Bed and Bath Week!

Bed and Bath Time Week provided a forum within which the children could reflect upon and share their thoughts regarding their Bed and Bath Time routines.  In addition to our discussions, the children took great pleasure in the wonderful bed and bath time books that were read daily at Story Time.

As the photos illustrate, the children took very seriously the task of bathing the baby dolls in the water table.

Of course the Week's highlight was wearing pajamas to school, making popcorn, and enjoying our Pajama Party!

Looking Deeper: Exploration and Learning Through Play

This week I would like to once again take 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 understand and practice 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.

The above excerpt first appeared in my blog last November during Brown Week!  At that time the children were exploring and building with Unit Blocks.  In late November our Unit Blocks were replaced with Waffle Blocks, and during the first week of February we rotated our large Hollow Blocks into the room.  While these blocks differ from each other in many ways,  the stages of use, as well as the skill base that is reinforced and extended remains the same for each of them.  Providing the children with a variety of blocks helps to keep them interested in, focused on, and engaged with block play which is such a valuable catalyst for the children's growth and development in so many physical, social and cognitive areas. As a result of their continued engagement in a myriad of activities, not the least of which being a variety of block play, the children have experienced a great deal of growth within the classroom since November.   Interactive play is now abounding in all areas of the room, and this is quite evident within Block Play.  There is limitless planning and collaboration going on in the gross motor area as the children build cars, boats, stages and community dwellings! Ultimately, play begets learning, learning begets greater sophistication in play, and greater sophistication in play begets greater sophistication in learning!

Have a great rest of the week and a wonderful Winter Break!

Day-Sky/Night-Sky

Day-Sky/Night-Sky is primarily a Science-based theme in which the children identify and discuss what they see in the sky during the day and at night.  Once again, Literature is a main component of this theme as we read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books on the topic.  

The direction and depth of the study is driven by the children interests. This week we chatted about the sun, moon, clouds, stars and rainbows as is typical.  The children were also interested in discussing thunder, lightning, planets and constellations.

We also talked about how and why we have day and night.

As the photos illustrate, the children enjoyed a variety of related activities during free play. 

The art table was a place of exploration and creations on a daily basis.

"Star Sandwiches" and "Moon Cakes" were also great fun to make and eat!

Happy Birthday to Blair and Henry who celebrated their birthdays with us this past week!

Divertido con Espanol / Fun with Spanish

Senora Jen spent time playing and reading with the children as she reinforced our 

Day-Sky/Night-Sky Vocabalo en Espanol!

We happily welcomed two new student teachers from HVCC this past week!  

Alyssa and Sara will be with us through mid-May.

Alyssa's placement is on Tuesday mornings.

Sara's placement is on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

Looking Deeper: Exploration and Learning through Play

This week I would like to talk about the importance of focusing teaching and learning on the "whole child"!

Day Sky/Night Sky is always a high interest theme for the children.  Perhaps this is because they are fascinated by the things in the sky that they see each day and night but never really touch.  These things though common are indeed other worldly and therefore hold a fascination!  The sun, stars and beloved rainbow are truly magical!  

Inevitably during the week, the children talk about their fears surrounding "thunder and lightning"!  We spend important time talking about these fears that are so common and universal.  I share that I too once feared "thunder and lightning" when I was a child. We talk about common sense safety rules, such as always be sure that you and your grown-up go inside at the first sighting of lightning!  We also talk a bit about what causes thunder and lightning, and that while thunder sounds really scary, it cannot hurt you. Discussing, honoring, and demystifying fears are a very important part of learning for young children.  That is why teaching and learning must go beyond mere cognition and focus on the "whole child"  These conversations are crucial to children's holistic growth and development! 

Sarah's Reflections

In my own education, I was always told: “There is no wrong or right way to art, just your own way.” Sadly, in our American school system art programs are disappearing. Art has also increasingly become “cookie cutter” where every child’s piece looks identical to the next. Creativity, especially in the early childhood setting is crucial to a handful of developmental domains, including fine motor, cognitive and social-emotional development. Studies have found that creative experiences help children express and cope with their feelings. Creativity also fosters mental growth in children by providing opportunities to think in new ways and problem-solve. Creative activities help acknowledge and celebrate a child's uniqueness and diversity. It is for these reason, coupled with the amazing outcomes we routinely witness that JoAnn and I foster and facilitate creative opportunities and experiences daily!

Have a great rest of the week and wonderful weekend!