Transitions and Finger Plays

Children are naturally joyful, active, and energetic. As teachers of young children, one of our most important and challenging roles is to guide them through any changes in the day. Knowing about different transitions and how to plan for them with a variety of activities will make your job easier, your day smoother, your classroom more peaceful, and your children happier. Transition activities are a different way to get children to do we want them to do with out a lot of fuss.

When you encourage children to do what you want them to do indirectly with a song or game, they are often more cooperative and, through these positive experiences, develop self-control. It is your responsibility to prepare children for transitions and focus their attention in positive ways, in order to eliminate disruptions. It’s important to know that children can't, don’t, and won't want to wait. If you capture their interest with a song, story, finger play, or prop, they may be more willing to do the things you want them to do.

Attention to transition times is essential for effective classroom management. Transition times can be chaotic; however they can also be relaxed and can offer opportunities for learning and reinforcing concepts and skills.

If transition times are a problem, ask yourself the following questions:
Do children have notice that a transition is coming?
Are transitions too rushed or too long?
Do children know what to expect of them during transitions?

Planning for transition:
Take a look at your schedule and consider the different transitions you need through out the day.
As children arrive in the mooring
Gathering children for circle time
Cleaning up
Lining up to go outside, to go to the lunch, etc.
Settling down for nap
Changing groups or activities
Getting children’s attention
Waiting
Ending the day

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS:

• Have the children help as much as they can with routines- such as hanging up his own coat, helping set the table for lunch, helping serve himself, and putting toys back where they belong.
• Take care of children a few at a time rather than all at the same time whenever you can. This makes it easier to prevent a rush when you’re changing activities or getting them up from a nap.
• Don’t rush during routines such as toileting or meals. Use songs, finger plays, and stories to prevent waiting with nothing to do before meals or during toileting.
• Give children notice before a change in activities is coming: “You’re having a good time building with blocks. You may play for a little while longer before its clean up time” Remind them again about two minutes before they have to finish up. Whenever possible, let children finish up what they are doing and then allow them to move on to the next activity in their own time.
• Always have extra activities ready in case you need them.
• Set materials out ahead of time and make sure you have enough materials for the children who want to take part.
• Make transitions as short as possible, with little waiting. Arrange things so that children can move to the next activity in small informal groups rather than one large group. Have children move to their play group or to wash up for lunch a few at a time while others are finishing up.
• Be sure the next activity is ready before beginning a transition.
• Avoid having children wait in a crowded space or in a large open space where they will want to tumble and wrestle.
• Keep children actively involved
• Create a transition file folder of all your transitions to have on hand when needed. Divide the transitions into finger plays, poems, rhymes, songs, good morning, circle time, clean up, line up, attention getters, lets eat, nap time, games, closures, and miscellaneous.
• Activities on a Ring- Write songs, finger plays, quick games, and language activities on index cards. Place the cards on a ring or in a small file box. Keep the cards handy.

REMEMBER:

• Transitions should:
  Be quick and fun
  Be planned, when possible
  Provide a change of pace
  Help give children consistency
  Help move children through the day

• Use transitions to:
  Gather children into large or small groups
  Move children from one activity to another
  Fill short periods of time between activities
  Grab and focus children’s attention on a task

TRANSITION ACTIVITIES:

To fill a short period of time:

• Write pairs of words on index cards- some that rhyme and some that don’t. Teacher says the words and children put their thumbs up if the words rhyme and thumbs down if they don’t.
• Alike/Not alike- Teacher says the word pairs and children think of ways they are alike and not alike.
• Copy cat- Choose a child to act out a motion and the other children copy the motion.
• Dice game- Choose a child to do a motion and roll a large dice. All the children copy the motion and repeat it the number of times indicated on the dice.

To move children from one activity to another:

• Let’s pretend- Have children be an object such as butterfly, robot, mouse, etc. as they move.
• Pick a Name- Place each child’s’ name on a tongue depressor or sentence strip. Keep names in a basket or coffee can. Pick a name at random when you need to move children to a new task.
• Move It- Write several categories on an index card. Move children by category such as, if you have on stripes, if you are wearing red, if you have long hair, if you have letters on your shoes, etc. then you may go to the next activity.

To grab the children’s attention:

• Special phrases- 1,2,3 Look at me
• If you’re listening put your hands on your head.
• Puppet or Prop- Teacher brings out puppet
• Clap a pattern- Teacher claps or snaps a pattern and children repeat it.
• Guessing Jar- Have a jar filled with jelly beans and allow the children to guess the number. Then pass them out and count as the children get one to eat.
• Mystery Box- Grab a box and give the children hints about what is inside.
• Picture Talk- Hold up a large picture and ask the children to describe what they see.
• Magic Wand- Wave the wand over the children to get their attention.
• Rain Stick- Get children quiet by letting the listen to the sounds of the rain stick.

Other Activities:

• Musical Toys- Provide toys that play music so that the children can dance to the tunes.
• Timer- Set a timer for clean up time. Challenge the children to put everything away before the timer goes off.
• I Spy- Say I spy something red, I spy something round, keep going until the children can guess the object you spy.
• Simon Says- Play Simon says with the children to get their attention.
• Exercise Bike- Children can release energy by lying on their backs and pretending to ride a bike.

TIPS FOR TEACHING FINGERPLAYS:

• Teach children finger plays regularly.
• Encourage children to do finger plays on their own.
• Teach Finger Plays with a songlike tune: Itsy Bitsy Spider, Where Is Thumbkin, etc…

FINGERPLAYS:

• Patty Cake - Pat the baby’s hands together to the rhythm of the poem
  Patty cake, patty cake, baker’s man.
  Bake me a cake as fast as you can. (Clap hands together lightly)
  Roll it. (Roll hands)
  And pat it. (Touch hands together lightly)
  And mark it with a B. (Write B in air)
  And put it in the oven for baby and me. (Point to baby and self)

• Two Little Blackbirds - Use your hands.
  Two little blackbirds sitting on hill . (Two hands closed with thumbs up)
  One named Jack, one named Jill. (Slightly raise one hand and then the other)
  Fly Away Jack; fly away, Jill. (Raise open hands one at time)
  Come back, Jack; come back, Jill. (Both hands back to original position)

• Five Fingers – Use your hands or demonstrate on baby.
  Five fingers on this hand (Hold up one hand)
  Five finger on that (Hold up other hand)
  A dear little nose (Point to nose)
  A mouth like a rose (Point to mouth)
  Two cheeks so tiny and fat (Point to each cheek)
  Two eyes, two ears (Point to each eye)
  And ten little toes (Point to toes)
  That’s the way the baby grows (Hug the baby)

• One, Two – Hold baby’s hand and let him touch different parts of your body or his body as described. Or you can touch the parts as he observes.
  One, Two, Touch my shoe.
  Yellow, red, touch my head.
  Dippity dips, touch my lips.
  Apples, pear, touch my hair.

• Tommy Thumb - Baby responds to your voice and touch. Say the rhyme as you touch the baby’s fingers one by one. On the final verse, wave the baby’s hand.
  Tommy Thumb, Tommy Thumb.
  Where are you?
  Here I am, here I am.
  How do you do!
  *Repeat with Peter Pointer, Toby Tall, Ruby Ring, Sally Small, and Fingers All.

• This Little Piggy - Starting with the big toe, wiggle each toe saying:
  This little piggy went to the market.
  This little piggy stayed home.
  This little piggy had roast beef.
  This little piggy had none.
  But, this little piggy cried Wee, Wee, Wee all the way home.
  *When singing the words “wee”, laugh so the baby will know that laughter is a fun sound.

• Ten Little Fingers (Point to baby’s body parts)
  I have ten little fingers and ten little toes.
  Two little arms and one little nose.
  One little mouth and two little ears.
  Two little eyes for smiles and tears.
  One little head and two little feet.
  One little chin, that makes baby’s name complete!

• Itsy Bitsy Spider
  The itsy bitsy spider went up the waterspout. (Move fingers in an upward motion while touching them together)
  Down came the rain, (twinkle fingers downward)
  And washed the spider out. ( Move hand outwards)
  Up came the sun, (Put hands above your head)
  And dried up all the rain. (Move hands down slowly)
  And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again. (Move fingers in an upward motion while touching them together)

• Where Is Thumbkin
  Where is thumbkin, where is thumbkin? (Show one thumb)
  Here I am, here I am . (Show the other thumb)
  How are you today sir? (Bend one thumb) Very fine, thank you. (Bend other thumb)
  Run away, Run away. (Hide one hand at a time behind your back)
  Where is pointer?
  Where is tall man?
  Where is ring finger?
  Where is pinky?

• Little Bunny Foo Foo
  Little bunny foo foo hopping through the forest. (Bounce two fingers up and down)
  Scooping up the field mice (scoop air with your hand) and bopping them on the head. (Hit head gently)
  Down came the good fairy and she said, “Little bunny foo foo, I don’t want to see you scooping up the field mice and bopping them on the head. I’ll give you three chances, if you don’t behave, I’ll turn you into a goon.” The next day… Continue song giving two chances, then one. On the last chance, Say “Poof” (open hands toward children) “Now you’re a goon.”

• Three Little Monkeys
  Three little monkeys sitting in a tree . (Hold up three fingers and bounce them)
  Teasing Mr. Alligator, “Can’t catch me, can’t catch me!” (Point and shake index finger)
  Along came Mr. Alligator, Quiet as can be- (Place hands on top of one another to make an alligator snout) SNAP! (Open hands and shut them quickly)
  Two little monkeys sitting in a tree, etc….
  Continue until no monkeys are left.

• Humpty Dumpty
  Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, (one fist on top of the other)
  Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, (fists fall down)
  All the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men, (walk fingers)
  Couldn’t put Humpty together again. (Shake hand and waggle pointer finger)

• Jack and Jill
  Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water, (climb fists hand over hand)
  Jack fell down and broke his crown, (one fist drops down)
  And Jill came tumbling after. (other fist drops down)

• Baby Bumblebee
  I’m bringing home a baby bumble bee, (cup hands like you are holding a bee and sway them from side to side)
  Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
  I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee.
  Ouch, It stung me! (look at hands)
  I’m smashing up my baby bumblebee, (clap hands)
  Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
  I’m smashing up my baby bumblebee.
  Yuck, What a mess! (look at hands)
  I’m wiping off my bumblebee, (rub hands on legs)
  Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
  I’m wiping off my baby bumblebee,
  There, all clean!

FINGERPLAYS THAT INVOLVE MOVEMENT:

• Monkey Business
  Monkey business is my game
  Jumping, jumping is my fame
  How many times can I jump?
  1,2 3,4 5,6 7,8 9,10

• Ten Red Apples
  Ten red apples grow on a tree (both hands high)
  Five for you and five for me (dangle one hand and then
  the other)
  Let us shake the tree just so (shake body)
  And ten red apples will fall below (hands fall)
  1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 (count each finger)

• Wiggle, Waggle
  My arms go up (raise arms in the air)
  My arms go down (lower arms to side of body)
  My arms go round and round and round (roll arms)
  My fingers go snap (raise arms up and snap fingers)
  My toes go tap (lean back on heels and tap toes)
  My body goes wiggle waggle (shake whole body)
  Just like that! (stamp foot and punch in front of you)

SONGS AND CHANTS:

• Eye Winker, Tom Tinker (Point to baby’s parts and at the end tickle the baby gently)
  Eye winker, Tom Tinker
  Nose smeller, mouth eater
  Chin Chopper, Gully, Gully, Gully!

• Bumblebee On My Nose – Sung to Jingle Bells (Point to Baby’s Body Parts)
  Bumblebee, Bumblebee, Landing on my toes
  Bumlbebee, Bumblebee, Now he’s on my nose
  On my arms, and on my legs, on my elbows.
  Bumblebee, oh, Bumblebee, He lands and then he goes!

• Johnny Works with One Hammer
  Johnny works with one hammer, one hammer, one hammer (move one hand) Johnny works with one hammer, Then he works with two.
  Johnny works with two hammers, two hammers, two hammers (move two hands) Johnny works with two hammers, Then he works with three.
  Johnny works with three hammers, three hammers, three hammers (move two hands and one foot) Johnny works with three hammers,
  Then he works with four.
  Johnny works with four hammers, four hammers, four hammers (move two hands and two feet) Johnny works with four hammers,
  Then he works with five.
  Johnny works with five hammers, five hammers, five hammers (move two hands, two feet, and head) Johnny works with five hammers, then he goes to sleep! (Pretend to sleep)

• Are You Sleeping - Sing this song when children are playing Night!Night!
  Are you sleeping, Are you sleeping, Brother John, Brother John?
  Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing,
  Ding, ding, dong! Ding, ding, dong! (Ring a bell or let the babies ring a bell)

• Where Is Baby? - Sing this song and insert the baby’s name.
  Where is baby? Where is baby?
  Here I am; Here I am;
  How are you today sir? Very well I thank you.
  Fly away; Fly away!

• Old MacDonald Had a Farm
  Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
  And on his farm he had some cows, E-I-E-I-O
  With a moo-moo here and a moo-moo there,
  Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo-moo.
  Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
  Continue with other animal sounds:
  Sheep…baa-baa
  Pigs…oink-oink
  Ducks…quack-quack
  Chickens…chick-chick

• ABC Song
  ABCDEFG
  HIJKLMNOP
  QRS
  TUV
  WX
  Y and Z
  Now I know my ABC’s, next time won’t you sing with me.

• Jingle Bells
  Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.
  Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh, Hey!
  Repeat

• The Raindrop Song
  If all the rain drops were lemon drops and gum drops,
  Oh what a rain that would be.
  Standing outside with my mouth open wide,
  Ah! Ah! Ah-Ah! Ah! Ah-Ah! Ah! Ah-Ah!
  If all the snowflakes were candy bars and milk shakes,
  Oh what a snow that would be.
  Standing outside with my mouth open wide,
  Ah! Ah! Ah-Ah! Ah! Ah-Ah! Ah! Ah-Ah!

• Rain Rain Go Away
  Rain rain go away, come again another day.
  Rain rain go away, little children want to play.

• Mary Had a Little Lamb
  Mary had a little lamb, little, lamb, little lamb.
  Mary had a little lamb, whose fleece was white as snow.
  Everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went,
  Everywhere that Mary went, that lamb was sure to go.

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
  Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are!
  Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.
  Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are!
  Who Stole the Cookie From the Cookie Jar
  Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?
  Name stole the cookie from the cookie jar. Who me?
  Yes you! Couldn’t be. Then who?

• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
  Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.
  Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream.

• Shoo Fly
  Shoo fly don’t bother me, shoo fly don’t bother me, shoo fly don’t bother me.
  Because I belong to somebody!

• The More We Get Together
  The more we get together, together, together, the more we get together,
  The happier we’ll be.
  Cause your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends.
  The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.

• Good Morning To You - Sung to “Happy Birthday To You”
  Good morning to you.
  Good morning to you.
  We’re all in our places
  With bright, shining faces.
  Good morning to you.

• Fuzzy Wuzzy
  Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
  Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he?

• Five Little Ducks
  Five little ducks went out to play,
  Over the hill and far away.
  Mama duck called with a quack, quack, quack.
  And four little ducks came swimming back.
  Continue until…
  One little duck went out to play,
  Over the hill and far away.
  Mama duck called with a quack, quack, quack.
  And all five ducks came swimming back.

• Rock-a-Bye
  Rock-a-bye baby on a treetop,
  When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.
  When the bow breaks, the cradle will fall.
  And down will come baby, cradle and all.

SONGS THAT INVOLVE MOVEMENT:

• Hokey – Pokey
  You put your arm, leg, head, whole self, etc… in
  You put your arm, leg, head, whole self, etc… out
  You put your arm, leg, head, whole self, etc… in
  And you shake it all about
  You do the hokey pokey
  And you turn yourself around
  That’s what it’s all about!
  This can also be used with animal names.
  Ex: We put the cat in, etc….

• Jack Be Nimble -Place a stick in the middle of the room. Children form a line and jump over it as they hear their name.
  Lane be nimble, Lane be quick,
  Lane jump over the candlestick.

• Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (As you sing point to body parts)
  Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes;
  Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes;
  Eyes and ears and mouth and nose;
  Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes!
  Hair, elbows, hips and thighs, hips and thighs;
  Hair, elbows, hips and thighs, hips and thighs;
  Brows and cheeks and tongue and chin
  Hair, elbows, hips and thighs, hips and thighs!

• Wheels On the Bus
  The wheels on the bus go round and round (move hands in a circular motion).
  Round and round, round and round.
  The wheels on the bus go round and round,
  All through the town (extend arms up and out).
  Additional Verses:
  The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish (sway hands back and forth).
  The baby on the bus goes, “Wha, Wha, Wha” ( rub eyes).
  The people on the bus go up and down (stand up, sit down).
  The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep (pretend to beep horn).
  The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink (drop change in).
  The driver on the bus says, “Move on back” (hitchhiking movement).

• Mister Sun
  Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun (hands in air)
  Please shine down on me. (point to yourself)
  Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun (hands in air)
  Hiding behind a tree. (duck down)
  These little children are asking you, (point to children)
  To please come out so we can play with you. ( hands in air)
  Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun (hands in air)
  Please shine down on me. (Point to yourself)

• Shake My Sillies Out
  I’m gonna shake, shake, shake my sillies out, (shake body)
  Shake, shake, shake my sillies out, (shake body)
  Shake, shake, shake my sillies out, (shake body)
  And wiggle my waggles away!
  Continue….
  I’m gonna jump my jiggles out!
  I’m gonna stretch my stretchies out!

• Happy and You Know It
  If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
  If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
  If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it.
  If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
  Continue….
  Stomp your feet!
  Shout Hurray!

• Yankee Doodle
  Yankee Doodle went to town a-riding on a pony
  (march in place while singing)
  Stuck a feather in his hat and called it “macaroni”
  (extend arms out and draw back while singing)
  Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy
  (run in place)
  Mind the music and the step and with the girls be handy.
  (continue to run in place)

• This Old Man
  This old man, he can shake. Shake, shake, shake while baking a cake.
  This old man, he can jump, ... on a great big stump.
  This old man, he can skip, … be careful, don’t trip.
  This old man, he can slide, … while trying to hide.
  This old man, he can run, … and have some fun.
  This old man, he can sway, … and sway all day.

• Skip To My Lou
  Skip, skip, skip to my Lou. Skip, skip, skip to my Lou. Skip, skip, skip to my Lou. Skip to my Lou my darling.
  Variations:
  Jump Float
  Hop Tip-Toe
  Fly Walk
  Skate Swim
  
• Ring Around The Rosey (Children hold hands in a circle and walk around. When the last line is sung, the children all sit down.
  Ring around the Rosey. Pocket full of Posies. Ashes, Ashes. We all fall down .

• Farmer and The Dell - Children join hands in a circle. One child stands in the center (farmer). All children walk around in a circle while the farmer chooses who joins him in the center. The wife, child, etc… do the same as their part is sung. At the end, the children in the center crowd around the cheese clapping and singing the final verse.
  The farmer and the dell, The farmer and the dell, Heigh-ho the Derry-o, The farmer and the dell.
  The farmer takes a wife, The farmer takes a wife, Heigh-ho the Derry-o, The farmer takes a wife.
  The wife takes a child, etc…
  The child takes a nurse, etc…
  The nurse takes a dog, etc…
  The dog takes a cat, etc…
  The cat takes a rat, etc…
  The rat takes the cheese, etc…
  The cheese stands alone, etc…

• The Ants Go Marching
  The ants go marching one by one, Hurrah, Hurrah!
  The ants go marching one by one, Hurrah, Hurrah!
  The ants go marching one by one, The little one stops to suck his thumb. And they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out of the rain. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
  Two…tie her shoe…
  Three…climb a tree…
  Four… shut the door…
  Five… take a dive…

• Ten In the Bed
  There were ten in the bed and the little one said, “Move over, Move over”. So they all rolled over and one fell off. There were nine in the bed, etc…

• Do Your Ears Hang Low (Use your hands to make ears and do the actions)
  Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro?
  Can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them in a bow?
  Can you throw them over your shoulder, like a continental soldier?
  Do your ears hand low?

• Monkey’s Jumping On the Bed
  Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, “NO MORE MONKEY’S JUMPING ON THE BED!”
  Nine little monkeys jumping on the bed, etc….

• A Tisket, A Tasket - Children can skip or swing a basket in their hand.
  A tisket, a tasket,
  A green and yellow basket.
  I wrote a letter to my love,
  And on the way I lost it.
  I lost it, I lost it.
  And on the way I lost it.
  A little boy picked it up,
  And put it in his pocket.

HANDWASHING SONGS AND FINGERPLAYS

Sing to babies while you wash their hands and faces. Explain to them what you are doing. Mirrors above or near the changing table are also good because the can see the things you are doing as you tell them.

• Finger play: Washing Hands
  This little hand is a good little hand (wave)
  This little hand is its brother (wave other hand)
  Together the wash and wash and wash (pretend)
  One hand washes the other.

• Finger play: Using your Hands
  Look at the bottom
  Look at the top
  If they're not clean we’ll have to stop
  Go to the sink and wash them again
  And when they are clean we may begin.

• Wash your Little Hands (Sung to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” )
  (Child’s name, Child’s name) if you can,
  go and wash your little hands

• This is the Way We Wash our Hands (Sung to “Mulberry Bush”)
  This is the way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands
  This is the way we wash our hands after (eating our lunch, using the potty, blowing our nose)

• Wash Your Hands (Sung to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
  Wash, wash, wash your hands
  Play our hand game.
  Rub and scrub, and scrub and rub
  Germs go down the drain. HEY!
  Wash, wash, wash your hands
  Play our handy game.
  Rub and scrub, scrub and rub
  Dirt goes down the drain. HEY!

• Wash, Wash, Wash your Hands (Sung to “Skip to my Lou”)
  Wash, wash, wash your hands,
  Wash, wash, wash your hands,
  Wash, wash, wash your hands,
  Wash with soap and water.
  Rinse, rinse, rinse your hands,
  Rinse, rinse, rinse your hands,
  Rinse, rinse, rinse your hands,
  Rinse them under water.
  Dry, dry, dry your hands,
  Dry, dry, dry your hands,
  Dry, dry, dry your hands,
  Dry off all the water.

• Keep the Germs Away (Sung to “The Mulberry Bush” )
  This is the way we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands,
  This is the way we wash our hands to keep the germs away.

• Wash Both Hands (Sung to “Row, Row, Row your Boat” )
  Wash, wash, both your hands
  Use a lot of soap.
  Don’t give cold and flu germs
  Any kind of hope.

SOURCES

Albrecht, Kay; Miller, Linda G., The Comprehensive Infant Curriculum . Gryphon House, Inc., 2000.

Cassidy, Nancy. The Book of Kid Songs . Klutz, 1986.

Corum, Beth, Be The Best You Can Be . Wray Graphics, 1997.

Cryer, Debbie; Harms, Thelma; Ray, Adele Richardson, The Active Learning Series for Infants . Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1996

Docents of Nursery Nature Walks. Trails, Tails, & Tidepools in Pails . Nursery Nature Walks, 1992.

Dodge, Diane T.; Cloker, Laura J., The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care . Teaching Strategies, Inc., 2001.

Grace, Cathy; Lidsey, Gale, Right From Birth: A Parenting Series . Mississippi Educational Television and The Early Childhood Institute, 2000.

Schiller, Pam; Phipps, Pat; The Complete Daily Curriculum For Early Childhood . Gryphon House, Inc., 2002.

Stassevitch, Verna; Stemmler, Patricia; Shotwell, Rita; Ready To Use Activities for Before and After School Programs . The Center for Applied Research in Education, Inc., 1989.

Technical Assistance for the Provider

Objective: Improving Transitions within Family Child Care.

Set: Answer the following questions:
How do you move children from one activity to another?
How do you get children’s attention when you are ready to begin a task?
What is a transition?
Are transition times a problem for you?
Do you plan for transitions in your schedule?

Materials: Information Packet on Transitions and Finger Plays

Lesson:

• Read and review the information on Transitions and Finger plays with your consultant.
• Identify all your transition times throughout the day.
• Write a week’s schedule for your program including all of your transition times. Use the activities in this lesson to plan for each transition.
• Gather the materials you will need to conduct the activities. Design an easy storage solution for your transitions and materials.
• If needed, ask questions for more information on transitions and finger plays.

Closure: Answer the following questions:
How do you move children from one activity to another?
How do you get children’s attention when you are ready to begin a task?
What is a transition?
Are transition times a problem for you?
Do you plan for transitions in your schedule?

Technical Assistance for the Coordinator

Objective: Improving Transitions within Family Child Care.

Set: Ask the provider the following questions:

How do you move children from one activity to another?

How do you get children’s attention when you are ready to begin a task?

What is a transition?

Are transition times a problem for you?

Do you plan for transitions in your schedule?

Materials: Information Packet on Transitions and Finger Plays

Lesson:

• Read and review the information on Transitions and Finger plays with your provider.
• Help the provider identify all of their transition times throughout the day.
• Assist the provider in writing a week’s schedule for their program including all of their transition times. Using the activities in this lesson, encourage the provider to plan for each transition.
• Help the provider gather the materials they will need to conduct the activities. Suggest easy storage solutions for their transitions and materials.
• If needed, answer questions on transitions and finger plays.

Closure: Ask the provider the following questions:

How do you move children from one activity to another?

How do you get children’s attention when you are ready to begin a task?

What is a transition?

Are transition times a problem for you?

Do you plan for transitions in your schedule?