Hi
Remember the rule of thumb for concentration in children is their age + or - the number two. When you are working with very young children this gives you comfort that it is not your teaching skills at fault!
Try to involve the children as much as possible so that they are active learners rather than passive ones. Read stories with a lot of repetition and encourage them to join in with the repeated lines - The Hairy McLarey books are good for that as are many children �s picture books.
Also involve them in role play. Set up a toy cafe, shop etc. There is probably already such a thing in the school. If you join in in the role play children can be kept focessed and a lot of learning about situations and vocabulary can be achieved.
Songs with actions are also good. They can involve all children and develop an awareness of language and develop their vocab.
With young children praise must be instant or else they will often forget what they are being praised for and so it doesn �t really affect a change in their behaviour.
If the children think that you are going to join in with their play and not just supervise, then they will be engaged for longer and will not even realise how well they are behaving and how much they are learning.
Each time you play try to target a different set of vocabulary. Parents will soon be aware of the new vocabulary and will stop expecting more formal written work to take place.
All learning is cloaked with emotion, so you want to set up learning as an enjoyable experience, so discipline as far as possible should be positive so as to encourage a positive attitude to learning.
If you have fun - so will they.
