SUCCESSFUL MATH CENTRES  REGGIO INSPIRED PRIMARY PROGRAM Have a clear understanding of your goal. I see children as competent, curious and capable I  know that the students will be joyful learners if I am doing my job well. Here are  the goals considered when developing a  program: 1.     Students are invested in their community and enjoy        rigorous work. 2.     Students work well in an organized, beautiful space. 3.     Students should be treated with interest, respect and          high expectations. 4.     Kindness, patience and time are integrated into the         program 5.     Knowing and reflecting their interests is a priority. ORGANIZE  SUCCESSFUL MATH CENTRES   A REGGIO INSPIRED PROGRAM   1.     Invest time to teach your expectations. Students          need to  fully understand how to access materials,          clean up,  bathroom rules, movement and how to          work with  a learning partner. 2.      Provide explicit teaching on student jobs and        responsibilitie...

 A REGGIO INSPIRED LENS IN A KINDERGARTEN SPACE I  am so very fortunate to have a entire wall of windows that look out over the ocean and have a view of a beautiful fir tree. The natural light is so lovely and decreases the need for overhead lights. Instead we have lamps distributed throughout the classroom to light up the dark corners I usually have empty picture frames attached to a wall using 3m velcro and the students opt to display their art but last year I moved the frames into the hall and hung a clothesline on the wall because the Kinders looooooved big art pieces and the frames were too small.  We have a small  board in the cubby which we use for our Birthday Math Wall display. These two side by side boards are used for our family photos and drawings. In the fall when the children arrive they are empty waiting for our families to share their hopes and dreams and for the children's drawings to be celebrated. These two white boards are used for organization and our project...

  kindergarten literacy centres It's time to start thinking about which literacy centres to begin your Kindergarten year with. I like to use multiples of the same center while my Kinders are becoming familiar with school expectations, the longer days and being independent Kinders.  Having multiples of the same literacy centre allows me to quickly teach a centre and provide time for guided and then independent practice.  I wanted to share some of my go to literacy centres that I begin the new school year with. These are simple and require few resources. I also use them for quick glance assessment as I am investing in observing, listening and taking photos during this transitional month. Literacy centers can be organized and managed in different ways I like to begin with ten baskets so that two Kinders are working together. There is enough material in each bin if they prefer to work side by side as they adjust to Kindergarten. I like the centres to be simple to play, hands on and eng...

Launching the Daily Five  In a Reggio Inspired Program Like most Kindergarten teachers I want my Kinders to be independent and successful with this learning framework. My job is to guide them through the different strands slowly and build stamina with them. I don't want to manage behaviors, so it is important to take time so that they understand their jobs and have the skills for success. I believe that they are curious, capable and competent and know that with the right tools they will be joyful and engaged. I use anchor charts to provide explicit instruction and take the time to practice with them. I collect the Kinders between the strands to do a check in and then they move to the next task. However once the framework is established the children move without being collected. This only works if the children are independent and on task.  I do assessment every day, meeting with two target students while they eat lunch. In the afternoon the Kinders have Quiet Play and this provides ...

Whats in your math centre?  I usually have about 3-4 locations for our math resources in my Reggio Inspired Kindergarten Room. I also have a math kit for our outdoor program as we do a lot of our math outdoors. Keep reading to see how I distribute my math materials. Math Shelf Above the math shelf I have our anchor charts such as counting strategies which we have co-created and some photos of the kids doing math play on the wall. If we are not using anchor charts then I usually have a math documentation panel. Because this panel is for Kinders it is  composed of photos, shares their thinking and is displayed at eye level. Sitting on top shelf I have generic math materials like dice, numbers, number discs , ten frames and spinners that can be used for different math play Shelf #1 has the four current math centres which are  being used for both Guided Math and self directed play. Some examples are Roll & Cover, Number Towers, Bump and Domino Match Up. When not in use they are stored ...

   Launching Guided Math and Math Play Keep it simple. During the first weeks use multiples of the same activity, build stamina very slowly, provide explicit instruction and read the room so that you are ready for the next transition.  I introduce all of the learning frameworks as soon as possible in September and this includes Guided Math. For example, during the first five days the Kinders come in groups of five to orient themselves to school, becoming familiar with the room, expectations, each other and myself. I use these short blocks to introduce and practice our frameworks including guided math.  Use Learning Partners I use learning partners for all of the math activities except soft starts.  I wait until I know the children and then assign partners, the primary goal being for them to work well together. I have limited display space in this room so instead of a pocket chart I use a projector to showcase learning partners by adding a google doc to my desktop for easy access. Once ...

Setting up a Reggio Inspired Classroom? This video was made just after I set up the classroom two years ago before COVID and this fall I will return to this set up using my tent as a calming space for my Kinders....

I have uploaded shared my google slides. If you are interested in connecting with families using a Reggio Inspired teacher lens then this may be of interest.  Follow the link to access my slides  Family...

Mayra Mendez , PhD, LMFT, a licensed psychotherapist and program coordinator at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica, California, tells Healthline, “Play is important because it provides a primary foundation for learning, exploring, problem-solving, and building an understanding of the world and your role within it.” So which independent centres are the just right centres in a Kindergarten program? I choose based on three criteria: open ended, sensory and relationships. It is hard to talk about centres without talking about space and time. If you are interested in how I organize my daily flow or would like to learn more about Reggio Inspired Environments please visit my instagram account ReggioKInder. I don't limit numbers after the initial first week of school instead we have conversations about how many is too many and the children are encouraged to negotiate. Sometimes we push two tables together to make a larger space or move shelves back ...