As we document the different experiences and identities of each child, we are celebrating how different and similar they are. Some of the children are articulating their friend's name. Their names shape their identity, how it is spelled and enunciated. Names are crucial in developing their sense of self. It will be our next connection to our identity theme.
We also began a footprint activity. The children are enjoying the tactile experience, as the paint is applied on their feet and they feel the sensation of the paint. Once they are covered with paint, they gently stamp their feet down onto the canvas and make an imprint of their foot. Each foot size is different and is an amazing representation of how quickly they are growing.
We are continuing and almost completing the different aspects of each child's identity:
- The children are recognizing, and some are articulating their facial features.
- We are almost finishing measuring their heights with unit blocks
- We are in the process of arranging and accumulating a page with each child's picture, the name of their culture, ethnicity, or how you represent yourself. There will be two questions: How you say hello and goodbye in your language.
As we celebrate with each child, we are learning to connect with them.
Specialists:
Evan, a talented and versatile musician, fills the room with his wonderful voice, cheerful and friendly disposition. He invites children to sing-a-long his lively music as he plays his guitar. They dance, clap, listen and sing! Evan sometimes bring interesting and fascinating musical instruments from different countries. Today, he brought to the classroom a drum from Guatemala. Each child had the opportunity to play the drum. Some of the children appeared interested; whereas, others observed. Evan will come every other Thursday.
We also had Spanish! The children enjoyed listening as the specialist sang in Spanish and English. Spanish will be every other Tuesday.
We used bean bags during a brief circle time at the block center. The bean bags promote color recognition, geometrical shape (square) , and sensory exploration, as they touched and squeezed the bean bags. We also used them to touch our different facial features.
Today the children continued painting bookmarks, and they also painted a box that will be used to put all the donation money.
Songs: In addition to singing songs, they listened to classical and movement music
- Good Morning Song
- ABC
- Oh, Mr. Sun
- Do you know the Muffin man?
- Head and Shoulders, knees and toes
- Five Little Ducks
- Five Little Speckled Frogs
- The Wheels on the Bus goes Round and Round
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Twinkle, Twinkle
- Old McDonald
- Open, Shut Them
- Two Little Black Birds
These are the different activities we did today and the highlights of the week!
Special Reader: This week Marco's mom, Shana, came into our classroom and read a story to the children. Marco appeared excited to have his mother engage with his peers. Thank you, Shana!
Spanish: Classroom 1A will join us for music and Spanish
Art:
- Exploring finger painting on different surfaces
- Finger painting on canvas
- The children continued painting bookmarks
Sensory:
- The children engaged in a group activity making "Cloud Dough." They each took turns pouring the ingredients. They explored and experienced touching the flour, and baby oil, before and after they were mixed.
- Clay
We enjoyed a neighborhood walk and visited a store where they sell pumpkins. The children touched and observed the small pumpkins! We will soon my our class pumpkin!
Harry's grandmother came to visit!
Circle time:
Some of the children did their self-portraits! We sit one-on-one with a mirror, paper, and a sharpie marker. The mirrors encourage children to look closely at the shapes of their facial features. They observe and explore their image. As they looked in the mirror, the teacher asked, where are your eyes, hair, and ears. They pointed at their feature, or squeezed their ears, like Edith did. As they look at their features: eyes, nose, mouth, and hair, they notice that each location and shape is different. For example, the direction of their nose is different from their ears. They learn to recognize themselves! As they maneuver their writing tool, they form lines, circles and draw on specific areas on their paper. Their continuous movement helps and builds fine motor skills and bilateral coordination skills as well. The tool promotes the use of the pincer grasp and naturally strengthens the small hand muscles. Providing opportunities, practice, stimulation, and encouragement to refine their fine muscles, will help them when they begin to learn to write. Children are learning about self-awareness, and self-identification and also have fun, as they progress in their self-portraits.
As we continue our theme of the year, identity, we find different ways to explore and display our uniqueness. There are different strands of his/her identity that shapes their personality, interests, and traditions, to name a few.
The children are continuing learning and gradually identifying their facial features. They have finished their handprints and we are almost finishing measuring their height, using unit blocks. They each are demonstrating their funny side, as they lay on the rug, and the teacher counts how many unit blocks he/she needs to complete their measurements. The children's height is part of their identity. As they develop, they become taller, and they each grow differently. Also, they are building knowledge, as the teacher demonstrates and articulates the unit blocks needed for their measurements. We want the children to enjoy and discover “Me!” Implementing different activities helps them to see their differences and similarities. We will measure their height in December, March, and June.
As you know, our intent or theme for this year is about each child's identity, which will include their differences, similarities, likes, dislikes, culture, and language, to name a few of the attributes we will be exploring. I am arranging a page for each child with their picture, the name of their culture, ethnicity, or how you represent yourself. There will be two questions: How you say hello and goodbye in your language. If you want to list more than one that's okay too!
We are all alike and different in many ways; for example, we have hair, two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a mouth. However, our hair color might be different, the shape of our nose, mouth, eyes as well. We are all special and unique! The children are still learning about their facial features. As we continue the path to understanding each other and our differences, the children appear to be having fun exploring their identity.
The handprint activity is a tactile experience! As the paint is applied on his/her hand, they feel the sensation of the paint; cold, warm and smooth. Once covered with paint, he/she gently stamps their hand onto the paper and makes an imprint of their hand. A selection of color paint was provided, for the children to choose the color that they wanted their handprint to be. These handprints, with their picture, are displayed in the classroom. All handprints are distinctive, and each hand is different in size, which builds upon identity and differences. It creates one person, "ME."
We began measuring their height using unit blocks. Their bodies are developing and growing in different ways. Each child will lie in a horizontal position, and on their side will place some unit blocks. We will all count how many blocks are needed to determine his/her height. They are also building knowledge as they count and learn the shape that is being used to identify their stature. Measuring their height will continue next week!
Mario- 6 unit blocks and ½ unit block
Edith- 6 unit blocks
Harlow-5 unit blocks, ½ unit block, and ½ pillar block
Harlow was giggling and making funny faces before we selected the picture that would be diplayed on the classroom wall.
The children did a lot of exploring and discovering during the week as they all engaged in hands-on activities. I have included the highlights for this week in which the children all acquired their technique to manipulate the materials.
We also enjoyed our first neighborhood walk; we walked to Washington Market Park. The children saw and heard cars and trucks. Traffic lights, trees, people, and dogs are some examples of what they saw. Toddlers learn from watching the world, especially if we talk with them about it, "You saw the red fire truck?" Also, the infant A class joined us!
We are making bookmarks as our fundraiser to support those affected by the storms. We will be selling them for $2.00! This project will continue next week!
Books we read during the week:
- Is your Mama a Llama?
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- Giraffes Can't Dance
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
- Pete the Cat, I Love My White Shoes
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
- Go Away Big Green Monster(favorite)
- I'll Always Love you
- Goodnight, Dragons
Songs:
- Good Morning Song
- You are my Sunshine
- Baa Baa Black Sheep
- Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
- Old McDonald had a Farm
- Five Little Speckled Frogs
- Mr. Sun
- If You're Happy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands..........
- Two Little Black Birds
- Watermelon
- Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes...
- ABC
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
- The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round....
Sensory:
- Sensory bags for young toddlers to explore promote fine motor skills, as they use their hands and fingers to poke, pat, and spread the material that's in the bag. They also learn about color and texture. Two different bags were explored: tempera paint mixed with shaving cream and hair gel with acrylic letters.
- Sensory Bottles- Making sensory bottles (also can be called discovery bottles) provide an opportunity for the children to use many of their senses to explore and learn. Adding glitter and sequins provide a visual experience while adding beads provide a visual and auditory experience. I made only a visual experience, filled with various materials as a way to elicit interests. The children enjoy the color, slow movement, and how it looks when they shake it. Sensory bottles can be used as a tool to calm their body if he/she feels overwhelmed, overstimulated, or upset.
- Model Magic
- Clay
Art:
- "Clean Paint"- Placed the cardstock on the table, added droplets of different color paints and covered it with plastic.
The children looked curious as they felt the plastic and didn't see paint on their hands. They continued touching, patting, squeezing the plastic, spreading the paint with their fingers and hand, creating a colorful work of art.
- Painting bookmarks, using watercolor mixed with glue (will continue all next week).
Read Aloud:
We have been reading, Go Away, Big Green Monster with frequency and it has become one of our favorite books. The book applies to this week's theme about identity. As the teacher reads and articulates the different features, they learn to identify their ears, eyes, nose, hair, mouth, and teeth. Each facial feature represents who they are and how different they look.
We are making an imprint of their hand. Handprints are distinctive, and each hand is different in size, which builds upon identity and differences. It creates one person, "ME."
The children will continue making their imprint of their hand, next week.
The teacher asked Harlow, Where are your eyes, hair, and mouth? As she listened to the question, she pointed to each feature. Each feature is part of her identity. The color and shape of her eyes, and her hair are distinctive features. They each represent Harlow.
Children are becoming familiar with their environment, routines, schedules, peers, and new adults. It is not an easy task for young toddlers to adjust and maintain that consistency. Each child has a different temperatment , as they embark on this new school year.
Books Read:
- Hooray for Hats
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- Go Away Big Green Monster (A Favorite)
- I'll Hug You More
- The Pigeon Needs a Bath
- Baby Baby Bear, What do you see?
- Pete the Cat- I Love My White Shoes (A Favorite)
- Shake My Sillies Out
- My Many Colored Day
Songs:
- Good Morning Song
- ABC Song
- Mr. Sun
- Baa Baa Black Sheep
- You are My Sunshine
- Oh McDonald Had a Farm (Finger Puppet- A Favorite)
- Five Little Speckled Frog (Finger Puppet- A Favorite)
- Five Little Ducks
- BINGO
- The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round
- Itsy-Bitsy Spider
Circle Time
Ellie enjoyed listening to the new book, Hooray for Hats! A book about friendship!
A special person came to visit our classroom, Arturo, Mario's father. He read three books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Llama llama Misses Mama, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Mario appeared excited that his father came to visit his classroom and engaged with his new friends. All the children enjoyed the reading session. Please join us again, Arturo. Thank you!
Art:
Finger Painting (continuation)
Finger painting can provide lots of sensory stimulation. They see the color and feel the texture as they dip one finger, then use their fingers as the “brush” to spread the paint on the paper.
Painting on Mirror Paper
Some of the children experienced painting on Mirror Paper. Exploring with their senses provides them with information that benefits their development. They used their fingers to touch the paint, before using their hands to spread the paint. Children need the time and freedom to explore, be curious and creative. They enjoy the warmth the paint produces and the soft silky texture. Painting on different surfaces, it allows children to explore and discover different sensory stimulation. (Will continue this activity next week).
Collaborative Painting- Edith, Ellis, Remy, and Ellie
Manipulative Toys:
Sensory:
Mario selected a few feathers and placed them on the contact paper. As he observed the feathers, he noticed that they moved when he blew on them. He seemed to notice that he had the ability to control the movement by how fast or slow he blew.
A special time together before we say goodbye!
A family wall has different meanings: it represents a comfort to all children as they transition from home to school, are experiencing separation, and is also a representation of our class community. Ellis appeared interested, as he gradually looked at all the pictures on that day. A family wall is also about recognizing and getting to know our peers and their family.
Back to school is the most important time of the entire school year. Having a smooth transition from summer vacation to entering a classroom environment, can be difficult for some children. Children will gradually get used to their classroom environment, as they interact and engage in classroom routines and activities.
During the week the children interacted in:
Manipulative Toys
Blowing Bubbles
Water Exploration
Puzzles
Finger Painting on Canvas
Books:
Five Little Monkeys
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Llama Llama Misses Mama
Pete the Cat, I Love My White Shoes
Go Away Big Green Monster
My Little Teapot
Sing Songs: (sometimes the teachers use musical instruments or hand movements during singing)
Five Little Speckled Frogs (with finger puppets)
Old McDonald Had a Farm (with finger puppets)
Mr. Sun
Hello how are you- (Good Morning Song- articulating each child's name)
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Itsy Bitsy Spider
ABC Song
Five Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed
If you’re Happy and You Know It (Clap your Hands)
Where is Thumbkin?
The teacher made some sensory bags using paint. We used one primary color, red and added some white to create a secondary color, pink. The children appeared amazed as they observed the teacher squirt some paint and see the transformation of colors occur in a Ziploc bag. Edith and Harlow immediately wanted to help.
School is always full of excitement and exploration. The children are learning to adjust to their new classroom, centers, routines, schedules, teachers, and peers. As they interact in different activities, they engage with peers and learn to share, and collaborate with their new friends. They each demonstrate a different temperament. They express his/her ideas, and thoughts differently.
We are going to be focused on each child's identity. It will comprise on their curiosity, likes, and dislikes, similarities, and differences, and personalities are some of the attributes we are going to be observing.
Painting at the easel gives children the freedom to move their arms and body simultaneously. It helps them to aim and stretch their arms to the focal point they want to stop. Maneuvering the paintbrush helps them improve eye-hand coordination and helps them to develop to use a pincer grasp to hold the paintbrush. The activity encourages the fine motor skill development by improving the muscles in the fingers and hands, strengthening hand grip, and developing wrist movement. Painting with a paintbrush also increases the child’s visual and tapping his/her imagination. They each projected their unique brushstrokes!!