Effective Strategies for Managing Classroom Transitions

Introduction

The paper is divided into five sections addressing different concepts of classroom transitions. The first section addresses the use of Visual Thinking Strategies 9VTS) using the three prompts to involve parents in their children’s work. The second section is a comparison of two articles and their take on early childhood education. The third section is a reflection on how children improve their cognition skills by playing with playdough. The fourth section is a revised schedule for transition activities. The fifth section is the figure indicating the new staff zoning. Finally, there is a discussion post on how I can improve my teaching strategies.

Family Talk

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a great way to engage families in conversations about their child’s work. The first prompt asks one to look clearly at the picture and say what is going on. The second prompt is asking the child what makes them say that. The second prompt aims to encourage one to find details that support their interpretation. The third prompt is asking one what more they can find. This keeps them making more observations and continued searching. While VTS is mostly oral language, it can also help a child write about their image. For instance, ask the three VTS questions followed by a write-up. One should be encouraged to write full paragraphs. However, there are concerns, such as some families feeling uncomfortable discussing their child’s work in a group setting. At the same time, others feel they do not possess the necessary skills.

Symbolic representation plays a critical role in various family cultures; hence, it can be interesting to discover existing differences. One of the ways is through interviews with different family members. For instance, ask them about the type of symbols they use and what they represent. Observing family spaces is another technique for discovering the differences. For instance, families who love art may have a lot of sculptures and paintings in their homes. Further, one can research family traditions. This includes looking at the symbols used in different cultural rituals and celebrations.

Graphic Organizer

Figure 1: Graphical Organizer

According to Deloache (2005), children’s play with playdough helps them develop a variety of skills, such as problem-solving skills, spatial awareness, and motor skills. Further, children develop cognition skills through their play with playdough. On the other hand, Swartz’s (2005) teacher-generated organizers are useful scaffolds to support the learning process. In addition, graphic organizers help students to construct understanding through the exploration of the association between concepts. One of the connections to my practice is the development of fine motor skills, which help kids with tasks such as drawing and writing. Also, the use of graphic organizers is vital in helping children to make connections and organize information between different concepts.

Reflection

According to Swartz (2005), children’s play with playdough builds their skills in multiple ways. For example, by exploring the playdough in multiple ways, children make connections with not only their immediate environment but the larger world in which they live. Further, the open-ended nature of experiences with playdough allows the children to express and develop their abilities and interests in creative and unique ways. As children discuss what they are doing with their playdough, they engage in scientific thinking. Children can learn cognition skills such as spatial awareness by manipulating their playdough in different textures and shapes. Further, experimenting with different textures and shapes helps in learning cause and effect. Overall, playdough is a valuable tool for promoting cognitive development in young children.

Revised Schedule

The revised schedule included three routines, namely arrival, transition, and breakfast. A digital picture was taken in each of the routines to show what was happening. The pictures were used to create the revised schedule, which includes a balance of child-directed and teacher-directed activities, loud and quiet, and large and small groups. The revised schedule will help the students in better understanding of classroom routines and schedules. Further, a visual schedule using pictures taken of each classroom routine is tailored to the needs of the students. After introducing the topic to the students, I will encourage them to ask questions and provide feedback.

Staff Zoning

Chart 1: Staff Zoning Chart

Session 4

Transitions between activities take up a significant part of a school day. Sometimes, it is challenging to move children from one activity to another. Fortunately, there are multiple techniques for easy transitions. For instance, in my program, I give a warning in advance to let the kids know that a transition is coming. The warning usually takes five minutes. The technique involves walking around the class and letting small groups and individual kids wrap up their activities. In addition, I give children enriching and fun activities during the transition. This includes a short game, fingerplay, or a song to sing.

I plan to improve my transition activities using a picture schedule. This entails taking pictures of the students during specific activities, such as during transition. I plan to use the pictures to talk to the children about the events of the day ahead. I will point to words and pictures that correspond to a specific activity. The exercise will be repeated frequently throughout the day. In addition, I will provide instructions to support transitions. This is by making sure the children know what to do and what is expected of them.

Conclusion

The paper identifies three prompts that are effective in helping parents get involved in their children’s work. Further, the paper provides a literature review of published articles to show the significant impact of playdough and visuals on children’s learning process. This includes the development of motor skills and cognition skills. Therefore, there is a need to revise some of the teaching techniques. For example, the use of graphical visualization will ensure ease in transition activities. The revised schedule in this paper includes pictures of children being involved in different activities.

References

DeLoache, J. S. (2005). Mindful of symbols. Scientific American, 293(2), 72-77. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26061109

Swartz, M. I. (2005). Playdough: What’s Standard about It? Young Children, 60(2), 100-109. http://www.chezmadamehelene.com/uploads/1/1/3/0/11301496/playdough_whats_standard_about_it.pdf