Dear TKG families,
Every day I am excited to be part of the Knowing Garden. I not only gain valuable insight from parent workshops, but from your children as well. This week I learned the age of a tree can be determined by the number of rings. A good climbing tree has low branches and often smooth bark in the most used climbing spots. Carnivores eat meat and carne is Spanish for meat.
A community garden should have vegetables and tree houses in the fruit trees. Patterns can be made with colors and not just shapes. Cats and dogs have great hearing. A river full of fish can end a civil war in Bear Village. Four boosters plus a mach one equals a mach five. Rockets rhymes with pockets, chairs rhymes with bears. A palm frond comes from palm trees, feels smooth, has lines, collects water, and can be used as a boat or spaceship. And that please, thank you, sharing snack, and checking in with each other feels really good!
My dream job is moving into Week 7 and with Halloween in the air and pumpkins on the brain we will be searching for pumpkins on Monday. We will explore the park, visit the community rose garden, possibly stop by the dog park, all while searching for the hidden pumpkins. We will observe, explore, and choose our pumpkins. Week 7 projects will include estimation and measurements of our pumpkin’s circumference, weight, height, number of seeds, patterns, pulp, and so much more. We will use our senses to observe and document the inside and outside of our pumpkin. We will compare our pumpkins with other gourds. Does a small pumpkin sink or float? How about a BIG one? We will see…
Week 7 will focus on the following developmental concepts:
Social
Leading and participating in meetings
Checking in with each other BEFORE beginning games, taking the next turn, climbing a tree, etc
Emotional
Gaining confidence and independence
Acknowledging others’ feelings
Using names and explicit words to express feelings, needs, and boundaries so that others are clear on who is being spoken to and the message is clear
Physical
Large Motor Skills; Balancing on one foot, climbing, running, jumping, etc.
Fine Motor Skills; drawing, cutting, building, etc.
Cognitive
Compare and contrast
Measurement: weight, height, volume
Estimation
Prediction
Observation using senses
Skip counting by 10
Happy Learning,
Michelle Goldbach-Johnson
