Community Helpers

This week we began our unit about community helpers.  Here is a look at the week!

Morning Meeting

Together we made a list about what is in a community and the various types of jobs and helpers that exist to make sure the community runs smoothly. The three community helpers we discussed were a doctor, firefighter, and a mail carrier. We brainstormed different ways that these people help the community. We talked about a post office and sending mail. The children got to explore the post office in the dramatic play center. They were excited to write and draw pictures to their families, seal the envelope, and finish with a stamp!

 Centers

In language arts the kids read a book called, Helpers. They circled the sight words ‘I’ and ‘see’ and finished by coloring the pictures. In math, they used their dentist tools to remove and add teeth (marshmallows) to a cut out mouth. They had fun with this activity! In the fine motor center the kiddos made patterns with small beads and practiced stringing them. 

Small groups

In reading groups we continued reading the Bob books and working on decoding skills. Also, we had an activity where the kids had to match the lowercase letter to the uppercase letter on the mailbox. They were able to do this independently and I could check their work when completed! In art the kiddos painted a car using sponges. They practiced using scissors to cut two wheels independently. In journals the kiddos discussed what community helper they would be and explained why. The independent group was the post office.

Special events

Sage’s mom made a special visit to our classroom. She shared their family’s traditions for the Chinese New Year and read a few stories. Sage passed around red envelopes with a chocolate coin to each of her friends! Also, our class celebrated with the whole school for Chinese New Year. We watched a drumming performance, learned about this holiday from Ms. He and used colorful sand to decorate a dragon. 

Next week

We will be having a few community helpers visit the classroom. A police officer, paramedic and dentist will be surprising the kiddos and teaching them about helping in the community.    

You Got A Friend In Me

It has been a busy, fun-filled two weeks in Pre-K! We wrapped up our Feelings unit and traveled to see the play Frog and Toad at the Northbrook Theater.

         

         

Also, we had a special visit from Ms. Hu who shared a story about the Chinese New Year. She showed the kiddos an authentic lantern and dress worn on the day of the celebration. The kids learned the symbol of the New Year was a dragon. They used a pen to reveal the many colors on this ‘magical dragon’ in an art activity.

The kids were excited to pass out their valentines to their friends. We had a Friendship Party with centers, treats and activities. It was a success!

  

Morning Meeting

In morning meeting this week, I read a story, Today I Feel Silly by Jamie Lee Curtis. This book had great pictures and showed the variety of emotions we experience on a daily basis. The kids made connections to their own lives and when they have experienced feeling sad, happy or excited. They loved to share these stories with the class. We played a game where they would stand in front of the class and act out an emotion for everyone to guess. We also read, The Rainbow Fish and How Can You Fill Your Bucket? and discussed how to be a good friend.

Centers

In language arts we played Feelings bingo. The kids picked a card with picture and had to recognize the feeling and match it to their game board. They enjoyed this and picked it up quickly. In math we worked on counting through the tricky teen numbers. Also, they completed a math puzzle, matching the numeral to the correct number of items in the picture. In the fine motor center the kiddos used play dough to build an expression on a blank face. They were asked to describe their picture when completed. 

Small Groups

In reading groups we continued to work with the Bob series. During this time, we hunt for sight words and work on blending and reading new words! The kiddos are doing great in this group and are excited when they know they have read all by themselves and finished a short story. We are also working on letter sounds and identification with a variety of games as well. I am so proud of them and how hard they work during this time. In art, they used colorful tissue paper to make a rainbow fish. We made sure we did not miss the sparkly scale, which was the topic and lesson in the story. The kids answered a prompt about how they can be a good friend in the classroom. These fish are showcased on the inside bulletin board. The final group was the sensory table. 

Next week

We will have conferences this week. I look forward to meeting with you and discussing your child’s progress and growth thus far. I have a schedule posted on the classroom door if you need to double-check your time. Also, we will start our community helpers unit and will have a few guests from the community visit us to share their work with the kiddos.

We had a great week finishing our polar bear unit! Here is a look at our week:

Morning Meeting

We continued learning with our schema chart and adding exciting fun facts about polar bears. A highlight from the week was conducting our blubber experiment. We discussed how animals stay warm in the cold Arctic. We made a blubber glove and tested it in ice water. The kids were surprised that the blubber kept their hands warm. We connected this activity to the polar bears.

Centers

In language arts this week, we played a letter/picture sort game. The kids did really well with this activity. In math, the kids played a polar bear addition race. They had to roll the dice and move their polar bear chip that many spaces. They were quite competitive with one another. The kids made polar bear feet and wove string in and out of the holes to connect the two paws. This required some concentration and was a great activity for their fine motor skills.

Small groups

In reading groups, each child continues to progress at their own pace. We worked on Bob books meeting some new characters and also did letter identification and phonemic awareness. In Art, I left this center very open-ended. The kids used their creativity to paint a winter scene using finger paints. I always love hearing their stories behind their art. Also, the kiddos explored in the sensory table this week. It was filled with rice and toys. 

The week ended with Family Fun Night.  It was great seeing many of your there and the kids left with smiles on their faces. 

Next week

We will begin our Friendship unit and explore our feelings.

We have many classroom events scheduled for the next few weeks. Please mark your calendars with these dates!

Frog and Toad Play- Tuesday, February 10

Valentine’s Day Friendship party- Friday, February 13

Conference week- February 16-20