Throughout the week, we read several books, listened and sang to a variety of songs. One of the favorite books this week was Subway. Children can relate to real life experiences as they hear about the book and the teacher discusses the different trains we have in the city.
As the children listened to music, they clap, stomp and sway their body. They are learning about the rhythm and words of the music, as they heard. They smiled and laughed as they all danced!
Ice Painting:
Ice painting is a combination of science and sensory exploration. We poured some tempera paint in an ice cube tray and allowed it to freeze overnight. We took a rectangle piece of corrugated cardboard and removed the ice cube paint for the children to explore. As the teacher observed their interaction with the material, they appeared to be in awe. They seemed curious as they investigated a piece of ice paint. Some tried to crush the ice cube with the paintbrush, and there were others that touched and squeezed gently. Some children explored it for an extended period, where others, for a short time.
The children painted in pairs with Q-tips on a square canvas. Some of the benefits of children working in pairs are:
- Give learners more speaking time
- Allows them to incorporate their techniques and ideas as they begin to use their words
- Gives them a sense of achievement when reaching a team goal
- Allows us as teachers to monitor, move around the class and listen to the language they are producing and observe as they work together.
Each pair demonstrated their different techniques when maneuvering the Q-tip, and they shared and respected their space.
The children also interacted with model magic and used pipe cleaners and feathers to adorn it. Mario seemed to create a face using pipe cleaners to represent the eyes and feathers the hair.
Harlow stacked 6 square blocks at the block center, and when she stacked her last one, she said, "Wow."
We are also learning and exploring different colors. Janet and I have incorporated our ideas and decided to create a Color Chart. Every two weeks I will put a color in a sensory bag and place it on the light table. The light reflecting the color promotes curiosity and an invitation to explore. They will use their fingers and hands to pat, press, tap, push, press, and create lines with their fingertips, as they explore the color. After exploring the color, I will put different color items in a box and ask each child during circle time to select an item with the color that we have been exploring. Then as the correct color is selected, the children will put it in a Ziplock bag. Then I will tape the bag on the color chart. We will gradually learn and explore different colors!
Highlights of the week:
Painting:
- Clean Painting: The materials needed are different color paints and a plastic bag. The children will pat, press, and touch the paint without getting paint on their hands and creating a spectacular work of art!
- Painting with sponge-like paintbrushes.
Spanish:
Manipulative:
Circle Time:
Art:
Gym:
Sensory:
