This week we celebrated the first day of Autumn, which was a perfect opportunity for us to learn about weather and seasons. We tackled some new challenges this week! During Learning Center time each day, the children typically play in centers of their choice until they are called to the teacher table for small group activities. This week the children began working in assigned centers. Each day, the class will participate in 8-10 learning center activities in a structured time-frame. I encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of staying in their assigned center until the teacher bell rings. It was a little tricky at first, but I really think they will grasp this challenge quickly. We also began learning in our "Minds in Motion" room! Wow, this is such a fun and important experience for little learners. If you would like to learn more about Minds in Motion, check out their website at mimlearning.com. This week we learned about the letter "W" and the number "4". I apologize for the somewhat random order of photos below, but take a look at all of our fun learning activities!
In Mrs. Karen's center, we learned about the number "4". We counted to four, traced the number, wrote the number with pencil, and sang the Number Four Song.
Number Four Song
(Sung to the Tune: "Skip to My Lou")
Down, over, down some more,
down, over, down some more,
down, over, down some more.
That's the number four.
During Learning Center Time, we visit several different centers a day. Some of which include; Library, Puppet Show, Dollhouse & Farm, Listening Center, Sensory Table, Blocks, Alphabet Rug, Lego Table, Puzzle Table, Cars, Trucks & Trains, Kitchen, Dress-Up, Easel, Dough, Light Table, Math, Magnetic Letters, Floor Puzzles, Art, Writing and Marker Board. Learning through "play" is a very important part of your child's experience at LAP. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), play is very valuable in learning and developing cognitive skills, physical abilities, new vocabulary, social skills and literacy skills. Here are some photos of our first two days of structured Learning Center Time. Each week, I will introduce a few new and exciting centers to include in the rotation.
At circle time, we discussed different types of weather. We learned that sometimes we should dress according to certain weather conditions.
Do you like it when it is windy outside?
With straws and ping-pong balls, we were able to make our own wind
and learned how wind moved the ball.
P.S. Thank you for your "Helping Hands" donations. Sometimes our helping hands may seem silly (like ping-pong balls and straws...), but look at all of the wonderful learning activities we are able to create with those items! Thank you so much. I will continue to place "Helping Hands" ideas on the cork board outside our classroom as I plan future activities.
Our Bible Story this week was about Samuel and listening.
Just a few of our fun weather books.
One of the favorite circle time activities this week is when the letter puppets put on a show for the class. We giggled and had so much fun while reviewing the sounds that the letters M, S, P, F, A and W make.
Happy Birthday Miss Amelia!
Minds-In-Motion
Minds-In-Motion was created by Candace S. Meyer, M.S.
Feel free to visit the MIM website to learn more about this awesome program.
"Preschool-aged children must be challenged with movement experiences to create a well-balanced individual. The Smart Start program complements traditional classroom programs by stimulating brain development for a greater capacity to learn. Through specific types of movement, children can build strong neural connections in the brain such as; improved balance, more organized thought patterns, more focusing ability, increased spatial awareness, and more precise fine motor control." - mimlearning.com
