Toddler and Preschool Centers Time - Back to School and Beyond

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Toddler Centers Time - teaching2and3y...
Preschool Centers Time - teaching2and3y...
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Centers time videos:
Setting Up Centers: • Setting Up Learning Ce...
Setting Up Centers for Back to School: • Managing Preschool Cen...
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[@charlottedelamor7812]

I just want to take the time to tell you how much I really appreciate you. Your knowledge and wisdom. The sweet young children who have you as their teacher are oh so lucky!

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Thank you, Charlotte, for such sweet words. ❤️ And thank you for watching my videos. I look forward to sharing more!

[@mrhammadmossop1988ul-haq]

This is absolutely fantastic thank you so much for uploading this to KZbin!

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Thank you for watching!

[@makingoverv6021]

I agree with you I feel that centers should be free choice time for children. I also what to add that teachers/caregivers please provide enough toys and materials in each center that you want the children to have easy access to and provide labels so that the children can learn where to go to get items and how to place things back where they belong.

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Good tips! Thank you!

[@erikaslearningresources3]

You always give us good information!

[@justhereyeah1112]

Haven’t started yet but I know this is just what I need thank you

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Happy to have you here!

[@MissSuesSkills4Success]

Hi Sheryl👋 Thanks for the insight on how you do centers! l found you on Facebook a few years ago and have picked up so many great ideas from you! I've been enjoying your videos too! 💚👍☘️ Cute shirt!

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

I’m so glad you are part of our community! ❤️

[@MissSuesSkills4Success]

@@Teaching2and3YearOlds Thank you! ☺️

[@ascensioncano3606]

Thanks for sharing your centers💖🙏

[@1_viewer]

Love this video! I have the same center approach for the same reasons!

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Glad you liked it! ❤️

[@heatherdawn3344]

You always have the best ideas!

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Thank you! 😊

[@rosaliaodonoghue8615]

I've been teaching PreK for many years and am now being placed in the 3K program at our school. I would love to know how to introduce centers in the beginning of the year. For PreK we do an exploration period at first and then as the children are playing I'll go into that center and talk about the things in it and how to use them. But with 2 and 3 year olds would you just open up one center per day? What would the other kids be doing because I can't have 15 kids playing in one center. Sorry I'm nervous about this and want to get it right! And I literally just found you today and I absolutely love your videos!

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

I do a free-choice centers time. All of my centers are open and the children can go where they want, when they want, for as long as they want. I discuss it in my centers time videos. (Here's the playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLAcKXQXlMqKvpaunWYTOS3J3UTVtJo_wJ) 🙂

[@nita182]

Could you talk about how to teach to clean up/share? I'm a new teacher and it's driving me crazy... I work in Switzerland and we have sixteen 2-year-olds in our group and it's so overwhelming

[@nita182]

Oh, by the way, THANK YOU for your videos! I really enjoy them and your attitude is so inspiring!!

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Thank you for the feedback! I will make note. In the meantime, you might want to check out my Facebook group as these topics get brought up a lot: facebook.com/groups/349498425589921 Once you are approved, use the search tool and type in "sharing" and "clean up". You aren't alone. This is difficult for many teachers!

[@nita182]

That's great, will do, thank you!

[@vandot5463]

Thanks so much...my philosophy as well. Do you label shelves and items?

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

I admit I am not really good about labels - I start off with good intentions but am not as consistent as I could be.

[@nachellaugust2246]

Hi New Toddler Teacher Here! I have been binging your videos and I’m starting to incorporate centers and I know you said you let them play where they want but I notice that when I do this they completely trash the classroom. How do I stop this?

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Start with less and slowly add more when they are ready. I talk about this in my back-to-school videos, if you are interested in checking them out. That being said, this age group will still move everything around. After about 15 minutes of centers time, our room is definitely not tidy. They love to transport materials from center to center. The only centers that I don't allow materials to move is art, playdough, and sensory. Playdough must stay at the playdough table (and this is a challenge at the start of the year so I am constantly helping them take it back to the table), paint must stay at the art table (sometimes they will walk off with a paint brush in hand), and sensory bin fillers (sand, rice, etc.) must stay in the sensory bin (because they will want to take a cup of it elsewhere). But I don't fret about other materials. We do a very simple group clean up towards the end of centers time and I do a more thorough clean up after school.

[@littlemrsmakeup]

Thank you for this video! I am a preschool teacher for 2 and 3 year olds. How often do you change up your centers?

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Hi Courtney! We change them with each theme, so every 2 weeks. Sometimes I will switch out a center earlier if I see there is no interest, and sometimes I will keep a center out longer if I feel the children need more time to explore. But generally it's every 2 weeks.

[@littlemrsmakeup]

@@Teaching2and3YearOlds Thank you!

[@nourish_ish7868]

What if the school requires you to move them in specific numbers of areas what you should do?

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Since I have never done that, I am not sure. I know there are teachers out there who do it (usually older preschoolers, not 2 year olds), so I hope someone else can help you with this.

[@alejandralatour8774]

how do you handle the disruptive children that go around throwing stuff like sand and blocks?

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

We start in the very first day showing the children how to handle everything. I stay close and if I start to see anything being thrown, I redirect them and say that blocks are for building, not throwing. I then model stacking blocks. When blocks are thrown - or any toys - it’s not safe, so after I feel they know the rules, I will remove them from the area if it continues to happen. I also want to make sure they are getting enough time during our morning to actually throw things during large motor play - such as balls. So I remind them they can throw balls once we get to the gym. Same with sensory bin fillers. I stay close, I redirect, I make sure they have containers to pour the contents into. Part of this age includes wanting to throw/dump so I need to make sure they do have those opportunities at appropriate times.

[@kerronkim6167]

Sheryl how do you get those strings to stay on the wall ?. What do you use ?

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

Command Strip hooks. 😊

[@kerronkim6167]

@@Teaching2and3YearOlds Is there anything else I can use ?

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

@@kerronkim6167 - You could insert screws with cup hooks to the wall and tie the string through the hooks. Our building didn’t want us to put holes in the wall at the time so that’s why we used the Command Hooks.

[@julieritzema6774]

How do you social distance in your classroom? Do your children need to wear masks?

[@Teaching2and3YearOlds]

We only need to social distance them at snack time, so we only have 2-3 per table. They bring masks but it’s not mandatory. If they keep pulling on them or removing them, we put the mask away. So far it has not been an issue, though.