December Week 2: Over, Under Around, and Through!

Vocabulary and Basic Concepts: over/under, up/down, around, through, walk, step, crawl, reach, stretch, squat, balance, jump, march, hop, obstacle course, What, Who, He/She.

This week Miss Carrie brought out a lot of things! There were stairs to go over, hula hoops to step over or crawl under, exercise mats to follow (Jumping Jacks! Squats! Sit And Reach! Stretch! Touch Toes! Balance! March! Hop!), and there were tunnels and tents.  Miss Carrie called it an obstacle course.

We went every where.  We tried everything. If we weren't sure what to do, we could ask a teacher. We made sure to use walking feet.  Miss Carrie took pictures of everyone.  Then we all sat down and watched the big screen.  Miss Carrie put our pictures on the big screen.  She asked "Who is that?"  "What is he/she doing?" 

DO THIS AT HOME:  what do you have around your house to make an obstacle course?  Kids think it is great fun to watch a grown up crawl under things.  If not at your house, pick a sunny day and head to the park.  Talk about what you can do.  Make  your child the leader and get ready to follow.

December Week 1: Snow People

Vocabulary and Basic Concepts:  cold, snow, balls, hat, scarf, seeds, berries, nuts, forks, buttons, shapes, head, neck, hands, shoulders, What questions, Where questions.

Transition Song: Must Be Santa by Raffi.  (Note, we only sing the first three verses and we sing it without the music.  The music is too fast.

We also put together a Santa to show the different parts of the song

This week we talked about the snow that fell last week.  Some of us made snow people.  Miss Carrie brought a book about snow people titled Snowballs by Lois Ehlert.

There were so many things to see and talk about!  The snow people had corn and berries and buttons and strings and nuts and raisins and popcorn and scarves.  Squirrels and birds were eating the nuts and seeds.

Miss Carrie had an idea.  She wanted to make snow people, but we couldn't bring snow into the classrooms.  She brought a big bag full of things to make snow people.  We decided that we could turn the teachers into snow people.  We talked about what items we found in the bag and where to put them on the teachers.

DO THIS AT HOME:  Don't wait for snow!  Talk about snow people and what you would put on them.  Go through the house on a hunt of items to put in a big bag.  Then turn your family members into snow people.  Talk about clothing items and body parts.  Talk about hot and cold.  Consider making a hot or cold treat to enjoy afterwards.  When it snows again, who wants to make a snow dad/mom/brother/sister/family?

November Week 3: Yummy/Yucky

Vocabulary and Basic Concepts: Yummy/Yucky, hot/cold, spaghetti, worms, blueberries, crayons, soup, soap, sandwiches, sand, cookies, coffee, chocolate sauce, hot sauce, pie, burger, boogers, eggs, ear wax, fish sticks, fish food, ice cream, alliteration.

This week we read the book Yummy Yucky by Leslie Patricelli.

In this book, Baby finds foods that are yummy and items that we really shouldn't or don't want to put in our mouths.  Miss Carrie really likes this book because it says that BURGERS are yummy, but BOOGERS are yucky.  Miss Carrie always asks our friends to keep their fingers out of their nose because she doesn't want to get sick.  If Miss Carrie or any of the teachers get sick, they can't come to school.  They have to stay home until they are better.

On some of the pages, there are foods grown ups like such as hot sauce.  Miss Carrie LOVES hot sauce.  Some of our friends and teachers don't like hot sauce.  Baby didn't like hot sauce either.

Some of the words had what is called alliteration - words that start with the same sound.

DO THIS AT HOME: Find the book at your local library.  Read it together and talk about what you can or should not put in your mouth.  Then talk about foods you like or don't like.  Check out Leslie Patricelli's other books as well.  They are fun to read.

November Week 2: I Like It -or- I Don't Like It.

Transition Song:  Gobble Gobble (The Thanksgiving Song by Nooshi)

Vocabulary and Basic Concepts:  like/don't like/do you like, labeling food, What questions, Where questions. 

This week Miss Carrie said that there were a lot of foods we like and foods we don't like.  It's okay if someone likes a particular food that you don't.  It is okay if you like a food that your friend doesn't like.  Miss Carrie brought a lot of pictures of food to class.

We practiced asking "Do you like _________?" and named the food.  Then we practiced saying "I like it" and gave a 'thumbs up', and "I don't like it" and gave a 'thumbs down'. 

Miss Carrie handed pictures to everyone.  We showed the pictures to our friends and teachers and took turns asking "Do you like cookies?, Do you like spaghetti?  Do you like apples?  Do you like hot cocoa?"

Miss Carrie really likes tomatoes, french fries, spaghetti, broccoli, and hot cocoa.  She really doesn't like peanut butter or peas.  She also said that she keeps trying food she thinks she doesn't like to see if she changed her mind.  Sometimes we change our minds as we get older.

DO THIS AT HOME:  look at pictures of food in a magazine or cookbook or discuss food at your meal time.  Do you like it?  Do you not like it?  Did you try it?  This is a great way for kids working on /l/ to practice it. It is a great way to help kids expand phrases.

November Week 1: I Like My Shoes!

Transition song:  Gobble Gobble (The Thanksgiving Song) by Nooshi

Vocabulary and Basic Concepts: big/little, same/different, wet/dry, on/off, heavy/light, What/Where/Who/When, colors, shoe laces, Velcro, buckle, cry, wear

This week Miss Carrie read a book called Pete The Cat I Love My White Shoes by Erik Litwin and James Dean.  (Miss Carrie dressed up as Pete The Cat for Halloween.)

In the book, Pete The Cat LOOOOOOVES his white shoes.  He even sings about it. Pete kept stepping in things that changed the colors of his shoes.  Did Pete cry?  GOODNESS, NO! The kids loved singing the song with Miss Carrie. It was groovy and awesome.  There was a lot of discussion going on.

Next, Miss Carrie brought out two bags of shoes.  There were shoes that were the same and shoes that were different.  There were big shoes and little shoes.  There were lots of different colors!  We matched shoes and compared them to the shoes we were wearing. We compared weight, shoe fasteners.  We talked about if we had shoes like this at home.

DO THIS AT HOME: Read the book!  There are some great repetitive phrases as well as opportunities for kids to predict what will happen next.  Go on a shoe hunt around the house and compare shoes.  Talk about size, color, and fasteners.

October Week 4: Happy Halloween!

This week's large groups were full of Halloween fun.  Let's see what the teachers wore for Halloween.

In Miss Jen's Room:

Miss Debbie was a hockey player.

Miss Bella was Cinderella.

Miss Lauren was a dragon.

Miss Jen was Ursula The Sea Witch.

Now in Miss Jeana's Room:

Miss Traci was Minnie Mouse.

Miss Kelly was a cat.

Miss Jeana was a witch.

Miss Suzanne was a witch, too.

Miss Carrie was Pete The Cat with the Red Shoes.  Have you read that book?

In both classes we practiced saying 'Halloween' and 'Trick Or Treat'.

Have a great holiday!