sallaboutme

All About Me (and Promoting An "I Can" Attitude) You are invited to share your ideas too. E-mail me at stormie@preschoolbystirmie.com

I love kicking off this section of my website with this great idea from Susan Wray, in Dyersburg, Tennessee:
Table Sponge: I always place a large damp sponge in the middle of the snack table. If there is a spill, the children love cleaning up the mess. They feel so big and important instead of sad and scared because they spilled something.

From Stormie:

Although I'm posting ideas below as often as I can, my very favorite "All About Me" activities have been reserved for my "GETTING ACQUAINTED" booklet. I create and sell booklets and other teaching aids to help defer the costs of keeping my website on the internet. You can find my booklets and games here in "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers" then keep hitting your back button to return to this page. Financial donations are also greatly appreciated as my website is now a part-time career for me.

Song: We Are Special
(Tune: Did You Ever Seen A Lassie?)
(Created by Stormie Seevers)

(Child's name) is special, is special, is special
(Child's name) is special as you can see.
She has (brown hair and blue eyes and black shoes and white socks).
There's no one quite like (child's name)
As you can see.
Obviously, the third line is meant to be changed in any way you see fit while observing the child as you sing. As the year goes on and you learn more about individual children, you can even change that line to something totally different. For example, you could sing about something the child likes to do ("She likes drawing rainbows and eating chocolate chip cookies"). Rhyming and suiting the tune perfectly aren't important as that's not the purpose of the song. This little tune becomes a wonderful positive self-image game as the year goes on because the children can help decide on the words to the song based on what they have learned about their classroom friends that make them "special."

All About Me Cut-Outs: Provide each child with a large boy or girl shaped posterboard cut-out to represent themselves. They can draw a face on their cutouts. They then take their cut-outs home along with a note to parents instructing them to post items to the cutout that will tell us something about the child (a baby picture, family member pictures, pictures of their pets, magazine pictures of the child's favorite things like foods, toys, etc., anything that will tell the class "all about the child" and who s/he is). At school the next day, have an "All About Me" Show-N-Tell where each child orally shares "his own cardboard cut-out story."

Height Charts:
If, like me, you weigh and measure the children in your class during your "All About Me" unit, here are a couple height chart alternatives I've done that added a little pizzazz to the classroom when I was tired of the same old store-bought charts:
1. Flowering Vine: From a roll of butcher paper, cut off a piece as long as you wish. Place it in front of you vertically. Draw a long green stem from the bottom of the paper to the top. Attach it to the wall (vertically). After you measure a child's height, draw a smaller branch going left or right from off the main branch, but make the point where it takes off from the main branch the height of that child. At the end of the small branch, draw or glue on some kind of "happy face" flowerhead that has the child's name and height printed around the outside (on the petals). After you've measured everyone, if the vine lacks a finished look, just add more flowering branches to it, but without happy faces, so the children's flowers will stand out from the others. (A teacher friend of mine who made this chart used paper flowerhead rings to frame small photos of the children -- their faces were the flower centers. This was truly darling, but we don't always have photos available.)
2. Wall Flowers: After measuring a child's height, cut that same length from a roll of green ribbon. Attach the ribbon (stem) to the wall. Provide small paper plates that have been pre-cut into a flowerhead shape, and have the child decorate it as s/he wishes with collage materials. Attach it to the top of the stem on the wall (no higher than the child's height). Print the child's name and height on the stem. The flowers can be posted about the classroom with the bottom of the stems starting from floor level.

New Fun With Old Rhymes: Here's a short poem to read to the children and discuss, then you might suggest they go home tonight and try it. Or if you have a mat available, they could try to "reach across it" horizontally and vertically with some good body stretches and rolling:

Growing
(by L. J. Stiles)
I'm now tall enough
To reach across my bed;
I put my toes on one side,
On the other is my head.

Snack: September Smiles: How about having happy face smiles all month long? Provide round fruit and/or vegetable slices for children to choose from for the eyes and nose part of the faces they create (banana, raisins, carrots, etc). Provide fruit slices or segments for the smile part of the face (apple, peach or pear slices, orange/nectarine segments). Vary the options throughout the month to keep it fun and interesting.

Personal Note: I remember my college supervisor stressing the importance of purposely looking for ways to praise the children in our classrooms, starting on day 1, as a foundation for beginning to build a positive self-image. I especially remember how she said we should remember the small things that we might otherwise take for granted. For example, let's say that on the first day, during "clean-up" time, we might say something like, "Wow, I can't believe what good listeners I have in my class. Look at how everyone is cleaning up." This is also a way to ward off negative behavior before it has a chance to start.

Gross Motor: The Big Face: Draw a huge face on a box with large eyes, nose, and mouth which you will cut out. Children then throw beanbags through the holes.

My Thumbprint: First, show the children pictures of and discuss the fact that all of us have unique fingerprints. Then, with the children's help, mix together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup margarine, and 1/4 cup water until a stiff dough is formed. Give each child a piece to roll into a ball and then have them press their thumbs into it for a "print." Place these on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. When they come out of the oven nice and warm, and hopefully in time for snack, let the children choose from 2-3 jellies for spooning into the thumbprints before eating.

My Face: Here's another version of an activity that's in my "Getting Acquainted" booklet: Have children bring hand-held mirrors from home. During Free Choice Playtime, they can take turns going to the Art Center and painting in their own faces ON the mirrors. These are SO cute! (So that parents don't have to go out and buy a mirror, you can start collecting a few of them from thrift shops, flea markets, and garage sales.)

If you're looking for an "All About Me" booklet to make with the children, I think you'll like the one in my "Getting Acquainted" booklet.

Making a Multi-Cultural Connection:

Healthy Body Awareness Snacks:

I love this truly awesome idea from Carmen:
Hi Stormie, I like to do the "Flowering Vine" height chart too except I add a watering jug with the words "Watch Us Grow" on top.
Here's a wonderful body image/awareness activity from Mrs. Mary, in Prattville, Alabama:

My Ten Fingers
I have ten fingers - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (point as you count), and they all belong to me (point to self)
They can do many things, would you like to see? (Point to a child)
I can raise them up high (said in a high pitch as I raise my hands), I can bring them down low (said in a deep voice as I lower them to
the floor)
I can clap them in front (clap in front), I can put them behind (hide hands behind you)
I can creep them to the top of my head (crawl up your face), and jump them into my lap to hide (quickly move them to
your lap and out of sight)

From Alexandra, in Wyoming:
Stormie, this has always been my favorite "All About Me" celebratory song to sing with my class after we discuss our uniqueness. I'm sorry but I don't know who wrote it. It's the tune to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat":

No One Like Me
There's no one in the world like me
Like me, like me, like me! (yell this line with the emphasis on the word "me" as children point to selves)
Ever was or ever will be,
No one quite like me!

I'm so glad that I am me
Me, Me, Me! (yell this line as children point to selves)
I'll be the best I ever can be
Me, me, me
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From Linda in Sierra Vista, Arizona:
Profiles: At the beginning of the year (Sept.), I trace the child's full length body with hands down to the sides to catch his/her profile, rather than the typical front/back drawing. I send the drawing home with the child for a family project of decorating, cutting out, and then they bring it back to school when finished. We keep them up on the wall for quite awhile. I get GREAT RESPONSE and it's a super family participation activity.

Suggested Books:
*From Stormie:
Two of my favorite Dr. Seuss books for this theme are:
*My Book About Me, by Dr. Seuss & Roy McKie: This book talks about everything from teeth to being sloppy. It fits the theme of "All About Me" so perfectly.
*The Foot Book: You know how great the rhyming of a Seuss book is, and this one is no exception "...Left foot, right foot,...wet foot, dry foot....etc."

*Dandelion, by Don Freeman: Dandelion the lion dresses up so much for a party that his friends don't recognize him. This is a great story for instilling the concept of being yourself.

*The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn; Ruth E. Harper & Nancy M. Leak, Illustrators: Mother Raccoon's family secret for helping Chester on his first day of school will melt your heart. This is a great book to read at the beginning of the school year when children are feeling nervous about being away from Mommy and Daddy.

*From Bonnie T. in Colorado Springs, Colorado:
*It's Not Easy Being a Bunny, written by Marilyn Sadler; Illustrated by Roger Bollen (one of the Cat in the Hat Beginner Books): The synopsis in the book reads, "P.J. Funnybunny is tired of being a bunny. He is sure that it would be more fun to be a bear or a bird, a possum or a pig." He learns in the end that he's happiest being himself.
*Big Al, written by Andrew Clements; Illustrated by Yoshi: This is a cute book about friendship and in my opinon it teaches that it doesn't matter what a person looks like on the outside, give him a chance and he could be a great friend. The book summary reads: A very friendly but big and scary fish has trouble making the friends he longs for because of his appearance--until the day his scary appearance saves them all from a fisherman's net.
*The Mixed-Up Chameleon, written and illustrated by Eric Carle: The chameleon didn't think his life was very exciting until he visited a zoo. At first, he wished he had a special feature from each of the animals until he got hungry and realized that he couldn't catch his favorite meal...A FLY...without his own special tongue. He was then glad to be himself.
*I Like Me, written and illustrated by Nancy Carlson: A little girl pig is very happy being herself and tells you all that she likes about herself.
*Olivia, written and illustrated by Ian Falconer: This book has more illustrations than words, giving children room to use their imagination and giggle at Olivia's predicaments. The book jacket says, "You'll have fun with Olivia...dressing up, singing songs, building sand castles, napping (maybe), dancing, painting on walls (after visiting a museum display she knew she could out do) and then going to sleep at last."

*From Stormie:
Making a Multi-Cultural Connection Through Books:
"The Little Duck, Sikihpsis," by Beth Cutland; Stan Cuthand, Translator; Mary Longman, Illustrator: This is a story about a duck who thought he wanted to be a Cree Indian dancer but ultimately decides it's better to be a duck.
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Reminder from Stormie: If you would like to begin collecting ALL my current classroom ideas (each on a 4 x 6" index card), as well as new ones that I create, you can do so by ordering my "Activity Cards." Click here to check them out.

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