Two Kittens are Born

With so much kitten play going on, we decided to learn a little bit more about cats.  Yesterday we read an older book, Two Kittens are Born, by Betty Schilling.  The children were listening to discover anything new about cats and kittens.  They had some poignant questions and were very mature about the sometimes delicate nature of kitten birth and rearing.  We didn’t go into graphic detail, but I wanted to make sure that I answered their questions truthfully and without embarrassment.

The Cat Sat on a Mat with a Rat

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One of the many skills we are currently working on this time of year is rhyming. During the school year, we spend a lot of time talking about the sounds we hear in words. Students practice these skills as they start to sound out words for what we like to call “kid writing”. As we move through the school year, we begin focusing on the sounds we hear at the end of a word and how some words share the same ending sounds. Sometimes, this can be tricky as many students still focus on words that share the same sound at the beginning of a word such as “ball” and “bat”. The more we practice and show examples of rhyming words, the more the students are able to grasp the concept.

This week, we have been playing a rhyming game that asks the students to find three concrete items that will rhyme with the picture they are given. The students delight in finding rhyming words and placing the toy on their picture card. As teachers, we like this game because it provides the student with an opportunity to physically pick up an object, say the two words out loud, and decided whether or not they rhyme. Having a concrete item to touch, makes the task more meaningful and therefore makes for a stronger connection in the child’s brain.

Another fun way to practice rhyming, on the go, is to give your child a word and see if they can come up with a rhyming word to match it. It could be a real word rhyme such as “cat” and “bat” or it could be a silly rhyme such as “Forst” and “morst”. This game can be played at the grocery market, the car, or while waiting for the doctor. If your child is having trouble coming up with a rhyme, start by giving them an example or using concrete objects such as toys or commonly found objects. What’s most important is that the game should be fun! There is nothing more powerful than a child who learns through play and therefore loves to learn!

 

We’re pleased to introduce you to…

Lucy!

Our students came up with many name suggestions for our new friend and then voted on them during morning meeting. The name “Lucy” received the most votes and our friend was welcomed into our classroom. The students have taken to showing her around the classroom, making her snacks (pretend of course), and asking if she could join them in Library class. We are excited to see what other kind of adventures Lucy will go on next!

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Good Guys, Bad Guys

If you happen to watch a large group of 4-6 year-olds play long enough, you’ll begin to see this age groups’ fascination with all things “bad” and “evil”.  One of the favorite themes in play every year is to be the bad guys or the evil (unicorn, horse, Batman, fairy, fill-in-the-blank).  Young children are drawn to this type of play.  Battling the bad guy allows children to enact control over their fears and anxieties about what they perceive to be good and evil in the world around them.  Being the bad guy lets them play with the power they imbue on villains. This type of play lets the children work through their fears and impulses in a safe environment, where they know that they and their friends are not really bad, but only acting.

When we noticed that good guy, bad guy play had become a prominent theme both indoors and out, we realized it was time to start a new study.

Our question for the children is:

How can you tell if someone is a good guy or a bad guy?
(another version is: What are the clues that it is a good/bad guy?)

We began the study by asking the children to draw their vision of each on separate pieces of paper.

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It was interesting that almost all of the bad guys were identified as Darth Vader, a character in a movie that many of them have not seen.

Spider Pets

Last week we made our own adorable spider pets.  They traveled with us to Music and Dance class.  They joined us while we read, “Spider on the Floor” by Raffi. spider_on_the_floor

Eventually, we decided that they needed names.  Each child recorded their spider’s special name and some interesting facts about them.

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A few of the children described their spiders while others wrote tales of adventure for them.

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Beginning the Ball Study

Our newest research topic is bouncy and buoyant. It rumbles and rolls. The shapes and sizes astound!  The children want to learn more about:

Balls!

Before break, a basket of random bouncy objects was discovered on one of our shelves.  Before we knew it, the balls had made their way into every section of the room.  There were balls in the kitchen, balls in the art area, balls rolling down planks, balls sliding down steps.  It was obvious which direction our next study would take.

We’ve only begun to explore the properties of balls this week.  Below is a cross-section of a few children plying their sorting skills on the spherical objects.  Later we’ll post a short video highlighting one of the new games they’ve invented.

 

Letters, letters everywhere…

Today, during recess, some of our students decided to make letters of the alphabet using natural materials. The possibilities were endless!

Planning and Reflection Journals

Today, our students started a new morning job in our classroom called “Planning and Reflection” journals. After the students have finished the morning message, they are asked to think about what they might want to do/play while at school today. When they have an idea, they record their idea in their journal. Some students draw a picture, others use their kid-writing to get their ideas down on paper, and some do both. Not only does this activity provide the students with another opportunity to write, but it helps guide the children into meaningful play.

At the end of the day, the students will reflect on what actually happened today. Did they stick to their plan or did they decided to do something different? Perhaps a super exciting activity  happened today that they would rather write about instead (i.e. soccer with Mr. Cooper or a haunted Art class with Mrs. Allan).

The journals help the students make conscious decisions about their daily activities and if those ideas are worth playing again. They also become a great example of how the students grow and mature throughout the year. The improvement of the students’ ideas, drawings, and writing become very obvious as the year progresses.

There was an old lady who…

there was an old ladyIn the spirit of Halloween, we read the story There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat by Lucille Colandro and then did a journal entry about some other Halloween items the little old lady might eat. These were their answers…