|Powerful Interactions: How to Connect with Children to Extend Their Learning guides readers through the three steps of a Powerful Interaction (Be Present, Connect, Extend Learning) in a series of self-guided lessons enlivened with tips, hints, invitations to reflect, and vignettes.|
TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN | VOL. 5 NO. 3 Download PDF
Humor reflects our joy. And for children and adults alike, it’s a wonderful way of reducing stress. Humor helps put things in perspective. Encouraging children to see the humor in life is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. You will be enriching their spirit as well as making learning fun. You and the children can enjoy these activities together.
Make up silly rhymes. The giggly results support phonological awareness, the ability to hear and distinguish the sounds of language. “I just finished a puzzle wuzzle.” “At lunch I drank a glass of juice caboose.”
Try tongue twisters. For example, lead children in saying the words to “A Haddock” as fast as they can. Trying to speed through a tongue twister can be contagiously funny.
A black-spotted haddock!
A black spot
On the black back
Of a black-spotted haddock!
Replace key words in familiar songs. Sing “Twinkle, twinkle, little car,” and see what happens. Invite children to make up new lyrics to entertain you and their classmates.
Be absurd. Offer impossible answers to questions: “What time is lunch today?” “At 10 past the spaceship.” The absurdity of the responses will tickle children.
Model humor in the dramatic play area. Wear a funny hat, put a shirt on backward, pretend to be a baby, or order a pizza with pickles and peaches on top. Children will enjoy your antics and want to try their own.
Read aloud humorous children’s books. Books such as Rhyming Dust Bunnies, by Jan Thomas; Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems; or the pun-filled Mr. Putney’s Quacking Dog, by Jon Agee, will have preschoolers rolling with laughter.
Have a silly face contest. Provide mirrors so children can see themselves. Encourage the children to describe their silly faces.
Sing funny songs. A tune such as ”The Banana Song” makes children’s names the center of the fun. For a child named Anna, it goes like this:
Banana fana fo fanna,
Fee, fi, mo manna,
Fill a hula hoop with preschoolers.Challenge children to stand inside one hula hoop, then lift the hoop up over their heads. How many preschoolers does it take to fill a hoop?
Let children see you laughing . . . and remember to laugh at yourself.Be a role model. When children see you laughing, they get the message that laughter is both appropriate and valued. The average preschooler laughs 400 times a day; the average adult only 15 times. It’s time to start catching up—and set a positive humor example.