Count kit within an Early Childhood setting. Compiled by : - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The use of items in the Crayons Count kit within an Early Childhood setting. Compiled by : Shaanii-Grace Robinson Early Childhood Education Consultant

The Early Childhood Commission Vision All Children having access to high quality early childhood development services enabling the realization of their full potential.

Do Good Jamaica and Crayons Count How did Crayons Count Start and why? Crayons Count first started when Deika Morrison, the founder of Do Good Jamaica , heard that Jamaican children did not have crayons. She consulted with the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) and was advised that there was a severe shortage of appropriate learning materials in early childhood institutions (more commonly known as basic schools) across Jamaica.

Do Good Jamaica and Crayons Count Crayons Count was established with two objectives: Objective 1 : To increase awareness of the importance of • early childhood education and good early childhood practices. Objective 2 : To provide recommended learning resources to • basic schools.

The Early Childhood Commission and Do Good Jamaica The Early Childhood Commission’s vision fused with Do Good Jamaica’s mission support within the early childhood setting: 1. The availability of developmentally appropriate and safe teaching/learning material. 2. The full enjoyment and success of all teaching/ learning experience by both early childhood practitioners and children. 3. An integrated lesson where children experience holistic development while ‘Learning through Play ’. 4. That early childhood institutions adhere to the standards of operating within a conducive learning environment for all children.

Learning through Play Learning Through Play - a Child's Job Play is fun for children. Play is the way children learn. Through play, children learn about themselves, their environment, people and the world around them. As they play, children learn to solve problems and to get along with others. They enhance their creativity and develop leadership skills and healthy personalities. Play develops skills children need to learn to read and write. Play in early childhood is the best foundation for success in school. By Jane K. Frobose, Colorado State University Extension, Family and Consumer Education Denver County, February 2008

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit The Crayons Count Kit supplied by Do Good Jamaica includes: Items of various textures, colours and shapes. • Items that are kid-friendly. • Items that are age and developmentally appropriate for all • children at the early childhood years. Items that are non-toxic and safe. •

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Benefits of wooden blocks to Wooden Blocks the early childhood child. Promote creativity • Encourage cooperative play • Develop fine motor skills • Foster hand-eye coordination • Ensure letter and number recognition • Enhance spelling and number skills • Provide the opportunity for the • development of spatial relationships and problem solving skills Ideas 1. Have child create words and interchange letters to make ‘nonsense’ words. 2. Ask child to find the matching number for the amount of letters in a word, then use the math symbols on blocks to perform simple mathematics problems.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Benefits of paint and paint brushes to Assorted Art Supplies the early childhood child. Allow the release of stress as • art therapy Encourage the identification • of colours and designs Develop fine motor skills • Enhance imagination • Fosters the learning of • different painting/art techniques. Ideas 1. Let child paint his/her interpretation of a story that was read or supply an outline of the characters and let them paint in the colour. 2. Allow child to paint items to represent counters or letters. 3. Let child mix paint colours or melt pieces of crayons together to discover new colours and create new crayons.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Assorted Art Supplies Benefits of crayons to the early childhood child. Foster language and self- • expression skills Develop small muscle • coordination Promote writing skills, Math • skills, Science skills, critical thinking and creative skills Ideas 1. Have child use crayons as writing tools or restrict the amount/hues of crayons to be used. Children may also overlap crayons on paper ( blue + red = purple ); this helps them to learn new colours. 2. Provide child with two pictures, one that was pre-coloured with more than three (3) hues and the same picture without colours; let students select matching colours to replicate the picture.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Benefits of pairs of scissors Assorted Art Supplies to the early childhood child. Develop fine motor hand skills • Develop the use of the index • fingers Promote Language • development (in and out, open and close) Sequencing • Ideas 1. Have child cut along varied types of lines, such as curvy, curly, wavy, straight lines among others eg. Healthy Foods -banana, apple. 2. Allow child to cut out objects and make a collage. 3. Invite child to cut along the outlines of numbers, letters and shapes.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Benefits of paper to the early Paper childhood child. Is versatile • Increases the imagination • Is a medium for self- • expression Promotes fine motor skills • Enhances creativity skills • Ideas 1. Engage child in simple paper folding techniques, such as origami, to make objects such as , birds, rings, boats among others. 2. Allow child to colour or design plain papers and tear or cut to make confetti for the desired celebration.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Benefits of wood blocks to the Wood Blocks early childhood child. Build hand-eye coordination • Develop fine motor control • Support mathematics skills- • sorting, counting, adding Assist in the creation of • designs Ideas 1. Make an object and allow child to use the blocks to re-create a design that matches the previously made item. 2. Invite child to create outlines of geometrical shapes using the prescribed pieces or colours.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Shape Sequencing Sorting Benefits of shape sequencing sorting Set set to the early childhood child. Promotes math skills- • sorting skills, sequencing Fosters colour • identification Develops problem • solving skills Ideas 1. Have child trace around the outline of any shape. 2. Invite child to label items with adjectives such as biggest, smallest.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Benefits of tall-stacker to the Tall-Stacker early childhood child. Builds hand-eye coordination • Develops fine motor control • Supports mathematics skills- • sorting, counting, adding Assists in the creation of • designs Ideas 1. Have child create or form a letter from the alphabet. 2. Allow child to create irregular and regular shapes and designs.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Benefits of rainbow stacker to Rainbow Stacker the early childhood child. Builds early shape, colour • and size differentiation skills Promotes problem solving • Ideas 1. Assist child to roll the parts of the rainbow stacker towards a target. 2. Allow child to thread the open circles to create a design of their choice. 3. Allow child to ‘find the same’ or ‘spot the difference’ among the stackers and create a pattern or sequence of colours.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Benefits of balls to the early Balls childhood child. Help to address bilateral skills • Develop hand-eye • coordination Ensure timing, sequencing skills • Encourage motor planning and • attention. Support focus and direction • Ideas 1. Have child compare the sizes, texture, shapes, colours, design and use of the ball. 2. Pass a ball to child after he/she has supplied a correct answer and allow them to ‘dunk’ or ‘kick’ or ‘bounce’ in the direction of a target. 3. Have child practice counting skills by ‘dunking’, ‘kicking’ or ‘bouncing’.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Play Dough Benefits of play dough to the early childhood child. helps to strengthen small fingers, • hands and wrists. builds imagination. • helps children develop self • esteem fosters cooperative play. • Builds communication skills • Teaches dividing, numbering skills • Ideas 1. Allow child to twist and mold two different colours of ‘play doh ’ to create a new colour. 2. Invite child to make exact models from a given sample. 3. Ask child to make items of various sizes, shapes and depth.

Do Good Jamaica-Crayons Count Kit Benefits of puzzles to the early Puzzles childhood child. Build cognitive skills-problem • solving skills, critical thinking Develop fine motor skills • Promotes hand-eye • coordination Encourages good social skills • and self-esteem Ideas 1. Use as Flash/Clue Cards for picture, number and letter identification. 2. Allow child to use only the letters that spell their name or any other word. 3. Letter hunt/matching : pre-place letters at various location within the class, write a word on chart/board. Let child search for letters and place under the given letter.