Improving Early Literacy

Through Yoga

May I be happy.

May I be peaceful.

May I be loved.

Namaste.

By: Jennifer Kohel &

Barbara Francis

Welcome!

Fond du Lac Ojibwe School~ FACE (Family & Child

Education) Program

Jen Kohel~ FACE Preschool Teacher

Barb Francis~ FACE Adult Education Teacher

Objectives

Learn about Dialogic Reading

Gain knowledge about the links between literacy and

movement

Take part in a mindfulness technique

Practice Basic yoga moves & how to incorporate into

the classroom

Participate in a yoga/literacy demonstration

Receive yoga resources, sample lesson plans, and

yoga cards

What is FACE?

FACE~ Family and Child Education; Family Literacy

Program

Focus on: parents are their child’s first & most important

teacher; increase family literacy; increase parental

participation in child’s learning; strengthen family-school-

community connection; early identification & services to

children with special needs; support/celebrate the

unique cultural & linguistic diversity of each American

Indian community served by FACE; and promote life-long

learning.

Home-based: prenatal to age 5

Center-based: 3-5 years old; kindergarten thru grade 3

Preschool and Adult Education classes

Dialogic Reading Because FACE is a family-literacy program, we

promote/encourage dialogic reading.

What is Dialogic Reading:

As adults (parents/caregivers/teachers) are reading to

their children, they are actively engaging the children in

the story.

Asking the children open-ended questions (What is this?)

Evaluating/repeating what the children said (Yes, that is a

truck)

Expanding on what the child said (That is a RED truck)

Repetition (Can you say fire truck?)

Dialogic Reading allows children to be actively

engaged in their learning.

It builds on receptive language and expressive

language.

Dialogic Reading

Linking Literacy & Movement

When children are learning in the classroom, they need to

physically participate in order to truly understand concepts.

“Movement & language are both forms of communication &

self-expression” (Pica, Young Children, 2010).

Rhythm is essential in language & movement~

words/sentences, music

When you’re reading to your child, you are supporting their

literacy & language skills, listening skills, and critical thinking

skills.

Yoga helps children with flexibility, strength, coordination,

body awareness, concentration, a sense of calm, and a

deeper connection with one’s self.

When you combine reading & movement, you are actively

engaging the children and immersing them in reading in a

new meaningful way.

Mindfulness Technique

Breathe, Ground, Settle

Practice this exercise every morning to prepare students

for learning, focusing, or test-taking.

1. Have children stand behind desks.

2. Rock the Reptile, shift weight from L foot to R foot.

3. Breathe in through nose, exhale through mouth 3

times.

4. Visualize stress grounding through feet into Earth.

5. Settle (become heavy) in your bones and body.

6. Repeat steps 2-5 three times (follow script).

7. Teacher/Facilitator must do this with the children.

Basic Yoga Moves

Yoga in Practice

School Year 15-16

*Green Eggs &

Ham & Yoga*

House Pose

Car PoseBox PoseBoat Pose

Train Pose Fox PoseTree Pose

Yoga as a Gross Motor Activity•yoga with my preschoolers as a warm-up activity in the gym

•Working on balance & strength

Table Pose & Cat Pose

Tree Pose

Waterfall

Pose

Superman

PoseCobra Pose

Yoga in PracticeSchool Year 17-18: Start with the basics first

Candle Pose Mountain Pose/Sky Pose

Tree

Pose

Cow Pose/Cat PoseHang Loose Like Spaghetti

Yoga in Practice

Brown Bear Red Bird White DogPurple Cat

Green

Frog

Yellow Duck

Goldfish

TeacherBlack Sheep

“Brown Bear Brown Bear”

Yoga in Practice“Not A Box”

Sitting in a boxRace car

Rabbit Peak

Boat

Fireman Elephant

Incorporating Yoga into the

Classroom Before you begin using yoga in your classroom:

Familiarize yourself with yoga breathing

Talk with your students about personal space

Begin with gentle stretches and a few deep breaths

Practice yoga poses with your students before reading & yoga

combination.

Gross Motor Activity in gym or in your classroom (where there is enough space)

You do not need to use exact yoga poses for characters in a book.

You can create your own! IMAGINATION!

Start with a simple book and basic movements/yoga poses

Younger learners~ encourage them to make-up poses

Older learners: have them take turns reading while doing yoga

Not all children will do the yoga poses. It’s okay! Do NOT force

children to do the yoga! Offer & ask, but do not push.

Model/Practice Poses

Downward Dog

Yoga & Literacy

Demonstration

Bear Poses Downward Dog

(wide stance)

Forward Fold

(dive for fish)

Child’s pose

(hibernate)

Hero/Warrior

Pose (Brave)

Snake Poses Cobra

Side stretches

(“Dancing”)

Monkey Forward

fold/Sway

(swinging in

trees)

Curious

Breathing

(deep

breath/

hmmm)

Turtle

Poses Bask in

sun

(Resting

pose)

Child’s

pose

Dog Poses Downward Dog

(different

versions)

Spider Pose Creative

(create own

pose)

Extended Learning for

How to Be ~ Grades 2-4

Vocabulary Words

Integrate other subject areas:

Science~ Learn about each animal, where they live,

videos

Art~ Animal Portraits or Self-Portraits

Write an Acrostic poem about yourself

Easy readers about each animal

Write a “How to Be” story about a different animal

Write what animal from the book describes you OR

Write what other type of animal describes you

Useful Websites

Yoga with Elly~ http://www.elovinyoga.com/for-kids

Little Namaste Yoga~

http://www.littlenamasteyoga.com/Little_Namaste_Yoga/Bl

og/Blog.html

Little Flower Yoga~ http://littlefloweryoga.com/blog

The Mindful Classroom~

https://themindfulclassroom.wordpress.com/

YogaCalm~ https://www.yogacalm.org/blog

Picture Books and Pirouettes~

http://kerryaradhya.blogspot.com/

Maria's Movers~ http://mariasmovers.com/

Wild Things Yoga~ http://wildthingsyoga.squarespace.com/

Cosmic Kids~ search on www.youtube.com

Thank

You!!

**Questions??

**Giveaways!!**