Toddlers play school: Preschool Programs for Ages 3

11 Proven Classroom Management Tips for Preschool Teachers

Picture a busy classroom scene with excited children carrying on. The teacher, ready to regroup and move on to the next activity stands up and calls out, “1-2-3 little red school house!” and the children slowly but surely pick up on the cue, quiet down and wait for the teacher to speak.

Maybe you can remember your preschool teacher using this phrase or a similar approach to quiet down the classroom and get everyone’s attention. At the time, you probably didn’t realize you were responding to a tried-and-true classroom management technique—it just seemed like a game you played with the teacher. But now that you’re exploring an early childhood education (ECE) career, classroom management takes on a whole new importance.

It’s not always easy keeping a day on track when working with kids who are just figuring out the basics of how to socialize and adjust to a classroom setting. So what can ECE teachers do to help keep things running smoothly? We asked preschool teachers and ECE experts for their best classroom management tips and techniques.

11 Classroom management tips worth trying

Looking to keep an orderly preschool classroom? Consider trying the following:

1. Organize your room strategically

A preschool classroom can be quite chaotic, so the way you organize is important in that it can help ensure that effective learning is happening wherever children are stationed. There are certain tips and tricks that you can only learn from experience, according to Barbara Harvey, ECE professional and parenting educator.

She’s learned to separate noisy areas of the classroom from the quiet ones. For example, the blocks and other activities should be on the opposite side of the room from the reading center.

“There should be clearly demarcated areas in the room—like reading, timeout, play, food—and rules surrounding those areas,” says Adam Cole, co-director at Grant Park Academy. If the ‘boundaries’ of each space are clear, it facilitates the relationships in the room, Cole says. “Difficult situations occur less often and can be resolved more quickly. ”

2. Emanate comfort and reassurance

There is a physical environment in each classroom, but perhaps on an even more important note—there’s the atmosphere you create by your tone and demeanor. Children are often very perceptive of attitude towards them. “Teachers should be warm and caring toward children who are acting upset,” says Stephanie Leclair of Tiny Hoppers.

Leclair says that trying to comfort the child and reassure them that they are not alone is worth trying when a student is upset. “Every child is different, but with some children, all they really need is a warm hug to calm down.” If you make yourself open to your students, they might be able to communicate why they are upset and help you solve the issue.

3. Give them tools to express their feelings

Little ones don’t always know how to manage their emotions or communicate their feelings. When a child gets upset, answering a question like ‘what’s wrong?’ can be difficult. But Cole says children don’t necessarily need to communicate why they are upset if they can express their emotions creatively.

Cole encourages teachers to offer children options of song, art, movement in a quiet space set apart from the group. “Then they should be allowed to manage their feelings either by waiting in the ‘safe’ place until they are able to participate, or by having their feelings and being with the group anyway. Teachers can offer gentle assistance if students do not know how to manage their feelings, with the goal of continuing the flow of the day.”

4. Make a plan for transitions

There will be several times throughout the day when children are transitioning from one activity or area of the room to another. It’s important to have a plan for these transitions.

Harvey suggests using a countdown as part of your plan so children are ready to move on when the time comes. Announcing that you’re going to countdown from 10 to one before moving on to the next activity will help children feel prepared for the transition.

Drift time can be hard for children, so having a solid plan with no gaps is definitely a must according to Cole. “It’s not that teachers can’t improvise or be diverted, only that there should never be a time when the teacher doesn’t have an option for something to do.”

5. Follow the kids from time to time

Speaking of being diverted, Cole says there are times to put the plan aside when you can tell it would be beneficial for your students.

“One time I found that all my students had abandoned my circle and had gotten interested in playing under the table. So I got under the table with them. That’s where we continued class.”

Whether it’s teaching under a table, moving free time around or focusing on something the kids are particularly interested in that day, being flexible and matching their natural interests can make the day more interesting and exciting for them.

6. Use child-friendly labels

Keeping your room organized shouldn’t entirely fall on your shoulders. Empower your students to pick up after themselves and take responsibility for their own messes.

Harvey uses labeled plastic bins to organize classroom supplies and toys. She labels the bins with pictures of each object and labels the shelf where the bin is stored with the same picture. She says this not only helps children put things away properly and teaches responsibility, but also helps hone their matching skills.

7. Refer to the routine

Consistency is important for everyone, but especially for children. If your preschoolers know their routine, they begin to have an innate sense of accountability to follow it. Even something as simple as writing the day’s schedule on the board or making pictures to represent activities can help children anticipate the routine and feel more comfortable.

8. Create integrated learning environments

“A developmentally appropriate environment for a toddler or preschooler takes a holistic approach,” says Elizabeth Malson, president of the Amslee Institute. Malson says dedicating spaces to auditory, visual and social/emotional development areas will help toddlers make connections between their experiences and the world around them.

“Focus on creating a space that is conducive to a child’s visual, auditory and emotional development,” Malson says. When children grow, they need support in all of these areas. Appealing to the toddler’s sense of curiosity is a great approach, Malson says.

Integrated learning environments have individual learning centers or stations which allow children to safely explore and play, Malson explains. “At this age, it’s important to keep learning centers simple so children are not overwhelmed.” For example, toddlers can enjoy a literacy corner with a comfy chair and a few books.

“Sand and water tables are popular as well as a block or building center,” Malson says. “Daily exercise and outdoor play is important and visiting a park is a type of learning center as well. Toddlers also enjoy dress up and craft stations.”

9. Balance ‘active’ & ‘passive’ activities

Certain activities will get your students’ pumped up and giddy with excitement, and others will help them mellow and calm down. Harvey recommends finding a balance and switching between the two. Trying to keep kids silent when they are bubbling over with energy will be far less productive than giving them an activity to blow off some steam.

The manner in which you organize your activities can make all of the difference in keeping your kids engaged and avoiding meltdowns.

10. Tackle ongoing issues with creativity

Most little ones will have grumpy days. But you might start to notice patterns in your classroom that represent an ongoing struggle for specific students. That’s when it’s time to take a step back and analyze the situation. Leclair recalls a time when she taught a student who particularly did not enjoy sensory activities.

“It made following our lesson plans challenging as we generally had several messy activities to do a day. What could we do to make things more enjoyable for this child? Could we come up with some sort of solution for him?”

Leclair says one of her fellow teachers suggested gloves. “Sure enough, the next day we brought out a big bin of goop. We asked him if he’d like to try wearing gloves before touching the goop. He thought it was a pretty cool idea, put them on and dug his hands right in. Presto! Problem solved.”

11. Enjoy your job!

Kids are naturally intuitive and tend to follow the lead of those they’re around. If they see you enjoying the teaching process, think of how much more likely they are to enjoy the learning process.

Teaching preschool can be full of laughter and little delights, and when children see you having fun and making the day bright, it will help them come along for the ride. While not every day is going to be sunshine and rainbows for you, putting on a good front and approaching the day with enthusiasm can lead to a positive feedback loop that might just make your day a little brighter.

Discover your own classroom management techniques

As you can see, there are so many good ideas for how to approach preschool classroom management. And when you are on the job, working with kids day after day, you might feel your intuition kicking in, helping you navigate. And of course, teacher networks are rich with helpful advice and creative solutions.

“When you hit a situation you can’t handle, ask questions of experienced teachers, and take whatever works for you,” Cole says. “Then forgive yourself for what didn’t go well and come back the next day. The kids don’t expect you to be perfect, just to be fully present.”

If these tips for classroom management are giving you a few ideas on what you would do as a preschool teacher, check out “7 Teaching Strategies to Consider for Your ECE Classroom” and keep the inspiration flowing!

The Early Childhood Education programs at Rasmussen University are not accredited by the NAEYC Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation. Rasmussen University is not a partner of NAEYC and our programs are not sponsored or endorsed by NAEYC.
Graduates of Early Childhood Education programs at Rasmussen University are not eligible for licensure as a teacher in an elementary or secondary school. A Bachelor’s degree and a state teaching license are typically required to work as a teacher in a public school and some private school settings. States, municipalities, districts or individual schools may have more stringent licensing requirements. Students must determine the licensure requirements in the state and school in which they intend to work. Childcare facilities and the states in which they are located establish qualifications for staff who work with children, and often implement guidelines regarding age, education, experience and professional development. Students must determine the licensure requirements for the state and facilities in which they work.
This program has not been approved by any state professional licensing body, and this program is not intended to lead to any state-issued professional license. For further information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence.

‎Hungry Caterpillar Play School on the App Store

Description

Hungry Caterpillar Play School develops the key skills kids aged 2-5 need to get ahead on in their lifelong journey of learning. It is the trusted 1st choice for parents and educators worldwide.

“This is a marvelous learning app for toddlers to kindergarten-age kids because of its range and content.” – Common Sense Media.

The app includes Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and a universe of his other beloved characters. Our activities are informed by international early learning standards. We constantly update with the best evidence-based practices in teaching and design.

Subject areas include:

• EARLY MATH SKILLS

• LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

• SCIENCE AND NATURE

• CREATIVE ARTS

• PROBLEM SOLVING AND REASONING

• EARLY CODING SKILLS
Yes, even children as young as two years old can start learning this vital 21st-century skill.

• AN EXCLUSIVE LIBRARY OF LEARN-TO-READ BOOKS

• ABSORBING NON-FICTION BOOKS.

• HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Our learning content is supported and enhanced by SONGS and VIDEOS. These help deepen your child’s engagement, understanding, and recall. Songs are a proven learning aid used by teachers all over the world. Our charming guided meditations also help prepare kids’ minds for learning.

Features:

• Unlimited access to a huge library of books, videos and activities, all in one kid-friendly app. Updated regularly with new content.

• A safe, child-friendly environment. COPPA compliant and kidSAFE certified. To learn more: www.kidsafeseal.com.

• Enjoy pre-downloaded content without WiFi or internet. Great when on the move, or just for peace of mind.

• Perfect for kids aged 2-5. Designed for Preschoolers.

• Particularly effective with neurodiverse children.

• Screen-time is learning time. Everything is designed to nourish and develop young minds.

If you experience any issues email [email protected]

Hungry Caterpillar Play School is a subscription service which gives complete access to all our activities, books, lessons, songs and videos with exclusive new content every month.
– Choose to subscribe on a monthly or annual basis.
– Change your mind at any point. Cancelling can be done through your iTunes settings.
– Payment will be charged through your iTunes account.
– Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the price of US$7.99 per month or US$59.99 per year, unless otherwise specified.
– Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period.
– Subscriptions may be managed and Auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase.
– Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription!
– Use your subscription on any device registered with the same Apple ID you subscribe from.

Read our privacy policy and terms of use here:
https://storytoys.com/privacy
Certified by the kidSAFE Seal Program. To learn more: www.kidsafeseal.com.

Nov 22, 2022

Version 10.9.0

We have foregrounded our Christmas Content so users can easily find their seasonal jigsaws and coloring pages. We’ve turned our main menu into a winter wonderland. Watch The Very Hungry Caterpillar crawl and eat in the snow! Winter Wonderland is a seasonal learn-to-read book. It’s aimed at kids who are just starting their reading journey, this wordless book encourages kids to look at the pictures and use their own words to tell a story.

Ratings and Reviews

5.6K Ratings

Editors’ Choice

Inspired by the timeless story of a little egg on a leaf, Hungry Caterpillar Play School is as sweet and colorful as Eric Carle’s beloved children’s book. The app is all about play and exploration; kids can draw, color, sing, and even learn to grow strawberries (for the caterpillar’s snack).

Looks pretty good so far but FIX TYPOS, please!

We just started our free trial, as our three year old loves Eric Carle (and quite frankly, the limited content was way too limited to get a real sense of the app). We are enjoying the bright colors, familiar characters, and variety of games/subjects.

Since the book section wasn’t available in our limited content exploration, we went to read one—the one about the frog. The pictures are cute, the information is age appropriate and the animations, though limited, are fun (the sound effects are especially appreciated by my preschooler). BUT! Imagine my surprise to find a typo! Yes it’s a common mistake —“its” incorrectly is spelled “it’s”—but COME ON!!! This is a LEARNING APP and there are grammar errors?!! Not cool. Not appreciated. And definitely NOT what I expect from anything Eric Carle-related (he’s a Big Deal in our household).

For the money that we are expected to pay with the auto-renewal, I expect better editing and proofreading. Please look over AND CORRECT the text of the books and other sections of the app as part of the next update!

Hi ShiGold. Thanks for your feedback, and well spotted! We will of course correct this as soon as possible. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Ads

This is a really great app for kids, done really well. My daughter and I both enjoy all the fun things to do with in the app. I like how the content is updated frequently. My only complaint is the ads inside the App even after purchasing subscription for one year. I often pay to have ads removed so my daughter doesn’t encounter them while playing apps. Ads are such a nuisance and distracting, especially in the middle of gameplay. It would be my suggestion that you remove ads inside the game for subscription users.

Hi Seagreenx777. Thanks for your review, we’re glad you’re enjoying the app. We’re concerned that you are seeing ads though. You should not be seeing ads as a subscriber, and even free users should only see one of two suggested apps from the rest of our collection. Could you please email [email protected] describing the ads and where they appear, or send us screenshots? We’re eager to fix this issue as soon as possible. Thanks!

Events

The developer, StoryToys Entertainment Limited, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

• User Content

• Usage Data

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Seller

StoryToys Entertainment Limited

Size

432.2 MB

Category

Education

Age Rating

4+, Made for Ages 0–5

Copyright

©StoryToys Limited, 2022

Price

Free

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• App Support

• Privacy Policy

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How to play school at home?

Almost every preschool child dreams of becoming a first grader. Still would! After all, a student is already an adult! That is why children often play school at home too. These games are often unpretentious, but preschoolers try to follow certain rules, which, in their opinion, are also present in a real school.

Make-believe school

In order to play elementary school, you need to follow a few simple and fun rules for kids. nine0003

1. Lessons and breaks . If your child is not yet familiar with the class-lesson system, tell him what the schedule, calls, objects are.
2. Discipline . It is the need to observe discipline during a lesson (even a game one) for a child that is a problem. If you do not explain to your child the rules of behavior during lessons, then do not be surprised that in the first grade of a real school, he will talk with classmates, walk around the office, or eat a sandwich prepared by a caring mother. Playing school at home will allow the child to easily adapt to the first grade. nine0012
3. Ratings . Parents and kindergarten teachers praise children for the most insignificant achievements. Kids consider themselves to be the best, and suddenly at school it turns out that someone turned out to be better! That is why it is necessary to prepare the child for the fact that he will be evaluated in advance. Before you start playing elementary school at home, tell your preschooler about rewards or punishments in the form of marks. It is not worth delving into a 5- or 12-point grading system. You can use small stickers or certain icon pictures as home ratings. This will save your child from the fear of bad grades. nine0012
4. Homework. The performance of certain tasks is associated not only with the consolidation of knowledge, but also with the ability to plan one’s time. In addition, this will serve as a motivation for the subsequent game of school, because the correctness of the tasks must be checked.

Home school supplies

As you can see, playing at home at school does not require any special expenses. The main thing is the desire of the child and the free time of the parents. If there is more than one child in the family, then there is no need for the participation of mom or dad in a role-playing game. All you need is pens, pencils, notebooks, albums. It’s great if you have a children’s desk, a small board with a marker or chalk, a bell. nine0003

School play is a great way to instill in children an interest in acquiring new knowledge and having fun.

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I want the kids to go to school

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Director of the Igra Charitable Foundation

Klimashkina M. O.

(Order No. 1611/22 dated 16.11.2022)

posted on the website: 16.11.2022

Public Office on the conclusion of a donation agreement No. 1

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1.1. This public offer (hereinafter referred to as the offer) is an offer of the Charitable Foundation of the Charitable Foundation “Game” represented by the Director Maria Olegovna Klimashkina, acting on the basis of the Charter, (hereinafter referred to as the Foundation) to conclude with any individual or legal entity, including individual entrepreneurs, who will respond to an offer (hereinafter referred to as a philanthropist), an agreement on donation of funds in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 437 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. nine0003

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The Foundation is ready to conclude donation agreements on other terms than those stipulated in the offer. Any interested person has the right to apply for the conclusion of the relevant agreement to the Fund at the email address hello@fond-igra. ru.

Procedure for concluding a donation agreement (offer acceptance)

The philanthropist independently determines the amount of the donation and makes it in any way indicated on the Foundation’s websites on the Internet (fond-igra.ru, bbhelp.ru, etc., hereinafter referred to as the Foundation’s websites), including by using bank cards, electronic payment systems, payment terminals, direct transfer from a bank account using the details of the Fund and other means that allow transferring funds to the Fund’s current account, on the terms of this agreement. nine0003

3.2. When transferring a donation by direct transfer from a bank account using the details of the Foundation, the philanthropist indicates in the purpose of the payment the purpose of using the funds, for example: “donation”, “donation for statutory activities”, “charitable donation under offer No. 1”.

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