Friday, January 27, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Hibernation sounds like a pretty good deal on days like today!! The kids weren't so excited when I suggested that we hibernate all afternoon.....but, the teachers all thought it was a grand idea!!
In order to fully understand what bears do in the winter, today's language circle was "bear style". The thing about bears is that they don't have beds to sleep in all winter.....so they have to look around and find a perfect, cozy cave. After a short walk down the hall, my little blue "bears" found the perfect cave for hibernating. It's amazing how much brown felt draped over a table looks like a cave! Story time in a cave.....it was magical!!
Today's book was a personal favorite, Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. In the story Bear is hibernating in his cave. The weather outside becomes so horrible that several other animals come into the cave for shelter. They each bring something and suddenly it becomes a party. But, Bear snores on. When Mouse adds pepper to the pot of soup they are making......well, you know what pepper does.... AAACHOOOO!! Bear wakes up! At first he is upset because he missed the party, but they decide to keep dancing and singing late into the night. The next morning, Bear is wide awake.....but, his friends snore on!! So cute, and some really great vocabulary!
The kids loved being in the cave! They declared it a Blue Friends ONLY cave......and they were just little enough to all fit inside.....it's always a good day when something so simple makes a story so memorable!!
In order to fully understand what bears do in the winter, today's language circle was "bear style". The thing about bears is that they don't have beds to sleep in all winter.....so they have to look around and find a perfect, cozy cave. After a short walk down the hall, my little blue "bears" found the perfect cave for hibernating. It's amazing how much brown felt draped over a table looks like a cave! Story time in a cave.....it was magical!!
Today's book was a personal favorite, Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. In the story Bear is hibernating in his cave. The weather outside becomes so horrible that several other animals come into the cave for shelter. They each bring something and suddenly it becomes a party. But, Bear snores on. When Mouse adds pepper to the pot of soup they are making......well, you know what pepper does.... AAACHOOOO!! Bear wakes up! At first he is upset because he missed the party, but they decide to keep dancing and singing late into the night. The next morning, Bear is wide awake.....but, his friends snore on!! So cute, and some really great vocabulary!
The kids loved being in the cave! They declared it a Blue Friends ONLY cave......and they were just little enough to all fit inside.....it's always a good day when something so simple makes a story so memorable!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Penguins!! Is it a bird?? It has feathers, but it can't fly. Is it a fish?? It can swim really well, but it lives outside of the water. Penguins are a confusing animal.....but, oh, so much fun to learn about!
We read The Emperor's Egg by Jane Chapman, which is a factual based story on penguin's and their babies. I changed a lot of the words so the kiddos could understand it, but the pictures were great and the book was full of good information. We learned that penguins lay eggs. Daddy penguins take care of the egg until it hatches by holding it on their feet and tucking it under their bellies to keep it warm. They don't eat the whole time they are taking care of the egg. FOR TWO MONTHS!! When the baby penguin is born, the Mommy penguin comes back and feeds the baby.....by spitting her chewed up food in it's mouth! YUCK!!
Ms. Ellen taught us all how to waddle like a penguin! We put a small ball between our ankles and walked around the room pretending to be penguins! The kids all laughed and had a great time. I'll just tell you that waddling only slows them down a little! After a little practice.....somehow they still end up in a run!
We made penguins for art today. Using a model and very little instruction....the kids all took the pieces and glued them together to make a penguin! It was a great way to reinforce the vocabulary from the book....beak, flippers, feet......and, of course, a bow tie to make him cute!
YouTube has some pretty great videos about real penguins. We watched them swimming and eating and jumping in the water. One video had thousands of penguins together......we talked about how many friends they had!! There were also some really cute songs that had the penguin facts we had been learning all day. All the kids love watching videos and songs on the iPad! Everything gets previewed first.....Ms. Kelly clicked on the wrong video today......and the words were in French!! See??? All the things your children get exposed to in one day......wow!.....what an amazing preschool!!
We read The Emperor's Egg by Jane Chapman, which is a factual based story on penguin's and their babies. I changed a lot of the words so the kiddos could understand it, but the pictures were great and the book was full of good information. We learned that penguins lay eggs. Daddy penguins take care of the egg until it hatches by holding it on their feet and tucking it under their bellies to keep it warm. They don't eat the whole time they are taking care of the egg. FOR TWO MONTHS!! When the baby penguin is born, the Mommy penguin comes back and feeds the baby.....by spitting her chewed up food in it's mouth! YUCK!!
Ms. Ellen taught us all how to waddle like a penguin! We put a small ball between our ankles and walked around the room pretending to be penguins! The kids all laughed and had a great time. I'll just tell you that waddling only slows them down a little! After a little practice.....somehow they still end up in a run!
We made penguins for art today. Using a model and very little instruction....the kids all took the pieces and glued them together to make a penguin! It was a great way to reinforce the vocabulary from the book....beak, flippers, feet......and, of course, a bow tie to make him cute!
YouTube has some pretty great videos about real penguins. We watched them swimming and eating and jumping in the water. One video had thousands of penguins together......we talked about how many friends they had!! There were also some really cute songs that had the penguin facts we had been learning all day. All the kids love watching videos and songs on the iPad! Everything gets previewed first.....Ms. Kelly clicked on the wrong video today......and the words were in French!! See??? All the things your children get exposed to in one day......wow!.....what an amazing preschool!!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Our topic for this week is Animals in Winter. Today we talked about the things that animals do in the winter that are different from people. Since we don't see animals running around in hats, gloves, and scarfs.....we figured that they must do something different to keep warm!
The book of the day helped start our discussion about animals in winter. We read When It Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator. In this story, we follow many animals as it starts to snow outside. The sparrow starts to look for seeds to take to the nest, the geese fly south for warmer weather, the fish go deep in the ocean looking for warmer weather, and the bear heads off to his cave to go to sleep. Story time was so quiet today. The kids really enjoyed the pictures in this beautiful book!
We wanted to teach the kids the "grown up" words for what animals do, so we made up a poem to help them remember! Now, I'm not exactly Emily Dickinson.....but, if I say so myself.....it's pretty cute! And most importantly, the kids can say it with only a few cues! It goes like this:
What do animals do in winter?
Migrate, Migrate, go off to a warmer place.
Hibernate, Hibernate, sleep off all the food we ate.
Change, change, look a different way today!
What do animals do in winter?
For art, we used those very special ART marshmallows to make an igloo house covered with snowballs. These aren't the marshmallows for eating.....they are the kind for art projects! I think we sold the kids on this because I didn't see too many disappearing into tiny mouths! They loved gluing them marshmallows and we talked about what kinds of animals might want to live in our houses. We will let them dry at school tonight and send them home tomorrow! Then you will have to be on high watch that the marshmallows stay where they are.....
Ms. Michelle was back from her vacation today. She brought scooters for the kids to push and be pulled around on. They LOVED this! She also taught them all to crab walk. We definitely need some practice.....those arm muscles are just not that strong! She also let the kids decorate some snowflakes with fuzzy balls and packing peanuts.....after they used clothespins to pick things up and words to make choices between the different colors! So many hidden OT and Speech things embedded into a simple art activity! That's why we love Ms. Michelle!!
The book of the day helped start our discussion about animals in winter. We read When It Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator. In this story, we follow many animals as it starts to snow outside. The sparrow starts to look for seeds to take to the nest, the geese fly south for warmer weather, the fish go deep in the ocean looking for warmer weather, and the bear heads off to his cave to go to sleep. Story time was so quiet today. The kids really enjoyed the pictures in this beautiful book!
We wanted to teach the kids the "grown up" words for what animals do, so we made up a poem to help them remember! Now, I'm not exactly Emily Dickinson.....but, if I say so myself.....it's pretty cute! And most importantly, the kids can say it with only a few cues! It goes like this:
What do animals do in winter?
Migrate, Migrate, go off to a warmer place.
Hibernate, Hibernate, sleep off all the food we ate.
Change, change, look a different way today!
What do animals do in winter?
For art, we used those very special ART marshmallows to make an igloo house covered with snowballs. These aren't the marshmallows for eating.....they are the kind for art projects! I think we sold the kids on this because I didn't see too many disappearing into tiny mouths! They loved gluing them marshmallows and we talked about what kinds of animals might want to live in our houses. We will let them dry at school tonight and send them home tomorrow! Then you will have to be on high watch that the marshmallows stay where they are.....
Ms. Michelle was back from her vacation today. She brought scooters for the kids to push and be pulled around on. They LOVED this! She also taught them all to crab walk. We definitely need some practice.....those arm muscles are just not that strong! She also let the kids decorate some snowflakes with fuzzy balls and packing peanuts.....after they used clothespins to pick things up and words to make choices between the different colors! So many hidden OT and Speech things embedded into a simple art activity! That's why we love Ms. Michelle!!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
The day was messy right from the moment the kiddos walked in the door! The first direction was to push up their sleeves and find a place at the table. Little piles of shaving cream was waiting at each seat. Sensory building at it's finest......and the communication that we heard.....WOW! We wrote letters in the shaving cream, drew pictures of snowmen and snowflakes, made shapes, and sooooo much more! I think that most of them could have stayed there for hours! It's a great at home activity.....just be prepared for the mess.....and the smell! The distinct smell of shaving cream will linger all day!!
Today's book was Snow Woman by David McKee. It was a story dedicated especially to Susannah! In the book a little boy announces to his family that he is going outside to build a snowMAN. His feminist little sister says that she is going outside too....but, she will be building a snowWOMAN! The each have to find different clothes for their respective snowPEOPLE. The boy gets clothes from his father and the girl borrows clothes from her mother. It was a good way to practice pronouns. He, she, his, and hers can be so confusing!! There was lots of giggling during the story, which told me that the kids really liked it!
Art was snowman (or woman) pictures made from a mixture of glue and shaving cream. Once this mixture dries it makes a very odd texture that looks wet, and feels kinda puffy, and makes you want to touch it again! The kids had fun getting all messy again. The only difference was that this time the messiness was a little thicker....and much harder to clean up!
We divided into centers after lunch for some different activities. Ms. Ellen ran a writing center where the kids practiced tracing letters and writing their names. I am so proud of how much progress they have all made! They are proud too! They want to show off their "work" to everyone in the room and they want to bring it home to show you! Ms. Cortney and I wrapped the children in toilet paper and dressed them up like little snowmen (or women)! They LOVED it! We took lots of pictures! I think that the most fun part for them was busting out of the mummy wrap toilet paper when the picture was over!
Four trips to the bathroom to wash hands....and sometimes faces and arms.....in one day......makes for VERY tired teachers!! Tired or not, it's still hard to believe that I get to call what I did today "work".....most work doesn't look like that!! Feeling very lucky tonight!!!
Today's book was Snow Woman by David McKee. It was a story dedicated especially to Susannah! In the book a little boy announces to his family that he is going outside to build a snowMAN. His feminist little sister says that she is going outside too....but, she will be building a snowWOMAN! The each have to find different clothes for their respective snowPEOPLE. The boy gets clothes from his father and the girl borrows clothes from her mother. It was a good way to practice pronouns. He, she, his, and hers can be so confusing!! There was lots of giggling during the story, which told me that the kids really liked it!
Art was snowman (or woman) pictures made from a mixture of glue and shaving cream. Once this mixture dries it makes a very odd texture that looks wet, and feels kinda puffy, and makes you want to touch it again! The kids had fun getting all messy again. The only difference was that this time the messiness was a little thicker....and much harder to clean up!
We divided into centers after lunch for some different activities. Ms. Ellen ran a writing center where the kids practiced tracing letters and writing their names. I am so proud of how much progress they have all made! They are proud too! They want to show off their "work" to everyone in the room and they want to bring it home to show you! Ms. Cortney and I wrapped the children in toilet paper and dressed them up like little snowmen (or women)! They LOVED it! We took lots of pictures! I think that the most fun part for them was busting out of the mummy wrap toilet paper when the picture was over!
Four trips to the bathroom to wash hands....and sometimes faces and arms.....in one day......makes for VERY tired teachers!! Tired or not, it's still hard to believe that I get to call what I did today "work".....most work doesn't look like that!! Feeling very lucky tonight!!!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Thank You ImaginOn
ImaginOn is a wonderful place and today we got to experience that first hand!! I don't think the kids knew what to expect when we headed out this morning, but it certainly turned out to be a full day of practicing practical language skills!
For children that typically move so quickly, our Out and About walking trips sure do move slowly!! We arrived at the train station just as our train pulled away. For a brief moment I thought of running to try and stop it......seven minutes to the next train could be an eternity......but, I shouldn't have worried.....our kiddos are experts at train riding! A few songs to pass the time and everyone was fine!!
Ms. Cynthia was our special storyteller today. She even had a schedule posted for the kids to see what was happening next. Just like in the classroom!! She read stories, sang songs, and played some music with the children. The story time started with The Whistle on the Train, which is very similar to The Wheels on the Bus. Once she got through the first page, the kids (and the adults) figured out the drill and we all joined in. It was a perfect beginning since we had just gotten off the train!!
Next came Ms. Cynthia's special friend, Felt Froggie. She told the story of Froggie Gets Dressed, who was so excited to play in the snow but kept forgetting warm winter clothing. Several times his mother had to call him inside to take off clothes and get re-dressed! The kids watched and listened and laughed! They took every opportunity (raising their hands and answering questions) to participate in this story as well!
She also read to us about snow using two books: The Snowy Day and Snow, Snow, Snow. I don't think Ms. Cynthia knew TSGI's theme for this month, but these books fit right in. She even spent some time using the superlatives we practiced yesterday, as the kids made big, bigger, and biggest snowballs! We didn't plan that.....but it definitely looked like we did!! We ended our story time with some pretty special bubbles that you could actually touch without them popping!! The kids LOVED that!! Thank you Ms. Cynthia and ImaginOn for being wonderful hosts!!
Thanks to all the parents who joined us today! It's nice to have extra hands and eyes!! We always tell you how well the kids are behaved when we take them on our Out and About trips....it's even better when you can see it for yourself!
For children that typically move so quickly, our Out and About walking trips sure do move slowly!! We arrived at the train station just as our train pulled away. For a brief moment I thought of running to try and stop it......seven minutes to the next train could be an eternity......but, I shouldn't have worried.....our kiddos are experts at train riding! A few songs to pass the time and everyone was fine!!
Ms. Cynthia was our special storyteller today. She even had a schedule posted for the kids to see what was happening next. Just like in the classroom!! She read stories, sang songs, and played some music with the children. The story time started with The Whistle on the Train, which is very similar to The Wheels on the Bus. Once she got through the first page, the kids (and the adults) figured out the drill and we all joined in. It was a perfect beginning since we had just gotten off the train!!
Next came Ms. Cynthia's special friend, Felt Froggie. She told the story of Froggie Gets Dressed, who was so excited to play in the snow but kept forgetting warm winter clothing. Several times his mother had to call him inside to take off clothes and get re-dressed! The kids watched and listened and laughed! They took every opportunity (raising their hands and answering questions) to participate in this story as well!
She also read to us about snow using two books: The Snowy Day and Snow, Snow, Snow. I don't think Ms. Cynthia knew TSGI's theme for this month, but these books fit right in. She even spent some time using the superlatives we practiced yesterday, as the kids made big, bigger, and biggest snowballs! We didn't plan that.....but it definitely looked like we did!! We ended our story time with some pretty special bubbles that you could actually touch without them popping!! The kids LOVED that!! Thank you Ms. Cynthia and ImaginOn for being wonderful hosts!!
Thanks to all the parents who joined us today! It's nice to have extra hands and eyes!! We always tell you how well the kids are behaved when we take them on our Out and About trips....it's even better when you can see it for yourself!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Ask the children what you need to make a snowman and they all know the answer! First you need snow.....that's the most important thing......and then you need to know how to make a snowball. Three snowballs are necessary. And today, we learned that the snowballs can't be the same size. You need a big snowball.....a bigger snowball.....and the biggest snowball goes on the bottom. What a great way to learn all about superlatives!! Big, bigger, biggest......small, smaller, smallest.....LOTS of new vocabulary today!
Our book today was The Biggest, Best Snowman by Margery Cuyler. It's a story about a girl whose BIG sister's say she is too LITTLE to help them do anything. She takes a walk through the BIG forest and her animal friends, a reindeer, a rabbit, and a bear, ask her to show them how to make a snowman. She tells them that she can't do it because she is too LITTLE. They all work together to make the BIGGEST snowman anyone has ever seen. Her sister's are especially surprised and impressed! The kids all loved the story and helped out reading all the size words in the story.
For art today we made snowman using glue and wax paper. We decorated the snowmen with stick arms (collected on the playground), jeweled eyes, and blue rice for some texture. Hopefully, tomorrow after the glue dries we can peel the snowman off the wax paper and have a plastic-like snowman decoration. This activity required more muscle than we expected.....it's hard work to squeeze out so much glue at one time!
We did take some time today to check our "magic" snowflakes from last week. Well.....don't tell the children.....but, we actually checked the new snowflakes that Ms. Ellen made at home! They look just like the one's the children made....except this time the science actually worked!! The borax made beautiful crystals that clung to the pipe cleaners.....just like the book said it would!! We can't explain why the snowflakes we made at school didn't work, but you can see the Take 2 finished project hanging on the bulletin board outside our classroom!
The children have all learned a new song during circle. They are so excited to know all the words that they ask to sing it multiple times a day. It's The Opposite Song. They hum it all day.....they are even starting to talk about opposites that aren't in the song. It's the new class favorite! I'm sure you've heard it.....you just may not have knew exactly what you were hearing!
Tomorrow is our trip uptown to ImaginOn.....the kids are so excited to ride the train again!! Storytime is going to be an added bonus! Dress warmly.....it's supposed to be really cold!!
Our book today was The Biggest, Best Snowman by Margery Cuyler. It's a story about a girl whose BIG sister's say she is too LITTLE to help them do anything. She takes a walk through the BIG forest and her animal friends, a reindeer, a rabbit, and a bear, ask her to show them how to make a snowman. She tells them that she can't do it because she is too LITTLE. They all work together to make the BIGGEST snowman anyone has ever seen. Her sister's are especially surprised and impressed! The kids all loved the story and helped out reading all the size words in the story.
For art today we made snowman using glue and wax paper. We decorated the snowmen with stick arms (collected on the playground), jeweled eyes, and blue rice for some texture. Hopefully, tomorrow after the glue dries we can peel the snowman off the wax paper and have a plastic-like snowman decoration. This activity required more muscle than we expected.....it's hard work to squeeze out so much glue at one time!
We did take some time today to check our "magic" snowflakes from last week. Well.....don't tell the children.....but, we actually checked the new snowflakes that Ms. Ellen made at home! They look just like the one's the children made....except this time the science actually worked!! The borax made beautiful crystals that clung to the pipe cleaners.....just like the book said it would!! We can't explain why the snowflakes we made at school didn't work, but you can see the Take 2 finished project hanging on the bulletin board outside our classroom!
The children have all learned a new song during circle. They are so excited to know all the words that they ask to sing it multiple times a day. It's The Opposite Song. They hum it all day.....they are even starting to talk about opposites that aren't in the song. It's the new class favorite! I'm sure you've heard it.....you just may not have knew exactly what you were hearing!
Tomorrow is our trip uptown to ImaginOn.....the kids are so excited to ride the train again!! Storytime is going to be an added bonus! Dress warmly.....it's supposed to be really cold!!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Well.....yesterday's science experiment didn't quite finish it's "magic", so we will have to wait until next week to accurately report the results!! The sample project looks beautiful.....I guess that just goes to show the unpredictability of science!!
The weather, however windy, was so much nicer today. During our morning circle when we changed the weather wheel from yesterday's rainy to today's sunny, the kids all cheered about getting to go outside! It was kinda funny, but as an SLP, I had a true appreciation for their independent connections!!
We read The Snowman Storybook by Raymond Briggs. This book is about a boy who builds a snowman that magically comes to life. (I seem to be writing a lot about magic these days???) The boy and the snowman play, fly around the city, and run around the yard in the middle of the night. The next morning he runs outside only to find his snowman melted away. The kids LOVED the story. They were so quiet and attentive.
For a special treat, we watched The Snowman movie. It goes with the book (same story), BUT the movie has no words. We prepared the kids for this and, although I'm not sure they understood ahead of time what that would mean, they were all perfectly quiet during the silent movie. It was the opposite of what I expected to happen. Afterwards, we talked about some of the ways the movie and the book were alike and some ways they were different. The kids all had something to add about a time they had built a snowman. The lunchtime conversation was very stimulating......and very unfacilitated.....just like little grown-ups.....discussing a recent film they had seen! Too cute!!
The weather, however windy, was so much nicer today. During our morning circle when we changed the weather wheel from yesterday's rainy to today's sunny, the kids all cheered about getting to go outside! It was kinda funny, but as an SLP, I had a true appreciation for their independent connections!!
We read The Snowman Storybook by Raymond Briggs. This book is about a boy who builds a snowman that magically comes to life. (I seem to be writing a lot about magic these days???) The boy and the snowman play, fly around the city, and run around the yard in the middle of the night. The next morning he runs outside only to find his snowman melted away. The kids LOVED the story. They were so quiet and attentive.
For a special treat, we watched The Snowman movie. It goes with the book (same story), BUT the movie has no words. We prepared the kids for this and, although I'm not sure they understood ahead of time what that would mean, they were all perfectly quiet during the silent movie. It was the opposite of what I expected to happen. Afterwards, we talked about some of the ways the movie and the book were alike and some ways they were different. The kids all had something to add about a time they had built a snowman. The lunchtime conversation was very stimulating......and very unfacilitated.....just like little grown-ups.....discussing a recent film they had seen! Too cute!!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Immediately after pulling int he parking lot to school this morning I realized three things: I left my computer at home, Ms. Cortney was staying at home with a sick child of her own and would not be there today, AND it was going to rain ALL day!! My outlook on the day was pretty gloomy! BUT.... I am so happy to report that it was a great day! The kids were fabulous and Ellen and I made it through the whole day virtually unscathed!!
It only seemed fitting that we begin the day with a pretend snowball fight! Cotton balls in the Touch and Feel certainly look like snowballs.....but thank goodness, they aren't cold....or hard.....or wet! It started with the kids aiming for each other, but the tables quickly turned as Ms. Ellen and I joined in. Judging by the number of cotton balls around me and in my lap.....I would say that I was a definite target!
During Hello Neighbor, our good morning song, Evan lost his first tooth! The first tooth to come out in our class! An exciting moment for sure. We stopped everything and talked about it.....and looked at it.....and took pictures. Unexpected, unplanned learning is our favorite and sometimes the sustaining.
Instead of rainy day playground, we split into three groups and did some centers. Ms. Ellen ran a math center with a matching game, I ran a literacy center matching written color words to colors, and there was an independent book and drawing center. The kids rotated through all the centers and had a great time in some cross-class small groups. We had a movie planned as a special treat because of the rained out playground.....but centers were so great there wasn't any left over time and we postponed it for another day! Work instead of a movie?? That wouldn't happen in every preschool!!
Another great part of the day was the science activity. Each child got to pick their choice of colored pipe cleaners. We cut it into three small pieces, wrapped them around each other, and made it into the shape of a snowflake. We took a mini field trip down to the the kitchen and measured water for a large pot. Everyone took a turn pouring.....there was only one little spill!! Next we put it on the stove to boil while we read Six Snowy Sheep. As soon as the book was done, the water was boiling- we knew because we heard it and saw the steam rising out of the pot! Everyone watched as we added 'Magic' (Borax) to the pot. We put in our snowflakes and can't wait to see the BIG surprise tomorrow!
We managed to fit in lunch and Show and Tell, but BARELY! We were late to dismissal!! Amazing! A day that I thought I wouldn't make it through......and we managed to squeeze out every minute for learning. A definite success if I say so myself!!
It only seemed fitting that we begin the day with a pretend snowball fight! Cotton balls in the Touch and Feel certainly look like snowballs.....but thank goodness, they aren't cold....or hard.....or wet! It started with the kids aiming for each other, but the tables quickly turned as Ms. Ellen and I joined in. Judging by the number of cotton balls around me and in my lap.....I would say that I was a definite target!
During Hello Neighbor, our good morning song, Evan lost his first tooth! The first tooth to come out in our class! An exciting moment for sure. We stopped everything and talked about it.....and looked at it.....and took pictures. Unexpected, unplanned learning is our favorite and sometimes the sustaining.
Instead of rainy day playground, we split into three groups and did some centers. Ms. Ellen ran a math center with a matching game, I ran a literacy center matching written color words to colors, and there was an independent book and drawing center. The kids rotated through all the centers and had a great time in some cross-class small groups. We had a movie planned as a special treat because of the rained out playground.....but centers were so great there wasn't any left over time and we postponed it for another day! Work instead of a movie?? That wouldn't happen in every preschool!!
Another great part of the day was the science activity. Each child got to pick their choice of colored pipe cleaners. We cut it into three small pieces, wrapped them around each other, and made it into the shape of a snowflake. We took a mini field trip down to the the kitchen and measured water for a large pot. Everyone took a turn pouring.....there was only one little spill!! Next we put it on the stove to boil while we read Six Snowy Sheep. As soon as the book was done, the water was boiling- we knew because we heard it and saw the steam rising out of the pot! Everyone watched as we added 'Magic' (Borax) to the pot. We put in our snowflakes and can't wait to see the BIG surprise tomorrow!
We managed to fit in lunch and Show and Tell, but BARELY! We were late to dismissal!! Amazing! A day that I thought I wouldn't make it through......and we managed to squeeze out every minute for learning. A definite success if I say so myself!!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Today we began the day popping bubbles from a whole bundle of bubble wrap! It was noisy, but oh so much fun!! The kids didn't realize it, but this is a wonderful way to strengthen the tiny muscles of the fingers and hands used when we write! Functional and fun!! That's The Speech Garden way!!
Our theme this week is snow! We talked about some ways that snow and rain are alike and some ways that they are different. The kids all made a chart about whether snow outside makes them happy or sad. Everybody except one child wrote their name on the side that said that it made them happy. We counted the kids names and talked about which side had more. These are the beginning elements of graphing! I never would have imagined that we would be this far in math skills compared to where we started at the beginning of the year! SO much progress!
The book today was Here Comes the Snow by Angela Medearis. It's a story about kids who get all dressed for snow, but when they head outside with their sled.....NO SNOW! They go back inside and take off all their winter gear and while they are playing, one of them notices a few snowflakes. They run outside and play with their friends, building snowmen, making snow angels, and sledding.
Art for the day was a fun combination of science and painting. We painted with "magic paint", which was actually a mixture of salt and hot water. When we put it on our black paper, we couldn't really see anything. Our paper got really wet, but no color! I gave the kids a secret clue that when the "paint" dried, it would turn the color of snow! Some of the kids knew right away, but they were so good and keeping the secret. We will check the art tomorrow and see if our predictions were right!
Ms. Michelle was back today with some kid yoga and a brand new tunnel. It was super soft and white, just like the snow we are talking about. She even hid cotton balls inside to see who could find them on the long journey through the tunnel! The kids were so happy to see her! There were lots of questions about where she had been and if Santa brought her presents! Very appropriate conversation! She also had a new balance beam with lots of colors connected with ropes that made us stretch our legs and use our arms to help us not fall off.
The rain held off today for outside play, but tomorrow is supposed to a downpour! Even a chance of thunderstorms!! My grandmother always said that FIVE days after winter thunder.....you'll see snow! A little cold weather and some big kid wishing could cause a long holiday weekend to be WHITE!!
Our theme this week is snow! We talked about some ways that snow and rain are alike and some ways that they are different. The kids all made a chart about whether snow outside makes them happy or sad. Everybody except one child wrote their name on the side that said that it made them happy. We counted the kids names and talked about which side had more. These are the beginning elements of graphing! I never would have imagined that we would be this far in math skills compared to where we started at the beginning of the year! SO much progress!
The book today was Here Comes the Snow by Angela Medearis. It's a story about kids who get all dressed for snow, but when they head outside with their sled.....NO SNOW! They go back inside and take off all their winter gear and while they are playing, one of them notices a few snowflakes. They run outside and play with their friends, building snowmen, making snow angels, and sledding.
Art for the day was a fun combination of science and painting. We painted with "magic paint", which was actually a mixture of salt and hot water. When we put it on our black paper, we couldn't really see anything. Our paper got really wet, but no color! I gave the kids a secret clue that when the "paint" dried, it would turn the color of snow! Some of the kids knew right away, but they were so good and keeping the secret. We will check the art tomorrow and see if our predictions were right!
Ms. Michelle was back today with some kid yoga and a brand new tunnel. It was super soft and white, just like the snow we are talking about. She even hid cotton balls inside to see who could find them on the long journey through the tunnel! The kids were so happy to see her! There were lots of questions about where she had been and if Santa brought her presents! Very appropriate conversation! She also had a new balance beam with lots of colors connected with ropes that made us stretch our legs and use our arms to help us not fall off.
The rain held off today for outside play, but tomorrow is supposed to a downpour! Even a chance of thunderstorms!! My grandmother always said that FIVE days after winter thunder.....you'll see snow! A little cold weather and some big kid wishing could cause a long holiday weekend to be WHITE!!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
We started today with white batting in the Touch and Feel pool. Touching it to your face....so soft! Looking through it.....trying to make it into shapes......even trying to toss it like a snowball! It doesn't go very far.....but, what a fun way to kick off the morning!
We sang Happy Birthday to Henry who turns FIVE years old today! The kids had lots of questions for him.....mainly about cake and presents. These kiddos definitely know the birthday routine.
Right after that we started our two-part science experiment. We were trying to make predictions about what would happen if we put something in the freezer. We looked at a regular banana and talked about how it looks and feels. We cut it up into pieces and looked at it again. We cut up another banana just like the first one and walked it down to the freezer. The kids guessed that it would melt....turn red like our noses do outside.....it would be cold.....and that it would get hard. Some pretty intelligent predictions!!
The freezer banana needed some time to "work" so we bundled up and went outside to play. It wasn't nearly as cold today as yesterday, and since three classes of Weekday friends joined us, it was way more tolerable!! Here's what I've learned from getting dressed for outside winter play: it takes WAY longer to put tiny fingers in a glove or mitten, than it takes for them to get out of it! Someone really should invent a better.....easier.....way!! Just an observation!!
Our book today was Winter Is Here by Kimberly Weinberger. This is a story about all the things we wear (boots, coats, hats, etc.) and all the things that we can do (sledding, ice skating, snow ball fights, building a snowman, etc.) in Winter. There was some really great discussion about other things to do in the snow that weren't in the book. I love it when the children expand on real literature to connect to their personal experiences!!
We sorted activities that we do in the winter and activities we do in the summer. Everyone can identify the four seasons now and has a basic idea of some things that happen in each one. It's an abstract concept, but they have picked it up with no problems!
Back to the science experiment....back down the hall to get the banana out of the freezer! You would have thought we were going to get a new puppy! The kids were so excited!! We gave each child a piece of the regular banana and a piece of the frozen banana to compare. They looked at it, touched it, and then.....of course....they ATE IT!! What a sweet, cold treat! If you haven't ever tried frozen bananas.....I highly recommend it!! One banana divided nine ways only gets each child a tiny taste, but they LOVED it!
I can't believe the week is almost over.....time really does fly when you are having fun!!
We sang Happy Birthday to Henry who turns FIVE years old today! The kids had lots of questions for him.....mainly about cake and presents. These kiddos definitely know the birthday routine.
Right after that we started our two-part science experiment. We were trying to make predictions about what would happen if we put something in the freezer. We looked at a regular banana and talked about how it looks and feels. We cut it up into pieces and looked at it again. We cut up another banana just like the first one and walked it down to the freezer. The kids guessed that it would melt....turn red like our noses do outside.....it would be cold.....and that it would get hard. Some pretty intelligent predictions!!
The freezer banana needed some time to "work" so we bundled up and went outside to play. It wasn't nearly as cold today as yesterday, and since three classes of Weekday friends joined us, it was way more tolerable!! Here's what I've learned from getting dressed for outside winter play: it takes WAY longer to put tiny fingers in a glove or mitten, than it takes for them to get out of it! Someone really should invent a better.....easier.....way!! Just an observation!!
Our book today was Winter Is Here by Kimberly Weinberger. This is a story about all the things we wear (boots, coats, hats, etc.) and all the things that we can do (sledding, ice skating, snow ball fights, building a snowman, etc.) in Winter. There was some really great discussion about other things to do in the snow that weren't in the book. I love it when the children expand on real literature to connect to their personal experiences!!
We sorted activities that we do in the winter and activities we do in the summer. Everyone can identify the four seasons now and has a basic idea of some things that happen in each one. It's an abstract concept, but they have picked it up with no problems!
Back to the science experiment....back down the hall to get the banana out of the freezer! You would have thought we were going to get a new puppy! The kids were so excited!! We gave each child a piece of the regular banana and a piece of the frozen banana to compare. They looked at it, touched it, and then.....of course....they ATE IT!! What a sweet, cold treat! If you haven't ever tried frozen bananas.....I highly recommend it!! One banana divided nine ways only gets each child a tiny taste, but they LOVED it!
I can't believe the week is almost over.....time really does fly when you are having fun!!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Back To School
WE MADE IT!! Our first day back to school was a big success! Everyone fell right back into the regular routine. We took some time this morning to let everyone share something from the holiday break....a favorite toy, a trip they took, something new happening at home. They all took turns well and listened to each other. It was a great way to practice sharing information in an organized manner.
The Touch and Feel pool today was full of ice cubes! The kids LOVED touching them and observing the wetness on their hands as the ice melted. Some wonderful spontaneous vocabulary came out of this activity. And when one child watched another put the ice in his mouth to eat.....everyone wanted to try it! They were so funny sucking on the ice and trying to talk about how cold it was in their mouths!
Cold hands in the Touch and Feel led to REALLY cold noses and toes when we went outside. The wind was blustery today. I know we asked for the weather to cooperate with our Winter Theme.....but it was super chilly today! Little bundles of coats and hats waddled around the playground with fingers in the wrong glove holes.....it was really too cute! None of the children seemed to mind the cold....but, the grown-ups were struggling!!
Our book for today was The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming. It is a counting story similar to the song about the days of Christmas, where a girl builds a snowman using nine buttons, and 6 sticks, and two mittens, and one red hat. The kids were all very engaged as they watched the snowman come together page by page.
For art, we used the ice cubes from the Touch and Feel to create Ice Cube Paintings. The kids had so much fun spreading different colors of paint around on the paper with an ice cubes. The paintings are beautiful (however abstract) works of art!! We will send them home tomorrow....they will need overnight to dry! We didn't think through the melting part very well....it sure was messy!!
Show and Tell and Music time went smoothly today, probably because the kiddos were fading fast! Lots of yawning and staring off into space! Getting back into the routine after two weeks of vacation is so hard! I think they all had fun and were happy to see their friends! I know that I was especially happy to see all of them! Today was great.....can't wait for tomorrow!!
The Touch and Feel pool today was full of ice cubes! The kids LOVED touching them and observing the wetness on their hands as the ice melted. Some wonderful spontaneous vocabulary came out of this activity. And when one child watched another put the ice in his mouth to eat.....everyone wanted to try it! They were so funny sucking on the ice and trying to talk about how cold it was in their mouths!
Cold hands in the Touch and Feel led to REALLY cold noses and toes when we went outside. The wind was blustery today. I know we asked for the weather to cooperate with our Winter Theme.....but it was super chilly today! Little bundles of coats and hats waddled around the playground with fingers in the wrong glove holes.....it was really too cute! None of the children seemed to mind the cold....but, the grown-ups were struggling!!
Our book for today was The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming. It is a counting story similar to the song about the days of Christmas, where a girl builds a snowman using nine buttons, and 6 sticks, and two mittens, and one red hat. The kids were all very engaged as they watched the snowman come together page by page.
For art, we used the ice cubes from the Touch and Feel to create Ice Cube Paintings. The kids had so much fun spreading different colors of paint around on the paper with an ice cubes. The paintings are beautiful (however abstract) works of art!! We will send them home tomorrow....they will need overnight to dry! We didn't think through the melting part very well....it sure was messy!!
Show and Tell and Music time went smoothly today, probably because the kiddos were fading fast! Lots of yawning and staring off into space! Getting back into the routine after two weeks of vacation is so hard! I think they all had fun and were happy to see their friends! I know that I was especially happy to see all of them! Today was great.....can't wait for tomorrow!!
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