"Technical Difficulties"

I'm so sorry that I haven't been updating lately! I'd like to say that it was due to tecnhnical difficulties on the part of my internet, but really it is my fault. After a very frantic week and a half, I believe I'll be able to get back on schedule. Please excuse my tardiness :).

Starting in January, I will not be posting after each class. Look for something more like twice a month. This wonderful "part time" job has morphed into an "overtime" job and I'd rather focus my time and energy on preparation and your children while still retaining my sanity:).

Okay, here's what we've missed:

Tuesday the 11th:
Brown Day--We had lots of fun finding brown things in our clasroom, reading books about brown things, and cooking brownies, of course! Each child got a turn to add something to the pan and help stir. They were very proud of themselves. The only problem we had was trying to get anything done while they cooked because they smelled so very delicious!!
During story time, we had each child "read" a page of Brown Bear, Brown Bear. The kids were so excited that they were "reading" themselves. Any book that a child can memorize to "read" themselves is a great confidence booster and prepares children for early reading.

Thursday the 13th:
Recycling, Triangles and Number 5

We had lots of fun learning about triangles and recycling on this day! I had a bunch of different objects to be sorted in to recyclable or unrecyclable piles (which was a great way to develop pre-math skills). Each child got a turn to pick something out of the bag and then we discussed it.


After we did that, we talked about triangles. We learned a fun song about this shape, but it will take a few reviews for the kids to be able to sing it alone. We took turns looking for the recycling (triangle) symbol on a number of plastic items in the classroom. The kids were so exicted to find them on THEIR VERY OWN PENCIL BOXES! They felt like celebrities :). Each child got to color their own name tag and personalize it with their name and picture to show that they can recycle. They felt empowered to know that they could perform an "adult" task themselves. Look forward to some pestering about recycling in your own home ;).








Finally, we learned about the number 5. We used dice to associate the idea of the number 5 with the physical dots on the dice. Each child got a chance to roll 5 dice, and we took a tally of how many times someone rolled a 5. The kids laughed the whole time, and were super excited every time they counted 5 dots :). What a fun day!




Oh, we also did a flannel-board version of "There was an old woman who swallowed a fly" this day. The kids ate it up and it was a good intro to our recycling theme.

ALBERTSON'S FIELD TRIP

We had a good time learning about what is available at a grocery store, and how to shop for healthy foods. Talk with your kids about "Always foods" and "Sometimes foods."