This newsletter is designed to provide you with an overview of our curriculum for the month, highlighting the fun ways in which we learn through play!  Additional learning centers that are always available and also change bi-weekly include the library corner, puzzles, flannel board, blocks, cars and trucks, manipulative toys, the “free craft” area, and the large gross motor playroom.

CIRCLE TIME

Teddy Bears:  What fun the children had as they took turns talking about their favorite stuffed animal, and then bringing their cuddly creatures to our teddy bear picnic and teddy bear parade!     

Dental Hygiene:  A visit from Jeanie, a dental hygienist, and her puppet “Dougie”  kicked off our conversations about the importance of caring for our teeth and what to expect when visiting the dentist.  The children especially enjoyed a musical cartoon video that Jeanie showed us.      

Manners & Kindness:  We are currently talking about sharing God’s love, using manners and kindness, and thinking about “what would Jesus do”.  

SMALL GROUP

The children used fat pencils and pencil grips to duplicate shapes such as a circle, cross, square and/or triangle.  The angles and curves in these shapes are the basic strokes involved in letter formation and indicate a child’s readiness to begin writing.  

Pre-reading skills were practiced in Pre-K small groups as the children looked at a series of four pictures and tried to put them in the correct sequential order.  This helps them learn to work from left to right, and to realize that each story has a beginning, middle and end.    
 

CRAFT

Marshmallows and toothpicks were used to make all kinds of 3-D structures including asteroids, planets, and space ships during “outer space” week. 

Finger painting:  Tactile fun was had as the children used either their fingertips or their whole hands to mix colors and make designs.

The words “mushy”, “squishy”, “tickly”, “cold” and “soft” were heard as the children tried to describe their experience. 

Toothbrush painting:  During dental health week the children used toothbrushes dipped in paint that looked and smelled like toothpaste.   A swishing sound could be heard as they rubbed the toothbrushes across a screen enclosed in a wooden frame.   The paint splattered through the screen and onto the dark blue or purple paper underneath.  This activity helped enhance and strengthen fine motor skills as well as alert their sense of smell and sound.   

God’s Creation Banner:  The children are currently working together on a banner displaying things that God created.  They are using glue, paper, foam shapes, and stickers.  When God’s world is complete it will be hung in the Dramatic playroom for all of us to enjoy.
 

MATH

Experimenting with geometric shapes:

Two activities have been available for the children to explore and create with shapes.  “Playful Patterns” is a game with colorful foam pieces which can be placed on top of  pattern cards to make pictures like a flower, bird, or boat, or can be used to create original designs.   Geo boards are currently available for creating shapes by stretching rubber bands across small nails in a piece of wood.
 

SCIENCE

Gravity & Physics: A pendulum suspended over a wooden platform was provided along with colored sand for the children to experiment with.  The children poured the sand into the top of a plastic cone while holding on to it, then let go and observed the sand emptying out from the bottom as the pendulum swung in a back and forth or circular motion, creating a design in the tray.              

Logic & reasoning, sorting and classifying:  The children are currently enjoying placing (or plunking!) a variety of items into a dishpan of water, predicting and determining whether the item will sink or float, then placing the item in the appropriately labeled bin.
 

WRITING/LANGUAGE CENTER

As a follow-up to our small group, sequencing cards are available for the children to tell stories as they put a group of pictures in order, such as “first he holds the bowling ball, then he lets it go, then he knocks down all the pins.”
 

CREATIVITY ROOM

Sorting skills and fine motor muscles were strengthened at the sensory table as the children used tweezers to pick up small plastic teddy bears and drop them into colored cups.  They enjoyed first trying to find the bears hiding in mounds of colorful shredded paper.

Practicing life skills and cooperation:  The children are now experiencing the fun of  washing  dishes in sudsy water, rinsing them and placing them in a dish rack to dry.  This activity brings out all the little helpers hidden within! 

Creativity and experimentation:  Funky foam brushes and balls provided a fun new painting experience at the easels, followed by painting with toothbrushes to go along with our recent dental theme.  The children are able to practice brushing a paper “tooth” the correct way.   Also available has been colored chalk and bright oil-based crayons.

DRAMATIC PLAY ROOM

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-BLAST-OFF!!!  The Dramatic Playroom has been transformed into a space station including a space ship, hanging planets, asteroids, and moon rocks!   Our would-be astronauts donned foil covered helmets and oxygen tanks; wore space costumes, gloves, and special shoes made of thick sponge for “floating” on the moon!  The room was darkened and lit with twinkling white Christmas lights to add to the atmosphere.

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Listening, following along, rhythm, and  rhyme!  This month has been full of the music of Jim Gill as we have all enjoyed singing and dancing to such songs as “The Washing Machine”, “The Silly Dance Contest”,   “Hands are for Clapping”, “The Hi-de-ho Man” and many more!
 

QUOTES

Miss Maryann:  “I like your angel pin.”
Child:  “Oh, it’s just a hand-me down.” 

Child to Jeanie, our dental hygienist:  “My Daddy has cavities ‘cause he’s old!”

Miss Nancy (after a particularly active song):  “Put your hand on your chest and feel your heart.”
Child:  “Yup, my heart’s beeping.” 

Child:  “My brother has this thing and it’s really cool.  You have to put batteries in it.” 
Miss Julie:  “What happens when you put batteries in it?”
Child:  “I don’t know.  It doesn’t have batteries in it!” 

Child 1:  “I can’t really find Child 2”.
(Just then Child walked into the room)
Child 1:  “Oh look!  She found herself!” 

Miss Cathy reading about a bold lady asked if anyone knew what “bold” meant.
Child:  “It means when you don’t have any hair!” 

Child 1 and Child 2 in the rocket ship, counting backward from ten to “blast-off”.
Miss Maryann:  “What planet are you going to?”
Child 1:  “Norfolk!”

Happy February!
See you on family night!

Miss Kelly

Miss Nancy

Miss Meg

Miss Julie

Miss Brenda

Miss Maryann

Miss Chris

Miss Andrea