| Happy Memorial Day! We hope you had a safe and restful weekend.This week was all about…
Reading
- Library Time: Park day we read and explored Butterflies Are Patient and All About Living Thing. Back in the classroom we read and added sound effects to one of our favorite stories, The Little House. When reading Madeline students wondered what an appendix was so we researched in our library and learned a bit about our large intestine. Yoko’s Paper Planes prompted origami making and testing our paper boats. We also learned Yoko lives in California too, and we were interested in how far we are from Japan (where Yoko’s grandparents live). We explored our map and globe to find out.
Writing
- Sidewalk chalk: Fine motor skills, Gross motor skills, Art, Open ended!
- Origami: Fine motor skills, following sequencing directions, coloring and writing
- Schedules: Each morning students are excited to hear about our projects and plans. They either write or draw corresponding colors to create their daily schedule. On the back students have been writing their names or drawing a picture.
- Shrinky Dinks: Fine motor skills, writing, drawing, hole punching…lead to beading necklaces! This plan was requested to continue for the rest of the week.
Math
- Math Workshop: Students have been trading sorting jobs or assisting in sorting. Lincoln Logs have become a permanent part of math workshop; students describe them as “one-ers, two-ers, or three-ers.” Sorters have been honoring that each student comes to math workshop when they are interested and supplies are available to all.
- Even or odd?:What makes a number even or odd? And what does even and odd mean anyway? We explored our definitions, tested, and used manipulatives to visualize these concepts.
- Measurement: Using a scale we compared the weight of several items; “one-er” and a bear, one hexagon = ________, all my bear or all your Lincoln logs…don’t forget my flip-flop! This experiment has us giggling with excitement.
Science/Environmental
- Butterfly observation: science, language arts. We observed our butterflies drinking with their proboscis. We released them on park day, and immediately caught them. Eventually their flying skills improved and we said goodbye.
- Ball Races: Students took turns releasing balls and watching the wind take over at the bottom of the hill. Each student wanted a turn releasing the balls and we worked on making sure that happened.
- Body:When reading Madeline students wondered what an appendix was so we researched in our library and learned a bit about our large intestine.
Social Studies/History
- Long Ago versus Today: We were talking about breathing and students had ideas about when you learn to breath. A student said that doctors help you breath until you are older. I asked about “long ago” when there were no hospitals or cars. A student said, “Or toy stores?” Or toy stores! Gasp! Minds were blown. The conversation shifted as students wanted to hear more about the time before toy stores and what kids played with then. Student offered toy ideas and we have been thinking about long ago throughout the rest of the week.
- World Cultures: We learned about Yoko who lives in California and are interested in how far we are from Japan (where Yoko’s grandparents live). We explored our map and globe to find out.
Emotional Intelligence
- Leading Meeting: Some of our meeting books: Yoko’s Paper Cranes (x2),Rhyming Dust Bunnies, The Little House, Madeline, Don’t Eat the Teacher…or games, piano playing.
- Responsibility: Cleaning up crayons after schedule is made, snack pack up, eating at snack table, checking in with the teacher, etc.
Physical Development
- Kitten Play: hugging, cuddling, pretend cat fight
- Frisbee:Student have created ways to allow all students to have a turn. We continue to problem solve around honoring everyone’s turn and not ending the game before all get a chance to be the “referee.”
- Yoga: breathing, stretching
- Animal Charades: taking turns, using facial expressions and noises, clues, whole body
Social Development
- Taking Turns: we’ve problem solved a few times this week with our outdoor activities.
- Sharing Ideas
- Divergent Thinking: looking at things differently, making different versions
Mindfulness/Self-Awareness
- Personal Schedules: Color coded schedules in full swing!
- Personal Space: Observation of spatial relation to other students
- Yoga: meditation, breathing, stretching
- Physical Needs: Moving outdoors to release physical energy
Creative Arts
- Crafts beading, shrinky dinks, painting
- Music humming and adding sound effects to books, rhyming songs
- Art Yoko’s Paper Planes prompted origami making and testing our paper boats. We also learned Yoko lives in California too, and we were interested in how far we are from Japan (where Yoko’s grandparents live). We explored our map and globe to find out.
Overheard in our Classroom/Play Yard:
“I love making my schedule. What color is schedule making? I want to put it on my schedule!”
Honoring everyone gets a turn can be hard. Once inside students wanted space from me, and were a bit playful with this too. “I’m mad at you (me) I need Private Time!” Students then picked books and went into the hallway to read. They read each other books and “snuck” back into the classroom for some water. Our sprouts are pretty darn cute, even when they are “mad” at me.
“How much time do we have left? I’m going to do this (beading) for the rest of the day!”
Talk about vacations; driving trips, flying trips, walking trips?!
In Preparation for Next Week, please check in your sprouts on the following:
- What do you know about farms? Farm animals? People who work on farms?
- TKG memories: anything your child may want to revisit in the coming weeks.
- Comfortable and safe shoes and clothes (sandals and flip flops tend to be slippery and trip us up)
- Keeping hands and feet at a safe distance from other’s bodies; safety plans for running and ride-on plans in figure eights.
- Minimizing branded toys, items during school time
- Comfort in moving to outdoors or play area when physical energy is bubbling up
- Choosing lesson topics: frogs (or farts), birds, making t-shirts. Ask your child what they plan on teaching to spark the creative juices this weekend…
For your reference, below is our key to planning and learning:
- CONSTRUCTIVISM(expanding existing knowledge)
- WHOLE CHILD (emotional/cognitive/social/physical)
- BRAIN FUNCTION & DEVELOPMENT (developmental readiness and willingness)
- CAPACITY BUILDING (critical thinking, skills for the global marketplace)
- CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING (learning from one another)
If you have any questions, please reach us as follows:
CLASSROOM/CURRICULUM/PARK DAY – Michelle Goldbach-Johnson
PARENT VOLUNTEER/JOBS/FIELD TRIP – MJ Garcia
ADMINISTRATIVE – Trish Valdez |
