Monday, February 28

Group Meeting:  We are going to be reading fairy tales starting today and throughout the month of March.  Our activities will follow the fairy tale theme.  We started our day by defining what makes a fairy tale.  A fairy tale is a pretend story.  We can usually tell this because the characters are animals or made up characters.  Sometimes a fairy tale will teach us something.  Sometimes the fairy tales include magic or magical beings.

Story:  The story for today was Goldilocks and the Three Bears retold by Bonnie Dobkin.  I'm sure that all of you are familiar with the story of the little girl who gets lost in the woods and finds the bear's cottage.  After reading the story, the children were able to tell me that this story was not real because bears don't live in houses, talk, or wear clothes.  Ask your child to tell you what Goldilocks learned and what the bears learned from this story.

Small Groups:  The children went to the Outdoor Classroom during this time.  We are planning to go outside all week if the weather permits.

Large Group:  After reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the children took turns selecting cards and sorting them into two categories;  In the Story and Not In the Story.  

Letter Learning:  Nn

Snack:  The snack for today was Belvita Bars, juice and water.

Thursday, February 24

 Group Meeting:  We had fun with Pajama Day!  We started by dancing and singing the "Pajama Song".  

Story:  The story for today was Piggies in Pajamas by Michelle Meadows.  The little piggies are ready for bed.  Mom is on the phone.  The children jump on the bed until they hear her coming.  Quickly they dive under the covers and pretend to be asleep.  Mom is back downstairs.  The piggies are out of bed again.   They hear a noise outside.  Ask your child to tell you what the piggies do next.

Small Groups:  The children decorated shamrocks to put on our windows for March.  They used liquid water color and diffuser paper.  

Let's Find Out Magazine:  The magazine for today was about animal teeth.  We learned that some animals have sharp teeth and some have flat teeth.  Ask your child to tell you what kind of teeth we have.  

Letter Learning:  Mm

Snacks:  We ate out snacks on blankets and pretended we were eating in bed.  We had cinnamon Quaker Oat Squares with juice boxes.

At the end of the day, we recognized two children in each class who were observed being respectful during the day.  We will keep watching.  We know that we can catch everyone being respectful.

Wednesday, February 23

Group Meeting:  The Redeemer Preschool Pet Center officially opened today.  We have two cats, two dogs, two snakes, one rabbit and one hedgehog.  The children can take turns caring for the animals and pretending to be the veterinarian.  

Story:  We read a non-fiction book titled Respect by Kimberley Jane Pryor.  This book gave examples of ways that children can be respectful to their friends, their teachers, and their parents.  After we read the book, we gave examples of how we can be respectful at school.  Our next activity will be to notice when a friend is being respectful.  The children are encouraged to tell a teacher when a friend has shown respect.  We will write that child's name on a card and put it on our RESPECT bulletin board.  Our goal is to catch everyone being respectful!

Letter Learning:  Ff

Large Group:  We had a special visitor today.  Mr. Justin Fah from Argo Moving brought his big moving truck for us to explore.  We climbed the ramp into the back of the truck.  He showed us a variety of sizes of boxes and explained how the movers stack the boxes and move them.  See pictures below!

Snack:  The snack for today was Sun Chips, milk and water.

Tomorrow is Pajama Day!  There is a note in  your child's folder.  

Tuesday, February 22

Group Meeting:  We are getting a new center ready to open tomorrow.  It will be a pet center.   We will have stuffed animals to care for and take to the vet.  We will take turns being the vet.  We will also be doing some learning activities with a pet theme.

Story:  The story for today was The Boy Who Loved Everyone by Jane Porter.  Dimitri is starting a new preschool.  He tells the children that he meets, "I love you".  When he gets home after school, he tells his mom that he doesn't want to go back to school because no one told him that they love him.  Mom helps him see that they did tell him, but not by using words.  When a friend smiles, it is a way of saying, "I love you, too".  When the teacher waves at your across the playground, she is saying, "I love you".  

Large Group:  For the next several days, I will be talking to the children about the word respect.  Our story for today opened a conversation about how to be a friend.  We made a list of things that we can do to show our friends and our teachers that we respect them.  Our list included sharing, not interrupting, including others, inviting someone to join in, and keeping our hands to ourselves.  

Letter Learning:  Ll

Snack:  The snack for today was Goldfish, juice, and water.

Wednesday, February 16

Group Meeting:  We started the day by learning a new song, "Icky, Sticky, Bubble Gum".  The children pretend to blow a bubble and when it pops, they have sticky bubble gum on their hands which sticks to everything.

Story:  The story for today was Shorty and Clem by Michael Slack.  This is a book that we read at the beginning of our book study.  It's such a fun book that we decided to read it again.  Shorty sees a package that is addressed to Clem.  He wants to open it.  Ask your child to tell you if he opens it and if Clem is upset. 

Small Groups:  The children went to the art table to decorate a treasure box.  They could use paint and any of the media that we have in the art area.  They should be able to bring them home tomorrow if everything has dried.

Letter Learning:  Vv

Large Group:  The children played a game called "Throw and Catch the Beanbag".  The children selected a partner and were given a beanbag.  When the music played, the directions are given to throw the beanbag when the count of three is given.  After the partner catches the beanbag, they cannot throw it back until they hear the count of three.

Snack:  The snack for today was wheat bread, ham slices, juice and water.

Tuesday, February 15

Group Meeting:  We are going to finish up our box study this week and possibly have a guest speaker next week to put the finishing touch on this study.  

Story:  The story for today was Samuel Drew Hasn't a Clue by Gabby Dawnay.  Samuel Drew is pulling a package with wheels through town.  Along the way, animals are wondering what is in the package.  As he pulls it by the bakery, the pigeons hope that there is a cake in the package.  As he pulls it by the butcher shop, the fox hopes there is a ham in the package.  Samuel Drew makes it through town and into the park.  Why is he going to the park and what is in the package?  Ask your child to tell you.

Small Groups:  We used this time to go outside today.  It was very nice to get out and run off some energy :) 

Letter Learning:  Tt

Large Group:  We watched a video about how boxes are made.  We found that what we generally call cardboard boxes are really not cardboard boxes.  They are corrugated boxes.  They are made with paper that has been steamed and pressed into ridges between a flat paper top and bottom.  We tore a box apart and found the corrugated piece in the middle.  So what is a cardboard box?  A cereal box is a cardboard box.

Snacks:  The snack for today was Clementines, milk and water.

Monday, February 14

Group Meeting:  Happy Valentine's Day!  The children welcomed each other by saying Happy Valentines Day.  We sang a Valentines song spelling out the word heart.  You child has learned a song called "Love Grows".  Ask him/her to sing it for you.  Check out the photos that I was able to take below.

Story:  The story for today was Pete the Cat: Valentine's Day is Cool by James and Kimberly Dean.  Pete isn't crazy about Valentines Day until his friend Callie shows him that making Valentines for his friends is fun.  They make Valentines for the bus driver, the crossing guard, and everyone at school.  But Pete forgets to make a Valentine for one special person.  Ask your child to tell you who it is.

Small Groups:  The children sorted a box of conversation hearts and put them into a graph.  Then, we compared the lines on the graph to see what color they had the most of.  Everyone's chart was different except that no one had purple hearts.

Large Group:  The children played Balloon Tennis using balloons and fly swatters.  It was fun playing with a partner.  After that, we opened our Valentines.

Letter Learning:  Pp

Snack:  Our special snack for today was Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies), red juice and water.

The weather is supposed to be warm tomorrow.  We are planning to go outside for a few minutes.

Thursday, February 10

Group Meeting:  We danced to Jack Hartmann's Valentine Song.  We can show our friends that we like them by waving, giving a hug, making a heart with our hands, and blowing a kiss.

Story:  The story for today was I Love You, Blue Kangaroo by Emma Chichester Clark.  Lily has a little blue kangaroo.  She loves to play with it and sleep with it at night.  One day, her aunt brings her a stuffed bear.  Now, she loves the bear and Blue Kangaroo, but Blue Kangaroo sleeps on the edge of the bed.  Blue Kangaroo is worried.  Lily receives more stuffed animals from friends and relatives.  She adds them to her bed pushing the Blue Kangaroo to the very edge.  One night, Lily rolls over causing a chain reaction.  Ask your child to tell you what happens to Blue Kangaroo and how she gets him back.

Small Groups:  The children played a game in which we counted the syllables in Valentine words.  Cards were placed on the table with pictures and the words.  The children took turns selecting a card, clapping the syllables and placed them in the correct jar.

Let's Find Out Magazine:  Our Let's Find Out Magazine was about friendship.  We learned that being a good friend means sharing, keeping our hands to ourselves, and helping each other. 

Letter Learning:  Kk

Snacks:  The snack for today was white cheddar rice cakes, juice and water.

Wednesday, February 9

Group Meeting:  If your child has not brought Valentines to school yet, please send them tomorrow.  We'd like to have them put in the boxes before our party on Monday.  If you have any questions, please call or email!

Story:  The story for today was The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting.  Mr. and Mrs. Bear have never celebrated Valentines Day before because they are hibernating.  This year, Mrs. Bear decides to set her alarm clock for February 14th.  She gets Mr. Bears favorite snacks ready; crunchy critters and honey.  Now, it's time to wake up Mr. Bear.  Ask your child to tell you what happens next.

Small Groups:  The children were given a paper with hearts on it.  In the hearts, were the letters of the alphabet.  I named a letter and the children tried to find it.  If they needed help, I had letter cards for them to see.

Letter Learning:  Jj

Large Group: * Following our story, the children played a game called "Are You Sleeping Mr. Bear?"  The children took turns being the bear who would pretend to sleep  in the middle of our circle.  The other children would creep up on him saying "Are you sleeping Mr. Bear?"  When Mr. Bear woke up, the children raced to the safe zone.  

*The afternoon class did not have enough time to play this game today.  We had a hard time getting settled after snack.  So, I promised that we would play this game tomorrow.

Snack:  The snack for today was yogurt, granola, juice, and water.

Tuesday, February 8

Group Meeting:  The children have started "mailing" their Valentines.  Thank you for putting the numbers on the cards.  It allows the children to do the mailing by themselves.

Story:  The story for today was "Will You Be My Valentine?" by Steven Kroll.  A preschool class is getting ready for Valentines Day.  They are to bring one Valentine for a person whose name they pick from a hat.  Thomas picks Gretchen's name, and he is happy.  Thomas likes Gretchen.  However, Gretchen doesn't like Thomas.  He tries to play with her, but she doesn't want to play with him.  Mom has an idea that might solve the problem.  Ask your child to tell you what happens.  

After the story, we talked about friendships.  Sometimes, we have take turns doing things that we like with our friends.  Sometimes, more than one friend wants to play.  It's okay to have many friends.

Small Groups:  I gave the children an emergent reader book.  I used this to teach them to discuss how we read a book.  We talked about the title page and how to turn the inside pages.  I also showed them how to start at the left and move my finger under the words.  These are skills that children need to practice before learning to read.  We read the book together repeating the words and looking at the pictures.

Study:  Yesterday, we made a list of ideas for us to use to move a heavy box.  Today, I had some items to use to try the ideas.  We tried carrying the box with a friend, pushing the box, and pulling it with a rope.  However, the easiest way to move it was with a hand truck.  We also tried putting cylinders from the Block Area under the box and rolling it.  

Letter Learning:  Dd

Snack:  The snack for today was pretzels, cheese sticks, juice and water.

Monday, February 7

Group Meeting:  We will be spending this week getting ready for Valentines Day and enjoying some fun activities.  We are also continuing our box study.  This week, we will learn how to move boxes.

Story:  The story for today was Hugs and Kisses by Christophe Loupy.  Hugs is a puppy with a question.  He leaves the barn early in the morning to find the answer for his question.  He meets the other farm animals and asks them for kisses.  What is he trying to learn?  Ask your child to tell you what he wants to know and how he finds the answer.

Small Groups:  The children created a Valentine decoration to hang in our classroom using a pattern of hearts and drinking straw sections.  We used a plastic needle to thread the pieces together.

Study:  I placed a heavy box on the carpet.  A few children demonstrated how hard it was to lift.  Next, we brainstormed ideas of how we could move the box without picking it up.  Tomorrow, we will try some of these ideas and see how we can get the box to move.

Letter Learning:  We are going through the alphabet again.  This time, the order will be according to the letter sound.  Today's letter was Bb.  We start by identifying the letter.  Next, I give the sound that it represents.  Next, I have a little tub of toys that begin with the B sound.  The children had to guess what was in the tub using the sound as a clue.  Finally, the children practiced printing the letter and circling the letter in print.

Snack:  The snack for today was cheese slices, Wheat Thins, and water.

Thursday, February 3

Group Meeting:  We told the children that we would be making pizza today.  So, we started our day by singing and dancing to Koo Koo Kangaroo's "All I Want is Pizza".  

Story:  The story for today was Hi Pizza Man! by Virginia Walter.  Vivian's mom has ordered a pizza to be delivered.  Now they have to wait for the pizza man to deliver it.  Vivian practices saying "Hi Pizza Man". But what if it isn't the pizza man and instead it is a pizza cat, dog, cow, duck, snack, and dinosaur?  The children enjoyed making all of the animals sounds to say hi to whoever delivers the pizza.

Small Groups:  The children made pizza by following the recipe using English muffins, sauce, mozzarella pizza, and pepperoni.

Let's Find Out Magazine:  Today's issue was about inventors.  The video highlighted the invention of the light bulb.  We did not complete the back page.  The children may do that at home.

Snack:  We ate our pizza and Birthday Brownies with water.

If your child has not brought a box to school for Valentines, they can still do so on Monday.  Valentines may be brought any time during the week.  If you need another copy of the Valentine list, please let me know.

Wednesday, February 2

Group Meeting: When the children first arrive at school, I have a number of activities for them to choose from at the tables.  This week, one table had a large puzzle on it.  This has sparked an interest in jigsaw puzzles.  The children are getting pretty good at completing them.

Story:  The story for today was Motor Mouse by Cynthia Rylant.  Motor Mouse is a delivery driver.  After he delivers packages all week, he and his friend Telly go to the bakery for Cake Friday.   One Friday, they arrived at the bakery to see a sign that said "Shut".  The bakery was closed.  A hedgehog friend suggests that they try pie instead of cake.  Will Motor Mouse and Telly like pie as much as cake?  Ask your child to tell you and if they still have Cake Friday.  Also, ask your child to tell you what Telly does because he likes cake so much.

Small Groups:  We did not do small groups today.  The children that have brought their Valentine boxes to school went to the art table to add decorations to them.  The children that bring them tomorrow will do the same.  If you do not have a box for your child, please let us know.  We have a few extra.

Study Question:  What job would you like to do with boxes?  The choices were grocery store, shoe store, post office, moving company, and bakery.  Guess which one was the most popular.

Letter Learning:  We finished the alphabet yesterday, so we played "Marching Around the Alphabet".  I place letter flash cards on the floor and put on the song by Hap Palmer.  The children march around the letters until the music tells them to stop.  They pick up the letter closest to them and identify it.  If they do not know it, I tell them. 

Large Group:  The children participated in an obstacle course in which they walked across a balance beam, tumbled on a mat, and crawled under a table.  It's so simple, but the children love it!  It gives them some time to run off a little energy as well. 

Snack:  The snack for today was whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread, milk, and water.

Tuesday, February 1

Group Meeting:  We are starting a new month today.  Whenever we start a new month, we change stickers on the 10 frame counting chart, get new Math Journals and put new decorations on the tables.  It's hard to believe that it's February already.

Story:  The story for today was Evelyn Del Ray is Moving Away by Meg Medina.  Daniela's next door neighbor and best friend, Evelyn, is moving to a new apartment.  Daniela goes next door to say good bye.  She sees that all of Evelyn's things have been packed into boxes and are being loaded onto the moving truck.  They play with a few empty boxes while they wait for the furniture to be loaded up.  Now it's time to say good-bye.  Daniela says they will be friends forever.  Ask your child to tell you how they can still be friends when they live far apart.

Small Groups:  The children worked on sequencing by putting cards together in the correct order according to how the picture was drawn.  For example, the first card was two snowballs, the second card added a carrot nose and two eyes.  The third card added buttons, and the fourth added stick arms and a hat to complete the snowman.

Large Group:  The children used rhythm sticks to play along with the song "Heel and Toe, Tap, Tap, Tap".  They learned the sequence very quickly.  I took a video of them and hoped to share it, but it was too large for the blog.   We watched it together as a class.  

Letter Learning:  Zz  We completed the alphabet for the second time this school year.  We will start all over again next week.

Snack:  The snack for today was apples, peanut butter, milk and water.