We have only been in school for four short days, but the children have already become comfortable with the environment, the routine, the teachers, and each other. The following are highlights from each part of our day this week.
Morning Meeting - Mr. Reynolds and the SK friends join us for part of this daily gathering, when the children have an opportunity to sing songs, play games, review the schedule for the day and materials available in the classroom, share news, and engage in discussion.
The children have enjoyed singing “Over the Deep Blue Sea”, which uses position words such as “over”, under”, “right side” and “left side”, and will later become an opportunity for us to explore the concept of rhyme together.
We discussed ways to solve the problem of two children wanting the same toy or material. Some of the solutions that the children suggested included: “See if there is another one that you can use”, “Ask if you can have a turn when the other person is done”, and “Try using something else”. One of the important goals of the JK program is helping children learn strategies to solve problems independently, rather than always relying on an adult for the solution. Learning appropriate, thoughtful, and creative ways to respond to complex social interactions is a life-long process, so this will continue to be a focus of our journey with the children this year.
Indoor Play Space - While we await some final adjustments to be made at Trio Park to make it more child-friendly , we have taken advantage of the Indoor Play Space to develop large motor skills and enjoy active play. The children have used the tumbling mats to practice jumping, rolling, and balancing. They have also used the large wooden and foam blocks to create trains, office buildings, and a cake store.
Morning Meeting - Mr. Reynolds and the SK friends join us for part of this daily gathering, when the children have an opportunity to sing songs, play games, review the schedule for the day and materials available in the classroom, share news, and engage in discussion.
The children have enjoyed singing “Over the Deep Blue Sea”, which uses position words such as “over”, under”, “right side” and “left side”, and will later become an opportunity for us to explore the concept of rhyme together.
We discussed ways to solve the problem of two children wanting the same toy or material. Some of the solutions that the children suggested included: “See if there is another one that you can use”, “Ask if you can have a turn when the other person is done”, and “Try using something else”. One of the important goals of the JK program is helping children learn strategies to solve problems independently, rather than always relying on an adult for the solution. Learning appropriate, thoughtful, and creative ways to respond to complex social interactions is a life-long process, so this will continue to be a focus of our journey with the children this year.
Indoor Play Space - While we await some final adjustments to be made at Trio Park to make it more child-friendly , we have taken advantage of the Indoor Play Space to develop large motor skills and enjoy active play. The children have used the tumbling mats to practice jumping, rolling, and balancing. They have also used the large wooden and foam blocks to create trains, office buildings, and a cake store.
Snack - The children look forward to our communal snack, and wait patiently for everyone to be served before eating! This is a wonderful time for conversation among peers and between teachers and children, as well as a time to relax after active play before moving into our more focused classroom exploration.
Indoor Exploration - As the name implies, this is a time for the children to explore the materials in the classroom with the teachers providing guidance and posing open-ended questions to extend the children’s work and ideas. They have built fire stations, garages, and hospitals with the unit blocks, created machines of all types with the gears, and made geometric shapes and designs with the geoboards. They used materials from the art shelves for both 2-d and 3-d creations. The colored tape is definitely a favorite! Asking the children to use their name cards to help them write their names on artwork is just one way we integrate literacy into our daily classroom life. The dress-ups encouraged the children to transform themselves into moms, dads, train conductors, and airplane passengers and engage in collaborative dramatic play.
The slideshow below captures the children's joy and creativity as they explored the classroom:
Indoor Exploration - As the name implies, this is a time for the children to explore the materials in the classroom with the teachers providing guidance and posing open-ended questions to extend the children’s work and ideas. They have built fire stations, garages, and hospitals with the unit blocks, created machines of all types with the gears, and made geometric shapes and designs with the geoboards. They used materials from the art shelves for both 2-d and 3-d creations. The colored tape is definitely a favorite! Asking the children to use their name cards to help them write their names on artwork is just one way we integrate literacy into our daily classroom life. The dress-ups encouraged the children to transform themselves into moms, dads, train conductors, and airplane passengers and engage in collaborative dramatic play.
The slideshow below captures the children's joy and creativity as they explored the classroom:
Story Time / Reflection - The children enjoyed gathering for a story at the close of each morning.
I Will Never Not Ever Eat A Tomato by Lauren Child is a delightful book that uses humor and imagination to encourage children to try new foods. After the story, the children shared their favorite and least favorite foods. As we looked at the list we had created on the white wall, it was interesting to note that green beans and popsicles appeared on both lists! The book also provided an opportunity to talk about our longer school day next week and that we will be able to eat lunch together before we have a nap/rest time and then have more time to play!