Math and Science

Just like the ruts that teachers get into related to language we fall into these patterns with Math and Science. Focusing on rote counting for math and frog, caterpillar or plant growth sequences for science. When teachers are in ruts they often miss the learning opportunities available in the everyday world of children. The Intentional Teacher presents a great example of an argument over who will ride a big truck around the playground. The group problem solving process in this case presented an excellent teachable moment in math. Chapter 4 also provides thoughtful suggestions related to computer use in the classroom and math and science concepts tied to materials that can be used to develop these concepts

Emergent Literacy and DAP

Chapter 3 of the Intentional Teacher does an excellent job tying together the prerequisites to reading Emergent Literacy and Developmentally Apporpropriate Practices. It has refreshing teaching strategies that go beyond glueing beans on an alphabet letter B or tracing the letter B on a worksheet. For example under the topic of print knowledge utilize what the author calls letter links. Pairing a child's printed nametag with a picture or even better a real object or 3 dimensional representation of that object and the printed name of that object. " A letter link for Aice might be ant and one for Pedro could be paintbrush."