Group Meeting: The Cookie Store held it's Grand Opening today. After our discussion, the children were busy baking and selling cookies, hot chocolate and coffee.
Story: Our story for today was If I Had a Snowplow by Jean L.S. Patrick. "If I Had a Snowplow", is the story of a
little boy who shows his love for his mother through imaginative play with
his toys. If he had a snowplow he would crash through the deep snow to
clear a road for her, if he had a cement mixer he would pour a sidewalk for her. At the end of the story, the boy knows that his toys are pretend, so he tells his mother what he would like to do for her. Ask your child to tell you what that was.
Small Groups: The activities for this week are listed in Monday's post. The schedule for today is:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group
Large Group: The children made the letter O on the wet, dry, try boards. We checked out concrete to see if it had "cured". We also started learning some new songs for the Christmas program.
Snacks: The morning class had peanut butter Ritz bits and milk brought by Andon. The afternoon class had cheese sticks, oyster crackers, and juice brought by Beckett. Thank you!
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Group Meeting: Yesterday, we decided to change our Housekeeping Area into a cookie store. Today, I brought a few of the items that I had gathered to show the children. Tomorrow, we will make the change.
Story: Our story for today was Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney. In this book, a girl shows a map that she has drawn of her room. Then, she shows a map of her house, street, state, country and world. After the story, we talked about addresses and where everyone lives. Please take a few minutes to show your child the number on your house and your street sign if you have not already done so.
Small Groups: The activities for this week 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: Following our story, the children drew a map of their bedroom. The children wrote the words "My Room" on their papers. We also looked at the concrete that we had mixed yesterday. The surface was still a little wet. We will check it again tomorrow.
Snacks: The morning class had cheese sticks, graham crackers and juice brought by Adde. The afternoon class had Scooby Snacks and milk brought by Ashlyn. Thank you!
Story: Our story for today was Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney. In this book, a girl shows a map that she has drawn of her room. Then, she shows a map of her house, street, state, country and world. After the story, we talked about addresses and where everyone lives. Please take a few minutes to show your child the number on your house and your street sign if you have not already done so.
Small Groups: The activities for this week 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: Following our story, the children drew a map of their bedroom. The children wrote the words "My Room" on their papers. We also looked at the concrete that we had mixed yesterday. The surface was still a little wet. We will check it again tomorrow.
Snacks: The morning class had cheese sticks, graham crackers and juice brought by Adde. The afternoon class had Scooby Snacks and milk brought by Ashlyn. Thank you!
Monday, November 28, 2016
It's good to be back to school!
Group Meeting: We are going to change our Housekeeping Area into a Christmas Cookie Bakery. The children helped me make a list of all of the things that we are going to need. I will get those things together so that they can help me rearrange things on Wednesday.
Story: Our story for today was David's Drawings by Cathryn Falwell. One winter day David sees a beautiful bare tree. As soon as he gets to school, he begins to draw a beautiful picture of the tree he has seen. One by one his classmates come by with suggestions for the drawing, but the fun really starts when they all join David to add grass, stickers, clouds, a rainbow, and other imaginative details to the picture. And as the drawing develops, David finds a way to make new friends. Ask you child to tell you what David does with the drawing.
Small Groups: We are back to our regular small group schedule. The activities and schedule for today were:
Activity #1 (red group) The children played a game in which they had to count the number of syllables (claps) in a word and put that word in the correct box.
Activity #2 (yellow group) The children made a group painting of roads. They used brushes to guide paint around various obstacles that were placed on a large sheet of newsprint. When the paint dries, the children will add houses and building to the empty spaces.
Activity #3 (green group) The children colored a picture of Santa. We will use these pictures to count down the days until Christmas, starting on Thursday.
Large Group: The children mixed concrete mix and water in individual cups. When it was completely mixed, they dumped it into a square form. When the square dries, we will take it out of the mold and add road lines, signs, etc.
Snacks: The morning class had lemon poppy seed muffins and juice brought by Topher. The afternoon class had Goldfish and juice brought by Addison. Thank you!
Story: Our story for today was David's Drawings by Cathryn Falwell. One winter day David sees a beautiful bare tree. As soon as he gets to school, he begins to draw a beautiful picture of the tree he has seen. One by one his classmates come by with suggestions for the drawing, but the fun really starts when they all join David to add grass, stickers, clouds, a rainbow, and other imaginative details to the picture. And as the drawing develops, David finds a way to make new friends. Ask you child to tell you what David does with the drawing.
Small Groups: We are back to our regular small group schedule. The activities and schedule for today were:
Activity #1 (red group) The children played a game in which they had to count the number of syllables (claps) in a word and put that word in the correct box.
Activity #2 (yellow group) The children made a group painting of roads. They used brushes to guide paint around various obstacles that were placed on a large sheet of newsprint. When the paint dries, the children will add houses and building to the empty spaces.
Activity #3 (green group) The children colored a picture of Santa. We will use these pictures to count down the days until Christmas, starting on Thursday.
Large Group: The children mixed concrete mix and water in individual cups. When it was completely mixed, they dumped it into a square form. When the square dries, we will take it out of the mold and add road lines, signs, etc.
Snacks: The morning class had lemon poppy seed muffins and juice brought by Topher. The afternoon class had Goldfish and juice brought by Addison. Thank you!
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving!
Group Meeting: The children shared their plans for the Thanksgiving holiday. Then, we danced the Turkey Hokey Pokey.
Story: Our story was Who Will Carve the Turkey This Thanksgiving? by Jerry Pallotta. It is Thanksgiving Day and the turkey needs to be carved. Who will do the job? A killer whale, or a saber-toothed tiger, or a Tyrannosaurus rex? None of those seem to be quite right. So who will carve the Turkey this Thanksgiving? Ask your child to tell you.
Small Group: The children had another "Let's Find Out" magazine to view and discuss. This one was about the Wampanoag people and Pilgrim people. The back page had words for us to complete by figuring out the beginning letter/sound. The children did this page very well!
Large Group: The children played a game called "The Turkeys and the Farmer". The farmer is trying to catch a turkey for Thanksgiving (I played that part). The turkeys (children) stand on one side of the room (field). They ask if they can cross to the other side. The farmer calls out a color. If the turkeys are wearing that color, they may cross. However, the rest of the turkeys get chased across the room trying to get to the other side without being tagged. It was a fun way to end the day.
Snacks: The morning class had cheese sticks, granola bars, and juice brought by Taylor. The afternoon class had bread, peanut butter, jelly and juice brought by Wesley. Thank you!
We hope that everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving Holiday!
Story: Our story was Who Will Carve the Turkey This Thanksgiving? by Jerry Pallotta. It is Thanksgiving Day and the turkey needs to be carved. Who will do the job? A killer whale, or a saber-toothed tiger, or a Tyrannosaurus rex? None of those seem to be quite right. So who will carve the Turkey this Thanksgiving? Ask your child to tell you.
Small Group: The children had another "Let's Find Out" magazine to view and discuss. This one was about the Wampanoag people and Pilgrim people. The back page had words for us to complete by figuring out the beginning letter/sound. The children did this page very well!
Large Group: The children played a game called "The Turkeys and the Farmer". The farmer is trying to catch a turkey for Thanksgiving (I played that part). The turkeys (children) stand on one side of the room (field). They ask if they can cross to the other side. The farmer calls out a color. If the turkeys are wearing that color, they may cross. However, the rest of the turkeys get chased across the room trying to get to the other side without being tagged. It was a fun way to end the day.
Snacks: The morning class had cheese sticks, granola bars, and juice brought by Taylor. The afternoon class had bread, peanut butter, jelly and juice brought by Wesley. Thank you!
We hope that everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving Holiday!
Monday, November 21, 2016
Turkeys
Group Meeting: This week, we have two days of school. So, we will not be doing individual small groups or a letter of the week. Our normal school routine will return on the 28th.
Story: Our story for today was Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey. A group of children are riding in a school bus when they happen upon a turkey farm. They stop and meet the owner, Farmer Mack Nugget. He introduces them to his turkeys. The children have a wonderful time playing with the turkeys. Then, one child notices an ax by the barn door. What is it for? What will happen to the turkeys? Ask your child to tell you how the children save the turkeys from being eaten on Thanksgiving.
Small Group: The children looked at and listened to the magazine "Let's Find Out", about turkeys. They completed the coloring page on the back.
Large Group: The children played the game Marching Around the Alphabet. This is musical game in which the children march in a circle around letters of the alphabet. When the whistle blows, they stop by a letter, pick it up and identify it. Help was given to those who were unsure.
Snacks: The morning class had graham crackers and juice brought by Scarlett. The afternoon class had Ritz crackers, peanut butter, and juice brought by Vivian. Thank you!
Story: Our story for today was Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey. A group of children are riding in a school bus when they happen upon a turkey farm. They stop and meet the owner, Farmer Mack Nugget. He introduces them to his turkeys. The children have a wonderful time playing with the turkeys. Then, one child notices an ax by the barn door. What is it for? What will happen to the turkeys? Ask your child to tell you how the children save the turkeys from being eaten on Thanksgiving.
Small Group: The children looked at and listened to the magazine "Let's Find Out", about turkeys. They completed the coloring page on the back.
Large Group: The children played the game Marching Around the Alphabet. This is musical game in which the children march in a circle around letters of the alphabet. When the whistle blows, they stop by a letter, pick it up and identify it. Help was given to those who were unsure.
Snacks: The morning class had graham crackers and juice brought by Scarlett. The afternoon class had Ritz crackers, peanut butter, and juice brought by Vivian. Thank you!
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Preparing for the Field Trip
Group Meeting: We discussed our plans for tomorrows field trip. We will have a little class time before having snacks and preparing to go. We will have a list of questions prepared for Mrs. Emerson.
Story: Our story for today was Ten Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessey. This book uses the rhythm of the song "Ten Little Indians" to tell the story of the Pilgrims coming to America and meeting the Wampanoag people. The Pilgrim and Wampanoag children help with growing food and hunting animals to prepare for the first Thanksgiving feast. Ask your child to tell you what the turkeys were doing.
Small Groups: I read the story Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland. The children in this story tell about the things for which they are thankful. After the story, I gave the children a paper feather from our turkey bulletin board display. On the feathers, they drew pictures of things that make them thankful.
Large Group: The children used the wet, dry, try boards to make the letter C. Then we went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning class had muffins, bananas, and juice brought by Mason. The afternoon class had diced peaches and milk brought by Elliott. Yesterday, the afternoon class had yogurt and raspberries brought by Paxton. Thank you, everyone!
Story: Our story for today was Ten Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessey. This book uses the rhythm of the song "Ten Little Indians" to tell the story of the Pilgrims coming to America and meeting the Wampanoag people. The Pilgrim and Wampanoag children help with growing food and hunting animals to prepare for the first Thanksgiving feast. Ask your child to tell you what the turkeys were doing.
Small Groups: I read the story Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland. The children in this story tell about the things for which they are thankful. After the story, I gave the children a paper feather from our turkey bulletin board display. On the feathers, they drew pictures of things that make them thankful.
Large Group: The children used the wet, dry, try boards to make the letter C. Then we went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning class had muffins, bananas, and juice brought by Mason. The afternoon class had diced peaches and milk brought by Elliott. Yesterday, the afternoon class had yogurt and raspberries brought by Paxton. Thank you, everyone!
Monday, November 14, 2016
Group Meeting: We discussed the upcoming field trip to the Bettendorf Food Pantry. I told them that the food pantry was a place for people to go to get food if they didn't have any at home or if they didn't have money to buy food. On Thursday, the children will be taking food to the pantry and put it on the shelves.
Story: Our story was Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena. Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them.
Small Group: Because of our schedule this week with Parent/Teacher conferences and the field trip, we will be doing more large group activities. Today, the children were given a picture of a plate. They were asked to draw their favorite meal. I tied this in to our Group Meeting discussion of helping those who don't have enough food or don't always get to eat their favorite food. We held a discussion on the kinds of food that they could bring with them to the food pantry.
Large Group: In our road study, we are learning the purpose of roads. We talked about vehicles using roads to transport people and using roads to transport things. We took paper and pencils outside to tally how many vehicles go by the preschool that are transporting people and how many are moving things from one place to another. You will find that we had many more vehicles transporting people due to the preschool being in a mostly residential area.
Snacks: The morning class had beef sticks, cheese sticks, and juice brought by Kolsyn.
Story: Our story was Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena. Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them.
Small Group: Because of our schedule this week with Parent/Teacher conferences and the field trip, we will be doing more large group activities. Today, the children were given a picture of a plate. They were asked to draw their favorite meal. I tied this in to our Group Meeting discussion of helping those who don't have enough food or don't always get to eat their favorite food. We held a discussion on the kinds of food that they could bring with them to the food pantry.
Large Group: In our road study, we are learning the purpose of roads. We talked about vehicles using roads to transport people and using roads to transport things. We took paper and pencils outside to tally how many vehicles go by the preschool that are transporting people and how many are moving things from one place to another. You will find that we had many more vehicles transporting people due to the preschool being in a mostly residential area.
Snacks: The morning class had beef sticks, cheese sticks, and juice brought by Kolsyn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)