Do you want to know what a day in the life of a preschooler is like? Watch this video for a glimpse into the schedules, routines, and activities that take place in a preschool classroom!
Can you share more about how you do the free center time? I love the idea of it. I volunteered for a preschool one time and the educator had a center time set and rotate the kids but I quickly noticed how some children were bored in the next rotation or were not interested in the center.
Yeah...I Have 3 tables. I set out some kind of building toy on one...everyday. I set out art/writing/fine motor supplies on one (play dough, coloring sheet with markers, crayons, colored pencils, scissors and paper, open ended art supplies etc...also every day. The other table can have puzzles, literacy games, a dollhouse one day, fun little people play sets one day...kind of a compliment to the building toys...for kids who like to do puzzles, or something they can "play act" with. I also have books in my library center, coloring sheets, paper and writing materials are ALWAYS available in my writing center, and sometimes I'll even put out big puzzles or larger toys on my rug. The kids are free to go to any area(except my 3 special free center areas of Block table, dramatic play, and sensory) for the first 20-30 minutes of our day. We give a warning at one more minute, then we clean up after that and head to circle time. It works really well. The kids learn how to play with the different toys with some supervision form myself and my aides, They stay at the tables and get some socializing out, and they can switch areas when they get bored with one thing....it also gives me a chance to give them some attention, see what the general mood is, and what the mood of each student is. I can give attention to someone who needs a little more love or is having a rough day. It helps develop relationships so the overall classroom management is easier.
