SHOW AND TELL TIME IN PRESCHOOL
Parents know when it's Show and Tell Day at preschool. That's the day you
can be sure you will be later to work than usual.
Children love taking a toy to school and mai have a h ard time deciding on
(Hie. If you want to get moving, you may have to fill up the car and hope the
child will choose while you are on the way to the child care center.
Sortie schOols call Show and Tell day Share Dai, but most chili:hen Will 'do
anything but share their precious possession with someone else.
"What can we do to improve this 'bi-ing Show and tell is and brag time'?" says a teacher at staff meetsupposed
to I7e ing. To make the experience of sharing something
from home manageable, many teachers a chance for will have a share box and ask children to store
their things there after Show and Tell; until children to it's time to go home. Otherwise, taking all
express those toys out onto the play yard can make it
seem like feeding time in the primate's cage at themselves to the zoo.
the group, but Some teachers ask parents to help make
sharing educational. They want children to teachers often bring something that is related to learning. If
find a child it's yellow day, find something yellow 'to
bring, If it's gardening day, find a flower and faces the group, tell the name of it. It's not as much fun as
showing the latest transformer doll, but it totally keeps things calmer in the classroom.
speechless, while A teacher may also make the day a true
sharing day and make it clear children should holding a doll, only bring something they are willing to put
out on a share table for anyone in the class to
play with. Mothers have to be sure junior didn't bring the ceramic Peter Rabbit
grandma got in England.
Show and tell is supposed to be a chance for children to express themselves
to the group, but teacher often finds a child faces the group, totally speechless,
while holding a doll. The teacher has to narrate like she is on the shopping channel.
She dreams of children's Show and Tell time being a little more like the academy
awards.
Little children's words don't always come out too fast, but bringing something
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from home to school seems universally comforting to them, so sharing days
abound in preschools.
Some schools go a step further and let children take something from school to
share at home.
A preschool may allow children to check out books, good videos or even the
school rabbit. It is thrilling for the child.
Another school may have a special school Teddy Bear, with a lunchbox and
bedding, that can sleep overnight in a youngster's home. The toy comes with a
notebook in which the parent can record how Teddy spent his home visit.
Teachers read these stories at circle time.
Show and tell is here to stay, bringing home to school and school to home, and
parents to work a little later, once a week.