Same and Different

In nearly all preschool "workbooks" you will find a rather lengthy section of pages on same and different.  Being able to find the similarities and differences in objects set children up for seeing patterns in letter shapes and eventually words.  Being that I'm not generally a workbook kind of educator, we worked on this skill in a different way.



Our 2 subjects for the same and different exercise.



We discussed what it means to be the same and different.  Then using popsicle sticks with each child's name written on one, we pulled two names and studied those friends.  To practice, I did some leading as to what might be the same about the two individuals.  Phrases like "Is there anything about X's shirt that is the same as Y's shirt?" were common.  Once the kids got the hang of it, with each group, the children each had to name one similarity and one difference.  They did really well overall.  Next week, I think I will include some activities with classroom objects to continue this skill.

As week one comes to a close, we did pretty well.  There were a few activities that we didn't get to and a few that we started but didn't finish.  We'll catch up on those on Monday (hopefully) and do several activities to continue exposure to the skills started this week.  I am off on next Friday, so with one day of catch-up and one day off, I don't want to start a big new theme, but we will definitely stay busy.  I think all of the kids are really excited to be in preschool and I'm excited to see all the stuff they have learned through their play over the years and can now apply it in a more structured environment.