Sweet September in Pre-K 2!

Good afternoon Pre-K 2 families,

The children were very busy this week. Check out what we've been up to!

This week at MORNING MEETING:

* We read a story, learned a new nursery rhyme, and played lots of games. Playing whole group games gives the children an opportunity to develop skills while moving their bodies. This week they searched on the ground for apples with their names on them, practiced positional language skills, and we had an apple taste test! Ask your child which color apple was their favorite?

Weekly Story: “My Five Senses” by Margaret Miller- a nonfiction story teaching us about what we use our eyes, ears, nose, mouth and hands for.

Nursery Rhyme: Jack and Jill, we are learning that letters have sounds and when you "squish the letters together", they make words. The students really enjoy reciting the nursery rhyme with me as I point to each word on the easel. Great work boys and girls!

This week during SMALL GROUPS, we:

* Practiced writing big lines and little lines and the letter "L"

* Tasted red, green and yellow apples

* Practiced identifying letters in our names. Being able to recognize letters is a skill that comes at different times for each child. It is also a skill that a child cannot grasp if their brain isn't ready to. At school, I will informally assess the children often to see where they are in terms of "alphabet knowledge". Right now, we are focusing on recognizing the letters in their first names. We are also working on the concept that letters have sounds. Do not be concerned if your child cannot identify letters- it will come in time.

Here's what's happening at CENTERS:

Art- painting with stampers and rollers, q-tip painting apples at the easel

Blocks- wooden blocks, wooden people, school buses and vehicles, animals

Dramatic Play- dishes, food, baby dolls

Writing/Library- dry erase markers and feelings faces mats, alphabet pop-its, letter gumball machine magnets, books about families and fall Math- counting, recognizing numerals and following simple recipes to make apple desserts Science- 5 Senses Unit: I hear with my ears. The kiddos used their ears to listen to different objects hidden inside plastic containers. They had to match the sound that they heard with the corresponding picture on a mat.

Sensory Table- dried corn and beans, farm animals, fences, fruits and veggies

Playdough- red playdough, cookie cutters, rollers, scissors

As you can see, there is a LOT of play-based learning going on in our classroom. I am having a blast getting to know your children better and guiding them along their preschool journey. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

More photos are attached!

Warmly,

Brenda Daday