Theme Goal:

To learn the different ways there are to communicate. Most activities designed for ages 3+

Group time:

Discussion:

Talk to the children about communication. Ask the children for different ways we communicate. Write down different forms of verbal, non-verbal, visual and written forms of communication that your children come up with, along with equiptment and alarms used for communication. Some example may be dancing, singing, books, fire alarm, telephone etc. You can guide your children to the answers:)

Try some forms of non-verbal communication:

- Have a child dance to act out a feeling, see if the other children can guess what emotion.

- Play charades.

- Show the children a few simple signs for sign language.

- Have the children draw a picture to try to communicate an idea.

Try some forms of verbal communication:

- Have the children sing a favorite song.

- Have a child tell a favorite story.

- Have the children make up a story. (Then write it down)

- Have the children make sounds try to communicate. I.e. shhhhh, mmmmm,

Show your children forms of visual communication:

- Show the children letters and numbers.

- Show the children pictures of traffic signs.

- Show the children pictures and artwork.

- Ask the children what did the person who created this want to communicate to us?

Read the story "Dear Fred" available from Amazon.com

- Talk about written communication.

- The book is a form of written communication.

- The letter that Grace writes to Fred is a form of communication.

- Ask the children "Why do people write letters?"

- Why did Grace write a letter to Fred?

Activity:

Have the children write a letter to a friend. They may draw a picture if they are not old enough to write. Have them put the letter in an envelope and decorate it. Ask the child to write the name of the person they wish to send the letter to on the outside of the envelope, or you may do that for them. Collect the letters to play postman with latter. Give each child a letter to deliver to the proper classmate. I would recommend that you let the children do mulitple letter and make sure that everyone recieves a letter:)

Read "Mice Squeak, We Speak" available from Amazon.com

- Talk about different sounds animals use to communicate.

- Do animals communicate in other ways? I.e. the way they stand, body movements, tone of voice

- Have the children make animal noises that sound happy, sad, angry etc.

Sign Language

Explain that some people cannot hear so they may choose to "read lips" or use sign language. Demonstrate a few simple signs and have the children repeat them. What signs do we incorporate into our everyday lives? Nodding of our head means yes, waving hello or good-bye, putting your hand up to mean "Stop"!

Pick a book to read!

Explain to the children that the pictures can tell the story. Ask the children to make up the story without reading the words. This works better with a story that they have never read before. Then go back and read the book. How similiar were the two stories.

"Read" the book Tuesday available from Amazon.com

This Caldecot Award book has very few words and excellent pictures. Let the children use their imagination to tell this story.

Art

Telephones:

Have the children cut out a telephone shape. If the children are old enough have them write their name and number on the phone. You can place these phones on a bulletin board entitled "I Know My Phone Number".

Alternative #1:

Have the children cut out a telephone shape and decorate it with crayons, markers or paint.

Alternative #2:

Ask the children if they know their telephone number and address. On a telephone shape place all the names of the children who knew their correct telephone number. One a house shape place all the names of the children who knew their correct address. Then write all the names of the children in your class that can tie their shoes on a shoe shape. Ask each child to count as high as they can. Record each result on another piece of paper in the form of Jack can count to 45, Allison can count to 34 and so on. Place all these papers on a Bulletin Board. Above the telephone shape write " I know my phone number" , above the house shape write "I know my Address", above the shoe write "I can tie my shoes" and above the numbers sheet write "I can count to...".

Any art project will qualify for communication. So do your favorite art project, or let the children do their favorite. Then when you are finished. Show each picture to the artist and ask them what they were trying to communicate, or simplier "Tell me about your pictrue" record the child's answer and hand captions of the children's verbal communication about theri artwork beside the artwork.

I also quite often will have the children name their masterpieces. Then I cut out a plaque from construction paper and write for example: "Rain" by Taylor and hang it on a bulletin board like you would see in a gallery.

Sock Puppets:

Obtain very colorful socks, yarn, buttons and lace. Allow the children to make sock puppets from these materials. Children may sew on buttons, yarn and lace with plastic rounded needles. They may also glue on fabric or ribbons. Afte the puppets are finished let the children put on a puppet show.

Games, Science and Math

Make a Telephone:

Poke a hole in the bottom of two strofoam cups. Place a piece of string in the bottom of one cup and tie a knot at the end of the string to prevent the string from coming completely out of the bottom of the cup. Then thread the string through the bottom of the other cup and tie another knot. The } is a cup on it's side and the ---- represents the string. It should look like this: }-----{ Have one child talk in one cup while another listens with the other cup. How long can the string be before the phone won't work?

Letter Match Game:

Write the four capital letters on one side of a piece of paper and four smaller case letters on the other side (the same letters of coarse) Have this paper hard laminated. Then allow a child to use a grease pensil to draw a line from the capital letter to the smaller case letter, the grease pensil will just wipe off the laminate. For older children use more letters. For younger children use the same case letters.

Body Letters:

Have the children stand in a circle. Have 5 children lay on the floor to form the capital letter "A". Then have 4 children make the capital letter "B" and so on.

Guess how I feel:

Have one child stand in the middle of the circle and act out an emotion. The other children can guess what it is.

Sign Match:

If you can find stickers of traffic signs that would be great, if not try to be an artist:) Place stickers or draw pictures of traffic signs on one side of a piece of heavy paper. Then draw or place identical stickers on the other side (in a different order) Laminate the paper. Have a child draw a line from one sign to another matching sign with a grease pensil.

Matching Numbers:

Find dice that have numbers on them and some with dots. Have the children roll one die and then find the matching side of the other.

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