What is a puppet? own persona/thoughts/ideas can be used to teach anything!

g! it matters how they are used and what purpose they serve Why do puppets matter in early childhood classrooms? present humor and a different voice that they can learn from http://teachmag.com/archives/5618: simple way to convey ideas to kids can be used to teach a variety of topics can be used in play-based learning retain knowledge more effectively can describe and re-teach what they learned flexible - can be adapted and incorporated in many areas of learning can also be used to teach disciplinary ideas, social norms, appropriate behaviors, etc. way to acquire language development in an exciting and entertaining way sometimes kids feel less pressure in learning when interacting with puppets (not teachers) (can reference Paley and Tyrrell) used over time and places! they create a personal tie and connection for kids in the classroom they can also be carried to learning outside of the classroom What are other teachers saying about their experiences using puppets? http://firstinaction.blogspot.tw Can be used as a review tool. Puppets can pose questions to the class - Students are eager to answer questions Create a new voice in the classroom, besides the teacher. Gives students the motivation to participate in class Creates a fun and interactive environment Can be used as positive reinforcement Such a great teaching tool My students listen to EVERY word that they say Creates a strong visual for students

http://www.speakingpuppetry.com/language.php puppets provide a Safe haven for communication for teachers puppets encourage curiosity in kids learning as an experience! - Traditional and Progressive Education! can involve kids in so many ways - kids can perform puppet show, can use it to act out real scenarios, to work through real problems, to communicate with one another, etc.

 build a sense of community in the classroom Main themes? fresh, creative learning environment http://books.google.com/books?id=7IBp42adDVkC&pg=PA463&lpg=PA463&dq= teachers+experiences+with+puppets&source=bl&ots=oSKCBerGEz&sig=jprUTJim SGvYzI2LThbD6xj4oT8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NUZcUpbMA4T49QSWloCYAg&ved=0CD oQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=teachers%20experiences%20with%20puppets&f=fals e can present a thread for kids to work with and through during learning in a classroom Start simple if youve never used puppets. Class mascot Address the Is it real? question Dealing with the fear of puppets is important. Explain to students they are pretend and how they are used in the beginning. http://wonderteacher.com/puppet-tipsfor-teachers/ Often puppets are used as a class management tool Focus and explore the language of the puppet. Teaching social skills http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/V4N4/Circle_time_puppets_teaching_social _skills.pdf teaches social norms, students can learn to interact with one another, children are presented with examples of how they deal with their feelings Background knowledge/ideas: Mr. Rogers Neighborhood - distinguish between reality and fantasy - entering land of puppets - kids can distinguish between real people and pretend - also a comfortable and predictable part of the show that kids can look forward to experiencing Sound of Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_PJPDMXHOw - also a way to incorporate music and tradition and arts into teaching Taylors personal experience - worked with puppets when I was in kindergarten Letter People - we made our own puppets and were able to use them to work through letters in the alphabet. The people incorporated music and dancing, pronunciation and associating letters with spelling. (http://teachers.ewrsd.k12.nj.us/dcox/land_of_the_letter_people.htm) Jesss personal experiences - In first grade my classroom had a puppet that one specific student would take home each weekend and would have to document your experiences with the puppet. Did not have a voice in the classroom, but was used to enhance learning experiences. - Also in 2nd grade our guidance counselor organized puppet shows to show themes of bullying etc. http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/earlychildhood/puppets/index.html

Movie Outline: Kindergarten Opening Circle (Calendar, Schedule for the Day, Classroom issues (cleaning up? including friends? quiet in the halls?) Math - visual representation of numbers, adding, etc. Reading - punctuation, capitalization, etc. Writing - forming our letters Reflection! - Review