Fine Motor Development and Ideas: Part 3

FINGERS and SUPERLATIVE PAINT = MAKING A MARK ON OUR WORLD!!!

From exploring with fingers to exploring with 'tools' such as brushes...... and ultimately on to crayons, pencils and then pens our muscles are refined and we choose new tools to work with. Initially there are large expanses of single colors..... the paint and tool must interact: the making of marks comes first!!!

Then there is greater experimentation -- adding to the pallette with additional colors, and very specific direction of the tool with the media: 
BRUSH! EXPLORATION!!!! BOLDNESS!!!
Open-ended exploration...... directing the media with purpose! 

I have been able to share two different 'sign-in' systems in the first two installments of this series. Be certain to click back to see each of those. Here's an entire 'writing center' large enough to accommodate two friends as they 'work' at playing in their office.

Now let our imaginations SOAR!!!!!

This is what imagination looks like:

Look at this next brilliant way to share the whole world with your students!
Think of the conversations that can be started with children --
when you have this many flags of the world!!!
Think about the dexterity that is required to guide that flag-stick into that stand!!!
Fingers + Fun + Friends!!
[There were enough flags that more than one child could be exploring together.]

Little School, Louisiana. World flags and stand for their display.

REMEMBER!!!

Always make a point to 'write' in front of the children.

Convey class ideas + individual thoughts for posterity.

Winter piggy-back lyrics seen in Florida!

Long Island NY Anchor Chart for Debbie Clement's song, "Glad I'm at School."

Deanna Jump's anchor chart for "Where the Wild Things Are."

When the children are 'used' to seeing the adults in their world engaged in writing,

they are much more inclined to get excited about capturing their own thoughts on paper.

Debbie Clement's handwritten "Thank you" card from kindergarten child.

-- Debbie --

****This is indeed part of an on-going series and will be added to over time!

Thanks for your pinning the images to help it circulate further!

Here's the link to all of the articles in the series.