We've made it! Our first week is complete!
This past week Miss Shelly and Miss Scooter have worked together to help each student understand our centers throughout the classroom. Over the next week, we will be posting on the blog some of the fun things that we can do in each of these centers (Home living, Math, Art, Sensory, Library, Computer/Technology, Science, Music, Block, and Writing center.
Helping a new group of students, especially two full classes of 20 students, to learn how to respectfully play and clean up before moving on to new areas was our main focus this week during center exploration time. Below are a few pictures of your children exploring our centers.
Home living gives each student the opportunity for imaginative play while playing together. Acting out home life or make believe events is a highlight here. Offering baby dolls, dress up clothes, a kitchen with food and table setting items enables our class to learn through play. During our weekly themes, we incorporate items like special dress up items, mirrors to look at themselves, and at time card board boxes to live in. The things these little ones come up with is awesome!
The art easel, when the paint opened up so did their enthusiasm! The art easel is open every day with mediums like paint, water colors, chalk, markers, crayons, and stamp pads. Before painting we practice writing our names on our papers and then flip them over to create our masterpieces! Using dictation is when we use "quotation marks" to highlight exactly what they say about their work. You will see many dictations on projects around the room throughout this year.
Our sensory area has a water area (above) and bird seed tub (below) that enables each student to feel and play with textures. Using funnels, sponges, snow (when available), and even dinosaur bones to dig for makes learning VERY hands on! You will also notice clip boards all around our room, as a student arrives to a center, we ask them to continue to practice writing their name by signing in at each clip board. Combining literacy any place we can improves their growth drastically!
In our science center our students are enjoying the ability to investigate through different measurements and textures. This week we also caught a cricket that we put inside a tank to watch. Imagine checking out our cricket with a magnifying glass and listening to the sounds. So much fun for a four year old! (Way to go Miss Scooter for catching it, because Miss Shelly does NOT do bugs!)
Miss Shelly sat down with everyone this week to practice scissor cutting skills and to evaluate for our daily projects that will begin next week. We will collect these scissor skill activities within their growing portfolios, and share them during our parent teacher conferences. You will receive many of them in their end of year portfolio gift as well as some being sent to their Kindergarten classroom teacher.
Starting this coming week, we will begin to introduce to the classes special items in each center that incorporate our week's theme and framework throughout their week. Exploring and learning through play is our goal and our students have a great time doing so.
DENVER testing will also begin this week. This is a test that will assist in determining the levels of each child within the classroom settings as well as help to showcase the growth of your student from the beginning to the end of the year. When finished you will receive a copy of them.
Looking forward to a great second week, where we will concentrate on "All About Me" and practicing our letter A's.
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