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Lost Button Activity

Lesson plan developed by Ms. Erika Geelhoed, BA Ed
Activity:  
Lost Button Activity
Age Group:
Preschool
* Lesson plan objective and assessment can be adapted to use this activity with school-age children.
Objectives: 
  • Student will use problem-solving skills while listening to literature
CDA Competency Standard:   
II.5.3a
  • Candidate’s interactions promote children’s thinking and problem solving
a) Facilitates children’s thinking and creative problem-solving skills
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Materials: 
  • Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
  • one big, round, thick, 1-holed white button
  • other buttons of various shapes, sizes, and colors
Procedure: 
Read the story “The Lost Button” from Frog and Toad Are Friends. Give the student a handful of buttons including the special white one. While listening to the story, the student will eliminate the buttons that do not belong to Toad (for example, a button with two holes, or a square button). At the end of the story, they will find out which button belongs to Toad. 
Assessment: 
 Record student’s ability to eliminate buttons when given information.

Reading Books

Reading books to young children is perhaps the best way to promote language development. 

Research has shown that reading to children regularly helps them become better readers later in life. Therefore, it is important for you, as an educator, to recognize the importance of books in the classroom. When sharing books with young children, there are several factors you should keep in mind.
  1. The Age of the Children – The basic principle to remember is – the younger the child, the shorter the book. For instance, two year old's will sit still for only a very short period of time. Therefore, the books you choose for these children need to be short and simple.
  2. Timing – Reading books is an activity that works best when the children are calm. Many people find that right before nap or early in the morning are good times for reading books. 
  3. Size of the Group – In general, the fewer the children, the easier it will be for them to pay attention and participate. In a smaller group, it is easier for the children to look at the pictures and follow along as you read. In addition, you can ask more questions and elicit more involvement.
  4. Book Selection – Always read any book you are going to share with the children ahead of time. That way you can prepare questions and activities that relate to the book. Also, it will help you to analyze whether the book is appropriate for your group. Ask yourself questions such as, “Is the vocabulary appropriate?,” “Are the illustrations eye-catching?” or, “Is the book entertaining?”

Finally, when presenting any type of language activity, be sure that you always model appropriate language. Speak clearly, slowly, and use expression. Remember – children imitate everything!