Friday, March 1, 2019

We sang and read a variety of books!!

Highlights of the Week

Children always enjoy having other adults besides their teachers to read in the classroom.  Parents and extended families are welcome to visit, read, or do an activity with the children.

We had a special visitor today, Oliver’s grandmother. She read to the children during snack time and engaged with Oliver as he interacted with the Bristle Blocks.

Painting with Tempera Paint and Corn Syrup

The children explored three different colors using paintbrushes and then shaving cream was added to create a different texture, which also caused the color to change. Some of the children began to explore with their hands. Shaving cream is great for sensory exploration and provides endless opportunities for children to play and discover. Sensory play promotes many experiences:

-Sensory play encourages children to manipulate and mold materials, building up their fine motor skills and coordination.

-Sensory play uses all five senses, but the sense of touch is often the most frequent. Toddlers process information through their senses; therefore, they learn as they explore.

-Is unstructured, open-ended

-Encourages imagination and creative play

-Develop social skills (taking turns and sharing)

-Language development (experimenting with language and descriptive words )

Some of the children were reluctant to touch the shaving cream with their hands. A new and different sensory experience promotes an insecure feeling. It is essential always to provide various tools to explore. Providing choices allows children to explore their options and feel at ease with the activity.

Ziploc painting is a color, sensory, imagination, and fine motor skills all in one fun activity.   Fine motor skills are those that require the ability to use and coordinate small muscle groups.   Giving children opportunities to play with different types of textures and objects helps them to build new ways of talking about the world and building language.  This type of sensory play is also calming for children. It helps regulate their internal discomfort, whether that discomfort is restlessness or some other kind of agitation.  

Cooper and James looked eager and interested in exploring this activity. They were curious about how they were able to press, pat and point to each color without getting some paint on their hands. Cooper used his hands and fists. James also used his fists, but also used his elbow and fingertips, creating imprints. Cooper and James's puzzlement allowed them to continue exploring. They applied pressure using their hands to spread the paint and observed how the colors mixed and created another color. As they continued to manipulate the paint, they discovered that they were able to control the paint inside the plastic bag without getting paint on their hands.

Painting with Tempera Paint and Corn Syrup

Lego Printing: Nicole recognized and verbally identified each color, red, blue, and purple. She selected purple for her art piece.

We used pieces of cardboard as a stand for the children's model magic sculptures.  They each selected and painted the color of their choice.  We had them dry for a day and then glued their sculpture on their stand.  Please look at their beautiful and creative designs and the documentation that corresponds to their work.

Exploring different surfaces prompts curiosity and provide different stimuli.  The idea was to give a tactile exploration as well as let the children experiment and investigate how art materials interact with various surfaces.  Exploring and discovering different methods, enable children to understand their ability to change their process art.  

Creating a collage using items and textures with the different colors we have explored.

GYM

BLOCKS

As children interact with materials and engage in different activities, they learn to create patterns or a replica of something they have seen in their environment.  Oliver is aligning the manipulative toy that he interacts with and refers to them, "Choo, Choo train." He is also beginning to count as he arranges them.  Using one-to-one correspondence, Oliver counted 1-6.

Rohan connected four blocks in an upright position and pressed them down to secure them.  He stacked three more and was adding another.  It would seem that he wanted the stacks to have an equal amount of blocks. 

Leo continues to interact with the Magna-tiles and as he creates his structures, his imagination, and creativity increases. Leo used only the square shapes to construct small boxes in a horizontal position.   He carefully connects each square to extend his structure.

Did you know that the journey to being able to write correctly should start long before your child really even knows how to form letters or shapes? It starts with the strengthening of fine motor skills. We do various activities, lacing cards and taking shoestrings and threading them through holes in specific shapes.

Some puzzle boards have knobs.  These knobs are vital to young toddlers finger and hand muscle development.  Each time they grip the knob would help them develop the pincer grasp.  By using the index finger and thumb, or the index and middle fingers opposing the thumb, to pick up small objects. It is essential to guide children to master this grip, which will help them hold writing, drawing and eating utensils properly. 

CIRCLE TIME

The children showed interests on farm animals, as they enjoy singing the Old McDonald Had a Farm song. I asked the children "What farm animals do you know?" We listed all the different animals they articulated and printed pictures of those animals: cow, horse, sheep, pig, and donkey. We made the sounds each animal makes and asked the children, what kind of food do they think a horse eats?

Nate: "Hay!"

James: "Hay!"

James and Nate simultaneously said hay. We will continue learning and discussing different farm animals.

Sensory

The children know the different ingredients that are needed to make play dough.  Play dough is a sensory/science activity that is fun and beneficial for their development.   For example, Fine Motor Skill Development: great for strengthening muscle tone in little hands – squishing, squashing, rolling, flattening and encourage prewriting, and other skills such as cutting with scissors, and holding writing and drawing tools.

Exploring white clay with their hands and clay tools.

During a transition time, we expose and articulate the first letter of their names, and have them articulate and erase the letter before washing their hands for lunch.  It is a fun way to learn as they absorb the information. 

SPECIALISTS

Karate- Monday Afternoon

Spanish- Tuesday’s

During Spanish, the Specialist demonstrated exercise movements.  Walk slow, fast, stop, jump high and low, and stop.

Cooking with Diane- Tuesday’s

Cooking with Diane: "Soup"

Ingredients: Vegetable Broth, Thyme and Oregano and Frozen Mixed Vegetables.

The children helped Diane prepare the soup. During the morning she warmed the soup and brought a bowl for each child during lunchtime. It appeared that the soup was delicious to these children because they ate all their soup. 

Soccer- Wednesday’s

Not all children participate in soccer; some need a little time to adjust and observe.   Nicole observed and listened to the Specialist as he guided the children.  Leo approached Nicole and articulated, "Come, Nicole, kick the ball!  He tried to persuade her to join her peers.  That was very kind of him!!  Perhaps next time Nicole will kick the ball!

Yoga- Thursday Afternoon