Embedded within our theme of "All About Me" were math and literacy skills. The children practiced one-to-one counting, measurement, comparisons using the words more/less, longer/shorter and same/different. We reviewed colors through games and painting and sorted objects by color. As an introduction to writing, the students were introduced to wood pieces that can be combined to form letters; these support later lessons on correct written letter formation. Students also learned about book parts and engaged in activities to practice sound discrimination.
Below you will find some pictures highlighting our days together.
Students learned how to use water colors and painted pictures that uncovered a secret message- their names!
Students traced their shoe and cut out their footprint practicing scissor skills. They then used cubes to measure the length of their foot applying measurement skills and one to one counting. In comparing shoes, the children learned who in the class has the same size foot. They also used the vocabulary longer and shorter in their comparisons.
The children used their fine motor skills to create "snakes" and "balls" in order to make a self-portrait and create the faces of their family members.
Last week, when talking about families and activities families enjoy together, the children engaged in birthday activities. Here students are creating birthday cupcakes out of playdoh, placing number candles on top.
Different types of food were added to the dramatic play area. The children cooked, cleaned and served food. They then sorted the food into categories; fruits, vegetables, dairy, protein, snacks, while cleaning up.
Some students enjoyed setting up a pretend birthday party in dramatic play.
Games are incorporated into free play, so students can practice social skills including turn taking. Here children are playing Silly Faces, a game where they take turns adding different facial features to a face.
Over the next few weeks, we will work on name recognition, and for those who are ready, identifying letters in their name. Some children are even writing the first letter or even their whole name. Here all of the children stamped their name.
Students continue to exercise their creativity, problem solving skills and ability to share and compromise while playing with blocks.
Several children enjoyed working together to fill different containers with beans.
During circle time, we talked about different features of ourselves to show that we are the same in some ways and different in others. Below are two graphs that we created, one showing siblings and the other hair color.
Families are important and help to define us. We talked about characteristics of a family. After reading the book, Who's in My Family? by Robie Harris we created the chart below describing where families live, who is in a family and activities families like to do together.
The children then completed a craft that included a picture of their family. The children used cubes to count the number of members in their family and then showed this number using leaves on a family tree.
After reading, I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont and We Are All Alike... We Are All Different by the Cheltenham Elementary School Kindergarten, the children talked about what they like about themselves and what they are good at doing. They then created self-portraits by ripping and gluing paper.
Our class participated in its first all school assembly. Memorial School is a Choose to Be Nice school and we were part of the kick-off assembly. The children were introduced to nine mice that represent nine different themes that will be addressed throughout the year, Respect, Courage, Teamwork, Kindness, Friendship, Acceptance, Responsibility, Honesty and Patience. While there isn't a preschool program yet, we will be incorporating the themes into our monthly Social Thinking topics.
