Future Firefighters

Today for centers the children made a fire helmet of their own.  They also followed multiple step directions to make a ladder snack out of a graham cracker.  We also worked on identifying objects that start with the letter "F."

Today the children also enjoyed singing the following song:

 "Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Firetruck."

Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
(Hands on steering wheel)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
(Ring bell)

Hurry, hurry, turn the corner
(Lean to the right)
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner
(Lean to the left)
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner
(Lean to the right and left)
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
(Ring bell)

Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder
(Pretend to climb ladder)
Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder
Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
(Ring bell)

Hurry, hurry, squirt the water
(Pretend to spray hose)
Hurry, hurry, squirt the water
Hurry, hurry, squirt the water
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
(Ring bell)

Slowly, slowly, back to the station
(Lean slowly to the left and right)
Slowly, slowly, back to the station
Slowly, slowly, back to the station
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
(Ring bell)

Here is the link to a youtube video that goes along with our song.  We play the song during our clean-up time to make cleaning up a little more enjoyable.  Our goal is to have the toys cleaned up before the song is over.  You may want to try this trick at home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD3LZe7IoOo

F is for Fire

This week we have begun discussing fire safety.  Today we talked about how if there is an emergency we dial 9-1-1.  I made sure to stress that we only dial this number in an emergency.  Today we did a large group project.  This project involved making a firetruck.  I like to have the children work in centers because it is easier to meet the needs of the children when they are in small groups.  Large group instruction has its benefits too.  When children work as a large group they have learn to be good listeners, so they don't miss any steps in the process.

When the children finished assembling their firetrucks they were able to draw a steering wheel, a hose, a firefighter, and anything also that they felt would be on a firetruck.   In 4K one of our goals is to help the children draw recognizable pictures.  To help with this at home you may encourage your child to draw pictures for their loved ones and friends.  This way they are practicing the skill as well as having a purpose to do it.

Please enjoy the following pictures of our classroom fire station and events of the day.

Let's Fly

Wow!  The first month of school is flying by.  Today we did a cutting activity that had the children cutting out a rectangle and triangle to make a rocket.  I must say the children's ability to cut has come a long way since the beginning of the school year.  I can also tell that this skill  is being practiced at home which is great.  When my daughter was young I used to let her cutout coupons from the store adds.  If you want try this with your child too.

At another center  the children worked on counting out groups of objects.  Each child was given a mat.  On their turn they rolled a die and counted out the corresponding number of wheel pasta pieces onto their mat.  Here is a video link that you can use to help your child learn this skill.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9dlnaEzCl4

Rockets

Today continued to learn about forms of Transportation.  We saved my favorite vehicle for last, which are rockets.  During one of the centers the children made a rocket of their own and launched it into space as a way to practice numbers.

At another center the morning children made a book titled How Many? a transportation counting book.  The afternoon children made a book titled Go, Car, Go!  We worked on pointing to each word in the sentence starting at the left and moving to the right.  We also worked on counting using one-to-one correspondence.  When we make paper books the children read them one more time to a buddy.  Once they are sent home please add them to your child's library, for a good book is read more then once.

Airplanes

Today we learned all about airplanes.  At one of the centers the children cut out an airplane and propeller.  We then assembled the two pieces and used crayons to add details to the plane.  At circle time the children flew their planes.  As the traffic controller I had the children fly based on if they were a girl or boy, if they were 4 or 5 years old, and by how many letters were in their names.

Here are some more pictures that show all of the fun we have been having the last few days!

Thursday

One of my favorite professional organizations is the National Association for the Education of Young Children.  On their website they have great articles titled Message in a Backpack for parents and guardians.  I have included the link to one article on how to work on sorting at home.   The other resources on this site are also helpful  http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/files/tyc/file/V5N5/Home%20Sorting%20Ideas.pdf

Today technolgy is everywhere.  This can be a good thing, as well as a bad thing.  My philosophy is that we should work to have a balance in our lives.  I have included the link to the pbs website.  This site has a varity of educational learning games.  http://pbskids.org/  Another site we visit in the classroom ishttp://www.starfall.com/   You may also want to try http://www.abcya.com/ or https://www.abcmouse.com/

Boats

During center time today the children used a meat tray to make their own boats.  They then floated their boats in our sensory table.   Each child was able to experiment with play people to see how much weight their boat could hold before it sank.

At this time we are practicing holding our writing tools close to the bottom.  I am also working with the children on using their "pinchers" (thumb, pointer finger, and tall man finger) to hold the writing tool.  When your children color or write at home please correct any four or five finger grips, for a three finger grip is more efficient when making letter strokes.  

Trucks Roll!

Today our read aloud was titled Trucks Roll by George Ella Lyon. "Trucks bring ice cream.Trucks bring blocks, books and bulldozers, dolls and socks. Through mountains and flatlands, past deserts and towns, the trucks are rolling!"  During center time the children made a semi truck of their own.  The children then drew a picture of what they would haul in their semi.  Some children would haul turkeys, rocks, flowers, hearts, and even cookies.

One of the options that the children have during play time is to visit our iPad center.  The following apps are currently used in our classroom.  Many of them are free, so they may be a good option for the devices you have at home.
Cute Math:  This app works on counting skills.  As the children progress it introduces subtraction and addition, which may be used in the years to come.


Bugs and Buttons:  This app offers 18 different game choices.  It works on counting, sorting, and fine motor skills.

Bugs and Bubbles:  Color recognition, patterning, and letter identification are all choices when using this app.


Little Writer:  This app works on letter identification, as well as introducing the sounds that the letters make.  The best thing about this app is it works to help children form their letters correctly.


Chicktionary:  I can't share favorite apps without sharing my favorite one to play.  This app for older kids and adults works on vocabulary and spelling skills.  The best part of it is it makes you laugh!!

Wheels

During centers today the children made a book titled I See Wheels.  They read each page to see how many wheels they were supposed to have for an illustration.  Then they dipped an empty spool of thread in black washable ink and made wheel prints.  We will reread the story one more time in class and then I will send it home.  Please keep these little paper stories in a box or empty ice cream pail, for it is a wonderful idea to have story time at home to reread these books.

At their second center the children cut out an outline of a stop sign.  They then painted it red.  As they were painting the letters STOP appeared through their paint.

Are you looking for a new way to instill a love of reading in your child?  Look no further.  If you visithttp://www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/home_tumblebooks.asp you will find a variety of age appropriate books that relate to the themes that are being taught in your child's class.  This week some of the children enjoyed the story Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site.  Our school's login is: kielschools and the password is: books.

Scrubbly Bubbly

Today we read the story The Scrubbly Bubbly Car Wash by Irene O"Garden.  The best part of this book is that it introduced the children to rhyming words.  Words that sound the same like top and mop, track and back are rhyming words.  A child's ability to rhyme plays a part in their ability to read, thus your child will be assessed on rhyming in fall, winter and spring.  During centers today the children cut out a car of their own and then finger painted it.  Lastly, they sprinkled it with glitter so it could be sparkling clean.

At one of our centers today the children listened to the story Forest Friends Go to School.  This story taught the children how to take care of books.  We will use clean gentle hands to turn the pages, and gently put our books away when we are finished with them.  Each child then took a book out of our classroom library.  We then went over the following concepts of print; where is the top of the book, the bottom, the front, the back, where do we begin reading, and how do we turn a page.  Please take some time to review these concepts with your child when you read to them.  To conclude the center we practiced putting the books away neatly on the shelf.  During snack we made a stop and go light out of graham crackers, frosting, and M&Ms.  The children were also introduced to our iPads today.

Pete the Cat

Today the children followed multiple step directions to make Pete the Cat.  When children have to follow directions they are learning position words like above, below, under, behind, and in front of.  If you think back to when we had "Child Development Days" we screened your child on positional words.  These words will be used throughout the school year when we are assembling projects.  

Thursday

Today we learned about our helper chart.  In our classroom we have a calendar helper, line leader, and snack helper.  Our calendar helper  helped us read the day of the week, recognize our shape(circle), and read our nursery rhyme for the month(Rub-A-Dub-Dub). The children listened to the story Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes.  We also read the rhyme "One Lonely Bus Driver."
One lonely bus driver all alone and blue
He picked up a passenger and then there were two.
Two people riding, they stopped by a tree
They picked up a passenger, and then there were three.
Three people riding, they stopped by a store
They picked up a passenger, and then there were four.
Four people riding, happy and alive,
They picked up a passenger, and then there were five.
Five people riding open swung the door
Four passengers got off the bus,
The driver's alone once more. 
This song was originally posted at:http://bussongs.com/songs/lonely-bus-driver.php
Here is a link to a few great Pete the Cat videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0icbqvmehs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrDmAA-tDPc
During play time we are working on taking out only the toys we are using verses dumping out the whole tub of toys on the ground.  I must say the children are doing a great job in this area.  We are also working on cleaning up old toys before we take out new toys.  This is a little harder to grasp, but we will keep trying. 

We Made It!

The first day of school is officially under our belts.  Today the children learned a lot about our classroom procedures and school rules.  We learned that at circle time we site criss-cross applesauce on the carpet.  We talked about earning orange slips in the hall if we are making good choices.  We also learned that on the playground we need to keep the stones on the ground, as well as go down the slide on our bottoms, and swing on our bottoms.

The children did have fun today.  They liked meeting new friends, playing in the house and block center, and making a school bus project.  To make the bus we did do some cutting.  This can be a hard concept to grasp at first, but just like anything else in life practice helps.  Using scissors develops your child’s hand strength, coordination, motor planning and eye/hand coordination. These are all skills that carry over to other activities, like writing, doing math problems and even playing sports.  We use this rhyme to teaching cutting in our class.  Feel free to try it at home:

Open, shut, Open, shut.
That's the way we cut, cut, cut.
Fingers on the bottom, thumb on 
top.
That's the way we cut, cut, cut.

The children also listened to the story Mouse's First Day of School by Lauren Thompson.