things in the right manner. Another problem the teachers face is deciding what to teach and what to skip. There was a time when kindergarten meant only games and fun filled activities. Slowly and steadily, coursework in English, language, mathematics, creativity etc was incorporated in the main curriculum. Some parents were against this while others welcomed this move.

In today’s time, a kindergarten curriculum includes just about everything, which a child is considered, fit to know and learn. Just as in regular schools, the curriculum is divided into various subjects and sessions. Teachers hand out a timetable of sorts to the students, which they follow throughout the week. Usually there are no or only a few books involved at kindergarten level learning. If there is a need for books, then children carry appropriate books on appropriate days according to the schedule.

The language part of the kindergarten curriculum involves familiarizing the students with basics of the most commonly spoken language, English in the present case. Teachers start with alphabets and progress to sight words, objects and literature reading. Rhymes and fairy tales form an important part of kindergarten reading. Instructors use various popular means and methods to teach alphabets and sight words to the children. Technological tools such as animated movies, presentations and flash cards help in teaching the lessons in a very effective way.

The mathematics lessons are an integral part of kindergarten curriculum. Numbers, counting, sequence formations and geometric patterns are amongst the most basic math concepts that the kindergarteners learn. Teachers take regular revision and students practice math worksheets to learn their numbers well. Counting on fingertips remains to be the most preferred means of teaching counting.

Before starting with these mainstream subjects, teachers engage students in many interactive activities that help them in mingling with other kids at the kindergarten. For some children, attending kindergarten at the age of five can be the first time they are away from home and parents for the first time. Therefore, they need to feel good and make friends with other children at the kindergarten.

College students considering a career as a kindergarten teacher or administrator in a school will enjoy doing field visits in a variety of school settings to see if this is a good fit.  The rewards of teaching this age child will be many, and is well worth the effort and training to make this dream into a reality.