End of Summer

It's been a great summer in our classroom! I have really enjoyed getting to know our new friends - watching them become more comfortable in their surroundings and confident and self-sufficient in their actions. I am sad to be saying goodbye to some friends that have been with us for awhile but I know they are up to the challenges of Ms. Cara's classroom!

I thought I would share some fun photos that I have captured over the summer.

Caution!  Builders in the block area!  The kids enjoyed building and fixing things throughout the classroom!

Our Very Hungry Caterpillar snack.  Many of the children discovered that they liked plums!

We spent time exploring magnets.  Here a child was working with the hanging magnets and discovered he could make a chain.

We spent a day playing with water beads.  First we discussed how they looked in the package and then each child took a turn dropping some in water.  We recorded what happened to them throughout the morning.

The kids had a great time playing with them for a few days!

We took advantage of some left over spaghetti from the lunch cart!  Add a few containers and some tools and the noodles become a great sensory experience!

The children really liked the small group games we played.  I really liked seeing them not only learn math and literacy concepts but improve their focus and their patience!  This activity required kids to roll the large green die, determine the number it landed on, and then use small tongs (great small motor practice too) to place that many balls into their cups.  

Another small group activity required kids to count out the correct number and color of pom poms.  We worked with dice a lot this summer and will continue to do so.  Dice help children develop a skill called subitising - the ability to recognize an amount without counting.

After reading The Dot we did many activities involving dots, including designing your own.

Another dot activity - the children stopped by a large poster throughout the week and added small dot stickers.  

One very proud four year old!  He ordered the numbered tubes from one to ten and then counted the correct number of flat marbles into each tube!

 We also set up a grocery store in our dramatic play area.  Children practiced counting the price with pretend money.  They also enjoyed loading their shopping bags with everything in the grocery store!

We experimented with mixing colors using colored water - a very popular activity!

Overall, a very relaxed and fun summer!  Looking back through the photos helps remind me just how much I love my job and enjoy your children!  I'm anticipating a busy  and productive school year!

Happy Fall
Kate

Fourth of July Fun and Outside Water Day

It's hard to believe it is mid-July already! We have been following a bit of a relaxed routine lately and trying to have some outside fun this summer! In addition to our morning walking the grounds around the hospital and exploring Kids Creek, we spent a morning outside playing with water. Ms. Carrie and I gathered up buckets, containers, scoops, spray bottles, nets, paint brushes and many other water play items, including our classroom water table and headed to the paved area at the bottom of the stairs to play.

Following are some pictures of a Fourth of July craft as well as our morning water play.

Fourth of July headbands!

 

Painting the walls the water.

Painting with spray bottles is a great way to strengthen hand muscles used to write!

Cooperation at the water table.

Fishing for colorful bugs with a net.

We also worked on our large motor skills with hopscotch and the balance beam.

Just a reminder that we will be working on an environmental print book in the upcoming weeks. Please help your child find two or three photos of pictures and words that they are familiar with to contribute.  Below are some examples of environmental print that your child may be familiar with.



Kate

Here's What We Were Up To This Week!

Here are a few snap shots from our week!

Painting on plexiglas.  The kids then made a print to save their work.

Matching letters from the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom box to an alphabet print out.

After reading The Line Up Book, the kids lined up blocks in the block area.

Writing notes to their moms in the dramatic play area.

Ms. Pat helped the children find the letters necessary to form their names.

During an outdoor walk, the children looked for the first letter of their names. 

Watching the small waterfall in Kids Creek.

The kids dropped flowers, leaves and sticks off the bridge to watch the current take them over the waterfall.

Jumping the creek by the Pavillions.

The kids had a great time exploring the creek!

Our First Days

Here are a few photos from our first days together! We are focusing on recognizing our names and identifying our first letter. We are also learning to use the materials in our classroom and getting used to a new routine!

Pom pom sorting with large tweezers.

























The View Masters have been very popular!




















Scooping and pouring popcorn kernels.

























Practicing one to one correspondence with magnets.





















Stacking pegs.





















Our first day together!





















Learning to use the easel by painting with salt water.

For further details about our activities keep an eye out for a weekly schedule posted on the classroom door.

Our first few weeks

Welcome to all our new friends! I wanted to share photos from our first few weeks together!




Painting on plexiglas with brushes and trucks. Some friends decided to make prints of their work while others just enjoyed the process.









Having fun in the dress up area.






The kids have really enjoyed added floor tiles to their structures. Some are now working on balancing them to build up.



One of our smaller sensory boxes contained small farm animals and machinery in coffee beans.



PVC pipe, funnels, pitchers, marbles and water in the large sensory table.



Learning to draw a straight line using a ruler.



Reading together in the book area.



Practicing one to one correspondence using a strawberry picker to place large marbles.


A sensory box to compliment the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.



Journal writing is a very popular activity for some of the children. Please feel free to look through your child's journal at any time!

The kids are settling into the Desert pretty well. We are working on expanding their freedom in the classroom as well as increasing their independence and self reliance. If you have a few moments, please read the first blog post we did back in March. A parent asked for a list of the children's responsibilities in the classroom in order to reinforce them at home. The March 11 post details those tasks the children perform.

Thanks for checking us out! Please let me know if you have any additional questions!

Kate