Flexible and Responsive Group Times

2 Objectives Participants will learn: What group times are. Strategies for engaging mobile infants and toddlers in group times with materials. Strategies for engaging mobile infants and toddlers in movement and music group times. How to plan group times around the development and interests of mobile infants and toddlers.

3 Experiencing Group Time Group A: –Look for KDIs. Group B: –Watch for materials, manipulation, choice, child thought and language Group C: –Watch for adult scaffolding

4 Reflections

5 Discussion Points Which side of the paper has the most positives? The most negatives? What kind of activity time do you want for your children? Why?

6 Group Times = Caregiver-Initiated The caregiver has the idea: –Plans the activity and the materials based on children’s interests and development The child uses the materials in his or her own unique ways.

7 Group Times = Active Learning The caregiver plans for all the ingredients of active learning. notThis means all the children do the activity, in their own way… not following the caregiver’s model or directions!

8 Group Times are Important They introduce children to materials, actions and experiences. They let the caregiver focus on and support important concepts and learning.

9 Group Times Can be built around: Songs, movement, music –Large spaces for moving freely Materials –Can be any where based on the activity

Watch a Group Time 10 Experience Painting

11 Structure for Toddler Group Times Before the Group Time Beginning Middle End

12 Prepare Before the Group Time Plan what you will do ahead of time Gather your materials and sort them into individual containers

13 opening statementStart with a simple opening statement –Describe the materials –Connect the materials to children’s previous play –Short, open-ended story connected to the materials –Focus on a content area Beginning: Introduce Materials

14 “Yesterday, Amaia and Jordyn found a frog outside on the play ground. It was hopping around. I wonder what you will do with these frogs and blocks?” Connect the group time with children’s interests

15 “In your baskets, you’ll find some pretend frogs and some blocks. What will you do with them today? Simply describe the materials

16 “Once upon a time, there was a frog who hopped down a path (show the frog and a block path). He called to his friend, and another frog came (show the other frog). If you look in your bags, you’ll find some frogs. What will you do with your frogs?” A short, simple story

17 Respect children’s choices and ideas Move from child to child Watch what individual children do with the materials List to what children say Interpret children’s actions and language Imitate or copy what the children are doing by using the materials yourself Talk with children about what they are doing Comment briefly, specficially on children’s actions Bring out back-up materials as needed Middle: Support Children’s Ideas and Learning

18 Be sure to support the different ways that children use the materials. Remember, they are all learning and developing at their own rates!

Supporting Developmental Ranges What do you know about Emma’s development? What do you know about Jamal’s development? What do you know about Amelia’s development?

20 Let Children’s actions set the end of group time Give children a warning It’s fine if the child wants to continue, if it fits with your schedule (and the other children can go play) Use a choice-time approach to clean up End: Bring Group time to an end

21 Planning Group Times Based on your children’s Interests: –Introduce new materials and actions –Revisit favorite materials and actions –Key Developmental Indicators and/or COR items –Provide Movement and Music experiences

Movement and Music KDIs Physical Development and Health Moving parts of the body Moving the whole body Moving with objects Steady beat Creative Arts Listening to music Responding to music Sounds Vocal pitch 22

23 Let’s Try It In your group, sharing stories about your children’s interests: –What do they like to do? –What haven’t they been playing with? –What content area would you like them to support? Together, plan 1 group time that you could do with your children. Be ready to share your ideas with the whole group.

Sing Along 24 Share songs and fingerplays that you remember as a child or do with your own children.

25 Benefits of Songs and Fingerplays Enjoyable Enhances infants and toddlers’ –language development –listening –memory –visual skills and coordination –creativity and self expression

26 Strategies 1.Sing songs with simple or familiar tunes and repetitive words or phrases. 2.Sing songs and do fingerplays that allow infants and toddlers to make choices 3.Simplify songs and fingerplays. Use words and actions that make sense to infants and toddlers. 4.Separate the words and actions. Practice the actions first. Slow Down!

27 Simple Melodies, Repetitive Words Do Wah Diddy Diddy Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do Jamie is jumping And we can do it too.

28 Strategies to Add Choice Voice quality Volume Tempo (speed) Words or actions

29 Change the Quality of your Voice Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Twinkle, twinkle, little star How I wonder what you are Up above the world so high Like a diamond in the sky Twinkle, twinkle, little star How I wonder what you are. Sing it high Sing it low Sing it like your sleepy Sing it like a monster Other ideas:

30 Change the Volume Five Little Monkeys Five little monkeys swinging in a tree Teasing Mr. Alligator, “Can’t catch me.” Along came Mr. Alligator, quiet as can be And snapped that monkey right out of the tree.

31 Change the Tempo Bubble Gum Song Sticky, icky, icky, icky bubble gum bubble gum, bubble gum Oh, sticky, icky, icky, icky bubble gum Makes my hands stick to my head

32 Change the Words or Actions Little Red Wagon Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon Won’t you be my darling?

33 Separate and Simplify Words and Actions Separate: Practice the actions and words to songs and fingerplays separately. Simplify: Use words and/or actions that make sense to infants and toddlers. Facilitate: Support children’s choices, actions, communications and language. Comment on what you see children doing. Imitate children’s actions and use their words/babbles.

34 Eensy Weensy Spider The eensy, weensy spider Went up the waterspout Down came the rain and washed the spider out Up came the sun and dried up all the rain So the eensy, weensy spider went up the spout again.

35 The Song Book A binder containing picture pages of familiar songs.

Implementation Plans What made the most impact on you? Turn to page 18. Reflect back on this topic and jot down some ideas that you want to remember 36