Picture Day

Group Meeting:  Today was picture day.  I explained to the children how the routine would work for the day.

Story:  I read the story I Am A Leaf by Jean Marzollo.   In this story, a leaf explains how a tree changes with the seasons.  It starts with summer and ends with spring.  Ask your child to tell you what makes the leaves on the tree green.  It's a big word, but we practiced saying it.

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in Mondays post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity # 2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children completed the L page in their Handwriting Without Tears workbooks.    Today was also show and tell day for 7 more children. 

Snacks:  The morning class had English muffins, peanut butter, jelly, cheese cubes, and juice brought by Kai.  The afternoon class had granola bars and milk brought by Mia.  Thank you!

We will not be holding preschool classes tomorrow.  We will be at a professional development conference. 

Group Meeting:  We discussed Family Night Open House.  We have a game for your family to play tonight along with refreshments.  The children were reminded that tomorrow is picture day.

Story:  I re-read the story Peeny Butter Fudge.    I read this story almost two weeks ago, but the children still remembered the main points of the story.  I had made some Peanut Butter Fudge at home and brought it for the children to try.  

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3 Red Group

Large Group:  The children printed the letter L on our Wet, Dry, Try chalkboards which are part of the Handwriting Without Tears program.  Then we went to the Outdoor Classroom.

Snacks:  The morning class had Goldfish and juice brought by Jocelyn.   The afternoon class had bagels, cream cheese, and juice brought by Libby.  Thank you!

Starting with letter L

Group Meeting:  I explained to the children that starting tomorrow, they would need to "sign in" when they arrived at school.  After washing hands, the children will go to the semi-circle table to find a paper with their name on it.  They will print their name.  Help will be provided if needed.

Story:  This week, we are starting to learn about the letters of the alphabet.  I chose to read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault to get us started.  The letters of the alphabet are climbing up the coconut tree.  Will there be enough room at the top for 26 letters?  Ask your child to tell you what happens when all of the letters get to the top.  We have a coconut tree in our classroom.  Today, there was a letter L at the bottom.  Will it try to climb the coconut tree?

Small Groups:  I am listing the small group activities for this week.
Activity #1 The children will play alphabet soup.  They will take turns selecting a letter out of the soup bowl.  They will identify the letters that they know.  Red Group
Activity #2  The children will copy patterns made by the teacher.  They will do AB, ABBA, and AABB patterns.  Yellow Group
Activity #3 The children will complete board puzzles.  Green Group

Large Group:  The children learned about the letter L.  They echoed the letter L song and are bringing a copy home today. 
The children drew pictures of Mat Man to put on the bulletin board for tomorrow night's open house.

Snacks:  The morning class had Froot Loops and juice brought by Jaxson.  The afternoon class had watermelon and milk brought by Leslie.  Thank you!

Apples!

Story:  The story that I chose for today was Ten Apples Up On Top by Theo LeSieg (Dr. Seuss).  This book is full of counting and rhyming as three animals try to balance apples on top of their heads.  After reading the story, we looked for the rhyming words.  Ask your child if they remember what rhymed with three and eight. 

Small Groups:  Today, we used small group time to look at a Let's Find Out magazine.  First, we watched a video about apples.  Then, we used real apples to answer the questions on the inside.  If your child wants you to cut an apple in half to find the star on the inside, remember to cut through the width of the apple.  I told them that you have to "lay the apple down". 

Large Group:  Throughout the year, we will do show and share on Thursdays.  Instead of having all of the children bring it on one day, we take turns.  Seven children were given show and tell bags yesterday and had their turn today.  I do this because the children have a hard time sitting through 20 turns of show and tell on one day.  I do, too!

Snacks:  The morning class had yogurt, granola, and milk brought by Jackson.  The afternoon class had watermelon, carrots, and juice brought by Lani.

We have a lot of things going on next week.  Your child should have reminder notes in their backpacks today.

The last day of summer!

Group Meeting:  We did the Freeze Dance before group meeting started today to help us get the wiggles out.  This is a Kiboomers video on youtube.  The children really liked it.

Story:  Tomorrow is the first day of autumn.  To help us understand what will be happening, I read Cliffords First Autumn by Norman Bridwell.  When Clifford was a puppy, he loved the summer, but one morning when he woke up, the heater was running and he could see his breath.  He and Emily Elizabeth went for a walk.  Ask your child to tell you what he saw that was a sign of fall. 

Small Groups:  Our activities for this week are listed in Monday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1  Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group

Large Group:  The children colored fireworks in their Handwriting Without Tears books.  Then we went to the Outdoor Classroom.  We are seeing a lot of improvement in handwriting grips this week!

Snacks:  The morning class had muffins and milk brought by Isla.  The afternoon class had crackers, cheese sticks, and juice brought by Kullen.  Thank you!

Corduroy

Group Meeting:  We had a bathroom talk today.  We are trying to get the children into the habit of using the bathroom when they first get to school, or wait until snack time.  We will always let them use the bathroom whenever they want to, but we are trying to explain to them that we don't want them to miss any important school time. 

Story:  Yesterday, we read Corduroy.  Today, we read A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman.  In this story, Lisa and her mother are going to the laundromat to do their laundry.  Lisa takes Corduroy along.  Corduroy hears Lisa's mother tell her to empty her pockets so that her things do not get wet in the washing machine.  Corduroy notices that he does not have a pocket.  He slides off of this chair to go look for one.  Ask your child to tell you what Corduroy sees in the laundromat.  Does Corduroy get a pocket?  What gets placed inside of the pocket?

Small Groups:  The activities for our small groups are listed in yesterday's post.  The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Green Group
Activity #3  Red Group
The children are starting to remember which group they are in every day.

Large Group:  The children sang the song that we learned yesterday, "Pick up a Crayon".  They practiced making small crayon marks in their workbooks by coloring small stars. 

Snacks:  The morning class had Reese' cereal and milk brought by Hollie.  The afternoon class had oranges and milk brought by Kennedy.  Thank you!

Pick up a crayon!

Group Meeting:  At our meeting today, we learned how to handle "drippy" glue.  This is white glue in a pot with a brush.  Some of the projects that the children want to do require something more than a glue stick.  The children learned to wipe the brush on the side of the pot before using it.

Story:  The story for today was Corduroy by Don Freeman.  A lot of the children had heard this story before.  Corduroy is a bear who lives in the toy department of a big store.  One day, Lisa, who is shopping with her mother, sees Corduroy and wants to buy him.  However, he is missing a button on his overalls.  Where is the button?  Will Lisa still want to buy Corduroy if he is missing a button?  Ask your child to tell you how the story ends.

Small Group:  Today, the children were assigned a color group.  They may or may not be able to tell you which group they are in, but soon it will be something that they can remember.  There is a red, yellow, and green group.  The activities for this week are:
Activity #1  The children completed a drawing of Mat Man that was missing some body parts.  Red Group
Activity #2  The children put apples (red puff balls) into a 10 frame according the numeral on the pictured apple tree.   Yellow Group
Activity #3 The children listened to the story Man Man Shapes and used different shapes to make Mat Man's body.  Green Group
Tomorrow, the groups will rotate to the next activity.

Large Group:  The children learned the song, "Pick Up a Crayon".  This song teaches them the proper way to hold a crayon for writing and coloring.  If you want to know how your child should be holding the crayon, refer to the handout in the packet that you received at Parent Orientation.  The children used this grip to color stars and fireflies in their workbooks.

Snacks:  The morning class had bananas, graham crackers, and milk brought by Gus.  The afternoon class had carrots and juice brought by Journey.  Thank you!

Birthday Day

Group Meeting:  Today was our first Birthday Day of the school year.  We recognized all of the children that have a September birthday.  On Birthday Day, the children make their own snack.  We did that at Small Group Time. 

Story:   The story that I read today was a repeat from Monday.  It was Charlie Anderson.  This is the story of the cat that had two homes.  You will find that I occasionally re-read a book, especially if it has a concept that might be a little more challenging.  It also gives us the chance to discuss a few more parts of the story line.  The children usually enjoy hearing the same stories over and over again.  Perhaps you've experienced that at home. 

Small Group:  The children made cinnamon rolls for snack time.  They took refrigerator biscuits, dipped them in butter, dipped them in cinnamon sugar and put them on a foil square to bake.  I put them in the oven and took them out just in time to cool.  They were delicious!

Large Group:  The children drew pictures of themselves using Mat Man as a starting point.  They listened to the Mat Man song, drew along with it, and then added the pieces that make them different from everyone else such as hair, clothes, shoes, etc.

Snacks:  The children had cinnamon rolls and juice.  We celebrated the birthdays with Birthday Brownies!

We have everyone's family picture on our Family Tree display.  You will have a chance to see it during our Family Night Open House on September 27th.  Thank you for sending in the pictures!

Drawing Mat Man

Story:  The story for today was Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison.  In this story, Mom has to go to work, so she takes her three children to Nana's house.   Mom leaves a list of things that they are supposed to do before she returns to pick them up including getting ready for bed.  The children have a great time playing and pretending with Nana.  Nana asks them if they would like to make Peeny Butter Fudge.  It is an old family recipe.  The children are in the middle of making the fudge when Mom returns.  She sees that the children are not in bed and that the kitchen is a mess.  Will she get angry?  Ask your child to tell you what happens next.

Small Groups:  The activities for small groups are listed in Monday's post.

Large Group:  The children watched me draw Mat Man on the chalk board while listening to the Mat Man song.  Then, the children drew a Mat Man on the chalk board, each child taking a turn to draw one part.  If you would like to learn more about Mat Man, please go to the Handwriting Without Tears website which is www.hwtears.com.  Click on The Learning Lounge.  When you scroll down, you will find the song and some activities to do with Mat Man. 

Afternoon class Mat Men

Morning Class Mat Men

Snacks:  The morning class had animal crackers and milk brought by Colin.  The afternoon class had peanut butter and/or jelly sandwiches with milk brought by Holden.  Thank you!

Group Meeting:  I introduced the children to an art media that is available to them at the art table.  They are called Nuudles.  Some children were familiar with them.  Some were not.  Nuudles look like Styrofoam but are actually a soy product.  They get sticky when wet.  To use them, the children stamped them on a wet paper towel and arranged them as they desired.  Many children brought home Nuudle pictures today.

Story:  The story was A World of Families by Trish Holland.   This is a non-fiction book about how families look different, but do many of the same things.  All families eat together, play together, celebrate together, etc.  After the story, the children discussed things that they liked to do with their family.

Small Groups:  The activities for the small groups were detailed in yesterday's post. 

Large Group:  The children formed two groups to create Mat Man.  Each child was given a piece to add to Mat Man as the song about him progressed.  Tomorrow, we will draw Mat Man on the chalk board. 

Snack:  The morning class had turkey and cheese sandwiches with grapes and milk brought by Cael.  The afternoon class had Goldfish and juice brought by Ellie.  Thank you!

Mat Man

Group Meeting:  During group meeting, we looked at our new jobs for the week.  Everyone has a new job to do during clean up time.

Story:  The story for today was Charlie Anderson by Barbara Abercrombie and Mark Graham.  In this story,  a cat appears at Elizabeth and Sarah's house one night.  They decide to keep him and name him Charlie.  Charlie likes to go outside and into the woods during the day.  One rainy night, Charlie does not come home.  Where is Charlie?  Ask your child to tell you.  Also, Elizabeth and Sarah go somewhere every weekend.  Where do they go?

Small Groups:  I am posting the activities for this week.  Your child will participate in each activity once throughout the week.
Activity #1:  The children will draw self-portraits in their journals.  The journal is for the children to draw and write in throughout the year as we do different activities.
Activity #2  The children will practice using a 5 frame for counting.  They used a grid of 5 squares and chips that have yellow on one side and red on the other.  How many combinations can be created with 5 chips?
Activity #3  The children will use the wooden lines and curves to create letters with the teachers help.

Large Group:  The children watched me create Mat Man and listened to the Mat Man song.  Mat Man is created with the wooden lines and curves and a few extra pieces.  Mat Man helps the children learn about body parts and how to draw a person with all of the body parts.  Tomorrow, they will have the opportunity to help make Mat Man. 

Mat Man

Snacks:  The morning class had graham crackers and milk brought by Brogan.  The afternoon class had apples and milk brought by Ella.  Thank you!

What a busy week!

Group Meeting:  We start every group meeting with an action song/video.  This helps us to get the wiggles out.  I like to use videos from Harry Kindergarten Music on our Promethean board.  They get us moving and teach us readiness skills.  If you're interested, check them out on youtube.

Story:  Our story was Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein.  It is time for Little Red Chicken to go to bed.  She wants Papa to read a story.  Papa starts reading, but Little Red Chicken gets so excited that she interrupts Papa and tells the ending of the story.  Papa asks her to be patient and wait.  They try another story, but it is hard for Little Red Chicken to not interrupt.  Finally, Papa is out of stories.  What does he ask Little Red Chicken to do?  Ask your child to tell you.
After the story, we talked about what it means to interrupt someone.  We discussed waiting for a turn to talk if there is something that you want to share.  It is hard for children this age to wait, but we're working on it!

Small Groups:  The children rotated one more time participate in the last activity this week.  The activities are listed in Tuesday's post.

Large Group:  The children were given the weekly magazine "Let's Find Out".  This issue was about germs.  We watched an accompanying video that told about how germs are spread.  Then, we looked and the paper and finished the activity on the back.  Hopefully, this will help us to keep illness at a minimum at school. 

Snacks:  The morning class had Nutrigrain bars and milk brought by Ben.  The afternoon class had carrots, ranch dip and milk brought by Charlie.  Thank you!

Group Meeting:  At our group meeting, we reviewed the Job Chart and took a look at a new Humpty Dumpty game.  It's kind of like Jenga with Humpty sitting at the top.  The children liked seeing if they could knock the blocks down, but leave Humpty at the top.

Story:  Our story was A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni (one of my favorite authors) .  This is the story of a chameleon that wishes that he didn't change colors.  He would like to have his own color.  He tries sitting on a green leaf to stay green, but the leaf turns yellow and red and so does he.  Then he meets another chameleon.  He suggests that they stay together so that they will always be the color of each other.   Life is nicer with good friends!

Small Groups:  The activities for the small groups were listed in yesterday's post.  Ask your child to tell you which activity he or she participated in today.  Once we have assigned permanent groups, I will be able to list each days activities for you.

Large Group:  The children are learning about lines and curves.  We use lines and curves to make letters.  We have wooden lines and curves to help us create the letters before printing them.  Today, we played the Wooden Piece Hokey Pokey which is part of the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. 

Snacks:  The morning class had blueberry mini-muffins, yogurt, and juice brought by Angel.  The afternoon class had cheese sticks and juice brought by Beckett.  Thank you!

Thank you for sending in the family pictures!  We are enjoying looking at them.  If you haven't sent yours yet, we'd love to see it!

Group Meeting:  Starting today, the children will have assigned weekly jobs at clean up time.  For example, the veterinarian makes sure that all of the animals are put away.  The mechanic puts all of the vehicles away.  The child care worker makes sure that the babies are tucked into bed.  Everyone has a job for the week.  This helps the children become more responsible for our classroom.  We tried it for the first time today and everything went well.  Ask you child if he or she remembers what his or her job was today.

Story:  Our story was Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes.   Wemberly is a little mouse who worries about everything.  Her parents try to encourage her to not worry so much.  Wemberly is going to start school.  She is worried.  What if the teacher is mean?  What if the children make fun of her name?  What if she can't find the bathroom?  When she gets to school, her teacher introduces her to a girl who is a lot like her.  They become friends and have a wonderful time at school.  After the story, we had a discussion about what the children should do if they are worried at school.  We assured them that the teachers are always ready to help them.

Small Groups:  Today, we started our routine for small groups.  We divide the class into three groups.  Each teacher takes a group of children to do a short activity.  Tomorrow and Thursday, we will switch groups so that the children will get to do all three activities by the end of the week.  Our activities this week are:
Activity #1  The children will try to print their names on a strip of paper.  We are doing this to see where we need to start with each child.
Activity #2  The children will help the teacher put their names on the monthly birthday cakes that will be put on display.  This will help us remember the birthdays for Birthday Day!
Activity #3  The children will listen to the story Wash Your Hands and will talk about the proper way to wash and when to wash.

Large Group:  Max and Zoey talked to the children about sharing.  We discussed several solutions to sharing problems that could happen in the classroom.

The children learned about the wooden pieces that we will be using to create letters in a few weeks.  They learned about big lines, little lines, big curves, and little curves.

The children went to the Outdoor Classroom for a little play time before dismissal.

Snacks:  The morning class had pancakes and milk brought by Andon.  The afternoon class had cinnamon graham crackers and juice brought by Ashlyn.  Thank you!

Story: Our story for today was Quinito, Day and Night by Ina Cumpiano.   This is a book about Quinito's family.  He tells about his Mami, Papi, sister and brother.  It is also a book about opposites as he uses the words fast, slow, up, down, etc.  After the story, we talked about families.  We would like to have a picture of your family to put in our Family Tree.  Please refer to the note in your child's backpack.

Small Group:  The children were introduced to the Library Area and Tabletop Area.  They learned about the toys and materials that are available in each area.

Large Group:  Max and Zoey were back to teach the children how to raise their hands when they want to tell the teacher something.  This helps us understand each other better.

The children learned the song "Tap, Tap" which is a part of our Handwriting Without Tears program.  They used big wooden lines to make the tap sound.  Ask your child to show you some of the things that they had to do with the wooden lines.

The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.

Snacks:  The morning class had Goldfish, carrots, and juice brought by Addelyn.  The afternoon class had Goldfish and juice brought by Addison.  Thank you!

No school on Monday due to Labor Day!  Have a great weekend!