Group Meeting: The gingerbread man brought Christmas shapes for the children to use with pattern blocks. The children could use the blocks to make Christmas trees, wreaths, snowmen, and snowflakes.
Story: The story for today was The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer. Petey the puppy wants a boy of his own for Christmas. Unfortunately, there aren't any boys who don't already have a dog. Petey sets off to find a boy. He meets a collie, a scottie, and a bulldog. None are willing to part with their boy. Then, Petey discovers a wonderful place. Ask your child to tell you how Petey finds a boy of his own.
Small Groups: The Yellow Group brought items for Show and Tell.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Gg.
Snacks: The morning snack was clemetine oranges and Special K cereal brought by Kinsley. The afternoon snack was Teddy Grahams and carrots brought by Logan. Thank you, Kinsley and Logan!
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Group Meeting: The gingerbread man brought us jingle bells to use when building with Magnatiles. Some of the children used triangles to make a tree and stuck the bells to the magnets on the side.
Story: The story for today was The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray. This book is part of a series that we started last week with The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School. In this story, the class of children have decided to make gifts for the community helpers. They make cards and goodies to give to the policeman, librarian, veterinarian, etc. The gingerbread man has made a card to give to someone special, too. Ask your child to tell you who that special person is and what that special person gave to the gingerbread man.
Large Group: The children practiced songs for the Christmas Program.
Small Groups: The children strung jingle bells and beads onto pipe cleaners. These will be used during one of our songs in the program.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Ff.
Snacks: The snack in the morning was clementine oranges and carrots brought by Laurel. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and apples brought by Lydia. Thank you, Laurel and Lydia!
Story: The story for today was The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray. This book is part of a series that we started last week with The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School. In this story, the class of children have decided to make gifts for the community helpers. They make cards and goodies to give to the policeman, librarian, veterinarian, etc. The gingerbread man has made a card to give to someone special, too. Ask your child to tell you who that special person is and what that special person gave to the gingerbread man.
Large Group: The children practiced songs for the Christmas Program.
Small Groups: The children strung jingle bells and beads onto pipe cleaners. These will be used during one of our songs in the program.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Ff.
Snacks: The snack in the morning was clementine oranges and carrots brought by Laurel. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and apples brought by Lydia. Thank you, Laurel and Lydia!
Monday, December 9, 2019
Group Meeting: The gingerbread man brought us gingerbread dough and peppermint dough. During play time, the children could use cookie cutters to cut out a gingerbread man or woman and decorate it. They could use the peppermint dough to make candy canes. They smell great!
Story: The story for today was The Shoemaker and the Elves. In this story, a poor shoemaker has only one piece of leather left to make one pair of shoes. He cuts the leather and puts it on the work table to finish in the morning. When he wakes up in the morning, he discovers that the shoes are done. A gentleman buys the shoes and gives the shoemaker twice the amount of money that he asks. The next day, the same thing happens. Now, the shoemaker is rich. The shoemaker and his wife decide to hide at night to see who is making the new shoes. Ask your child to tell you who is making the shoes.
Large Group: After the story, the children played the shoe game. In this game, everyone removes their shoes. They each hide one of their shoes somewhere in the classroom. Next, they trade their remaining shoe with someone else and try to see if they can find the match. This is such a simple game, but the children love it! It's also a very good game for following directions.
Letter Learning: Today's letter was Ee.
Snacks: The snack in the morning class was cheeses sticks, fruit cocktail and milk brought by Lucy. The afternoon snack was apples, cheese sticks, and milk brought by Madelyn. Thank you, Lucy and Madelyn!
Story: The story for today was The Shoemaker and the Elves. In this story, a poor shoemaker has only one piece of leather left to make one pair of shoes. He cuts the leather and puts it on the work table to finish in the morning. When he wakes up in the morning, he discovers that the shoes are done. A gentleman buys the shoes and gives the shoemaker twice the amount of money that he asks. The next day, the same thing happens. Now, the shoemaker is rich. The shoemaker and his wife decide to hide at night to see who is making the new shoes. Ask your child to tell you who is making the shoes.
Large Group: After the story, the children played the shoe game. In this game, everyone removes their shoes. They each hide one of their shoes somewhere in the classroom. Next, they trade their remaining shoe with someone else and try to see if they can find the match. This is such a simple game, but the children love it! It's also a very good game for following directions.
Letter Learning: Today's letter was Ee.
Snacks: The snack in the morning class was cheeses sticks, fruit cocktail and milk brought by Lucy. The afternoon snack was apples, cheese sticks, and milk brought by Madelyn. Thank you, Lucy and Madelyn!
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Group Meeting: The gingerbread man brought us a science experiment today. He had string of lights that had been cut and stripped on the ends. He included 9 volt batteries. The children had to complete a circuit by placing the ends of the wires on the battery. If they did it correctly, the light would work. (see pictures below)
Story: The story for today was The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. In this story, Matti decides to make a gingerbread boy. He mixed the dough, forms the cookie and places it in the oven. He is to leave it in the oven for 8 minutes and not peek. But Matti can't wait and he opens the door early. Because it did not bake long enough, the cookie is a gingerbread baby. The baby runs across the floor and out the door. It is chased by people and animals, but Mattie knows how to catch the baby. Ask your child to tell you Matti's plan.
Large Group: The children watched a video about things that people do during the holidays. This coincided with out Let's Find Out Magazine. They completed the last page of the magazine together.
Snacks: The morning snack was cheese, Wheat Thins and apple juice brought by Nora. The afternoon snack was Lucky Charms cereal and milk brought by Ryan. Thank you, Nora and Ryan!
We have been very busy at school this week with some new toys and Christmas items. I snapped a few pictures to share.
Story: The story for today was The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. In this story, Matti decides to make a gingerbread boy. He mixed the dough, forms the cookie and places it in the oven. He is to leave it in the oven for 8 minutes and not peek. But Matti can't wait and he opens the door early. Because it did not bake long enough, the cookie is a gingerbread baby. The baby runs across the floor and out the door. It is chased by people and animals, but Mattie knows how to catch the baby. Ask your child to tell you Matti's plan.
Large Group: The children watched a video about things that people do during the holidays. This coincided with out Let's Find Out Magazine. They completed the last page of the magazine together.
Snacks: The morning snack was cheese, Wheat Thins and apple juice brought by Nora. The afternoon snack was Lucky Charms cereal and milk brought by Ryan. Thank you, Nora and Ryan!
We have been very busy at school this week with some new toys and Christmas items. I snapped a few pictures to share.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Group Meeting: The gingerbread man brought us cards and envelopes so that the children can make cards for their friends and family.
At the Art Table, the children are making decorations for the classroom and for the Christmas program. This week, they are mixing paint colors to make pretty baubles for the hallway.
Story: The story for today was Santa's Secret Helper by Andrew Clements. Santa has a secret help this year. The secret helper dresses like Santa and does the same things that Santa does. Will anyone be able to tell that the helper is not the real Santa? Ask your child to tell you who the secret helper is.
Small Groups: The children in the Red Group brought items for Show and Tell.
Large Group: The children learned another new song for the Christmas program.
Snacks: The snack in the morning was cheese, grapes and juice brought by Ram. The snack in the afternoon was carrots and cottage cheese brought by Rory. Thank you, Ram and Rory!
At the Art Table, the children are making decorations for the classroom and for the Christmas program. This week, they are mixing paint colors to make pretty baubles for the hallway.
Story: The story for today was Santa's Secret Helper by Andrew Clements. Santa has a secret help this year. The secret helper dresses like Santa and does the same things that Santa does. Will anyone be able to tell that the helper is not the real Santa? Ask your child to tell you who the secret helper is.
Small Groups: The children in the Red Group brought items for Show and Tell.
Large Group: The children learned another new song for the Christmas program.
Snacks: The snack in the morning was cheese, grapes and juice brought by Ram. The snack in the afternoon was carrots and cottage cheese brought by Rory. Thank you, Ram and Rory!
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Group Meeting: Today was the 50th day of school. We counted 50 stickers that we have put on our 10 frame counting chart. It seems like we just started school, doesn't it?
The Gingerbread Man was back today and brought us game boards. To play the game, the children had to roll the dice and count the gum drops. The first one to the gingerbread house is the winner.
Story: The story for today was The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray. In this story, a classroom of children made a gingerbread man. They take him from the oven and leave him on the table to cool while they go to recess. However, the gingerbread man doesn't know that they will be coming back. He thinks that they are leaving him behind. He searches the school and meets the gym coach, the nurse, the art teacher and the principal. Ask your child to tell you if he ever finds the children.
Small Groups: The children played a game called Count the Room. Each child was given a paper that had various Christmas characters on it. They had to find those characters in pictures that I placed on the walls in the classroom. They counted how many characters were on the picture and printed that number on their paper. The numbers were already there, they had to trace them.
Large Group: The children learned a song that we will be singing in the Christmas program.
Snacks: The morning class snack was apples and cheese sticks brought by Sawyer. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and Wheat Thins brought by Nolan. Thank you, Sawyer and Nolan!
The Gingerbread Man was back today and brought us game boards. To play the game, the children had to roll the dice and count the gum drops. The first one to the gingerbread house is the winner.
Story: The story for today was The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray. In this story, a classroom of children made a gingerbread man. They take him from the oven and leave him on the table to cool while they go to recess. However, the gingerbread man doesn't know that they will be coming back. He thinks that they are leaving him behind. He searches the school and meets the gym coach, the nurse, the art teacher and the principal. Ask your child to tell you if he ever finds the children.
Small Groups: The children played a game called Count the Room. Each child was given a paper that had various Christmas characters on it. They had to find those characters in pictures that I placed on the walls in the classroom. They counted how many characters were on the picture and printed that number on their paper. The numbers were already there, they had to trace them.
Large Group: The children learned a song that we will be singing in the Christmas program.
Snacks: The morning class snack was apples and cheese sticks brought by Sawyer. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and Wheat Thins brought by Nolan. Thank you, Sawyer and Nolan!
Monday, December 2, 2019
Group Meeting: For the first few minutes of Group Meeting, we took turns telling about our Thanksgiving events. Many of the children wanted to tell about putting decorations up for Christmas. The children discovered a new "friend" on the Message Board easel. Ask your child to tell you who this new friend is.
Story: Our new friend brought us the story The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth. This is the story of the old man and woman who decide to make a gingerbread man to eat. When they open the oven door, the gingerbread man escapes and they have to chase it. The gingerbread man runs from the old couple, a butcher, a cow, and a pig before it meets a sly fox. Ask your child to tell you how the story ends.
Small Groups: The children got into two groups today. They were given little cards that had the gingerbread man printed on them. The cards were numbered 1-10, but they were all mixed up. The children had to put the cards in the correct order.
Letter Learning: We are starting Letter Learning again. This time, we will do the letters in alphabetical order. The children are using dry erase boards to print the letter. To learn about the sound, I have tubs that have six items in them that begin with the letter for the day. I give the children clues to help them guess the items. The letter today was Aa.
Snacks: The morning snack was granola bars and milk brought by Sophia. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and apples brought by Silas. Thank you, Sophia and Silas!
Story: Our new friend brought us the story The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth. This is the story of the old man and woman who decide to make a gingerbread man to eat. When they open the oven door, the gingerbread man escapes and they have to chase it. The gingerbread man runs from the old couple, a butcher, a cow, and a pig before it meets a sly fox. Ask your child to tell you how the story ends.
Small Groups: The children got into two groups today. They were given little cards that had the gingerbread man printed on them. The cards were numbered 1-10, but they were all mixed up. The children had to put the cards in the correct order.
Letter Learning: We are starting Letter Learning again. This time, we will do the letters in alphabetical order. The children are using dry erase boards to print the letter. To learn about the sound, I have tubs that have six items in them that begin with the letter for the day. I give the children clues to help them guess the items. The letter today was Aa.
Snacks: The morning snack was granola bars and milk brought by Sophia. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and apples brought by Silas. Thank you, Sophia and Silas!
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Group Meeting: The children are getting excited for the Thanksgiving holiday. I heard several stories about going to grandparents or having company come to the house. I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Story: The story for today is one of my favorites, Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dave Pilkey. In this story, a group of children are on a field trip. They discover a small turkey farm and the farmer Mack Nugget. The children play with the turkeys and are having a great time when someone spots a hatchet by the barn door. When they find out what it is for, they come up with a plan to save the turkeys. Ask your child to tell you how they take the turkeys home for a different kind Thanksgiving feast.
Small Groups: The children made turkeys using circles, triangles, and rectangles.
Large Group: The children played London Bridges. This is such a simple game, but they had a great time playing together!
Snacks: The morning snack was applesauce and milk brought by Tristan. The afternoon snack was crackers, peanut butter, and bananas brought by Tate. Thank you, Tristan and Tate!
Story: The story for today is one of my favorites, Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dave Pilkey. In this story, a group of children are on a field trip. They discover a small turkey farm and the farmer Mack Nugget. The children play with the turkeys and are having a great time when someone spots a hatchet by the barn door. When they find out what it is for, they come up with a plan to save the turkeys. Ask your child to tell you how they take the turkeys home for a different kind Thanksgiving feast.
Small Groups: The children made turkeys using circles, triangles, and rectangles.
Large Group: The children played London Bridges. This is such a simple game, but they had a great time playing together!
Snacks: The morning snack was applesauce and milk brought by Tristan. The afternoon snack was crackers, peanut butter, and bananas brought by Tate. Thank you, Tristan and Tate!
Monday, November 25, 2019
Group Meeting: I explained to the children the schedule for this week. Understanding time is still a challenge for this age of children. I explained that we have one more day of school, one day of rest, and then it will be Thanksgiving.
Story: The story for today was I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson. This is a variation of the story that we read a few weeks ago, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. In this story, the old lady swallows things that we see at Thanksgiving time such as a turkey, a roll, some cider and of course a pie. Ask your child to tell you what happens to the old lady at the end of the story.
Small Groups: The children thought of the things that we saw during our field trip to the Bettendorf Food Pantry. Then, they drew these things in their writing journals. We are encouraging the children to write a few letters or words if they know them.
Letter Learning: Last week, we finished up our first round of the letters of the alphabet. Today, the children noticed that the coconut tree on which we had been adding letters had fallen down just like the tree in Chicka, chicka boom boom. Next week, we will start the alphabet again.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning class had apples, Belvita bars, and milk brought by Weston. The afternoon class had Goldfish and cheese sticks brought by Vivienne. Thank you, Weston and Vivienne!
Story: The story for today was I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson. This is a variation of the story that we read a few weeks ago, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. In this story, the old lady swallows things that we see at Thanksgiving time such as a turkey, a roll, some cider and of course a pie. Ask your child to tell you what happens to the old lady at the end of the story.
Small Groups: The children thought of the things that we saw during our field trip to the Bettendorf Food Pantry. Then, they drew these things in their writing journals. We are encouraging the children to write a few letters or words if they know them.
Letter Learning: Last week, we finished up our first round of the letters of the alphabet. Today, the children noticed that the coconut tree on which we had been adding letters had fallen down just like the tree in Chicka, chicka boom boom. Next week, we will start the alphabet again.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning class had apples, Belvita bars, and milk brought by Weston. The afternoon class had Goldfish and cheese sticks brought by Vivienne. Thank you, Weston and Vivienne!
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Group Meeting: The children are bringing home their name books that we completed last week. They started a new book today.
Story: The story for today was Who Will Carve the Thanksgiving Turkey? by Jerry Pallotta. The boy in this story is wondering who will be carving the Thanksgiving turkey. While he waits for the guests to arrive, he imagines that animals are going to carve the turkey. Ask your child to tell you what all of these animals have in common.
Small Groups: In the morning class, the children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about animals that hibernate in the winter. In the afternoon class, the Green Group brought items for Show and Tell. Tomorrow, the morning class will have Show and Tell for the Green Group.
Large Group: I talked to the children about our field trip to the Food Pantry. I explained to them that while we usually have plenty of food in our cupboards and refrigerator, some children do not. Tomorrow, we will take food to give to the Food Pantry so that people can get food there for their children.
Snacks: The morning class had Belvita bars and apples brought by Blake. The afternoon class had cheese sticks and Clementine oranges brought by Caroline. Thank you, Blake and Caroline!
Story: The story for today was Who Will Carve the Thanksgiving Turkey? by Jerry Pallotta. The boy in this story is wondering who will be carving the Thanksgiving turkey. While he waits for the guests to arrive, he imagines that animals are going to carve the turkey. Ask your child to tell you what all of these animals have in common.
Small Groups: In the morning class, the children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about animals that hibernate in the winter. In the afternoon class, the Green Group brought items for Show and Tell. Tomorrow, the morning class will have Show and Tell for the Green Group.
Large Group: I talked to the children about our field trip to the Food Pantry. I explained to them that while we usually have plenty of food in our cupboards and refrigerator, some children do not. Tomorrow, we will take food to give to the Food Pantry so that people can get food there for their children.
Snacks: The morning class had Belvita bars and apples brought by Blake. The afternoon class had cheese sticks and Clementine oranges brought by Caroline. Thank you, Blake and Caroline!
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Group Meeting: Our movement songs this week are Thanksgiving songs. Yesterday was "Turkey Time" and today was "Get Funky with Tommy the Turkey". Ask your child to show you their moves!
Story: The story for today was One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessy. This book tells about the first Thanksgiving between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. The pictures show how the children played and helped the grown-ups hunt and collect food for the Thanksgiving feast.
Small Groups: The children played "Roll and Write". The children took turns rolling a die that had the numerals 1-3 on it. The numeral that appeared on the top was the numeral they wrote on a grid on their paper. After the grid was full, we counted how many of each numeral was written on the paper.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Yy.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was Wheat Thins and oranges brought by Brea. The after noon snack was Fruity Cheerios and cheese brought by Charlotte. Thank you, Brea and Charlotte!
Story: The story for today was One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessy. This book tells about the first Thanksgiving between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. The pictures show how the children played and helped the grown-ups hunt and collect food for the Thanksgiving feast.
Small Groups: The children played "Roll and Write". The children took turns rolling a die that had the numerals 1-3 on it. The numeral that appeared on the top was the numeral they wrote on a grid on their paper. After the grid was full, we counted how many of each numeral was written on the paper.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Yy.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was Wheat Thins and oranges brought by Brea. The after noon snack was Fruity Cheerios and cheese brought by Charlotte. Thank you, Brea and Charlotte!
Monday, November 18, 2019
Getting Ready for Thanksgiving
Group Meeting: During arrival time, the children are given a choice of activities to do while they are waiting for everyone else to get into the classroom. I usually try to have a cutting activity and a coloring activity for them to chose if they'd like. I also have some building toys and books to look at as well. All of those things will be related to Thanksgiving this week.
Story: The story for today was Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes. This book has beautiful pictures of things for which we can be thankful such as family, food, friends, pets, etc. There are few words, but the words encourage a discussion which we had after reading.
Small Groups: The children helped me make a class list of things for which we are thankful. After a discussion, each child was given a paper feather to draw on. They were encouraged to draw pictures of things that they are thankful for. When they were finished, we took the feathers to the bulletin board in the hallway. I had put a big turkey on the bulletin board. They added their feathers to give him a beautiful tail.
Large Group: The children played a game called "Farmer and the Turkeys". The children are turkeys who want to cross the field (classroom) to the other side. I am the farmer in the middle. When the turkeys call out "farmer, can we cross the field?", the farmer says a color. The turkeys who are wearing that color on their clothes may cross the field without being chased. Then the remaining turkeys try to cross the field without being tagged. Any turkeys that are tagged become the farmer's helpers. We continue to play until all of the turkeys are caught. We had a great time playing this game!
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Xx.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was milk, apples and peanut butter brought by Callie. The snack for the afternoon was yogurt and blueberries brought by Eleanor. Thank you, Callie and Eleanor!
Story: The story for today was Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes. This book has beautiful pictures of things for which we can be thankful such as family, food, friends, pets, etc. There are few words, but the words encourage a discussion which we had after reading.
Small Groups: The children helped me make a class list of things for which we are thankful. After a discussion, each child was given a paper feather to draw on. They were encouraged to draw pictures of things that they are thankful for. When they were finished, we took the feathers to the bulletin board in the hallway. I had put a big turkey on the bulletin board. They added their feathers to give him a beautiful tail.
Large Group: The children played a game called "Farmer and the Turkeys". The children are turkeys who want to cross the field (classroom) to the other side. I am the farmer in the middle. When the turkeys call out "farmer, can we cross the field?", the farmer says a color. The turkeys who are wearing that color on their clothes may cross the field without being chased. Then the remaining turkeys try to cross the field without being tagged. Any turkeys that are tagged become the farmer's helpers. We continue to play until all of the turkeys are caught. We had a great time playing this game!
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Xx.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was milk, apples and peanut butter brought by Callie. The snack for the afternoon was yogurt and blueberries brought by Eleanor. Thank you, Callie and Eleanor!
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Birthday Day and End of the Tree Study
Today was a mix of birthday recognition, cooking, and celebration of our tree study. After play time, we made a snack. It was fried bananas. The children peeled the bananas and used a table knife to cut them into thick slices. The children watched as I put the bananas into an electric frying pan. While the bananas were getting warm, I sprinkled a sugar cinnamon mixture on the bananas. The cinnamon sugar caramelized and made a nice glaze on the bananas. The children ate them warm with milk to drink. We also had birthday brownies.
After snack time, I asked the children to think of the many things that we had learned about trees over the past month and a half. I made a list of all of the things that they could tell about trees. Then, the children made necklaces using tree "cookies".
The letter for today was Ww.
Next week, we will begin to learn about Thanksgiving and will be talking more about our trip to the Food Pantry.
After snack time, I asked the children to think of the many things that we had learned about trees over the past month and a half. I made a list of all of the things that they could tell about trees. Then, the children made necklaces using tree "cookies".
The letter for today was Ww.
Next week, we will begin to learn about Thanksgiving and will be talking more about our trip to the Food Pantry.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Group Meeting: We did Play Buddies again today for 10 minutes. Tomorrow, we will take a break from it. It has been very beneficial in helping the children learn each other's names as well as find out that there are many friends that they can play with at school.
Story: For our story today, I did a re-read of Little Red Riding Hood. The children were excited to see it. This time as we read through it, I paused to ask a few questions about Little Red Riding Hood's choices of wandering off of the path and speaking to someone that she didn't know. I think that this story will be a favorite that we will have to visit again.
Small Groups: It was the Yellow Group's turn for Show and Tell. Next week, the Green Group will have a turn. Then everyone will have had a turn. We will repeat the rotation after Thanksgiving.
Letter Learning: Sorry, I just realized I haven't been putting the letter for the day in my blog. Today was letter Vv. We have W, X, Y, and Z left and then we will have completed the alphabet.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was Belvita biscuits and bananas brought by Charlie. The afternoon snack was apples and peanut butter brought by Eliza. Thank you, Charlie and Eliza!
Story: For our story today, I did a re-read of Little Red Riding Hood. The children were excited to see it. This time as we read through it, I paused to ask a few questions about Little Red Riding Hood's choices of wandering off of the path and speaking to someone that she didn't know. I think that this story will be a favorite that we will have to visit again.
Small Groups: It was the Yellow Group's turn for Show and Tell. Next week, the Green Group will have a turn. Then everyone will have had a turn. We will repeat the rotation after Thanksgiving.
Letter Learning: Sorry, I just realized I haven't been putting the letter for the day in my blog. Today was letter Vv. We have W, X, Y, and Z left and then we will have completed the alphabet.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was Belvita biscuits and bananas brought by Charlie. The afternoon snack was apples and peanut butter brought by Eliza. Thank you, Charlie and Eliza!
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Group Meeting: The play buddies worked so well yesterday that we did it again today. Everyone was assigned a new buddy to play with for 10 minutes. Many chose to stay with their new friend, but a few decided to change. Either way, they are making new friends and are learning the names of their classmates.
Story: The Quad City Arts has invited the children to decorate a tree for the Festival of Trees. We have done this in the past. I usually pick a Christmas story and use that as our theme for the tree. This year, the theme of the Festival is Christmas Around the World. So the story that I have selected is The Spider's Gift by Eric Kimmel. This story is a Ukrainian folk story. The story is about a family that is too poor to celebrate Christmas with a tree and gifts. The children ask their parents if they can cut a tree from the forest. After selecting a tree, the family takes it home and decorates it with buttons and a paper star. That night, mother discovers that there are baby spiders in the tree. The warmth from the room has caused the spider eggs to hatch before spring. Mother wants to throw the tree out, but the children beg her to keep it so that the spiders won't die in the cold. When the family returns from Christmas services, the discover that the spider webs on the tree have turned to silver and the buttons on the tree have turned into gold coins. The spiders have done this to thank the family for saving them.
Small Groups: Following the story, the children got into their small groups to make spider ornaments for the Festival tree. They used clay, glitter, sparkly pipe cleaners and googly eyes. We will put them on the tree and add silver thread for the webs.
Large Group: The children participated in an obstacle course of a crawling tunnel, a tumbling mat, and balancing stepping stones.
Snacks: The morning class had strawberries, Wheat Thins, and juice brought by Cooper. The afternoon class had cheese sticks and grapes brought by Elizabeth. Thank you, Cooper and Elizabeth!
Story: The Quad City Arts has invited the children to decorate a tree for the Festival of Trees. We have done this in the past. I usually pick a Christmas story and use that as our theme for the tree. This year, the theme of the Festival is Christmas Around the World. So the story that I have selected is The Spider's Gift by Eric Kimmel. This story is a Ukrainian folk story. The story is about a family that is too poor to celebrate Christmas with a tree and gifts. The children ask their parents if they can cut a tree from the forest. After selecting a tree, the family takes it home and decorates it with buttons and a paper star. That night, mother discovers that there are baby spiders in the tree. The warmth from the room has caused the spider eggs to hatch before spring. Mother wants to throw the tree out, but the children beg her to keep it so that the spiders won't die in the cold. When the family returns from Christmas services, the discover that the spider webs on the tree have turned to silver and the buttons on the tree have turned into gold coins. The spiders have done this to thank the family for saving them.
Small Groups: Following the story, the children got into their small groups to make spider ornaments for the Festival tree. They used clay, glitter, sparkly pipe cleaners and googly eyes. We will put them on the tree and add silver thread for the webs.
Large Group: The children participated in an obstacle course of a crawling tunnel, a tumbling mat, and balancing stepping stones.
Snacks: The morning class had strawberries, Wheat Thins, and juice brought by Cooper. The afternoon class had cheese sticks and grapes brought by Elizabeth. Thank you, Cooper and Elizabeth!
Monday, November 11, 2019
Play Buddies
Group Meeting: The children were assigned a Play Buddy at the beginning of play time. A Play Buddy is someone that you play with for the first 10 minutes of play time. After 10 minutes, the children can decide if they want to keep playing with each other or if they want to do something else. This is a great way for the children to get to know other children in the class. Sometimes children get into the habit of playing with the same children in the same areas. I usually try to put two children together that have never played together or put children together who tend to play in the same center every day. They are more likely to try something new with a new friend. Everyone seemed to enjoy this new way today!
Story: The story for today was Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberly and Anne Miranda. This is a book of feelings. The monsters describe things that make them feel happy, said, angry, loving, sad, and silly.
Small Groups: Following the story, we discussed the ways that the monsters felt in the book. We talked about ways to express these feelings and how to help someone who might be feeling sad or angry. The children went to the tables to draw a face with an expression that matches one of the feelings that we discussed. The children described times when they felt that way.
Large Group: The children used the wooden big lines to move to the song "Tap, Tap". This is part of the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was strawberries, Belvita bars and juice brought by Cora. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and grapes brought by Henry. Thank you, Cora and Henry!
Story: The story for today was Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Ed Emberly and Anne Miranda. This is a book of feelings. The monsters describe things that make them feel happy, said, angry, loving, sad, and silly.
Small Groups: Following the story, we discussed the ways that the monsters felt in the book. We talked about ways to express these feelings and how to help someone who might be feeling sad or angry. The children went to the tables to draw a face with an expression that matches one of the feelings that we discussed. The children described times when they felt that way.
Large Group: The children used the wooden big lines to move to the song "Tap, Tap". This is part of the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was strawberries, Belvita bars and juice brought by Cora. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and grapes brought by Henry. Thank you, Cora and Henry!
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Story: The story that I chose for today was Little Red Riding Hood retold by Bonnie Dobkin. In this version, Little Red Riding Hood is going to see her grandmother. Her mother gives her three things to remember along the way; go straight to Grandma's, don't talk to anyone you don't know, and don't go off of the path. Red Riding Hood meets a wolf along the way and all of the things that her mother told her are forgotten. Ask your child to tell you how the story ends. In this version, Grandmother gets eaten but survives in the stomach of the wolf. When the older brother kills the wolf, Grandmother is released from the wolf's stomach. Some of the children said this story was a little scary, but they liked it!
Large Group: The children watched a Let's Find Out video about Veteran's Day. We did not complete the back page of the magazine because it was a little complicated. Perhaps the children could work on it at home with a parent or older sibling.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was applesauce, cheese sticks, and milk brought by Grace. The afternoon snack was Belvita bars and bananas brought by Ian. Thank you, Grace and Ian!
The vision screening was completed today. When we receive the results, we will send them home with your child. If you missed the screening, there is a possibility that they will be coming back for retakes. If you would like to be notified if and when they come back, please let me know.
Large Group: The children watched a Let's Find Out video about Veteran's Day. We did not complete the back page of the magazine because it was a little complicated. Perhaps the children could work on it at home with a parent or older sibling.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was applesauce, cheese sticks, and milk brought by Grace. The afternoon snack was Belvita bars and bananas brought by Ian. Thank you, Grace and Ian!
The vision screening was completed today. When we receive the results, we will send them home with your child. If you missed the screening, there is a possibility that they will be coming back for retakes. If you would like to be notified if and when they come back, please let me know.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Group Meeting: Our introduction to rhyming words is going well. We did another movement video today with rhyming words. Try making rhymes at home!
Story: The story for today was A Grand Old Tree by Mary Depalma. This is a simple story of the life cycle of a tree. The tree grows, flowers, produces fruit and seeds so that new trees can grow. After many years, the tree gets old and dies. Even after it dies, it has a purpose. Animals use it for a home, bugs eat the bark, and fungus grows on it. Ask your child to tell you something that lives in a tree.
Small Groups: We have started Show and Tell during small group time. Today, the Red Group brought items to show and tell us about. Next week, the Yellow Group will have a turn and the Green Group will take a turn the following week. When it is your child's turn for Show and Tell, they will bring home a special bag.
Large Group: The children learned a new song about rhyming words. I'm hope that they will be able to sing it for you after a few more times of practice.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was apples, Belvita bars, and juice brought by Hattie. The afternoon snack was Teddy Grahams and milk brought by Isabelle. Thank you, Hattie and Isabelle!
The vision screening started today, but we didn't get everyone done. It will continue tomorrow. If you have not turned in your permission form, you can still do so. If you need another copy, come inside when dropping off your child to fill one out.
Story: The story for today was A Grand Old Tree by Mary Depalma. This is a simple story of the life cycle of a tree. The tree grows, flowers, produces fruit and seeds so that new trees can grow. After many years, the tree gets old and dies. Even after it dies, it has a purpose. Animals use it for a home, bugs eat the bark, and fungus grows on it. Ask your child to tell you something that lives in a tree.
Small Groups: We have started Show and Tell during small group time. Today, the Red Group brought items to show and tell us about. Next week, the Yellow Group will have a turn and the Green Group will take a turn the following week. When it is your child's turn for Show and Tell, they will bring home a special bag.
Large Group: The children learned a new song about rhyming words. I'm hope that they will be able to sing it for you after a few more times of practice.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was apples, Belvita bars, and juice brought by Hattie. The afternoon snack was Teddy Grahams and milk brought by Isabelle. Thank you, Hattie and Isabelle!
The vision screening started today, but we didn't get everyone done. It will continue tomorrow. If you have not turned in your permission form, you can still do so. If you need another copy, come inside when dropping off your child to fill one out.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Group Meeting: Yesterday, we started learning about rhyming words. Our beginning song for today was "The Rhyming Words Game" by Jack Hartman. If Jack said words that rhymed, we stood up. If they didn't rhyme, we sat down.
Story: Today, I chose the non-fiction book Tree Are For... by Judith Bauer Stamper. This book gives examples of ways that trees are useful. Trees can be for climbing and building tree forts. Trees grow food that we eat. Trees are used for building. Ask your child to name a way that we use trees at school.
Small Groups: The children played a rhyming words game. Each child had a card with a smiley face on one side and a frowning face on the other. Two words with pictures were shown. If the words rhymed, the children held up a smiley face. If the words did not rhyme, they held up the frowning face.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom. We have been looking at the leaves that have fallen. So far, we have identified leaves from the Ginkgo tree, the Oak tree, and the Tulip tree.
Snacks: The morning snack was strawberries and cheese brought by Hudson. The afternoon snack was applesauce and milk brought by Isla. Thank you, Hudson and Isla!
Story: Today, I chose the non-fiction book Tree Are For... by Judith Bauer Stamper. This book gives examples of ways that trees are useful. Trees can be for climbing and building tree forts. Trees grow food that we eat. Trees are used for building. Ask your child to name a way that we use trees at school.
Small Groups: The children played a rhyming words game. Each child had a card with a smiley face on one side and a frowning face on the other. Two words with pictures were shown. If the words rhymed, the children held up a smiley face. If the words did not rhyme, they held up the frowning face.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom. We have been looking at the leaves that have fallen. So far, we have identified leaves from the Ginkgo tree, the Oak tree, and the Tulip tree.
Snacks: The morning snack was strawberries and cheese brought by Hudson. The afternoon snack was applesauce and milk brought by Isla. Thank you, Hudson and Isla!
Monday, November 4, 2019
Group Meeting: We started a new month over the weekend and our shift is turning from Halloween to Thanksgiving. This also means that we have started new math journals. The October journals will be sent home tomorrow.
Story: The story for today was There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. This story is so old that the original author is unknown. An old lady swallows a fly. We don't know why. Perhaps she'll die! The old lady swallows a spider to catch the fly, and then a bird, cat, dog, cow and horse. Ask your child to tell you what happens when she swallows the horse.
Small Groups: After the story for today, we discussed the words in the book that rhymed. Then the children got into their small groups and played a rhyming words game. They took turns turning over cards to find two pictures that rhymed.
Large Group: The children went outside. They were surprised at how many leaves had fallen off of the trees. We looked for leaves that were alike and different. We tried to figure out which leaves came off of which tree.
Snacks: The snack for the morning was crackers, cheese, and juice brought by Jake. The afternoon snack was crackers and yogurt brought by Julian. Thank you, Jake and Julian!
Story: The story for today was There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. This story is so old that the original author is unknown. An old lady swallows a fly. We don't know why. Perhaps she'll die! The old lady swallows a spider to catch the fly, and then a bird, cat, dog, cow and horse. Ask your child to tell you what happens when she swallows the horse.
Small Groups: After the story for today, we discussed the words in the book that rhymed. Then the children got into their small groups and played a rhyming words game. They took turns turning over cards to find two pictures that rhymed.
Large Group: The children went outside. They were surprised at how many leaves had fallen off of the trees. We looked for leaves that were alike and different. We tried to figure out which leaves came off of which tree.
Snacks: The snack for the morning was crackers, cheese, and juice brought by Jake. The afternoon snack was crackers and yogurt brought by Julian. Thank you, Jake and Julian!
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Happy Halloween!
As the children arrived at school, we took a few minutes to admire each others costumes. They were so excited to see each other. We had to modify our schedule for the day to make room for a few party games and our trip to Senior Star. We still had a little time for play and time to complete our Math Journals.
For our party, the children could choose to participate in a ghost beanbag throw, a balloon and parachute toss, and bracelet making. For snacks, they had chosen to have donuts with vampire teeth and candy eye balls.
Our trip to Senior Star was very nice. I love to watch the residents as the children parade through and sing songs. Thank you to all of the grown-ups who went with us today!
For our party, the children could choose to participate in a ghost beanbag throw, a balloon and parachute toss, and bracelet making. For snacks, they had chosen to have donuts with vampire teeth and candy eye balls.
Our trip to Senior Star was very nice. I love to watch the residents as the children parade through and sing songs. Thank you to all of the grown-ups who went with us today!
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Getting Ready for Halloween
Group Meeting: The excitement is beginning. The children have finished up their plans for tomorrow. IF the snow storm that is predicted causes school to be delayed or canceled for tomorrow, we will move our Halloween fun to Monday. A late start means no morning class. An all day cancellation means no school for either class.
Story: The story for today was Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell. Tim has carved a Jack-o-Lantern and
has named it Jack. He enjoys Jack even when Halloween is over. However, Jack is starting to rot. Mom tells Tim to take Jack outside. Tim places Jack in the garden and watches him slowly fade away. However, in the spring, Tim notices a spout growing in the garden. Ask your child to tell you what happens next.
Small Groups: The children used Unifix to measure a picture of a Jack-o-lanturn, a ghost, and a bat.
They recorded their answers in the boxes.
Large Group: The children played Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Ghost (Duck, Duck, Goose).
Snacks: The morning snack was oranges, Belvita bars brought by Kinsley. We also had apples and milk brought by Laurel who was absent yesterday. The afternoon snack was crackers, blueberries and juice brought by Logan. Thank you Kinsley, Laurel, and Logan!
Story: The story for today was Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell. Tim has carved a Jack-o-Lantern and
has named it Jack. He enjoys Jack even when Halloween is over. However, Jack is starting to rot. Mom tells Tim to take Jack outside. Tim places Jack in the garden and watches him slowly fade away. However, in the spring, Tim notices a spout growing in the garden. Ask your child to tell you what happens next.
Small Groups: The children used Unifix to measure a picture of a Jack-o-lanturn, a ghost, and a bat.
They recorded their answers in the boxes.
Large Group: The children played Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Ghost (Duck, Duck, Goose).
Snacks: The morning snack was oranges, Belvita bars brought by Kinsley. We also had apples and milk brought by Laurel who was absent yesterday. The afternoon snack was crackers, blueberries and juice brought by Logan. Thank you Kinsley, Laurel, and Logan!
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Group Meeting: The children did the Monster Stomp for our opening song. The children are getting very excited about wearing costumes to school on Thursday.
Story: The story for today was How Spider Saved Halloween by Robert Kraus. Spider, Ladybug and Fly are three friends who are getting ready for Halloween. Spider doesn't know what to wear for a costume. However, when three bullies smash Ladybugs pumpkin, he decides to create a pumpkin costume. That's one way that Spider saves Halloween. Ask your child to tell you another way that Spider saves Halloween.
Small Groups: The children were given a paper with a spider and a web printed on it. All over the web were numbers 1-6. The children took turns rolling a large dice. When the number on top was identified, everyone found that numeral on their paper and used a dauber to mark it.
Large Group: The children practiced three songs that we will be singing at Senior Star.
Snacks: The morning snack was Wheat Thins and juice provided by the preschool. The morning snack person was ill today. The afternoon snack was grapes and crackers brought by Lydia. Thank you, Lydia.
Story: The story for today was How Spider Saved Halloween by Robert Kraus. Spider, Ladybug and Fly are three friends who are getting ready for Halloween. Spider doesn't know what to wear for a costume. However, when three bullies smash Ladybugs pumpkin, he decides to create a pumpkin costume. That's one way that Spider saves Halloween. Ask your child to tell you another way that Spider saves Halloween.
Small Groups: The children were given a paper with a spider and a web printed on it. All over the web were numbers 1-6. The children took turns rolling a large dice. When the number on top was identified, everyone found that numeral on their paper and used a dauber to mark it.
Large Group: The children practiced three songs that we will be singing at Senior Star.
Snacks: The morning snack was Wheat Thins and juice provided by the preschool. The morning snack person was ill today. The afternoon snack was grapes and crackers brought by Lydia. Thank you, Lydia.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Before I begin my post for today, I want to thank everyone for attending Parent/Teacher Conferences on Monday and Tuesday. I enjoyed meeting with everyone. I have two more to do next week and am looking forward to those as well.
I also want to explain why I didn't blog yesterday and had to leave the PM class a little early. The Clinton Fire Department was dedicating a new truck in memory of Eric Hosette. Eric was my niece's husband. I wanted to be there with my family for the dedication. Thank you for understanding why the blog didn't get done. On to today...
Group Meeting: We are starting to prepare for Halloween. Our movement songs have been Halloween oriented as well as some other things we are doing in the classroom. The children have been making decorations at the Art Table as well.
Story: The story for today was Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman. A witch has planted a seed thaT has sprouted and grown a big pumpkin. She wants to take it to her house so that she can make pumpkin pie. However, the pumpkin is too big for her to carry. A ghost comes to help her, but he can't move it either. A vampire tries to help as well as a mummy, but no one can pick up the pumpkin. Then, a little bat appears. Can he pick up the pumpkin? Ask your child to tell you how the story ends.
Small Groups: Following the story, I explained to the children that words are made up of parts called syllables. To find out how many syllables are in a word, you can clap when you say the word. I clapped while I said every child's name to figure out how many syllables were in their name. Then we moved on to Halloween characters. I had a paper ready for them with Halloween character pictures. We clapped the characters name and used a dauber to stamp the number of syllables in the name.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom. It was a little chilly, but not bad at all. We will go out occasionally, so coats are appreciated.
Snacks: The morning snack was bananas, strawberries, crackers, and milk brought by Lucy. The afternoon snack was Belvita bars, applesauce, and milk brought by Madelyn. Thank you, Lucy and Madelyn!
No School on Monday due to Fall Break!
I also want to explain why I didn't blog yesterday and had to leave the PM class a little early. The Clinton Fire Department was dedicating a new truck in memory of Eric Hosette. Eric was my niece's husband. I wanted to be there with my family for the dedication. Thank you for understanding why the blog didn't get done. On to today...
Group Meeting: We are starting to prepare for Halloween. Our movement songs have been Halloween oriented as well as some other things we are doing in the classroom. The children have been making decorations at the Art Table as well.
Story: The story for today was Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman. A witch has planted a seed thaT has sprouted and grown a big pumpkin. She wants to take it to her house so that she can make pumpkin pie. However, the pumpkin is too big for her to carry. A ghost comes to help her, but he can't move it either. A vampire tries to help as well as a mummy, but no one can pick up the pumpkin. Then, a little bat appears. Can he pick up the pumpkin? Ask your child to tell you how the story ends.
Small Groups: Following the story, I explained to the children that words are made up of parts called syllables. To find out how many syllables are in a word, you can clap when you say the word. I clapped while I said every child's name to figure out how many syllables were in their name. Then we moved on to Halloween characters. I had a paper ready for them with Halloween character pictures. We clapped the characters name and used a dauber to stamp the number of syllables in the name.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom. It was a little chilly, but not bad at all. We will go out occasionally, so coats are appreciated.
Snacks: The morning snack was bananas, strawberries, crackers, and milk brought by Lucy. The afternoon snack was Belvita bars, applesauce, and milk brought by Madelyn. Thank you, Lucy and Madelyn!
No School on Monday due to Fall Break!
Thursday, October 17, 2019
The children have been experimenting with the ramps in the block area. Next week, we'll add a little more instruction to enhance their explorations.
Story: Today's story was a re-read of Abiyoyo as told by Pete Seeger. The children enjoyed this book last week and were happy to see it today. This time, they helped fill in the words as I read. When we went outside, many children pretended to be Abiyoyo.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Qq.
Large Group: Because it was such a beautiful day, we used small group time and large group time to go outdoors. I'm afraid our fair weather days are limited.
Snacks: The morning snack was cheese sticks and strawberries brought by Sawyer. The afternoon snack was Teddy Grahams and bananas brought by Ryan. Thank you, Sawyer and Ryan.
Parent Teacher Conferences are next week. There will be no PM class on Monday and no AM class on Tuesday. I look forward to seeing everyone!
Story: Today's story was a re-read of Abiyoyo as told by Pete Seeger. The children enjoyed this book last week and were happy to see it today. This time, they helped fill in the words as I read. When we went outside, many children pretended to be Abiyoyo.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Qq.
Large Group: Because it was such a beautiful day, we used small group time and large group time to go outdoors. I'm afraid our fair weather days are limited.
Snacks: The morning snack was cheese sticks and strawberries brought by Sawyer. The afternoon snack was Teddy Grahams and bananas brought by Ryan. Thank you, Sawyer and Ryan.
Parent Teacher Conferences are next week. There will be no PM class on Monday and no AM class on Tuesday. I look forward to seeing everyone!
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Group Meeting: The movement song at the beginning of school today was "Scarecrow" by the Learning Station.
Story: The story for today was 10 Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss. In this story, a lion, tiger and dog are balancing apples on their heads. They challenge each other to get up to 10 apples. However, a bear is chasing the animals. Ask your child to tell you why the bear is chasing them and if the apples stay on their heads.
Small Groups: Following the story, the children used daubers to stamp apples on top of animals printed on a paper. Each animal had a different number of apples.
Large Group: The children pretended our bean bags were apples and tried to balance them on their head. They added more bags and did more movements to see if they could stay.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Oo.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was bananas, crackers, and milk brought by Sophia. The afternoon snack was apples and cheese sticks brought by Silas. Thank you, Sophia and Silas!
Story: The story for today was 10 Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss. In this story, a lion, tiger and dog are balancing apples on their heads. They challenge each other to get up to 10 apples. However, a bear is chasing the animals. Ask your child to tell you why the bear is chasing them and if the apples stay on their heads.
Small Groups: Following the story, the children used daubers to stamp apples on top of animals printed on a paper. Each animal had a different number of apples.
Large Group: The children pretended our bean bags were apples and tried to balance them on their head. They added more bags and did more movements to see if they could stay.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Oo.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was bananas, crackers, and milk brought by Sophia. The afternoon snack was apples and cheese sticks brought by Silas. Thank you, Sophia and Silas!
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Group Meeting: I have changed some things in the block area to incorporate ramp building. A letter about this will be sent home tomorrow. Before play time, the children joined me in looking at the new materials that will help them build ramps and tunnels.
Story: The story for today was Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple by A.H. Benjamin. Little Mouse has found a big apple. He wants to roll it home to have it for a feast. Along the way, the apple falls into a stream, gets caught in a thorn bush and needs help getting around a fallen tree. With each barrior, an animal friend comes to help mouse. The animals look longingly at the apple, but mouse does not want to share. Finally, mouse gets the apple back home. Does he get to eat the big apple? Ask your child to tell you how the story ends.
Small Groups: During small group time, the children thought about what we saw at Stone's during our field trip and drew those things in their Writing Journal.
Large Group: The children played a game called Squirrels in the Trees. The children took turns being trees and squirrels. The squirrels had to run to find a tree without a squirrel so that they would not be left out in the cold.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was cheese sticks and strawberries brought by Tristan. The afternoon snack was yogurt and bananas brought by Tate. Thank you, Tristan and Tate!
Story: The story for today was Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple by A.H. Benjamin. Little Mouse has found a big apple. He wants to roll it home to have it for a feast. Along the way, the apple falls into a stream, gets caught in a thorn bush and needs help getting around a fallen tree. With each barrior, an animal friend comes to help mouse. The animals look longingly at the apple, but mouse does not want to share. Finally, mouse gets the apple back home. Does he get to eat the big apple? Ask your child to tell you how the story ends.
Small Groups: During small group time, the children thought about what we saw at Stone's during our field trip and drew those things in their Writing Journal.
Large Group: The children played a game called Squirrels in the Trees. The children took turns being trees and squirrels. The squirrels had to run to find a tree without a squirrel so that they would not be left out in the cold.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was cheese sticks and strawberries brought by Tristan. The afternoon snack was yogurt and bananas brought by Tate. Thank you, Tristan and Tate!
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Birthday Day
Group Meeting: Today was October Birthday Day. The children made their snack and celebrated at snack time.
Story: Because we had so much going on, we used our Let's Find Out magazine as our story for the day.
Small Groups: The children got into small groups to make Baked Oatmeal Muffins for a snack. One group mixed the oatmeal, baking soda, egg, and milk into a bowl. One group mashed bananas and another diced apples that would be added to the oatmeal. The last group assembled the muffin tins and scooped the mixture into the muffin cups. I've included the recipe below if you'd like to try it.
Large Group: The children watched a video about Autumn, read the pages of the Let's Find Out magazine, and completed the last page in the magazine.
Snack: The children tried the muffins that we had made. They also had birthday brownies. The morning class had milk. The afternoon class had juice.
Baked Oatmeal Muffins
2 cups of old fashioned oatmeal
2 bananas mashed
1 apple diced
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
Mix all of the ingredients and put them into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Field Trip on Monday. Please read the note sent home with your child today.
Story: Because we had so much going on, we used our Let's Find Out magazine as our story for the day.
Small Groups: The children got into small groups to make Baked Oatmeal Muffins for a snack. One group mixed the oatmeal, baking soda, egg, and milk into a bowl. One group mashed bananas and another diced apples that would be added to the oatmeal. The last group assembled the muffin tins and scooped the mixture into the muffin cups. I've included the recipe below if you'd like to try it.
Large Group: The children watched a video about Autumn, read the pages of the Let's Find Out magazine, and completed the last page in the magazine.
Snack: The children tried the muffins that we had made. They also had birthday brownies. The morning class had milk. The afternoon class had juice.
Baked Oatmeal Muffins
2 cups of old fashioned oatmeal
2 bananas mashed
1 apple diced
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
Mix all of the ingredients and put them into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Field Trip on Monday. Please read the note sent home with your child today.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Story: The story for today was another re-read from last week. The children enjoyed Henny Penny, so I read it again today. I asked them to come up with a different ending to the story. Some children thought Henny Penny should escape from the fox den and tell the king. Others like how the story ended. After all, a fox needs to eat, too!
Small Groups: The 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
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Ii.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was Belvita biscuits and cheese brought by Andy. The afternoon snack was oranges and cheese brought by Cade. Thank you, Andy and Cade!
Small Groups: The 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
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Ii.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was Belvita biscuits and cheese brought by Andy. The afternoon snack was oranges and cheese brought by Cade. Thank you, Andy and Cade!
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Story: The story for today was Abiyoyo retold by Pete Seeger. This story is an old African-American folk tale. It is about a man and his son who are asked to leave the city because the son plays his ukulele to much and the father uses his magic wand to play tricks on people. One day, a giant named Abiyoyo comes to the town. Everyone is afraid of him except the boy and his father. The boy plays and sings Abiyoyo's name. Abiyoyo begins to dance and falls down. The father steps up with his wand and makes the giant disappear. The boy and his father are now heroes. Ask your child to tell you what Abiyoyo looks like.
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
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Tt.
Large Group: The children took their writing journals outside, sat under a tree and drew the parts of the tree. We will label them tomorrow.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was crackers, cheese, and juice brought by Blake. The afternoon snack was grapes, cheese and juice brought by Caroline. Thank you, Blake and Caroline!
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
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Tt.
Large Group: The children took their writing journals outside, sat under a tree and drew the parts of the tree. We will label them tomorrow.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was crackers, cheese, and juice brought by Blake. The afternoon snack was grapes, cheese and juice brought by Caroline. Thank you, Blake and Caroline!
Monday, October 7, 2019
Group Meeting: We have been talking about trees for the past few school days. The children have been interested, so I think we will do a study of trees. I will be sending home more information about a study this week.
Story: The story for today was a re-read of Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel. I read this book on Wednesday of last week. The children remembered the story line and could answer questions and fill in missing words as I was reading.
Small Groups: The activities for this week are listed below as well as the schedule for today.
Activity #1 (Red Group) The children counted acorns to feed to squirrels that were on a ten frame picture. We practiced adding a few more and taking a few away.
Activity #2 (Yellow Group) The children dripped liquid water color onto leaf shaped diffuser paper. Because they had sprayed the paper with water first, the colors mixed together to make beautiful leaves. We will be putting these on our classroom windows.
Activity #3 (Green Group) The children practiced balancing skills with our balance beam.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Hh.
Large Group: The children listened to the song "The Green Grass Grows All Around". While listening to the song, I drew a tree on the white board.
Snacks: The morning snack was cottage cheese, crackers, and strawberries brought by Brea. The afternoon snack was pumpkin Belvita bars and pears brought by Charlotte. Thank you, Brea and Charlotte!
Story: The story for today was a re-read of Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel. I read this book on Wednesday of last week. The children remembered the story line and could answer questions and fill in missing words as I was reading.
Small Groups: The activities for this week are listed below as well as the schedule for today.
Activity #1 (Red Group) The children counted acorns to feed to squirrels that were on a ten frame picture. We practiced adding a few more and taking a few away.
Activity #2 (Yellow Group) The children dripped liquid water color onto leaf shaped diffuser paper. Because they had sprayed the paper with water first, the colors mixed together to make beautiful leaves. We will be putting these on our classroom windows.
Activity #3 (Green Group) The children practiced balancing skills with our balance beam.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Hh.
Large Group: The children listened to the song "The Green Grass Grows All Around". While listening to the song, I drew a tree on the white board.
Snacks: The morning snack was cottage cheese, crackers, and strawberries brought by Brea. The afternoon snack was pumpkin Belvita bars and pears brought by Charlotte. Thank you, Brea and Charlotte!
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Group Meeting: I explained to the children that we would not be having class tomorrow. I told the children that the teachers would be students tomorrow at a teacher's school. They found that very interesting!
Story: The story for today was Henny Penny retold by Bonnie Dobkin. This is the classic story of the chicken named Henny Penny who thinks that the sky is falling. She convinces her friends Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey, and Cocky Locky that the sky is falling and they must hurry to tell the king. Along the way, they meet Foxy Loxy. Foxy Loxy tells them that he knows a secret short cut to get to the palace. Should they follow Foxy Loxy? Ask your child to tell you how this story ends.
Large Group: The children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about trees and leaves. They watched a video that explained how the trees change with the seasons.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Ee.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was grapes and Belvita bars brought by Callie. The afternoon snack was blueberry waffles, strawberries and milk brought by Eleanor. Thank you, Callie and Eleanor!
Story: The story for today was Henny Penny retold by Bonnie Dobkin. This is the classic story of the chicken named Henny Penny who thinks that the sky is falling. She convinces her friends Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey, and Cocky Locky that the sky is falling and they must hurry to tell the king. Along the way, they meet Foxy Loxy. Foxy Loxy tells them that he knows a secret short cut to get to the palace. Should they follow Foxy Loxy? Ask your child to tell you how this story ends.
Large Group: The children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about trees and leaves. They watched a video that explained how the trees change with the seasons.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Ee.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was grapes and Belvita bars brought by Callie. The afternoon snack was blueberry waffles, strawberries and milk brought by Eleanor. Thank you, Callie and Eleanor!
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Group Meeting: Before Group Meeting starts and we are waiting for all of the children to arrive, I have a fine motor activities on the tables for the children to choose. This week, I have had Play Doh as one of the choices. Many of the children love Play Doh. They like squeezing it and molding it which is so good for their finger muscles.
Story: The story for today was Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel. A family wants to build a house on a wooded lot. The construction people will have to cut down all of the trees to make room for the house. The children like one of the trees more than the others and ask that they keep that tree in the yard. They name it Steve. Steve is good for holding a swing and the end of a jump rope. He is good at providing shade for a picnic, a camp out, and nap in a hammock. Steve becomes part of the family until there is a storm. Ask your child to tell you what happens to Steve and how the family still uses Steve.
Small Groups: The teachers took the children outside in their small groups to look at trees in the yard. Each group took pictures of the tree that they found and shared information about that tree when they returned indoors.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Ff.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was cheese, crackers, and juice brought by Charlie. The afternoon snack was apples and peanut butter brought by Henry. Thank you, Charlie and Henry!
Story: The story for today was Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel. A family wants to build a house on a wooded lot. The construction people will have to cut down all of the trees to make room for the house. The children like one of the trees more than the others and ask that they keep that tree in the yard. They name it Steve. Steve is good for holding a swing and the end of a jump rope. He is good at providing shade for a picnic, a camp out, and nap in a hammock. Steve becomes part of the family until there is a storm. Ask your child to tell you what happens to Steve and how the family still uses Steve.
Small Groups: The teachers took the children outside in their small groups to look at trees in the yard. Each group took pictures of the tree that they found and shared information about that tree when they returned indoors.
Letter Learning: The letter for today was Ff.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was cheese, crackers, and juice brought by Charlie. The afternoon snack was apples and peanut butter brought by Henry. Thank you, Charlie and Henry!
Monday, September 30, 2019
Group Meeting: The children have started to print their names before we start Group Meeting. We are beginning with name book in which they will trace the letters of their name. Later, we will move onto printing each letter in a box. Then, they will print it on their own.
Story: The story for today was Because of an Acorn by Lola Schaefer. This book traces the life cycle of an acorn from when it falls off of the tree to when an animal carries to another place where it is planted and grows into an oak tree. There were few words in the book, but wonderful pictures to lead conversations about trees.
Small Groups: We are going to do small groups a little differently this week. The children will be getting into their groups, but we will all be doing the same thing.
Today, we started a conversation about trees. The children had to pretend that the teacher leading their small group knew nothing about trees. They had to provide the description of what a tree looked like and anything that they knew about trees. The teacher wrote their words onto paper. When the groups got back together as one group, we compared our lists.
Letter Learning: We have started learning about the letters of the alphabet. Each day, I will show the children a letter, upper and lower case. They will determine if that letter is in their name. They will practice making the letter sound. I will show them how to print the letter, upper and lower case, and they will practice writing on a small chalk board. The method that we use is called Wet, Dry, Try. Ask them to explain how this works. The letter for today was Ll.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was apples and cheese sticks brought by Cooper. The snack for the afternoon class was apples and wheat thins brought by Elizabeth. Thank you, Cooper and Elizabeth!
Story: The story for today was Because of an Acorn by Lola Schaefer. This book traces the life cycle of an acorn from when it falls off of the tree to when an animal carries to another place where it is planted and grows into an oak tree. There were few words in the book, but wonderful pictures to lead conversations about trees.
Small Groups: We are going to do small groups a little differently this week. The children will be getting into their groups, but we will all be doing the same thing.
Today, we started a conversation about trees. The children had to pretend that the teacher leading their small group knew nothing about trees. They had to provide the description of what a tree looked like and anything that they knew about trees. The teacher wrote their words onto paper. When the groups got back together as one group, we compared our lists.
Letter Learning: We have started learning about the letters of the alphabet. Each day, I will show the children a letter, upper and lower case. They will determine if that letter is in their name. They will practice making the letter sound. I will show them how to print the letter, upper and lower case, and they will practice writing on a small chalk board. The method that we use is called Wet, Dry, Try. Ask them to explain how this works. The letter for today was Ll.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was apples and cheese sticks brought by Cooper. The snack for the afternoon class was apples and wheat thins brought by Elizabeth. Thank you, Cooper and Elizabeth!
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Story: The story for today was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. This is the story of letters that climb up the coconut tree. When all of the letters reach the top, it becomes too heavy and bends over. All of the letters fall out. The moms and dads come to help the little letters get back up. Ask your child to tell you what happens at the end. We are reading this story to help us prepare for next week when we will be learning about one letter each day.
Small Groups: The children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about apples and watched a video about how apples grow.
Letter Learning: The children were introduced to Magic C Bunny. Magic C Bunny loves curves. We practiced making curves by pretending to drive Magic C Bunny's car to the stop sign with crayons.
Snacks: The morning class had wheat thins, strawberries, and milk brought by Cora. The snack for the afternoon class was English muffins and strawberries brought by Eliza. Thank you, Cora and Eliza!
Small Groups: The children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about apples and watched a video about how apples grow.
Letter Learning: The children were introduced to Magic C Bunny. Magic C Bunny loves curves. We practiced making curves by pretending to drive Magic C Bunny's car to the stop sign with crayons.
Snacks: The morning class had wheat thins, strawberries, and milk brought by Cora. The snack for the afternoon class was English muffins and strawberries brought by Eliza. Thank you, Cora and Eliza!
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Group Meeting: At Family Night, some children brought their family picture to add to our tree. We would like to have a picture from every family. If you have not done so, please send one.
Story: The story for today was A Pocket for Corduroy by Dan Freemann. Before I read the story, we recalled the story Corduroy from last week. In today's story, Corduroy goes with Lisa to the laundromat (we stopped to talk about laundromats). When Corduroy hears Lisa's mom tell her to empty her pockets, he realizes that he does not have a pocket. He goes on a search for something to use to make a pocket. In his search, he gets lost in a bag of wet laundry. When it's time for Lisa to go home, she cannot find him. Ask your child to tell you where Lisa finds Corduroy.
Small Groups: The 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
Letter Learning: The children practiced making big lines and little lines while tracing fence posts and bird legs.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning snack was cheese, wheat thins, grapes, and milk brought by Grace. The afternoon snack was yogurt, Belvita bars and milk brought by Ian. Thank you, Grace and Ian!
Story: The story for today was A Pocket for Corduroy by Dan Freemann. Before I read the story, we recalled the story Corduroy from last week. In today's story, Corduroy goes with Lisa to the laundromat (we stopped to talk about laundromats). When Corduroy hears Lisa's mom tell her to empty her pockets, he realizes that he does not have a pocket. He goes on a search for something to use to make a pocket. In his search, he gets lost in a bag of wet laundry. When it's time for Lisa to go home, she cannot find him. Ask your child to tell you where Lisa finds Corduroy.
Small Groups: The 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
Letter Learning: The children practiced making big lines and little lines while tracing fence posts and bird legs.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning snack was cheese, wheat thins, grapes, and milk brought by Grace. The afternoon snack was yogurt, Belvita bars and milk brought by Ian. Thank you, Grace and Ian!
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Picture Day and Family Night
Group Meeting: The first thing that we did today was take a class picture. I think the picture will be really nice. After that, the children went 3 at a time with Mrs. Lehenbauer to get their picture taken while the rest of the class proceeded with our usual activities.
Story: The story for today was Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Chrysanthemum is the name of a little girl. Her parents gave her that name because they thought it was a perfect name for a perfect girl. Chrysanthemum loved her name until she started school. The children thought her name was different and teased her about being named after a flower. Now, Chrysanthemum does not like her name until she meets Mrs. Twinkle. Everyone loves Mrs. Twinkle. When she hears them tease Chrysanthemum, she tells them that her first name is Delphinium. When Mrs. Twinkle has a baby, she gives it a special name. Ask your child to tell you what it is.
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
Letter Learning: The children drew Mat Man one more time. This time, they drew it in their Writing Journal.
Large Group: The children learned a new game that we call Four Corners. Ask your child to tell you how to play.
Snacks: The morning snack was waffles, cantaloupe, and juice brought by Hattie. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and juice brought by Isabelle. Thank you, Hattie and Isabelle!
Family Night is tonight from 6:30-7:30 pm. See you then!
Story: The story for today was Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Chrysanthemum is the name of a little girl. Her parents gave her that name because they thought it was a perfect name for a perfect girl. Chrysanthemum loved her name until she started school. The children thought her name was different and teased her about being named after a flower. Now, Chrysanthemum does not like her name until she meets Mrs. Twinkle. Everyone loves Mrs. Twinkle. When she hears them tease Chrysanthemum, she tells them that her first name is Delphinium. When Mrs. Twinkle has a baby, she gives it a special name. Ask your child to tell you what it is.
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
Letter Learning: The children drew Mat Man one more time. This time, they drew it in their Writing Journal.
Large Group: The children learned a new game that we call Four Corners. Ask your child to tell you how to play.
Snacks: The morning snack was waffles, cantaloupe, and juice brought by Hattie. The afternoon snack was cheese sticks and juice brought by Isabelle. Thank you, Hattie and Isabelle!
Family Night is tonight from 6:30-7:30 pm. See you then!
Monday, September 23, 2019
Group Meeting: We have two important events happening tomorrow. I wanted to let the children know what to expect tomorrow for picture day and for Parent Night. I took a few minutes to explain and answer any questions.
Story: The story for today was Mat Man Shapes by Jan Olsen. In this book, Mat Man does not have his usual rectangle mat for a body. Instead, he has various shapes. The story line imagines what Mat Man would do if he had a different shape for a body.
Small Groups: The activities for this week are listed below along with the schedule for today.
Activity #1 The children were introduced to a Name Book. This book is what we will use to learn how to print names using one uppercase letter and the rest lower case letters. This week, the children will be tracing their names.
Activity #2 The children listened to directions on which color to use to color Mat Man's body shapes. This went this the story Mat Man Shapes.
Activity #3 The children participated in a gross motor activity in which they threw bean bags through hoops.
Letter Learning: The children drew pictures of Mat Man which will be on the bulletin board in the hallway. We are hoping that all of our families will check them out tomorrow night!
Large Group: I introduced the children to our Quiet Cube. This is something new that the staff learned about at a professional development class. The Quiet Cube is used when a child wishes to have a little quiet time on their own. It has a pillow, a few squishy toys, and books. The children were told that they were welcome to use this whenever they feel that they need it.
Snacks: The morning snack was bananas, peanut butter, and milk brought by Hudson. The afternoon snack was carrots and cheese sticks brought by Isla. Thank you, Hudson and Isla!
I've had a request for the Peeny Butter Fudge recipe. It's an easy one.
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg of chocolate chips
Melt the peanut butter and milk together on medium heat for about 10 minutes stirring often so that it is creamy. Remove from the heat. Dump in the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Pour into a greased (I used parchment paper for easy removal) 9 x 9" pan. Cool in the refrigerator. Cut and eat.
Story: The story for today was Mat Man Shapes by Jan Olsen. In this book, Mat Man does not have his usual rectangle mat for a body. Instead, he has various shapes. The story line imagines what Mat Man would do if he had a different shape for a body.
Small Groups: The activities for this week are listed below along with the schedule for today.
Activity #1 The children were introduced to a Name Book. This book is what we will use to learn how to print names using one uppercase letter and the rest lower case letters. This week, the children will be tracing their names.
Activity #2 The children listened to directions on which color to use to color Mat Man's body shapes. This went this the story Mat Man Shapes.
Activity #3 The children participated in a gross motor activity in which they threw bean bags through hoops.
Letter Learning: The children drew pictures of Mat Man which will be on the bulletin board in the hallway. We are hoping that all of our families will check them out tomorrow night!
Large Group: I introduced the children to our Quiet Cube. This is something new that the staff learned about at a professional development class. The Quiet Cube is used when a child wishes to have a little quiet time on their own. It has a pillow, a few squishy toys, and books. The children were told that they were welcome to use this whenever they feel that they need it.
Snacks: The morning snack was bananas, peanut butter, and milk brought by Hudson. The afternoon snack was carrots and cheese sticks brought by Isla. Thank you, Hudson and Isla!
I've had a request for the Peeny Butter Fudge recipe. It's an easy one.
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg of chocolate chips
Melt the peanut butter and milk together on medium heat for about 10 minutes stirring often so that it is creamy. Remove from the heat. Dump in the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Pour into a greased (I used parchment paper for easy removal) 9 x 9" pan. Cool in the refrigerator. Cut and eat.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Group Meeting: Our movement activity before Group Meeting starts was "Dinosaur Stomp" by Koo Koo Kangaroo. I will use a lot of their songs throughout the year. They are clever and get the kids moving. They also have a few that I will not use due to "potty" language. If you're looking for a video to get your kids moving, Koo Koo Kangaro can make it fun.
Small Groups: The children watched a video about playing with friends. This went along with the Let's Find Out magazine. The children had to cut the magazine in half to create a little book.
Letter Learning: I drew Mat Man on the chalkboard. I asked the children to close their eyes while I erased a part of Mat Man. They had to discover what was missing. Then, the children drew Mat Man on paper. Perhaps some of you are wondering what Mat Man has to do with Letter Learning. Well, before the children can make the letters, we need a little practice in making lines and curves.
Snacks: The morning class had a King and a Queen today. So, our snacks were Clementines oranges, cheese, and milk brought by Laurel and Jake. The afternoon class snack was carrots and cheese sticks brought by Julian. Thank you Laurel, Jake and Julian!
AM Parents: There was a little mix up with the notes that went home this morning. The Open House time for Tuesday, September 24th is 6:30-7:30, not 5:30-6:30.
AM Parents: There was a little mix up with the notes that went home this morning. The Open House time for Tuesday, September 24th is 6:30-7:30, not 5:30-6:30.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Drawing Mat Man
Group Meeting: Mat Man has been very popular since coming to our classroom on Monday. I saw pictures of him on our chalkboards in the Outdoor Classroom. At the art table, I saw him on the easel. He always looks great!
Story: Today, I did a re-read of a story from last week. I will often do re-reads as I think it is beneficial to visit a story more than once. So, I read Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison. This is the story of Nana and her grandchildren. Following the story, someone said, "I wish we could eat Peeny Butter Fudge." Fortunately, I had made some last night and everyone was invited to try a piece.
Small Groups: The activities for this week were listed in Monday's post. The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group
Letter Learning: The children drew Mat Man on little chalk boards. They listened to the song about Mat Man and followed along with the song.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning snack was cheese sticks and cantaloupe brought by Kinsley. The afternoon snack was yogurt and raspberries brought by Logan. Thank you, Kinsley and Logan!
Story: Today, I did a re-read of a story from last week. I will often do re-reads as I think it is beneficial to visit a story more than once. So, I read Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison. This is the story of Nana and her grandchildren. Following the story, someone said, "I wish we could eat Peeny Butter Fudge." Fortunately, I had made some last night and everyone was invited to try a piece.
Small Groups: The activities for this week were listed in Monday's post. The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Green Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Yellow Group
Letter Learning: The children drew Mat Man on little chalk boards. They listened to the song about Mat Man and followed along with the song.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning snack was cheese sticks and cantaloupe brought by Kinsley. The afternoon snack was yogurt and raspberries brought by Logan. Thank you, Kinsley and Logan!
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Story: The story for today was Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter. This is the story of the artist Henri Emile Matisse. When Henri was young, he loved to paint. He went to school to become a lawyer, but loved painting so much that he changed his plans and became an artist. When he was older, he became ill and could not longer stand or walk. It was then that he discovered that he could make art by cutting painted pictures with a scissors. I like this book because it is a true story, but is written at a child's level.
Small Groups: The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post. The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Green Group
Letter Learning: The children helped me assemble Mat Man. They put all of the body pieces in the right place. Tomorrow, we will learn to draw Mat Man. Here's a picture of Mat Man.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning snack was Belvita bars and juice provided by the preschool. The Queen for the day was ill. We hope she is better soon. The afternoon snack was yogurt and bananas brought by Lydia. Thank you, Lydia!
Small Groups: The activities for this week are listed in yesterday's post. The schedule for today was:
Activity #1 Yellow Group
Activity #2 Red Group
Activity #3 Green Group
Letter Learning: The children helped me assemble Mat Man. They put all of the body pieces in the right place. Tomorrow, we will learn to draw Mat Man. Here's a picture of Mat Man.
Large Group: The children went to the Outdoor Classroom.
Snacks: The morning snack was Belvita bars and juice provided by the preschool. The Queen for the day was ill. We hope she is better soon. The afternoon snack was yogurt and bananas brought by Lydia. Thank you, Lydia!
Monday, September 16, 2019
Mat Man
Story: The story for today was Too Much Glue! by Jason Lefebvre. In this story, a boy uses too much glue during art class. The glue gets all over him. Things get stuck to him, and he ends up being stuck to his desk. The teacher, the nurse, and the principal do not know what to do. Fortunately, his dad does. Ask your child to tell you how dad gets him unstuck.
Small Groups: The small group activities for this week are listed below along with the schedule for today.
Activity #1 (Red Group) The children listened to the story Clifford Goes to Dog School by Norman Bridwell. This is a part of a literacy program that I will be using throughout the school year call Read It Again. Today, we discussed the words beg, heel, shake, and stay.
Activity #2 (Yellow Group) The children learned how to use the school glue. They practiced making dots with the glue bottle by saying "just a dot, not a lot".
Activity #3 (Green Group) The children practiced holding a scissors correctly and snipping small pieces of paper.
Letter Learning: The children learned about Mat Man. Mat Man is made using the large and small lines and curves that we learned about last week. Mat Man will teach us how to draw a person that includes all of the body parts.
Snacks: The morning snack was apples, peanut butter, and milk brought by Lucy. The afternoon snack was apples, cheese sticks, and milk brought by Madelyn. Thank you, Lucy and Madelyn!
Small Groups: The small group activities for this week are listed below along with the schedule for today.
Activity #1 (Red Group) The children listened to the story Clifford Goes to Dog School by Norman Bridwell. This is a part of a literacy program that I will be using throughout the school year call Read It Again. Today, we discussed the words beg, heel, shake, and stay.
Activity #2 (Yellow Group) The children learned how to use the school glue. They practiced making dots with the glue bottle by saying "just a dot, not a lot".
Activity #3 (Green Group) The children practiced holding a scissors correctly and snipping small pieces of paper.
Letter Learning: The children learned about Mat Man. Mat Man is made using the large and small lines and curves that we learned about last week. Mat Man will teach us how to draw a person that includes all of the body parts.
Snacks: The morning snack was apples, peanut butter, and milk brought by Lucy. The afternoon snack was apples, cheese sticks, and milk brought by Madelyn. Thank you, Lucy and Madelyn!
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Group Meeting: Today was the first Birthday Day of the school year. I explained to the children that on Birthday Day, we do a cooking activity. Our cooking project was French Toast. We made this in Small Groups right before play time.
Story: The book that I read today was Apple, Oranges, Pears, and Plums. This is a book of the months of the year with the children's names included during the month of their birthday. We will refer to this book throughout the year as we celebrate birthdays.
Small Groups: The children made French Toast. They cracked eggs into a bowl, whisked the eggs together, dipped the bread in the egg, and placed it on a baking sheet. We sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon sugar on top. I put the baking sheet in the oven until snack time. I managed to get a few pictures of this.
Large Group: The children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about sharing. We watched the accompanying video about how to share in the classroom. They completed the maze and coloring section on the back.
Snacks: The children ate the French Toast with juice or water. We lit a candle for each birthday child and sang Happy Birthday. We use Little Debbie Brownies as our Birthday Brownies.
Story: The book that I read today was Apple, Oranges, Pears, and Plums. This is a book of the months of the year with the children's names included during the month of their birthday. We will refer to this book throughout the year as we celebrate birthdays.
Small Groups: The children made French Toast. They cracked eggs into a bowl, whisked the eggs together, dipped the bread in the egg, and placed it on a baking sheet. We sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon sugar on top. I put the baking sheet in the oven until snack time. I managed to get a few pictures of this.
Large Group: The children completed a Let's Find Out magazine about sharing. We watched the accompanying video about how to share in the classroom. They completed the maze and coloring section on the back.
Snacks: The children ate the French Toast with juice or water. We lit a candle for each birthday child and sang Happy Birthday. We use Little Debbie Brownies as our Birthday Brownies.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Group Meeting: The children danced to The Body Boogie. It's fun to watch everyone dance!
Story: The story for today was Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison. In this story, Mom is leaving the children with Nana for the day. Mom has a list of things for the children to do, but Nana has her own plan. The children listen to stories, have a gunny sack race, dance, do a puzzle, and pretend to be a doctor for Nana. But, the best activity that Nana has planned is making Peeny Butter Fudge. Ask your child to tell you what happens when Mom comes to pick them up. Is she happy? Why not and what makes her happy?
Small Groups: The activities for this weeks 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
Letter Learning: The children sang the song "Where Do You Start Your Letters?" from yesterday. Then they listened to "The Ant, the Bug and the Bee". After the song, they made lines on a paper, drawing from the ant at the top to the bottom, just like ants walking on the wall.
Snacks: The morning snack was Belvita bars and carrots brought by Ram. The afternoon snack was bagels, cream cheese, and blueberries brought by Rory. Thank you, Ram and Rory!
Note for afternoon parents: I will be absent tomorrow afternoon to attend a funeral. Mrs. Smith will be helping Mrs. Heimendinger and Mrs. Yocom.
Story: The story for today was Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni Morrison. In this story, Mom is leaving the children with Nana for the day. Mom has a list of things for the children to do, but Nana has her own plan. The children listen to stories, have a gunny sack race, dance, do a puzzle, and pretend to be a doctor for Nana. But, the best activity that Nana has planned is making Peeny Butter Fudge. Ask your child to tell you what happens when Mom comes to pick them up. Is she happy? Why not and what makes her happy?
Small Groups: The activities for this weeks 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
Letter Learning: The children sang the song "Where Do You Start Your Letters?" from yesterday. Then they listened to "The Ant, the Bug and the Bee". After the song, they made lines on a paper, drawing from the ant at the top to the bottom, just like ants walking on the wall.
Snacks: The morning snack was Belvita bars and carrots brought by Ram. The afternoon snack was bagels, cream cheese, and blueberries brought by Rory. Thank you, Ram and Rory!
Note for afternoon parents: I will be absent tomorrow afternoon to attend a funeral. Mrs. Smith will be helping Mrs. Heimendinger and Mrs. Yocom.
Monday, September 9, 2019
Group Meeting: I have been very pleased with how well the children have learned our daily routine. They are learning very quickly!
Story: I read Charlie Anderson written by Barbara Abercrombie. Charlie is a cat that came to live with Elizabeth and Sarah. He sleeps with them at night, but goes to the woods during the day. One night, he doesn't come home. Elizabeth and Sarah are very worried about him. The next day, they search for him, asking the neighbors if they have seen him. Ask your child to tell you where they found Charlie and why his name is Charlie Anderson.
In this book, the girls find out that Charlie has two homes. They also have two homes. They live with their mom during the week and with their dad and stepmother on the weekends. I like how this book ends by saying Charlie and the girls have two homes that love them.
Small Groups: We started small groups today. A note in your child's bag will explain how we do this. I will list all of the small group activities today and the rotation throughout the week.
Activity #1 (Red Group) The children explored the wooden pieces that we will use to make letters. We call them big lines, little lines, big curves, and little curves.
Activity #2 (Yellow Group) The children sorted bear manipulatives by color and by size.
Activity #3 (Green Group) The children drew self-portraits in their writing journals.
Letter Learning: The children listened to the song "Where Do You Start Your Letters?" They practiced starting at the top by drawing lines from the top of the paper to the bottom using the smiley face on the paper as a starting point.
Large Group: The children used the wooden big lines to tap along with the song "Tap, Tap, Tap."
Snacks: The morning snack was blueberry Belvita bars and milk brought by Sophia. The afternoon snack was apples and granola bars brought by Ryan. Thank you, Sophia and Ryan!
Story: I read Charlie Anderson written by Barbara Abercrombie. Charlie is a cat that came to live with Elizabeth and Sarah. He sleeps with them at night, but goes to the woods during the day. One night, he doesn't come home. Elizabeth and Sarah are very worried about him. The next day, they search for him, asking the neighbors if they have seen him. Ask your child to tell you where they found Charlie and why his name is Charlie Anderson.
In this book, the girls find out that Charlie has two homes. They also have two homes. They live with their mom during the week and with their dad and stepmother on the weekends. I like how this book ends by saying Charlie and the girls have two homes that love them.
Small Groups: We started small groups today. A note in your child's bag will explain how we do this. I will list all of the small group activities today and the rotation throughout the week.
Activity #1 (Red Group) The children explored the wooden pieces that we will use to make letters. We call them big lines, little lines, big curves, and little curves.
Activity #2 (Yellow Group) The children sorted bear manipulatives by color and by size.
Activity #3 (Green Group) The children drew self-portraits in their writing journals.
Letter Learning: The children listened to the song "Where Do You Start Your Letters?" They practiced starting at the top by drawing lines from the top of the paper to the bottom using the smiley face on the paper as a starting point.
Large Group: The children used the wooden big lines to tap along with the song "Tap, Tap, Tap."
Snacks: The morning snack was blueberry Belvita bars and milk brought by Sophia. The afternoon snack was apples and granola bars brought by Ryan. Thank you, Sophia and Ryan!
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Group Meeting: The children are learning the Pledge of Allegiance. The King or Queen of the day (snack person) holds the flag while we recite the words. They are picking it up very quickly!
Story: The story for today was Pete the Cat: My Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin. Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite yellow shirt with four buttons. One button pops off. How many does Pete have left? Does Pete cry? The children help subtract the buttons while Pete remains cool. Ask your child to tell you what happens when Pete runs out of buttons.
Large Group: The children listened to the rules about taking care of our world. Then, they watched a video that goes along with the Let's Find Out Magazine that they are bringing home today. The video was about class rules and went well with everything that we have been talking about this week. Please take a few minutes to look at the magazine with your child.
Snacks: The morning snack was cereal and cheese sticks brought by Sawyer. The snack for the afternoon was oranges and cheese sticks brought by Silas. Thank you, Sawyer and Silas!
Story: The story for today was Pete the Cat: My Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin. Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite yellow shirt with four buttons. One button pops off. How many does Pete have left? Does Pete cry? The children help subtract the buttons while Pete remains cool. Ask your child to tell you what happens when Pete runs out of buttons.
Large Group: The children listened to the rules about taking care of our world. Then, they watched a video that goes along with the Let's Find Out Magazine that they are bringing home today. The video was about class rules and went well with everything that we have been talking about this week. Please take a few minutes to look at the magazine with your child.
Snacks: The morning snack was cereal and cheese sticks brought by Sawyer. The snack for the afternoon was oranges and cheese sticks brought by Silas. Thank you, Sawyer and Silas!
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Group Meeting: We have begun monthly math journals that we work in every day. Yesterday, the children colored the cover of the journal. Today, the directions were; draw 1 red apple, draw 1 green apple, count the apples. The math journals provide math concepts as well as practice in following directions.
Story: The story for today was A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni. This is the story of a chameleon who wishes that he didn't change colors. Other animals have their own colors. He decides to stay on a leaf and be green. However, in the Fall, the leaf changes and he does too. Then he meets a chameleon friend. Ask your child to tell you what he discovers with his new friend.
Large Group: Zoey and Max gave the children examples of ways that we can keep our school safe and clean.
Letter Learning: The children sang the song "Pick Up a Crayon" and practiced holding a crayon. They colored fireworks to practice making back and forth motions with the crayon.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was grapes and yogurt brought by Tristan. The afternoon snack was applesauce and cheese sticks brought by Tate. Thank you, Tristan and Tate!
Story: The story for today was A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni. This is the story of a chameleon who wishes that he didn't change colors. Other animals have their own colors. He decides to stay on a leaf and be green. However, in the Fall, the leaf changes and he does too. Then he meets a chameleon friend. Ask your child to tell you what he discovers with his new friend.
Large Group: Zoey and Max gave the children examples of ways that we can keep our school safe and clean.
Letter Learning: The children sang the song "Pick Up a Crayon" and practiced holding a crayon. They colored fireworks to practice making back and forth motions with the crayon.
Snacks: The snack for the morning class was grapes and yogurt brought by Tristan. The afternoon snack was applesauce and cheese sticks brought by Tate. Thank you, Tristan and Tate!
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Pick Up a Crayon
Group Meeting: I introduced the Job Chart. At clean up time, every child is assigned an area to clean. Some areas have 5 workers, others have only one or two. When the bell rings, the children stop what they are doing, go to the job chart and find their name, and go the area that they are supposed to clean. Once we get into the routine, clean up time will go very quickly!
Story: The story for today was Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes. Wemberly worries about everything. Her parents try to remind her to not worry, but Wemberly worries. Her new worry is about going to school. She wonders; Will I have a friend?, Will the teacher be mean?, Will the children like me? Ask your child to tell you what happens when she gets to school. Following the story, we held a discussion on what to do if you are worried. We assured the children that we are there to help them if they become worried about anything.
Large Group: Zoey and Max discussed our rule "We help take care of each other." The children took turns picking cards that had ideas of how we can care for each other.
Letter Learning: The children learned the correct way to hold a crayon. A note concerning this is in their bags today.
Snacks: The morning snack was bread, peanut butter, and milk brought by Weston. The afternoon snack was yogurt and bananas brought by Vivienne. Thank you, Weston and Vivienne!
Story: The story for today was Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes. Wemberly worries about everything. Her parents try to remind her to not worry, but Wemberly worries. Her new worry is about going to school. She wonders; Will I have a friend?, Will the teacher be mean?, Will the children like me? Ask your child to tell you what happens when she gets to school. Following the story, we held a discussion on what to do if you are worried. We assured the children that we are there to help them if they become worried about anything.
Large Group: Zoey and Max discussed our rule "We help take care of each other." The children took turns picking cards that had ideas of how we can care for each other.
Letter Learning: The children learned the correct way to hold a crayon. A note concerning this is in their bags today.
Snacks: The morning snack was bread, peanut butter, and milk brought by Weston. The afternoon snack was yogurt and bananas brought by Vivienne. Thank you, Weston and Vivienne!
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