Planning Sequential Activities MAGIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Planning Sequential Activities MAGIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES 8

THE “MAGIC 8” CLASSROOM PRACTICES Reduce time spent in transition 1. Creating a positive climate 2. Increasing teacher listening to children 3. Improving level of instruction 4. Promoting associative and cooperative interactions 5. Planning sequential activities 6. Providing math opportunities 7. Fostering high levels of engagement 8.  2017-18 Initiative: Focus on Literacy  Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 2 PLANNING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES

WHAT IS A SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITY ? Sequential activities require children to follow a logical order or sequence. Sequential Non-Sequential EXAMPLES: EXAMPLES: Writing names, responding to Scribbling with markers in a journal prompt, writing the writing center authentic messages Squishing Play-Doh in the Forming recognizable art center shapes, letters, or objects Scattering pieces from Working on a puzzle different puzzles on the floor; together or alone; looking for animating pieces pieces, rotating pieces to fit Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 3 PLANNING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES

WHY SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES ARE IMPORTANT Dimensions of Children need opportunities to interact with materials and Executive Function engage in activities that require them to think, plan, and reflect. WORKING MEMORY Sequential activities provide important opportunities to The ability to hold information practice executive function and self-regulation skills. in mind and use it. Children who spend more time engaged in INHIBITORY CONTROL Sequential activities make greater gains in: The ability to master thoughts and impulses so as to resist temptations, Early Math Skills  distractions, and habits, and Letter and Sight Word Recognition  to pause and think before acting. Emergent Writing Skills  COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY DISCUSSION POINT: The capacity to switch gears and adjust to changing demands, Which subject areas naturally lend priorities, or perspectives. themselves to more Sequential activities? Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 4 PLANNING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES

STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES When setting up the classroom and choosing materials, teachers should strive to create opportunities for higher levels of cognition throughout the day, especially during center time. Strategies include : Incorporating Sequential Materials  ( i.e., those that are self-correcting ) Previewing and modeling how to use  materials in a Sequential way Suggesting scenarios or goals to structure  play Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 5 PLANNING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES

STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES: USE OF MATERIALS  Recall : Sequential ACTIVITIES require children to follow a logical order or sequence .  Sequential MATERIALS often give children visual feedback about whether the task has been completed successfully, and promote children’s independent, sequential play . Can you identify which materials are sequential? DISCUSSION POINT: For materials that are not sequential, how can you support children’s use of them in a sequenced way? Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 6 PLANNING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES

STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES: SUGGESTING ACTIVITIES While some materials are inherently sequential (e.g., puzzles), children may need suggestions or support from adults to use other materials in a sequenced way. MODELING PREVIEWING Be intentional and Play alongside children and demonstrate enthusiastic when using materials in sequenced ways: I brought in a real introducing free MAILBOX for the choice center Writing Center! You can write letters to activities — this is an I see the counting bears are your friends, put them Since I’m the waitress, having a birthday party! Should excellent way to in the mailbox, and the I’ll write down your order. we count how many guests there mail carrier will deliver spark children’s Hmm…I can’t remember how are to make sure we have them during our to spell “pizza”, but I know it enough treats? interest and give Afternoon Meeting. starts with the /p/ sound. them ideas! Which letter is that?! Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 7 PLANNING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES

STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES: ENHANCING SCENARIOS Integrate topics from curriculum studies across daily activities  Suggest scenarios for children to act out during dramatic play  Help children develop plans for making specific structures in the block area  DISCUSSION POINT: How can you follow children’s interests to scaffold sequential activities? Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 8 PLANNING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES: STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING SEQUENTIAL Non-Sequential Facilitation Sequential ACTIVITIES: ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES T each strategies for putting together difficult puzzles Children scatter pieces from (e.g., “Let’s look at the picture on the box…these Children work on a puzzle together or alone — different puzzles on the floor three pieces are red like the firetruck. I wonder if they looking for pieces, rotating pieces to fit belong together.”) Children randomly and Use self-talk to model how they approach reading a Children “read” books, turning pages and making quickly flip through the pages new book. Model strategies for using pictures to comments about pictures of a book “guess” what the story is about. Introduce art center by suggesting the kinds of things Children squish play-doh in Children use play-doh to make shapes such as children might want to try making. the art center letters, leaves for a tree, or cookies for a bakery Think about how written text can be related to a unit Children scribble with Children work on their names, a journal prompt, theme or study. Suggest that children write letters, markers in the writing center or writing authentic messages make lists, or author stories. Children play together with Prompt children to make comparisons about quantity Children count the dinosaurs and/or sort them dinosaur counters, making (e.g., “Who has more dinosaurs? How can you tell? into groups based on size, color, or some other sounds and talking like How can we make these groups equal?”) characteristic dinosaurs Help children make plans or blueprints for buildings. Children are knocking down Children carefully stack blocks to make Provide pictures or diagrams in the block center to structures in the block center recognizable shapes and structures help give children ideas. Create variety in the dramatic play center by setting Children are using the up different scenes. Discuss responsibilities of specific Children take on the different roles in an ice dramatic play area as a jobs in the community (e.g., “What do people do at cream parlor or pretend to follow a recipe “kitchen” the grocery store? How does a post office work?”)

SPECIAL THANKS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES We are grateful to the following MNPS Pre-K Instructional Coaches and Multi-Classroom Leaders for their invaluable feedback in developing these materials: SeTara DeThrow Carrie Head Susan McClain Stephanie Mullins Holly Stone Ashley Aldridge Wilson Rhiannon Wilson https://my.vanderbilt.edu/mnpspartnership/ Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 10 PLANNING SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES

INDIVIDUAL IMAGE SOURCES FREQUENTLY USED IMAGES* ADDITIONAL IMAGE SOURCES Slide 3: writing center | weclipart.com Lightbulb | myiconfinder.com  Designed by Vexels.com: Slide 3: puzzle | getcolorings.com  Hand drawn magnifying glass Slide 4: child gear head | DeviantArt.com Hand drawn bar graph Slide 4: arrow | clipartstockphotos.com Pie chart hand drawn doodle Slide 5: doctor | getcolorings.com Hand drawn wall clock Hand drawn cloud bubble Hand drawn open book Cog wheel hand drawn icon *These graphics are used as icons throughout the series. For example this lightbulb clipart appears beside most “Discussion Point” questions. Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8