At kindergarten level, children should learn how to group shapes. Teachers can develop this skill by bringing up on the board a variety of circles, both big and small. The teacher can ask the children to guide her in placing big circles on the left-hand side of the board and small circles on the right-hand side.
They can also learn how to identify shapes within pictures. A house, for example, can be brought up on the board and a kid can be asked to trace with the digital pen any squares he can see on the house. This could include windows and the structure of the house. Other shapes on the house can include a triangle for the roof, a rectangle for the door and a circle for a door handle.
The board is an ideal instrument for teaching children about language. A fun activity is teaching children how to identify word strings. For example, a teacher can put up a picture of a hill, a house, a heart and a horn and ask the kids to identify what begins with "hi."
Vocabulary in general can also be taught. Pictures beginning with a letter can be brought up on the board and a computerized voice can pronounce the word. Children then repeat the word out loud.
Another language activity is presenting a sentence with the adjective missing, for example "Her dress is very _____." Children then write down on a paper a word that could fit into the sentence; the suggestions can be read out loud.
Teachers can use the visuals of a Promethean board to make math more interesting to kindergartners. A sum can be placed on the board and, surrounding it, a few potential answers. Children can take turns using the digital pen to pick the correct answer.
Basic shapes should have been taught in pre-kindergarten, so the board can be used to introduce new and slightly more complex shapes to children. Number games can be a fun group activity. The teacher can put up, for example, an animation of a garden patch and have children count how many butterflies and daisies are in the garden.
Teachers can download hundreds of Promethean board activities for kids. The SMART Tech website (see Resources) has downloadable interactive applications in many subjects and area. These can include map building and character games, all aimed at capturing children's imagination and developing their skills. It also has applications to show teachers how to use the programs effectively in class.