LEFT TO RIGHT

Training eyes to move from left to right and then reverse sweep is a key to beginning reading and writing. A simple, yet powerful way, that teachers can do this is through modeling. Make it a habit to sweep your hand from left to right under words or lines of print on charts, big books, white boards, and so forth.


Right & Left Song
(Tune: “Up on the Housetop”)
Here is my right hand way up high.
(Hold up right hand.)
Here is my left hand touch the sky.
(Hold up left hand.)
Right and left and roll out of sight.
(Roll hands around.)
Now I know my left and right.
(Hold up left and then right.)

Hint! Focus on the right hand because then what is “left” over will be their left.

Sticker
Put a sticker on each child’s right hand and then play “Simon Says” or the “Hokey Pokey.”

Bracelet
Let children make bracelets out of pipe cleaners and wear them on their right hand. Throughout the day call attention to their right hand…right ear…right leg…right foot, etc.


Lotion
Rub lotion or scented lip balm on each child’s right hand.


Flag
Trace around your right hand on construction paper and cut it out. Place it near the flag so children can visually match up their right hand and then place it over their hearts.




Poem
Hold up your hands and stick out thumbs and index fingers as you say:
Which is my left? Which is my right?
Sometimes it’s hard to tell.
But when I stick my thumbs out straight,
My left will make an “L.”

Left From Right(Anthony Corbo aka “Mr. Kindergarten” taught me this song.)
(Tune: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
I want to learn my left from right,
Left from right, left from right.
I want to learn my left from right,
I try with all my might.
The left hand makes the letter L,
Letter L, letter L.
The left hand makes the letter L,
Hurray, now I can tell!

Tracking Left to Right
Draw tracks on sentence strips similar to the ones shown. Children can drive cars or move animals from left to right.

Hint! Make a green dot where they are to begin and a red dot where they should end.

READY TO WRITE

Children can have fun as they practice pre-writing strokes and train their eyes to go from the top to the bottom and left to right.

Top to Bottom Song (Dawna Hunter)
(Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”)
Top to bottom,
Left to right.
Top to bottom,
Left to right.
My mind knows that writing always goes
Top to bottom,
Left to right.


Pencil Stories
Pencil stories using story symbols can help children develop top to bottom and left-to-right orientation. They’re also an engaging way to develop small motor skills. These stories should be told multiple times so children can practice the pre-writing strokes and feel more competent. You might want to do the same story every day for a week as you invite the children to recall what will come next.

Here's an easy version I would try with the little ones to encourage them to go from left to right and make a few strokes.

Let's go for a walk. (horizontal)

The sun is shining down. (vertical)

The wind is blowing. (slant)

Here come some raindrops. (circle)

I hear thunder. (X)

Time to run home! (horizontal)

Hint! Put a green line down the left side to show them where to start and a red line down the right side to indicate where they should stop.

Write Round the Mulberry Bush
Here's another great pre-writing activity for the beginning of the school year called “Writing Round the Mulberry Bush.” I clearly remember where I got this idea. About 20 years ago I was doing a workshop in Huntsville, Texas. A young teacher said, “My mentor needs to tell you how she teaches handwriting. Her kids have the best handwriting in the school.” Well, she grabbed my attention and when I asked the older teacher her secret she smiled and said they practiced “Writing Round the Mulberry Bush” several weeks before introducing letters.

Basically, you have children make the strokes as shown on a blank piece of paper as they sing the different verses to the song “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” It makes sense because children need to go from top to bottom and left to right as they learn to master simple strokes.

Note! According to most experts, these are the developmental stages for writing.

1st vertical line
2nd horizontal line
3rd circle
4th cross
5th square
6th diagonal
7th X
8th triangle




Sand Tray
Let children use a sand or rice tray to practice making basic strokes.

PENCIL GRIP

It's important to encourage children to use the correct pencil grip when they begin to write. Here are tips for teachers and parents in class, online, anytime!!!

Silly Band
Give children a silly band (or rubber band) to go around their wrist. Pick up your pencil and then slip the end of the silly band around the pencil. Explain when you go in the car you wear your seat belt, and when you write you need to put a seat belt around your pencil. Then you’ll have mom and dad in the front seat and the kids in the back seat!

Pompom
Place a pompom or cotton ball in a child's hand. Demonstrate how to put pinky and ring man to “sleep” on the pompom before picking up the pencil.

Writing Bracelet
String a bead or jingle bell to a piece of yarn or string to make a bracelet. Make it loose enough so it can slide easily on and off a child’s wrist. While writing the child wears the bracelet and holds the bead in her hand.

Bird’s Beak
Point the pencil away from you. Make a bird’s beak by opening and closing your index finger and thumb. Use your beak to pick up the point of the pencil and then flip it back.



Pencil Grip(Melissa Connelly)
Teach children to hold their crayon or pencil correctly with this trick.

Draw a smiley face on their hand as shown. When they use their pincer fingers their hand will always be smiling at them. 

Pencil Grip Song (Tune: “Where Is Thumbkin?”)
Where is Pointer?
On the top.
Ready to write.
Start at the top.
Where is Thumbkin?
On the side.
Ready to help
Your pencil glide.
Where is Tallman?
On the bottom.
Keeps the letters
Where you want ‘em.

TIPS FOR PARENTS ON CUTTING SKILLS

Here's a blog and Youtube video I made to help parents work with their children on scissor skills.

*You might even find an idea or two that you can use in your classroom!

http://bit.ly/drjean-CutItOut

Helping Your Child with Scissor Skills

WHY?

Fine motor skills involve the small muscles in the hands. Learning to control their hands is important for eye-hand coordination and every day tasks such as dressing, eating, brushing teeth, etc. Small motor activities also nurture bilateral coordination – using both sides of the body at one time to perform a task. Cutting may sound simple to an adult, but using both hands to do different things as you cut is a complex skill for young children.

Providing children with a wide variety of activities and multiple materials at home will help them feel competent and capable when they start school and they are expected to write, draw, and cut with scissors. Blocks, dressing toys, puzzles, stringing beads, play dough, crayons and markers, sand and water toys, cooking activities, construction toys, and clapping games and finger plays are meaningful ways that children develop small motor skills naturally as they play.

Observe children as they are engaged in cutting and other small motor activities. You can almost see their brains “firing off” as their minds and bodies work in unison. You’ll often see their tongues moving as they concentrate. As children cut, draw, and work with their hands it’s good for their brains, self-regulation, and a sense of competence.

Many teachers have noticed a decline in children’s fine motor skills over the years. “Tap and swipe” just doesn’t activate the brain and hand muscles like cutting and drawing and building and stringing. Activities involving scissors and fine motor skills can be a fun way for parents to interact with their children. In addition, they are a great balance to “screen time” because they are real, active, and hands-on!

You want your child ready for success at school by purchasing the backpack, school supplies, packing their lunch, and dressing them properly. You can also help your child get ready for this big step by practicing scissor skills.

Tips!!!

*Supervise! Make a cutting tub for your child with a plastic tub and a pair of safety scissors. (Act like it is a gift for your child when you present it to him or her.)



Model, model, model! Demonstrate these activities and get the child started by engaging with them and carrying on a conversation. Vary the materials in the tub to keep them interested.

*Once the child is familiar with the cutting tub you can take it out upon their request or to entertain them when you are busy.

*Discuss rules for using scissors. No cutting hair, clothes, or anything that is not in the cutting tub.

*Set realistic expectations. Children have to crawl before they can walk, and they have to do a lot of tearing and snipping before they can cut out a shape. Follow their lead and let natural development unfold.


Getting Ready

Picking up a pair of scissors is probably something you don’t have to think about, but children will need some guidance is how to hold scissors correctly.

Thumbs Up – put a sticker or draw a face on the thumb to remind them to keep it on top. Put a ribbon or colorful tape on the hole where the thumb should go.

Helper Hand – Explain that one hand will cut and the other hand will be the “helper” and hold the paper. “Show me your cutting hand. Show me your helper hand.”

Open and Shut – Practice opening and shutting the scissors and pretending it’s an alligator taking little bites. (Working with tongs or tweezers can help this motion.)

Flying Elbows – Children have a tendency to flap their arms when they cut. Encourage them to keep their elbows at their sides. You can also wad up a sheet of paper to go under each arm to stabilize the forearms.

Tearing – Children need opportunities to tear before we ask them to cut. Start with thin paper like tissue paper and magazines and progress to thicker paper like cardstock, cardboard, and paper plates.


Encourage children to make small tears to make confetti. Let them fill a water bottle with the little pieces to make a shaker. Or, let them glue the confetti to a paper plate to make a collage.

Snipping– Give children thicker paper (such as construction paper, index cards, or grocery bags) to begin snipping. They can practice opening and closing the scissors as they make fringe.

*Strengthen muscles by cutting play dough.

*Give them 1” strips so they can snip through.

*Let them snip straws or yarn.


*Offer paper plates, greeting cards, wrapping paper, food boxes, and other types of paper in keep children interested.

*Collect natural objects like pine straw, leaves, and flowers for them to cut.

Lines– Draw lines on heavy paper for children to practice cutting lines.

*Draw “paths” about 1” to ½” wide for children to cut between.

*Make dots (use stickers) for children to follow and cut lines.

*Cut up junk mail into strips.

*Ask children to cut out triangles, squares, and shapes with straight lines.

*Have children cut coupons out of the newspaper.



Curves- Have children cut on curved lines.

*Let them cut out complex shapes or objects from magazines or advertisements. (Toys are always fun!)

*Have children trace around cookie cutters and then cut out the shapes.

*Encourage children to do creative activities by providing them with paper, markers, yarn, and a wide variety of art media.

It’s the Process, Not the Product!

Early childhood teachers will agree that when it comes to drawing, cutting, and creating it’s the process, not the product. Your child might not be Edward Scissorhands, but she’ll certainly feel more comfortable and competent when she’s handed a pair of scissors at school!

SNIP SNAP CUT IT OUT

A friend who is a pre-K teacher always asks her children these questions at the beginning of the school year:

1. How many of you have a television in your home? How many of you have your own television in your bedroom?
2. How many of you have a computer in your home? How many of you have your own computer?
3. How many of you have your own pair of scissors?

Yep! You’re right! Most every child has a television or computer, but only a few have a pair of scissors. Many parents think scissors are dangerous, but they let their children watch violent television programs. I don’t get it? Anyway, here’s a great idea to share with parents.

Cutting and Tearing Tub
Get a plastic tub from the dollar store and fill it with junk mail, catalogs, old greeting cards, scrap paper, etc. Put a pair of children’s safety scissors in the tub and they can cut, tear, and be creative.

More! Add a hole punch or decorative scissors to the tub.

Demonstrate and Model
We have to remember that some children have never had a pair of scissors in their hands before. It’s important to take your time, model, and give explicit directions on basic tasks.

Thumbs on Top!
Remind children when they cut to think about "Tooty Ta" and put their thumbs up. Hold a sheet of paper in one hand and take "little bites" with the scissors.



Elbows In
Another trick an occupational therapist taught me was to give children two wadded up sheets of paper to hold under their arms. This will give them more control when they begin to cut. Another trick from an OT was to have the children lay on their tummies and cut.

Cutting Song (Tune: "The Caissons Song")
Cut it out! Cut it out!
With your scissors cut it out.
Snip, snap, and cut it out.

Thumbs on top,
Take small bites.
Hold your page in the other hand tight.

Cut it out! Cut it out!
With your scissors cut it out.
Snip, snap, and cut it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGhhRqqVzXE

WASH YOUR HANDS

Washing hands can be an effective way to keep you and your children healthy. It might be wise at the beginning of the year to have a discussion about WHEN you should wash your hands. (You have to remember that children come from different homes with different expectation.)

Practice washing hands following the guidelines and teach children a song to make the task more fun.



Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands (Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")
Wash, wash, wash your hands
play the handy game.
Rub and scrub and scrub and rub
Germs go down the drain!

Mirror
Children love to look at themselves in the mirror, so place a mirror above the sink where children clean up. Remind them to sing "Happy Birthday" to yourself twice as you look in the mirror.

Scrub a Dub
(Tune: "Yellow Bird")
Scrub a dub, rub, rub, a scrub a dub.
Scrub a dub, rub, rub, a scrub a dub.
Germs go down the drain,
And that’s not a shame.
Wash the dirt away,
Get hands clean today.
Soap them up real good,
Rinse them like you should.
And healthy you’ll be!


Potty, Flush, and Wash (Cindy and Tracy)
Several years ago at a workshop two teachers taught us this song to the tune of “London Bridge.”
Potty, flush, and wash your hands,
Wash your hands, wash your hands.
Potty, flush and wash your hands
Everytime!

CLEAN UP

Taking responsibility for cleaning up the classroom nurtures responsibility, cooperation, a sense of accomplishment, and organizational skills. Someone once told me: ONLY DO WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO! You'll be amazed at what children can do to care for classroom materials. However, you're going to have to "teach" children how to clean up, just like you teach them how to write their name. And, it will take some time, modeling, and specific guidelines.

Clean up will also be much more successful if you choose a song and sing it consistently when you want the children to tidy up. You really can use any song that you like (country, broadway, college fight song), but use the same song every day and then model what you want the children to do. 

I used to sing these songs in my classroom and to my own children at home. (My daughter and son would clean up just to get me to shut up!)

A Helper I Will Be (“The Farmer in the Dell”)
A helper I will be.
A helper I will be.
There’s work to do,
There’s work to do.
A helper I will be.
A picker up I’ll be.
A picker up I’ll be.
It’s time to put our things away,
A picker up I’ll be.

Hint! Change the words to whatever you want the children to do, such as “pick up the trash,” “push in the chairs,” etc.

Tidy Up (“Jingle Bells”)
Chorus:
Tidy up, tidy up, put your things away.
Tidy up, tidy up, we’re finished for today.
Oh, tidy up, tidy up, put your things away.
For we’ll get them out again another school day.

We’ve had lots of fun as we’ve worked and played.
Now it’s time to all join in and play the clean up game.
Chorus

Can You? (Tune: “Skip to My Lou”)
I can clean quietly, how about you?
I can clean quietly, how about you?
I can clean quietly, how about you?
How about you, my darlin?

*Change the words to “push in my chair,” “pick up trash,” etc.

Magic Trash
Select one random piece of trash to be the “magic trash.” Have children pick up the room. As they dump the paper and scraps in the trash can, inspect what they have in their hands. The one to find the “magic trash” gets a prize or gets to be the line leader. (Only you and I know there's no special piece of trash!)

Timer
To help prepare children bring closure to what they are doing and clean-up before another activity set a timer for five minutes. Explain, “You have five more minutes. When the timer goes off we will have a whisper clean up.”

*One of my classroom jobs was called "the five minute person." When there were five minutes before we needed to clean up the "five minute person" would skip around the room and hold up five fingers as they warned their classmates, "Five more minutes! Five more minutes!" (It was one of our most popular jobs!)

Who You Gonna Call?
Send a letter home asking if anyone has an old dust buster to donate to your classroom. Choose one person each day to be the “dust buster.” When there’s a mess shout, “Who you gonna call?” Children respond, “Dust buster!” The designated “dust buster” of the day GETS to clean up the mess.


Classroom Jobs
Assign classroom jobs weekly. Title the jobs by real careers.
Supervisor – Calls the roll.
Maintenance – Picks up the classroom.
Police Officer – Makes sure everyone walks slowly in the hall.
Mail Carrier – Passes out papers.
Librarian – Cleans the classroom library.
Gardener – Waters the plants.
Meteorologist – Gives the morning weather report.
Accountant – Does the lunch count.
UPS – Takes reports to the office.