We have not forgotten about our tree observation. Last week, we visited the tree again. We noticed that there were less leaves on the tree. We also noticed that the fallen leaves on the ground were very crispy when we stepped on them.
We wonder when all the leaves will be gone…
It was raining outside this morning. We stayed in the classroom and made flubber with clear glue, fabric starch, and liquid watercolor. The children enjoyed stretching, squeezing, and poking the flubber. We made two different colors and mixed them together. As the colors mixed, we held the flubber towards the light and saw how two colors overlap with each other.
Today we set out eye droppers and colored water in the sensory tub. The children had the opportunity to experiment with absorbency. They noticed that cotton balls turned green and foil balls did not absorb the water. Children understand the world by hands on experiences.
We got a new water pump in the mud kitchen. The children were unsure about what to do with it at first. Some tried to get the water out of the tub by using plastic cups, while others tried to put dirt into the tub of water. After a teacher demonstrated to the children how the pump worked, the children were eager to have a turn.
Pumping water manually was not an easy task. It required the children to engage all their muscles in order for the water to dispense. In addition, the fact that there was only one pump and at least three other children at the pump became a teachable moment. Children needed to use skills such as problem shoving, turn taking and a little negotiation to continue using the pump.
The addition of the water pump drew more children into the mud kitchen area. While not pumping, the children made mud pies, mud muffins, and mud puddles. We will post more pictures of the mud kitchen later this week.
Our focus on baking lead to more complex play scheme in the dramatic play area. More props were needed to support the growing interests in pretending to bake and cook. With the help of the families, we added empty food packages to provide more options.
The children began to talk about where the food items were from and about stores they visited. This prompted the teachers to bring out cash registers and play money for a new grocery store. The next day, we added a shopping list to help children practice pre-literacy skills such as recognizing symbols, print awarness, and the functions for writing.
week of 10.14.13
Hello Everyone:
We are visiting the Art Studio this week for the very first time. The children are exploring watercolor cakes and figuring out how they work. Art Studio time is a very special time where a small group of children work together with the teacher to focus on creating art.
Here is the planning sheet for this week, sorry for the delay
We celebrated the first storm of the season with a Pancake Breakfast. The children (and some patents) showed up in their pajamas and shared great company over pancakes and drinks. Thank you all for attending this event and helping us build our classroom community.
We baked 30 minute bread with the children today using flour, yeast, oil, sugar, eggs and salt. First we mixed the oil, yeast and sugar together and allowed the yeast to “grow” for 15 minutes. After that, we combined egg, flour, salt, and water to the yeast mixture. Given that this is the second time we baked with the children, they have developed a deeper understanding of the process. Children remembered words such as sticky, gooey, and gluey from the last time and used them to describe the dough. As we walked to the kitchen to put the dough in the oven, some children said it was “hot” and it was important to “stay back” as we opened the oven door.
We revisit activities throughout the year help children to gain deeper understanding of the concepts that were introduced before. Children have the opportunity to practice skills and build on their existing knowledge.
During the first week of school one of the teachers discovered a chrysalis on the roof of the playhouse. While we were playing inside, Room 1 informed the children that a butterfly was hatching from the chrysalis. We dropped everything and observed this magical moment.
