Teaching Colors

I am a big fan for teaching with songs. I feel it makes it easier for the students to remember the information presented and it helps all different styles of learning. This simple song seen in the video not only introduces the basic colors like red, yellow, orange, green, and blue, but it also gives examples like red is the color of an apple. You as the teacher will sing the song one time all the way through and then the students will repeat it with you the second time. The song also introduce an important part of colors....they make a rainbow. The video gives students the chance to see examples of the color that are common in their everyday life. After watching this, a great follow up activity would be to ask the children what other green objects can they think of, or what color is this flower. They then will have to apply the knowledge they just learned and it will help them remember it even more.

Another follow up activity that would be good for reinforcement would be to read a story all about color. Click here to go to a page with a nice list of stories that relate to colors.

After introducing the basic colors, a great idea would be to explain how you make colors. You would need to reemphasize that red, yellow, and blue are the primary colors. From those colors, we can make all other colors. While explaining how to make different colors, holding up a color wheel might help some students see how colors are created. The best way to show how colors can be mixed is through light. Get three flashlights. Cover each lighted end of the flashlight with a stretched out balloon-one red, one yellow, and one blue. Then turn off the lights. Shine the flashlights on the board so the students see the colors. Then focus two of the flashlights on the same spots so the colors seem to "mix". The students will then be able to see how blue and yellow make green and so on. You can also explain how to mix colors by using the wheel. Start with the color red. If you add a little yellow to it, what color is it. It will be red orange. If you add a little more yellow you will get the color orange. And if you add more yellow to the mix, you will get a yellow orange color. Help them see how colors are created in multiple ways and then let them try it on their own. A hands on way to create color is to use shaving cream and paint. Put some shaving cream on each students desk. Add two or three drops of paint of two different colors and let them explore and see what colors they can make!!

Teaching Shapes

There are many ways to teach kindergartners how to identify shapes. One of the best ways is to use song. By teaching in songs, the children will be able to remember the new information easier. This video goes over the basic shapes and how we can identify them. The video also goes over the basic colors of orange, red, and green. The video gives you a great representation of how you can teach these basic shapes with colors at the same time.
The video goes over the following shapes:

• squares-all 4 sides are the same
• rectangle- 2 long sides, 2 short sides
• circle- it is round and has no breaks
• triangle- has 3 sides

Now that we have identified the basic shapes, we need to be able to identify them in everyday life. This may be the hardest part for some of the younger students. Have them look at the picture and see how many shapes they can find. The following is a list of what shapes are found in this picture:

• rectangle
• square
• circles
• triangles

Once the children have mastered how to find the basic shapes in the train picture above, let them draw their own object using as many basic shapes as they can or give them cut outs of the basic shapes and let them glue them together to make a picture. Some ideas of using basic shapes to make a picture include a house (square body, triangle roof, rectangle door, round windows), rocket ship, stick figure of a human, and many more. Let the children use their creativity and it will surprise you what they can do.

Here is a link to a page with fun stories and television clips that show how to find shapes in everyday objects.