Happy Labor Day Weekend!
We hope you enjoy the long weekend. We are closed on Monday, and will reopen Tuesday, 9/8.
Blocks, Glorious Blocks
We've observed the students in Toddler II taking off with a lot of block play this week. They were found building roads, bridges, houses, even sandcastles from their classroom blocks. They also incorporated other materials to provide depth to their creations: people, cars, yogurt caps, rocks, etc. (I spy some dominoes that made their way into this structure).
Why is block play SO important? According to Jean Schreiber, M.S. in Early Childhood Education, blocks are a complex and multifaceted type of play that children engage in, with tremendous benefits. Schreiber states: "Block play is fun and engaging. Unit blocks offer children experiential learning in the real, physical world. The smooth feel of the wood is satisfying to the touch; the sturdiness of the blocks allows the child to use them freely without breakage; and the open-ended quality of block play provides an opportunity for creativity and cognitive development to soar. Children are drawn to unit blocks knowing that they are using real materials with weight, form and function."
"Block play can also be challenging and frustrating--from the youngest child struggling to balance a tower, to the more experienced builder creating a complex structure. As children move through the various stages of building (stacking towers, spanning bridges, enclosing areas, creating designs, and re-enacting their world) they have many opportunities to experiment, make mistakes, problem solve, and find solutions."
In the following weeks, we're going to be focusing on some of the aforementioned frustration that Schreiber mentioned. We can all understand how difficult it is to witness a small child becoming frustrated to the point of tears. However, in a safe, manageable space with supportive adults near by, moments of frustration can become truly transformative when children are allowed to become upset, and then have the time problem solve an issue with few adult interventions. The idea that out of a struggle comes a success is not a new one, but it is not always accepted or understood as it applies to young children. Next week, we will unpack the idea of developing what you could call "grit" or determination through daily tasks, play and social situations. Stay tuned!
Nature Corner
Activity: On a sunny day have me stand very still on the sidewalk or driveway. Outline my shadow with sidewalk chalk. Have me color in my features. OR, we could play shadow tag. Run while taking turns trying to step on each other's shadow.
Why?: Physical activities that use large movements enhance the coordination of my brain with my muscles. Watching TV or DVDs does not provide the learning my brain needs.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: The babies are once again showing a lot of interest in cause and effect. "When I shake this rattle...it makes a sound. When it's still...no sound." The metal bowls in the room have taken on a lot of different purposes. The babies bang on them, or bang them on the floor, and depending on just how it's done, the bowls make a different sound each time. Another intriguing thing about the bowls is their shine and the fact that you can see your reflection staring back at you. Danielle and Amanda have noticed the children really studying the pages of books in the classroom, specifically those with vibrant colors.
Infant II: The children have been very engaged in self directed play that has become drawn out over the course of several days. The same group of children continued to go back to the same "theme" over and over again this week, in the process, expanding the play each time. Another layer of this play included children working hard to climb and pull themselves up. When a child successfully did this, the other classmates--unprompted by adults--would yell, "YAAAA!" In the midst of this, the younger children seemed to watch their older counterparts very carefully.
Toddler I: The children have been having a lot of circle time again this week. This is a place we've been exploring some new books including, Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush and Where the Wild Things Are. The class kept up with their walks in the warm weather. The children have taken to asking to go for walks, almost upon arrival at school. Mealtimes overall are becoming more polite and respectful as we continue our focus on table manners and appropriate mealtime behavior. We are also having more and more children consistently try out the potty, so feel free to discuss the potty or give it a spin at home.
Toddler II: As mentioned above, lots of block play! Additionally, the class has been doing a lot of painting on large pieces of cardboard, both at the table and at the stand-up easel. On Wednesday, the children took a very, very, very long walk. (That was 3 verys people!) They visited the stream and the SES playground. While there, they noticed the giant hill had been mowed, and the young adventurers requested to climb it, and climb they did. In fact, they even discovered a large Adirondack chair at the tippy top.
We are still working on routines and consistency in Toddler II, please help in this process by arriving before 9am so as not to disrupt snack or circle time. Thank you.
Pre-K: Not to sound like a broken record, but our continued adventures out in the community are the focus. The Pre-K also made a trip up the large hill behind SES, and found out that every last one of them fit in that Adirondack chair. The students have also been exploring a new path in the area, and recently saw what they think was a beaver, blocking the way back to school...some rerouting occurred for the trip home.
As Seen at MVS
Thanks for Reading
-Sam
We hope you enjoy the long weekend. We are closed on Monday, and will reopen Tuesday, 9/8.
Blocks, Glorious Blocks
Why is block play SO important? According to Jean Schreiber, M.S. in Early Childhood Education, blocks are a complex and multifaceted type of play that children engage in, with tremendous benefits. Schreiber states: "Block play is fun and engaging. Unit blocks offer children experiential learning in the real, physical world. The smooth feel of the wood is satisfying to the touch; the sturdiness of the blocks allows the child to use them freely without breakage; and the open-ended quality of block play provides an opportunity for creativity and cognitive development to soar. Children are drawn to unit blocks knowing that they are using real materials with weight, form and function."
"Block play can also be challenging and frustrating--from the youngest child struggling to balance a tower, to the more experienced builder creating a complex structure. As children move through the various stages of building (stacking towers, spanning bridges, enclosing areas, creating designs, and re-enacting their world) they have many opportunities to experiment, make mistakes, problem solve, and find solutions."
In the following weeks, we're going to be focusing on some of the aforementioned frustration that Schreiber mentioned. We can all understand how difficult it is to witness a small child becoming frustrated to the point of tears. However, in a safe, manageable space with supportive adults near by, moments of frustration can become truly transformative when children are allowed to become upset, and then have the time problem solve an issue with few adult interventions. The idea that out of a struggle comes a success is not a new one, but it is not always accepted or understood as it applies to young children. Next week, we will unpack the idea of developing what you could call "grit" or determination through daily tasks, play and social situations. Stay tuned!
Nature Corner
Activity: On a sunny day have me stand very still on the sidewalk or driveway. Outline my shadow with sidewalk chalk. Have me color in my features. OR, we could play shadow tag. Run while taking turns trying to step on each other's shadow.
Why?: Physical activities that use large movements enhance the coordination of my brain with my muscles. Watching TV or DVDs does not provide the learning my brain needs.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: The babies are once again showing a lot of interest in cause and effect. "When I shake this rattle...it makes a sound. When it's still...no sound." The metal bowls in the room have taken on a lot of different purposes. The babies bang on them, or bang them on the floor, and depending on just how it's done, the bowls make a different sound each time. Another intriguing thing about the bowls is their shine and the fact that you can see your reflection staring back at you. Danielle and Amanda have noticed the children really studying the pages of books in the classroom, specifically those with vibrant colors.
Infant II: The children have been very engaged in self directed play that has become drawn out over the course of several days. The same group of children continued to go back to the same "theme" over and over again this week, in the process, expanding the play each time. Another layer of this play included children working hard to climb and pull themselves up. When a child successfully did this, the other classmates--unprompted by adults--would yell, "YAAAA!" In the midst of this, the younger children seemed to watch their older counterparts very carefully.
Toddler I: The children have been having a lot of circle time again this week. This is a place we've been exploring some new books including, Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush and Where the Wild Things Are. The class kept up with their walks in the warm weather. The children have taken to asking to go for walks, almost upon arrival at school. Mealtimes overall are becoming more polite and respectful as we continue our focus on table manners and appropriate mealtime behavior. We are also having more and more children consistently try out the potty, so feel free to discuss the potty or give it a spin at home.
Toddler II: As mentioned above, lots of block play! Additionally, the class has been doing a lot of painting on large pieces of cardboard, both at the table and at the stand-up easel. On Wednesday, the children took a very, very, very long walk. (That was 3 verys people!) They visited the stream and the SES playground. While there, they noticed the giant hill had been mowed, and the young adventurers requested to climb it, and climb they did. In fact, they even discovered a large Adirondack chair at the tippy top.
We are still working on routines and consistency in Toddler II, please help in this process by arriving before 9am so as not to disrupt snack or circle time. Thank you.
Pre-K: Not to sound like a broken record, but our continued adventures out in the community are the focus. The Pre-K also made a trip up the large hill behind SES, and found out that every last one of them fit in that Adirondack chair. The students have also been exploring a new path in the area, and recently saw what they think was a beaver, blocking the way back to school...some rerouting occurred for the trip home.
As Seen at MVS
-Sam
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