Brown Week!

Brown Week was our final official "Color Week" and cafe was reflected daily at the Art Table!  This week also brought a renewed focus on Fall Gifts from the Earth as we added chestnuts and acorns to our basket, beans to our Science Table and "Indian Corn" kernels to the Water Table.   The photos aptly illustrate the great interest and focus the children demonstrated as they examined and studied these items. 

We began our unit of study on Native Americans; "people who lived long ago before there were any stores, depended on "Gifts from the Earth" for all of their needs, and in turn took very good care of the Earth."  We will continue this area of focus over the next several weeks.  In a related vein, we discussed sharing our gifts of food with others, and want to thank you for sending in food items with your child.  The drive will continue through Friday, November 22. 

In addition, the children continue to engage in Block and Dramatic Play with greater sophistication. 

Looking Deeper:  Exploration and Learning through Play

This week I would like to guide you through a closer look at Block Play.

At its most basic level, Block Play provides exercise of fine and gross motor skills.  Block building provides the children with opportunities to think, plan, collaborate and problem solve while moving freely and working with their whole body.  Mathematically, building with blocks helps the children to practice and understand classification as they observe and sort blocks according to size and shape.  They learn about cause and effect, spatial relationships, balance, area, length, width, weight, and quantity, as they select, build, and put away blocks.  Blocks help children learn through experience the purpose of number.  In terms of stages, children begin by carrying blocks and simply piling them up.  As their development progresses, layering begins, leading to connecting blocks, facilitating the emergence of roads, towers, enclosures and unique building designs.  Block Play is also a catalyst for social interaction and language development, as the children work, share, collaborate and problem solve as they construct.  At present, we have Unit Blocks in the classroom.  In a few weeks we will rotate large Waffle Blocks into the room, then large Hollowed Blocks in February and end the year with Unit Blocks once again.  I look forward to sharing many more photos of the children's block play over the course of the year, allowing you to observe the growth in complexity and sophistication of their structures.  

Have a fun and restful weekend!