Category Archives: Music

Room 1 Updates: Open House and Room Curriculum

Dear Families of Room 1:
We have some updates for you about Room 1.
First, Open House is tomorrow, September 30, from 5-6 p.m.  All are invited (children, relatives, friends…).  We can’t wait!
Also, It was great meeting with the families last week for family-teacher conferences.  The teachers had a great discussion afterwards about some of the things we will be doing in our room in response to the conferences.  Here are some of the highlights:
COUNTING: We are planning do to more counting songs: counting up and counting down (addition and subtraction).  We have noticed that the children are starting to use counting behavior in our room.
COLORS: We found out that many children are going over colors at home.  We are going to start exploring color names more using sorting opportunities for the children at school now, too.  We have some other ideas planned around the subject of colors, too!
LANGUAGE: We are incorporating more words in other languages. We are planning to practice emotion words, too.  “Opposite” words (such as “big” and “small” or “fast” and “slow”).  If you are interested in going over similar things, there are some great books out there about emotion words.  It might be good to try them out at a local library to see if your child enjoys any in particular.  A librarian can be a great source of ideas for books on different subjects.
NEW MUSIC: We would like to start exploring new music in our room.  One of the parents put together a list of songs that are in Polish that her family enjoys.  We began playing this music softly today at snack time.  If you would like to listen to these songs at home, here is the playlist for you.  Enjoy!
 
SOCIAL SKILLS: We are working on a few things in Room 1.
  • ​”Stop” with our hand up is a signal to a friend that something is not desirable.
  • “Please” is an important word when making requests.
CONSEQUENCES: We are working on helping children see the connection between their actions and possible consequences.  For example, if water is poured on the floor, it has to be wiped up so no one slips.  Pointing these connections out to children can help them learn about themselves and the world around them.
CUPS: Using open cups at snack is going well.  The children are trying it more and more!
We hope that you had a nice weekend and we hope that you enjoy these updates!  See you all soon.
– The Teachers of Room 1 –

 

Room 1 – Songs We Sing

Dear Families of Room 1:

Thank you so much for sharing your children with us.  We have been having a lot of fun this week.  To create even more of a connection between home and school, we wanted to send you a list of some of the songs that we have been singing with the children, in case you want to sing them at home, too.

The biggest hit in our room has been “Slippery Fish.”  Here’s a link to a video of that song:
Since a lot of buses drive past our school, we sing “The Wheels on the Bus” quite a bit while we are outdoors.
We have a boat outdoors where the children sit and rock back and forth, so we have also been singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”
If You’re Happy and You Know It” is another song we sing quite a bit all throughout the day.
Old MacDonald” is a song we sing a lot because the sounds of the animals are fun to sing.  Playing with sounds ties strongly to language development.
Children learn language through the words in music and mathematics through the patterns and rhythms of music.  Children also move their bodies when they sing and dance, which enhances physical development.  Lastly, but probably most important, singing together enhances relationships and social development.  It’s something we do together.  It can help with transitions and can lead to emotions of joy, too!
We are excited to continue to build more relationships with you and your children.  Building connections between home and school can be so wonderful for everyone!
-The Teachers of Room 1-