Ideas for Teaching in a Nursery

Read

• Read to infants throughout the day. Having an infant on your lap and reading the book aloud is soothing and builds trust. Simple picture books that feature a picture and a word or two are best, as they introduce infants to letters and allow them to associate what is written with the image. Select books with subjects that help an infant learn about the world. Topics should include the objects in a baby's room, items in a home, baby zoo animals, vehicles, shapes and colors, numbers, and people around the globe.

  Toddlers and older children can listen attentively to short stories, yet prefer interactive story time. Books with large letters work well to help children recognize the alphabet. Fantasy books with large, colorful pictures allow the caregiver to incorporate various respsonses into the the story. As youngsters are able to listen to and to respond to signals, pause frequently to ask questions that children will love to shout out the answers to.

Verbalize

• Verbalize activities infants are participating in. This helps to promote active instead of passive learning. Saying aloud, "I'm picking you up, you seem very hungry, you look sleepy, or let's go outside," helps the child eventually recognize what you are saying and anticipate activities. Soon children will vocalize their feelings about being picked up, being fed, being placed in a crib, and going outdoors, an important pre-language response.

  Verbalizing is like sports announcing and is an effective way to help older children practice communicating their feelings. A caregiver can comment, "You seem upset that you have to wait for the paint," which invites the child to explain and problem solve. Since children are in a group for nearly all activities, using accurate words to describe feelings and experiences is needed. Caregivers can model appropriate language so that children can express their needs with peers and work cooperatively with others.

Sing

• Singing contributes to language learning by helping infants and older children to remember information and increase their vocabulary. Sing alphabet and number songs that include the names of animals, fruits and vegetables. Singing is also an effective way to transition from one activity to another. Use chants and rhymes to expose children to the sound and language patterns they will use to speak. Play a variety of music, not just kid music, as doing so exposes infants to a greater range of sound, tones, and rhythms.

Display Photos

• Display large and small photos. Select from magazines pictures of families, infants participating in activities, animals, and shapes. Labeling and laminating the photos allows small hands to touch them and makes the photos easy to clean. If the infant shows interest by looking at or trying to move toward the picture, read the words and talk about the picture. Smaller photos can be made into cards that infants can grasp. Rotate the photos as needed.

  Older children may miss their families during the day. Caregivers can ask parents to help create a family photo album by collecting snapshots and other photographs that represent things that are important to the child's identity, such as family members, favorite foods and toys. The photographs can be glued onto paper, labeled, and then inserted into plastic sleeves. Children can talk about their albums with peers or caregivers, allowing youngsters to cope with the day's separation.

Move

• Carry infants to other spaces to add variety to their experiences. Incorporate outdoor play time in a shaded area. Prepare the environment by laying down rugs covered with sheets for infants to relax on. Place infants on their backs so they can move freely, and add a few toys or scarves for them to look at or reach for. Describe new things and people to help make sense of the experiences. Responses like kicking and bouncing may indicate they are excited to experience fresh air and new sights.

  Older toddlers and children are learning about spatial relationships. Creative movement activities such as doing the Hokey Pokey or the Chicken Dance allow children to have fun while finding designated positions. Moving backward, forward, inside, outside, front, back, over, and under on request requires listening and coordination skills as well.

Play Games

• If the infant seems interested, play games such as peek-a-boo and five little pigs. Infants learn about objects by putting them into their mouths, so provide toys that have bright colors, contrast in color and design, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Invite exploration by introducing toys that respond to children's actions, such as balls, nesting bowls, and squeak toys. Older infants can join the caregiver in performing finger plays. These activities teach language and social skills.

  Older children can play simple organized games. They can toss balls or bean bags at targets such as boxes, pails, or circles. They can compete to see how many fish they can catch using a pole with a magnet on one end and construction paper fish with a paper clip. They can walk forward and backward on balance beams to see who will lose their balance first.

Free Play

• Always allow children to play freely. Because children learn more when play is self-initiated, adults should avoid entertaining children, showing them how to play with their toys, and restricting their movements. Carefully observe a child's reaction and level of interest in activities. As soon as they fuss or seem uncomfortable, adults should immediately stop any activity.