Pre-K is a HOOT! : All About Me

We had a wonderful week learning about each other in our All About Me unit! In Morning Meeting, I introduced the ‘Build Your Rainbow’ chart. Every time a teacher catches a child making a good choice they get to pick the next color piece of the rainbow. This reinforces smart choices and the children really start to connect with the rainbow through the next couple of weeks. We also introduced the calendar and are beginning to learn the days of the week and the months of the year. We read a few stories such as “Same, Same But Different” by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw and “It’s Okay to Be Different” by Todd Parr. We shared stories about our families and discussed our physical similarities and differences. We also learned some new songs! Ask your child which song they like best -- “Bear Hunt” “Listen and Move” or “Animal Action.”

The Pre-K children are learning the flow of the classroom and are transitioning smoothly from one activity to the next. I am impressed to see how quickly they adapt and are ready for learning and action!

Learning Centers

Free Choice - The children are getting more comfortable learning the morning routine and choosing their own table toy or activity to get started for the day. This part of the day really allows the children to socialize and problem solve with one another. This week I introduced the language, "Bugs and Wishes" to the children. This is something they can practice at home as well as at school! “It bugs me when you ______, I wish you would _________.”

Language Arts - The children used foam letters to spell their names. We also started Zoo Phonics this week. We learned about Allie the Alligator, Bubba Bear and Catina Cat. Ask your child if they remember what Bubba Bear says! We also started our journals. The topic this week was “Tell me about your family.” The kiddos drew a picture of their family and dictated a story. Each week there will be one journal entry and they will be arranged in a folder for you to take home at the end of the year! The Pre-K kids also met their 5th/6th grade reading buddies! It was amazing to watch the Pre-K kids with the “big kids.” You can already see friendships blossoming! We will have reading buddies every Friday.

Spanish - Colors Week! The children created an art project using a variety of colored tissue paper. They also made bracelets and necklaces.

Gym - This week the Pre-K teamed up with the Kindergarten kids and played parachute games!

Art - This week we had fun with finger paints! We also painted our first self-portraits. Once a month the children will paint a self-portrait and they will be hung up in the classroom.

Math - We graphed our height and talked about who was “taller” and “shorter.” It will be fun to see how much the kids grow throughout the year! We also practiced counting using our fish counting mats.