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Teaching preschoolers the seasons and weather
Now that we've passed into a new season and fall is underway in most areas of the country, early childhood educators have a great opportunity to teach preschoolers about the seasons and different kinds of weather. Having your students describe the weather each day and graph it using interactive and effective exercises can help children learn how the year is organized.
- Describing the weather: Through asking children to describe the weather each day, they become more aware of their environment. Ask them what the temperature was like in the morning. You can also ask them what they saw outside. For example, did they see falling leaves and bright colors? What kind of clothing were people wearing outside? Were they only in one layer or were they bundled up in jackets and scarves?
- Graphing the weather: Another effective exercise is to graph the weather. At the top of the graph, you can write a question, such as "What is the weather like today?" Right below the question, feature different images, such as clear skies, rain droplets, sunshine, snowflakes and clouds. Each day, have a different student put up the correct image under the date, and then discuss his or her choice together. You can also ask children what kind of activities they like to take part in during their favorite seasons, and feature cut-out images from which they can choose, such as sleds, beach sand pails and leaves. You can vary the lesson by putting weather-related symbols at the top of the graph and asking children what they stand for.
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