by Carly Lloyd on February 1, 2011
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February 3rd is the start of the new Chinese New Year.
In China this is a huge celebration and lasts for fifteen days until the moon gets its brightest.
Red is the colour to be wearing, painting doors or windows in and carrying around. Red symbolises gladness and is used to ward of wicked spirits and omens from homes, and is usually accompanied by the colour gold which symbolises prosperity and good faith.
During the colorful celebrations, people wear masks made up of varied materials including cloth, paper, grass, leather, metal, shell, and carved of stone or wood painted with Chinese symbolic designs and vivid colours. Some have realistic human or animal appearance.
There is a feast on Chinese New Year eve with family members. Firecrackers are let off to remove darkness from their lives during the Chinese New Year party.
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The famous Chinese crafts on the day of New Year are paper cutting, embroidery, new year paintings, and making lanterns. The crafts plays an important role during festival period as it is based on the theme of the celebration. New year paintings with the theme of nature and traditional culture pursuits love of Chinese towards its customs. Also animal representation of the year provides an important space to Chinese New Year crafts for kids. Children make replica of animal to welcome the New Year. Click here for a Rabbit printable.
How will you celebrate the new year with your class?
{Information compiled from here and here}
by Carly Lloyd on January 31, 2011
I have only done Valentine’s Day art once. Back in 2008 when I was the room leader of the birth-15 month room, this was the art that we created.
Rationale
For the children to explore their senses and creative abilities whilst creating Valentine’s Day art.
Materials Needed
:: Red/pink paper/cardboard
:: White paint
:: Permanent marker
Experience
Having the paint in little trays where the children can put their hands into the paint and then onto the paper. You can make a shape of a love heart {by doing two hand prints, with the palms touching/crossing over} or just let the children create what they would like*. You then can either trace around the heart or just write a simple ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ on the back or over the handprints.
Prior Knowledge
None.
Age Group
All ages – this specifically was done with younger children birth-3years of age. Though could be done with older children.
Links to Early Years Learning Framework
Outcomes One and Four.
* I done one of each when working, so that the children were able to express themselves but to meet standards that the director wanted I also had a ‘pretty’ one. I must stress though, never force a child to do anything. Ever.
by Carly Lloyd on January 14, 2011
As most of you know the floods in Queensland were devastating. Not only was Queensland in a disaster situation, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia were too. Even if one of them was the result of people.
Merrill, one of the girls that writes for the other blog that I created, We Heart Life, has decided to give something to the children in Queensland that are in need.
Being a primary school teacher also, I cannot agree more. Shopping for school supplies will definitely be the last thing on these parents minds.
If you would like to help out by heading out and shopping for school supplies, think books, pencils and the like, please let Merrill know! Even if it is just a couple of dollars that you can spare you will be helping those in need.
Visit Merrill’s Facebook page {and then find the information for the Mez’s Queensland “Back to School” Flood Appeal event} for further information.
by Carly Lloyd on January 7, 2011
One game that the Kindergarten children really enjoyed was the fishing game.
I created two sets.
I would have 10-20 fish and would create a matching pair. I did this for both Mathetmatics and English.
For Mathematics I would write either the numeral or dot representation of that number. For other age groups you could write the number as a word or use pictures rather than dots.
For English, I used the sight words and commonly used words that they were having difficultly with during reading. For younger age groups or earlier in the year, this could be done with letters.
I drew each fish and used a staple for the mouth so that the magnetic rods could be used. Placed the fish into a hoop and limited to two players {just because if there were four children, most of them got tired of waiting for their go.}
by Carly Lloyd on January 6, 2011
As the new year has began it is only appropriate to talk goals.
I am, finally, in my last six months of university with only two other units to finish before the degree is completed. I am crossing my fingers for a high distinction on another assignment, but I will be happy with a pass. After seeing how badly I took the last pass mark, I really do not want to set my self up for a disappointment like that again. Definitely not my finest moment.
Reflecting back on that disappointment, I only want to ensure that I am focused on me as a teacher. Not me as a blogger, designer, and everything else that I was trying to do at the same time. So this year is the year of happy, and I have already stepped back a lot from everything that I was doing. To ensure that university will be completed on a happy note, rather than a stressful one.
Goals do not only have to impact on me for this year but are also ones that I wish to see myself complete in the future. I love having a vision and mission for myself as an Early Childhood Teacher and feel that it will greatly benefit me and the children that I work with in the future.
In 2011 I will:
: finish the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) in June and graduate in September
: work casually in primary schools
In five years I hope:
: to have a full-time role, be it in a primary school or long day care or preschool
: to be deciding whether I would like to get my Masters
: to be saving and learning about running a preschool or long day care
: to advocate for children and the importance of play within primary schools
In ten years I hope:
: to be a director of a long day care or preschool and hopefully own
: to work with primary schools and develop transitions programs
While none of these are set in stone, they are just some things that I hope to accomplish in my future as an Early Childhood Teacher and I hope that over the years I will continue to strive for these goals, and extend and modify them as need be.
I notice that I set goals a lot, I wonder if this is the inner organiser within me?
{This was originally published on Carly Lloyd my personal reflection site.}
