Two teams are selected with each team using masking tape making an "X" on the floor.  Having a starting line and at the "go" signal by the teacher, the first team member from each team races to the "X," steps on the "X" with one foot, steps on the "X" with the other foot, and races back to tag the next team member who repeats the procedure until all team members have completed the relay.  This helps reinforce eye/feet coordination and teamwork.

Check out the www.welearnbydoing.com website and check out the activity booklets for teachers.     ...<< MORE >>

Having 3 grandchildren 8, 6, and 5, I did not realize that I was already teaching them the importance of Math and Science through play, games and stories since they were babies.  I still do this today at their age levels.  After studying the early years, I realized that even at 2 1/2 months, the baby understands that if it hits another object, it will move or if missed, it will not move.  Babies watch things move, fall down, hit other objects, roll, knock down things as early as 3 months old.  It is a natural curiosity they have like dropping a spoon to the ground from a high chair to see if the parent will pick it up and give it to them in a repeated fashion.  They are just exploring their environment and trying to make sense of this world like fitting a block into a circle or square.  So, babies have this knack that they were born with for understanding basic math and science.  

This workshop on math and science for the young child shares activities, ideas, focuses on how concepts are acquired along with the processes and reasons needed.  It will also allow teachers and parents to work together to create activities. 

Call 305-625-2128 or E-mail bjaniak@bellsouth.net for more information on presenting this workshop for your organization or school!

Check out the www.welearnbydoing.com website for more workshop titles and CD samples (3 new CD's out) and activity booklets for teachers and parents.  

                                                        Bill Janiak's "We Learn By Doing Workshops" 
                                                        19131 NW 39 Ct
                                                        Miami, Forida 33055 ...<< MORE >>

A workshop on awareness of sex predators and how they operate and other dangers for children such as Fire safety, water safety, gun safety, internet safety, cell phone safety, toy product safety, home and school safety, holiday safety, bicycle safety, and poison safety.  Each area showing the safeguards along with the myths and facts. 

With this concern in mind for our children, the National Alert Registry nation-wide data base shows over 300,000 registered sex offenders in the United States.  This awareness is needed badly both for the teachers and the parents.
 
   ...<< MORE >>

  “WE LEARN BY DOING” Trainings 
                                                                 WILLIAM C. JANIAK, MS, RMT 
                                                Activity Specialist Consultant, Children’s Artist, Keynote Speaker
                                                               44 Years of Professional Consulting 
                                                         19131 NW 39th Court Miami, Florida 33055
                                                         Phone: (305) 625-2128 FAX: (305) 474-8136
                                               Website: www.welearnbydoing.com and blog.musicwithbill.com/ 

                                                                    2009 TITLE OF TRAININGS
Music/Games/Movement: 
  1. Music-Time Activities        2. Basic Music and Movement        3. Leisure Time Activities       4. Rainy Day Games
  5. More Rainy  Day Games     6. Indoor Games for All Occasions      7. Motor Skill Activities    8. Strictly Parachutes
  9. Fun and Fitness Activities   10. More Fun and Fitness Activities     11. Songs for Every Holiday                                                              12. Language and Listening Activities      13. A to Z with Toddler Activities 14. Team Building Games for Children                                  15. More Indoor and Outdoor Games for Children 16. Easy Games for Preschoolers
17. The Connection with Emergent Literacy: The Arts of Music, Dance, Drawings, and Stories  

Generic:
  1. Cultural Diversity in the Schoolplace      2. Domestic Family Violence Awareness      3. Stress in the Schools
  4. It's about Time! (Time Management)      5. Beginning Basic American Sign Language   6. Handling Negative Emotions    
  7. Stop! Let's Interact! (16 ways to interact with children)      8. Stop! Let’s Interact! Part II (must take Part I first)
  9. Inclusion-Addressing Special Needs      10. Fire and Safety Awareness 11. Violence Awareness in the Schoolplace                     12. Nurturing Literacy in the Young Child      13. Early Literacy for the Young Child 0-3      14. Emergent Literacy for 3-5                          15. Safety Training: Fear, Violence, and Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness        16. Ethical Thinking in Our Schools                 17. Child Abuse Awareness        18. Understanding Difficult Children, People, and Ourselves                                                                     19. Understanding the Infants and Toddlers Worlds      20. Nutrition for the Young Child        21. Anxieties and Fears in Children 
22. Understanding Children’s Anger, Bullying, and Self-Esteem                23. Discipline Awareness for the Young Child       24. Americans with Disabilities Act in Compliance with Child Care Centers  NEW, 25.  Math and Science for Children Under 5
NEW, 26.  Keeping Kids Safe from Harm (Sex Predators and Other Dangers) 

Supervision:
  1. Basic Skills of Communicating with Staff      2. Communication Awareness for Supervisors     3. Basic Skills of Supervising Staff    
  4. Evaluating Your Leadership Skills                  5. Motivating Awareness                     6. Ethical Thinking for Leaders
  7. Delegating and Coaching Awareness                   8. Sexual Harassment Awareness for Supervisors    
  9. Americans with Disabilities Act Awareness        10. Time Management for Supervisors!       11. Handling Stress for Supervisors
12. Difficult People Awareness for Supervisors  ...<< MORE >>

This activity tells time as a group.  The class is divided into two groups and each group forms a large circle.  A leader is assigned to call out different times like 10:00am or 2:30pm.  The group must form that time before the other group forms it.  This is done several times and can add points for each time a group wins.  

You can also use a clock and let the leader show the time the group should form.  ...<< MORE >>

It has been a blessed year with more blessings to come in 2009 for all of you.  Thanks for a great year!

Check out the activity booklets for teachers which have plenty of ideas for your classroom.  Below is an example:

                                               Special Word Day from Quick Games for Children (BJ02)
Each day announce a "special word" like school bus or milk.  In the afternoon frame, when a child happens to mention the special word a star is placed by their name.  This game helps increase their listening skills.  Those stars can accumulate and later be used for prizes like at the end of the week or month. 
...<< MORE >>

Dallas, Texas Convention Center for the NAEYC was a huge event for all to attend including the many vendors from around the United States.  I was excited to present at this conference and introduce one song from each of the 9 CD's plus demonstrating the many activities and stories.  Kimbo Educational did a great job and I thank them for having me on the program.  ...<< MORE >>

During one the workshops, I asked teachers if the children show fears during school time.  Some teachers see the baby clinging to their parents and not wanting to go to school.  Sometimes, a fear of strangers in the eyes of the child happens when the child does not recognize the teacher.  Two-year olds sometimes show distress when the mother or father drops them off and leaves them and they do not want to be separated.  Parents with 4 to 5 year olds shared stories how scared and real it was for a child trying to sleep with a night light and still being scared of ghosts and monsters.  So, typical childhood fears change with age.  As a child gets older, one fear may be replaced with another fear.  For example: seeing ghosts at age 4 may be replaced with listening to ghost stories later in life. 

When these anxieties and fears persist, problems can arise.  When the fear becomes very difficult to tolerate, it becomes a phobia (a fear that is extreme, severe, and persistent).  Some children fear the thunderstorm.  We as teachers and parents need to recognize and pay attention to these anxieties and fears and not brush them off.  We need to help and listen to the child and to find ways to deal with their fears.  

We as adults have our fears, too.  The list of our fears goes on and on.  To help our children, we need to listen and pay attention, find out about the fear they have, talk on their level, be positive and honest.  

    ...<< MORE >>

At the carpet store, pieces of carpets are thrown out; find small pieces of two different colors.  Cut out five carpet squares with each color. 

Activity #1 - Matching Colored Carpet Squares 
Line up 4 carpet squares of each color next to each other. Take the fifth carpet squares and place them on top of the feet and use elastic bands to wrap around the feet.  Make sure the carpet squares lined up match that foot.  The goal is for the child to walk up the carpet squares matching the colored squares.  When the child makes it to the top, the hard part is to walk backwards down the carpet squares.  This activity focus on the child knowing the front part of the body with the back part of the body.

Activity #2 - Crisscross Carpet Squares
Lined up the same way except you will crisscross the squares.  Take the second and fourth squares and switch the sides.  This time the child has to crisscross walking up the squares.  This activity focus on the child knowing the midline of the body.  When the child reaches the top, it becomes a challenge to walk crisscrossing backwards.  ...<< MORE >>

Hoop Spelling (Skills Reinforce simple spelling words, counting, and time limit)

Procedure:
 1.  Two hoola hoops are separated about 5 feet and laid on the floor.
 2.  Index cards with alphabet are placed in one hoop and faced up.
 3.  The second hoop has a set of pictures matching each letter and faced up.
 4.  Both the alphabet cards and pictures are mixed up in the hoops.
 5.  The teacher selects one child.  At the teacher's signal, the child races to the alphabet hoop, picks up a letter, goes to the picture hoops to match the letter with the picture like "b" with "boy."
 6.  Meanwhile, the children surrounding the hoops start counting slowly to 25 for the child to complete the task.  When the child finds the match, the child races back to the teacher, hands both cards and says "boy" before twenty-five.
 7.  Each child has an opportunity to participate.
 8.  With the younger child just learning the alphabet, place one letter in one hoop, and two pictures in the second hoop, and no time limit.  If the children get good at it, then have the group count to 10.

...<< MORE >>