We have enjoyed a week full of fun math activities, both planned and organic. The children are continuing to grow in their abilities to count and recognize numerals. Even building with Legos, which is great fun for the 3B friends, is a form of math and engineering. The group has been hard at work (play) in all these areas this week as we have played Simon Says; counting out loud each time we tap our noses or hop up and down. We have played a form of numeral Bingo, a game that Debbie made up and we will continue to play more and more as we move forward. And, many times during the week, we practiced our numeral recognition when lining up on the red, numbered stars before leaving the classroom. As we continue to enjoy these games in the weeks ahead, we will surely see our burgeoning math skills grow even more.
It is amazing how much 3B is into the Three Little Pigs. When we read stories throughout the day, one of the Three Little Pigs stories is almost always requested, then cheered for. Our interest in this traditional story (and the versions based on it) continues to flourish. This week we have continued making our own versions of the houses – straw, sticks, and bricks – from cardboard and other classroom materials. We are almost finished and are excited to see how the 3B friends will utilize them in play and storytelling going forward. The excitement with these begins next week!
The friends are so taken by the Three Little Pigs right now, that some of them are even making presentations to the class based on the story. Conor spent one morning creating drawings of each of the three houses and pigs, then shared his artworks during Morning Meeting. Grayson brought in his new copy of The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig and “read” it to the class while Debbie held up the classroom copy and showed pictures. Presenting like this helps the 3B friends to take more ownership of their place in the group and to feel that their voice is being heard, both of which help to develop self-confidence. Additionally, these types of experiences further enhance the importance of stories in their young lives.
