#Kinderchat, glue, glitter, gogurt, bringing daily joy to twitter. Find us Mondays, 9 pm EST and 8:30PM London time when we talk all things Early Years!
Come out, come out wherever you are, it's #kinderchat time. Say hello, where you are, & whether you got today off in lieu of Remembrance/Veterans/Armistice Day. What did you do to honour them?
Amy here, moderating from The Canada. I was off today (private school), but our public board had classes. We had a ceremony at school on Friday. #Kinderchat
Kathleen from Edmonton, Alberta here. We had today off, which was excellent for me because I spent 14 hours on a bus returning from my annual Spokane shopping fest yesterday! #nomoneyleft#kinderchat
A1: sitting still means sitting with the group for whole group instruction (usually about 15-20 min @ a time now). BUT! If someone needs to get up and move, and they aren’t a distraction, I’m cool with that. Also if sitting in a chair works better for them #kinderchat
Hi #kinderchat! Liane from Abbotsford, BC, Canada lurking about tonight as I finish my last two report cards. Thankful for the day off today to push through them.
Sitting still is not a huge concern of mine. As long as students aren’t creating too big of a distraction. If it helps the student focus on the schoolwork, I will create a way to help movement be effective #kinderchat
A1: sitting still isn't the big goal for me. But when I'm reading a story to the class, I'd like the students to find a space they can stay at and not get up to change seats halfway through. I can't sit still so I understand why a 5 yo can't. #kinderchat
Sorry to miss #kinderchat Did read the article and see the “whirling dervishes” not only in younger kids but with elementary kids as well. How it impacts others often guides my response.
Wow, am thrilled to see such kid-friendly approaches to "sitting still!" Glad we are moving away from old-school definitions of attentiveness! #kinderchat
Several of my Ss through the years did prefer chairs. I was just strategic about having their seat near the whole group gathering area so they were still very much a part of the community #kinderchat
I guess I'm wondering how we define "sit still". My fingers might still tap or I'll play with my bracelet. Does that mean I'm sitting still? Just wondering. #kinderchat
A1: sitting still we call "in control" during whole group instruction which doesnt last more than 10-15 mind at a time. As long as it's not distracting I try to keep the lesson flow moving. #kinderchat
Several of my Ss through the years did prefer chairs. I was just strategic about having their seat near the whole group gathering area so they were still very much a part of the community #kinderchat
A1: sitting still means sitting with the group for whole group instruction (usually about 15-20 min @ a time now). BUT! If someone needs to get up and move, and they aren’t a distraction, I’m cool with that. Also if sitting in a chair works better for them #kinderchat
A2: We’ve been talking about kids and core strength with our OT lately. I was glad to see that was a main point of the article. We as a society really need to change how we view early childhood. Our kids need to be up and playing to develop all of their motor strength #kinderchat
I find working in lots of different movement breaks helps with a lot of the movements during carpet learning time. I try to do many different types of movements to engage different muscles such a yoga, guided dance, balancing, etc. #kinderchat
A2: This article resonated a LOT with me as I have a student who VERY much struggles with this, to the point of disrupting others on a regular basis. It’s attention seeking behavior that is starting to hurt peer relationships. 😞 #kinderchat
I was waiting for someone to point this out! The way kids are playing has changed, and more and more students are coming to K with less of these “base muscles.” #Kinderchat
A2: We’ve been talking about kids and core strength with our OT lately. I was glad to see that was a main point of the article. We as a society really need to change how we view early childhood. Our kids need to be up and playing to develop all of their motor strength #kinderchat
A2: I get caught up in the day to day and with a room full of littles I forget to stop and think of underlying issues that could be causing all the wiggles. Good reminder and good information. #kinderchat
A2: the article did a great job putting focus on the importance of developing important muscles through active play. I also think it’s important to understand why they can’t sit still opposed to just telling them to sit still #kinderchat
So many times what an adult perceives as inappropriate behaviour or lack of boundaries is really just a kid with poor motor development. I find myself second guessing a lot of my Ss behaviours lately in light of this #kinderchat
Yes! Especially since there isn’t an outcome (in our curriculum) that states “the child will build core muscle strength” but as teachers, it’s a building block we need to teach in order to achieve so much more. #kinderchat
A2: I get caught up in the day to day and with a room full of littles I forget to stop and think of underlying issues that could be causing all the wiggles. Good reminder and good information. #kinderchat
I have found that often the ones that need to do the most playing to build their core strength are the ones that just walk around the playground or don’t engage during centres time very well. #kinderchat
The article also reminded me that kindergarten students still need A LOT Of sensory play - think of those kids who run their fingers through a bucket of beads over & over & over... #Kinderchat
A3: A couple easy things I’ve been able to integrate to build core muscle strength is 1) having students write on hehe stomachs and 2) working on a vertical surface. #kinderchat
A3: we play a lot of games that involve core strength. One that always stands out to me is “stand” on the knees (not sitting on the feet) and toss a ball. Our OT gave us a whack of ideas for this #kinderchat
Along with working on OT goals, I did quite a few whole group and individualized lessons around Julia Cook’s book “Personal Space Camp.” Check it out! Pricey on Amazon, but worth it, imo. #kinderchat
Yeah that is how I feel too! I have actually found that getting them away from the playground and into a nature space is what really gets the kids I want to be running around and playing moving. #kinderchat
You can also have them throw the ball against the wall at a certain letter or number - I’ve used that one before and it was a hit! Also, throwing crumpled up paper into a garbage can, from their knees. #kinderchat
In reply to
@edu_ksSkukalek, @CarrieMarshall1, @happycampergirl
Q4: Think of your wiggliest, fidgety-est kiddo. Have you identified what needs are being met by wiggling? How are you working to meet those needs? #kinderchat
This is great. I've done a lot of activities with actual standing and mov't but never thought about doing it on knees. I can definitely see the benefit! I'll be passing this info along 😁😉 #kinderchat
In reply to
@MmeKathleen, @CarrieMarshall1, @happycampergirl
A4: Funny you should ask this, lol! We were just talking last week about giving one of my kiddos something he could use with his hands, like play dough or something along those lines. Trying to keep the hands occupied because that seems to help his attention #kinderchat
A4: I've given a couple of them their own space away from friends on the carpet so they can move freely and not distract/touch others. I just hope they are listening while they are performing their acrobats. #kinderchat
Q5: The article (here: https://t.co/Sru1OEdPkD references the role of motivation. How much do you think about kids' motivation when you plan your lessons? #kinderchat
Don't discount those movers & groovers. One of my Ss who preferred the chair, would be leaning back and tossing a crayon in the air... He'd be the first to turn back around and share his (correct) answer when I asked questions #kinderchat 😁
A5: For the most resistant students, motivation can make it or break it. For example, I had a student really struggling with letter recognition. He loved superheroes. I put together a whole superhero letter ID pack with activities and sent it home. Game changer. #kinderchat
Yes! Our new curriculum is not all that interesting as is IMO. So, I try to find ways to make it more fun for my kiddos whenever I can. Then being motivated is a total game changer when it comes to attention and focus. #kinderchat
A5 you've got to build relationships with Ss and their parents, esp in K. In doing so, you'll learn their motivation and interests allowing you to purposely plan for lessons with activities the Ss want and need #kinderchat
