Red Week!

Red Week was filled with Apple Exploration!  Apple stories were read, and Apple songs were sung daily. 

Apples in one form or another were found at the Art and Fine Motor Tables. 

On Wednesday we traveled to Samascott Orchards to pick and eat "real apples"! 

Then "Real Apples" appeared all over the classroom!

Divertido con Espanol / Fun with Spanish

The children look forward to their time with Senora Jen! This week, among many other topics, Senora spoke to the children about Manzanas!

Vocabalo de Semana en Espanol / Words of the Week in Spanish

Rojo / Red

Manzana / Apple

Arbol / Tree

Chicos / Children

We also welcomed our HVCC Student Teachers to our class this past week.

They will remain with us through December.

Taylor, a first year student,  will be with us on Friday Mornings.

Jen, a second year student, will be with us on Wednesday and Thursday Mornings.

Looking Deeper: Exploration and Learning through Play

This week I would like to guide you through a closer look at our Field Trip.

For young children learning is rooted in experience, and it is for this reason that we fill our days with endless experiential activities through which the children learn and grow.  

Prior to our field trip we explored apples in many ways.  

As mentioned and illustrated above, we glued and printed apples at the Art Table.

At Story Time we read books and sang songs about apples. 

At Music and Movement time we took a pretend field trip to Samascott Orchard,
and picked pretend apples.

This past Wednesday we extended our classroom beyond its four walls!

At first glance one readily sees how fully engaged the children are in their Apple Picking Field Trip, and how much they enjoyed eating the apples that they picked! 

The photos clearly illustrates how absorbed they are in studying every facet of their field experience!

A closer look will reveal that making our field trip to Samascott Orchard enabled the children to claim ownership of the apples they picked, broaden their understanding of their world and ultimately achieve deeper conceptual connections to other subject areas when they returned to their classroom. 

It was a true bonus for the children to share this fun experience with you!

By week's end, "Our Apples" appeared in many areas of the classroom.

"Our Apples" became our art material for printing.

"Our Apples"  were used to teach and illustrate the Math concept of balance.

"Our Apples" were used in a Science lesson about simple machines, as well as cause and effect.

"Our Apples" were even used to teach and  illustrate the Math concept of length.

Maybe best of all, "Our Apples" got eaten for Snack!

Field Trips are crucial in helping the children to broaden and deepen their conceptual understanding as they make connections between their classroom and their world!

Many thanks to the Samascott family for their warm and generous hospitality!

Have a fun and restful weekend!