Do preschool teachers write lesson plans?
April 132010
Since the lessons are so short, is writing out a detailed lesson plan necessary? What kind of planning do preschool teachers do? I mean, some planning MUST go into the day’s activities, but is it as formal as a lesson plan?
I do write daily lesson plans, and I suspect almost all preschool teachers do. I start by determining which education standards I want to address and what my main lesson/activity will be. Then I build the whole day around the standards I am addressing for that day. The entire day’s schedule and activities are planned out based on the standards and must be written out to the extent that a sub can step in and follow my plan if I should have to leave unexpectedly or become ill and cannot attend that day. I’m guessing that what you’re really asking is if I write out my main activity in the great detail that I did when writing lesson plans when I was in college, and the answer to that question is no, not in the same way. All of that information is there, but in a simpler format. It’s important to do all that when you’re in going to school though, to help you learn to understand and develop the thought process that goes into planning the day’s activities. Everything we plan for each day has an educational purpose. We have limited time with these kids, so we want every minute to be constructive, fun, and purposeful.
April 13th, 2010 at 7:46 am
I do write daily lesson plans, and I suspect almost all preschool teachers do. I start by determining which education standards I want to address and what my main lesson/activity will be. Then I build the whole day around the standards I am addressing for that day. The entire day’s schedule and activities are planned out based on the standards and must be written out to the extent that a sub can step in and follow my plan if I should have to leave unexpectedly or become ill and cannot attend that day. I’m guessing that what you’re really asking is if I write out my main activity in the great detail that I did when writing lesson plans when I was in college, and the answer to that question is no, not in the same way. All of that information is there, but in a simpler format. It’s important to do all that when you’re in going to school though, to help you learn to understand and develop the thought process that goes into planning the day’s activities. Everything we plan for each day has an educational purpose. We have limited time with these kids, so we want every minute to be constructive, fun, and purposeful.
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ECE teacher, mother of 3, grandmother of a whole bunch
April 13th, 2010 at 8:17 am
New teachers need to prepare the "lessons" simply because they are so short. I think of the objective first; what the child’s experience of the topic might be; and then with some "aids" plan to introduce the topic as a problem the children can solve.
I remember writing all this out when I began Kinder teaching some 40 years ago. Now I will do a weekly written curriculum outline, using last weeks plan as a start. What didn’t we get through? What needs a follow up etc. Then I glance at my Long Range Plan, and see how we’re going. I always have space on my weekly plan to jot down observations and ideas as they come to mind.
My daily plan always follows a routine which the children know, it helps with their security of mind as well as in developing their sense of time. The "lessons" which fit into this plan are NOW usually in jotting format, with any "aids’ needed highlighted so I remember to get them. For example: Lesson on Being kind to others/ sharing/ thinking of others feelings. Aid: my old threadbare teddy. Starting point: Children’s free response to him. Discuss reality. relate to their lives, allow some complaints, then suggestions. conclusion: how can we remember what we’ve talked about.
No its not as formal as a lesson plan, but it MUST be well thought through, and writing it down to begin with, will stand you in good stead to be able to be briefer as your experience and teaching ability develops.
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April 13th, 2010 at 8:55 am
In the UK your plans have to be extremely detailed. If you don’t plan, and/or your plans are considered inadequate, you get no government funding.
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April 13th, 2010 at 9:04 am
It depends on the teacher and the school.
I was in early childhood education for 7+ years, and yes, most states and centers worth anything, make mandatory that teahcer, even infant nursery teachers, create a "flexible" lesson plan. Flexible being key. Obviously, the younger the less time you spend on it. 0-12 months probably spends about 30 minutes to 2 hours a week on it. Toddler teachers anywhere from 1-5 hours a week. Pre-school teachers anywhere from 2-8 hours a week. It just depends on the teacher. I was a toddler lead teacher and really put alot of planning and thought into my lesson plans, my classroom, my activities, and most were play focused but still taught something I have spent up to an entire Saturday working on it. Most of the time I could finish in about 2 hours. It just depended on what I wanted to cover. Most preschool teachers buy most of the supplies themselves and those who don’t still buy extra stuff their centers don’t provide.
Mine was divided up into section…Literacy and Language, Motor Skills, Music, Math, Art, Water Play, Socio-Emtional, and Spiritual (Chrisitan center). Say my theme was "Snow" and under literacy would be several books with winter animals and snow etc., we would learn "cold" and "snow" in sign language, Motor Skills would be creating snowflakes with playdogh, making snowcream, and walking in the snow, Music could be songs like "I’m a Little Snowflake" and CD’s with songs about winter and instrumentals, dancing and pretending to be snowflakes then a snowstorm, Math could be counting "1 little 2 little 3 little snowflakes" and put stickers of snowflakes on your fingers, measuring ingredients for snowcream, Art could be painting with food colored ice, coloring to music, walking in "snow" (big piece of black paper, step in white paint, and walk across it), Water play digging in snow at the water table and making a snowman, Socio-emotional working together to make a snow man, Spiritual learning that God makes the snow, be thankful for our families, God loves me.
All that for 1-2 year olds!
And these lesson plans, in simple format are posted in the classroom, a copy given to the director of the center, and a copy given to each parent to see what their children are learning. You can do it monthly or weekly, depending on center and teacher preference. I did mine weekly with toddlers and two’s.
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April 13th, 2010 at 9:49 am
Depends on the school. Some schools have curriculum directors or purchased lesson plans that the teachers must follow to the T without any teacher input. Others require the teacher to construct a lesson plan. YOu must have a plan in order to prepare the activities that the children will do. What materials do you need to purchase? What do you already have on hand in the center? I don”t really go into detail when making a plan. If we will play a gingerbread man game during circle time on Monday I just write Gingerbread man game under Monday’’s circle time slot or Ice melting under Monday’’s science time slot.
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April 13th, 2010 at 10:23 am
I am a Preschool teacher and I spend a tremendous amount of time planning the curriculum each month. I plan around a central theme, and plan a new art, story / language arts, music, math/ science activity each day. This is what goes on my monthly calendar. In adddition, the children do additional activities on an ongoing basis, including show and tell, journal writing, building and construction, manipulitaves/ fine motor. We also focus on a letter of the week, and portfolio work. We go aon a few educational field trips each year like the zoo, nature center, library and the farm.
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