Classroom Happenings
Infant I: The younger infants have found more of a rhythm in terms of their sleeping and eating schedules. They seem much more content, alert and ready to explore when they are awake. We've observed an increased confidence in all types of movement among the older infants. Along with this has been been an attentiveness to listening and sound in general. Ways we have been exploring sound include: banging our metal pail around, scraping wooden toys against the grate which surrounds our heater, carrying shakers and rattles, and spending lots of time with our crinkly cloth books.
Infant II: This week we focused on the skill of using utensils. We worked especially hard on this when our food really necessitated a spoon, like when eating yogurt. In the morning time we have been working hard on puzzles, the children focus on this task and work hard to turn and position each piece in the correct spot. This week we have also spent more time with our books. Group stories are always an exciting time for everyone, but we've also been encouraging independent reading; asking children to pick books and look through them by themselves. They have shown lots of interest and focus when looking at the text as they explore independently.
Toddler Room: The children are working hard to develop their socioemotional skills in relation to peers. This includes positive ways to process our feelings and regulate strong emotions. For example, we are practicing taking turns with toys and asking peers with words for a turn. This also applies to moments of frustration; we are supporting the children in choosing words that are clear and express what we are feeling. Mealtimes are another area where we are working on self-control, this includes slowing down, saying please/thank you, and keeping voices at an appropriate volume. Language and letter have been of much interest. We are learning the alphabet together and carefully working through each letter at a time. Along with this we are learning the ASL letter signs too. Note for parents: Please be sure your child has a lunchbox for school. Thanks!
Preschool I: The week felt full of moments of wonder. At circle this week, we had a tiny little piano (thank you to Shannon for allowing us to borrow it) to work on our major scale. The children were awestruck at the instrument meant just for them, at their level and meant to fit their hands. We each tried out a scale, and were incredibly respectful and gentle with the piano. After several weeks of talking about how to really treat instruments, we were ready, and it showed. On Thursday, we had another instrument...a harmonica! We listened to how the notes of the scale blended together. The children also compared the differences between the instruments too: piano is played with hands, harmonica with mouth (and hands), etc. Other moments of wonder: spotting a yearling deer on our walk, walking greater distances and into town, checking out the hockey arena, trying dates at snack time, seeing a dead mouse near school (lots of conversations here), and lastly lots of empathetic behavior as we check on one another during moments of sadness/skinned knees/or parents leaving for the day.
Preschool II: Puzzles galore! We cannot get enough puzzle time. We are now doing 48-60 piece puzzles; some of these are smaller table top puzzles, while others require the floor where we can spread out and get right to it. The teamwork and collaboration as the children complete these puzzles is really impressive. Other skills of note include increased focus and attention and problem solving. This week we took a big walk with the Pre-K group to the SES playground. The tire swing was a real hit.
Our walking skills are strong and continue to develop. We make sure to be safe and stop at each and every driveway before crossing.
A Note on Puzzles...
Besides simply having a love of puzzles, they are just plain good for us!
Here's the skinny on the pros of puzzles from The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): "When children work on puzzles, they are actually "putting the pieces together" in more ways than one. Puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions—all of which they will use in school and beyond. "pincer" grasp. Children can work on puzzles by themselves, without the help of adults or other children. They can also work together on large puzzles and practice compromising and getting along. Because each child must concentrate on the puzzle individually, he experiences a sense of satisfaction as he picks up a piece, rotates it, and discovers the spot in which it fits."
AND...here's another study on puzzles promoting developing math skills from the University of Chicago.
Pre-K: Exploring all the wonderful aspects of fall has been the focus of our week. We've read books about seeds, fall foods and of course, pumpkins. We've been looking for seeds and colorful leaves on our walks. We've built leaf piles for jumping in and gone on a leaf hunt following the motions and directions in the book Going On A Leaf Hunt (similar format to the "bear hunt" book). Another great outdoor movement book we loved was Brooms Are For Flying. We've continued practicing the poem "Five Little Pumpkins" together at circle and as a transition activity for five children (pumpkins) at a time. We've also been creating some related pieces of artwork. This morning we even used our snack foods (pretzel sticks, crackers, raisins and cheese) to recreate the poem. We plan to try this with carrot and celery sticks again Thursday afternoon. We've been noticing the amazing colors, scents and spooky themes that this time of year brings. We are looking forward to carving our pumpkins and the many related activities over the next two weeks.
Also Seen at MVS
Thanks for Reading
-Sam
Infant I: The younger infants have found more of a rhythm in terms of their sleeping and eating schedules. They seem much more content, alert and ready to explore when they are awake. We've observed an increased confidence in all types of movement among the older infants. Along with this has been been an attentiveness to listening and sound in general. Ways we have been exploring sound include: banging our metal pail around, scraping wooden toys against the grate which surrounds our heater, carrying shakers and rattles, and spending lots of time with our crinkly cloth books.
Infant II: This week we focused on the skill of using utensils. We worked especially hard on this when our food really necessitated a spoon, like when eating yogurt. In the morning time we have been working hard on puzzles, the children focus on this task and work hard to turn and position each piece in the correct spot. This week we have also spent more time with our books. Group stories are always an exciting time for everyone, but we've also been encouraging independent reading; asking children to pick books and look through them by themselves. They have shown lots of interest and focus when looking at the text as they explore independently.
Toddler Room: The children are working hard to develop their socioemotional skills in relation to peers. This includes positive ways to process our feelings and regulate strong emotions. For example, we are practicing taking turns with toys and asking peers with words for a turn. This also applies to moments of frustration; we are supporting the children in choosing words that are clear and express what we are feeling. Mealtimes are another area where we are working on self-control, this includes slowing down, saying please/thank you, and keeping voices at an appropriate volume. Language and letter have been of much interest. We are learning the alphabet together and carefully working through each letter at a time. Along with this we are learning the ASL letter signs too. Note for parents: Please be sure your child has a lunchbox for school. Thanks!
Preschool I: The week felt full of moments of wonder. At circle this week, we had a tiny little piano (thank you to Shannon for allowing us to borrow it) to work on our major scale. The children were awestruck at the instrument meant just for them, at their level and meant to fit their hands. We each tried out a scale, and were incredibly respectful and gentle with the piano. After several weeks of talking about how to really treat instruments, we were ready, and it showed. On Thursday, we had another instrument...a harmonica! We listened to how the notes of the scale blended together. The children also compared the differences between the instruments too: piano is played with hands, harmonica with mouth (and hands), etc. Other moments of wonder: spotting a yearling deer on our walk, walking greater distances and into town, checking out the hockey arena, trying dates at snack time, seeing a dead mouse near school (lots of conversations here), and lastly lots of empathetic behavior as we check on one another during moments of sadness/skinned knees/or parents leaving for the day.
Preschool II: Puzzles galore! We cannot get enough puzzle time. We are now doing 48-60 piece puzzles; some of these are smaller table top puzzles, while others require the floor where we can spread out and get right to it. The teamwork and collaboration as the children complete these puzzles is really impressive. Other skills of note include increased focus and attention and problem solving. This week we took a big walk with the Pre-K group to the SES playground. The tire swing was a real hit.
Our walking skills are strong and continue to develop. We make sure to be safe and stop at each and every driveway before crossing.
A Note on Puzzles...
Besides simply having a love of puzzles, they are just plain good for us!
Here's the skinny on the pros of puzzles from The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): "When children work on puzzles, they are actually "putting the pieces together" in more ways than one. Puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions—all of which they will use in school and beyond. "pincer" grasp. Children can work on puzzles by themselves, without the help of adults or other children. They can also work together on large puzzles and practice compromising and getting along. Because each child must concentrate on the puzzle individually, he experiences a sense of satisfaction as he picks up a piece, rotates it, and discovers the spot in which it fits."
AND...here's another study on puzzles promoting developing math skills from the University of Chicago.
Pre-K: Exploring all the wonderful aspects of fall has been the focus of our week. We've read books about seeds, fall foods and of course, pumpkins. We've been looking for seeds and colorful leaves on our walks. We've built leaf piles for jumping in and gone on a leaf hunt following the motions and directions in the book Going On A Leaf Hunt (similar format to the "bear hunt" book). Another great outdoor movement book we loved was Brooms Are For Flying. We've continued practicing the poem "Five Little Pumpkins" together at circle and as a transition activity for five children (pumpkins) at a time. We've also been creating some related pieces of artwork. This morning we even used our snack foods (pretzel sticks, crackers, raisins and cheese) to recreate the poem. We plan to try this with carrot and celery sticks again Thursday afternoon. We've been noticing the amazing colors, scents and spooky themes that this time of year brings. We are looking forward to carving our pumpkins and the many related activities over the next two weeks.
Also Seen at MVS
-Sam
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