Nursery Rhymes are wonderful for young children. They teach a variety of important skills such as rhyming, rhythm, and vocabulary. Children enjoy reciting the poems because they are short, often familiar and fun! Throughout our unit we focused on identifying and producing rhymes, determining beginning sounds, and building vocabulary. The children also practiced sequencing. Each nursery rhyme was displayed on a pocket chart. Students learned that letters make a word and that words make up sentences. We pointed to each word as we recited the rhyme to demonstrate this idea. The children also practiced retelling as they acted out the rhymes in groups for the class and with puppets at dramatic play. Math was also incorporated into our study of nursery rhymes. The students practiced number identification and ordering, counting, growing patterns, combining sets and slides, flips and turns with shapes. We have also been working on writing letters of the alphabet and each student is practicing his/her name.
Nursery Rhymes that we studied:
Humpty Dumpty
Jack and Jill
Hey Diddle Diddle
Hickory Dickory Dock
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Little Miss Muffet
Mary Had a Little Lamb
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Everyday we have a few minutes where the students have time to look at books on their own or with a partner. I love how engaged each child is in his/her book!
The first nursery rhyme that we read was Humpty Dumpty. After reading the rhyme, we talked about the words and the students acted out the story. They then sequenced the story and did several related math and literacy activities. We then met as a class to conduct a science experiment. The students helped me to build a wall out of blocks. We then selected four items into which we'd drop Humpty Dumpty; feathers, sand, pom-poms and marbles. The children predicted which items would protect Humpty Dumpty from the fall and which items would crack his shell. The students' predictions were recorded on a sheet, as well as the actual results, so that we could compare. Using a hard boiled egg, I dropped Humpty into each material and then passed the egg around for observations. Not surprising, Humpty Dumpty was protected by the soft materials, but cracked when dropped onto the marbles.
Below are some pictures of students acting out Jack and Jill.
Hey Diddle Diddle was a favorite nursery rhyme that allowed for many students to take part.
Students practiced cutting, gluing and sequencing as they put pictures from each of the nursery rhymes in order.
Prior to reading Little Miss Muffet, students were asked if they like or don't like spiders. They recorded their answers on a graph.
Every week students practice turn taking and cooperative play skills through structured games. Here they are playing a Jenga-like game where they try to remove pieces of a wall without Humpty Dumpty falling down.
We continue to practice shapes and counting. This week students used pattern blocks to create a "Shape Stew". They took a recipe card and counted the number of each shape on the card and mixed them together in a bowl to create a shape stew.
In the dramatic play area the students used their imagination to create puppet shows for their peers. After some modeling and direction, the children did an excellent job of engaging their audience and describing each character's action.
Throughout the year students practice greeting one another with eye contact, shaking hands and smiling during morning circle. Our hello songs are often sung with a partner to practice these skills. This month students also worked together to create bridges and tunnels for the songs Mary Had a Little Lamb and London Bridge.
At the sensory table, students had the opportunity to build water spouts and send spiders up and down their spouts with water.
We got a train table! The children asked for a train table so I traded in our Lego table for a train table and it is a big hit!
In the Art Center students had the opportunity to free paint at the easels.
