February 24

Another good day learning about food...Today we focused on food groups and added a new center of sorting and classifying foods along with the letter schoolhouse, sorting cards, and tower building.



For story time we read books about food including Stone Soup, and I Know and Old Lady. We also talked about x-rays for the letter X and the kids got to see a real X-ray picture of teeth.

For snack the kids got a food from each food group: carrots, cheese, raisin bread, and walnuts.



For music and movement we tried out different types of exercises. We also looked at pictures of the human heart and showed the kids where there hearts were. We tried to listen to our hearts before and after doing exercises. The boys loved running around in a circle.





For our activity, we drew food guide pyramids and had the boys cut pictures from grocery store ads to fill in each category. Finally, we couldn't resist going on a nice long walk outside to soak up the beautiful weather. Pretty soon we'll be playing in the sandbox again.

Feb 19th more food fun

Centers:

The kitchen
Magnet letters
Chalkboard literacy
Matching shapes game
Tower of boxes
Toward the beginning of Center Time, the boys were all doing their own thing for the most part: Ray in the kitchen, Jack playing the matching game, Carsten working on writing letters at the chalkboard, and Mason working on words and creating silly words for Miss Katrina to phoenetically pronounce.

Soon they were working together building towers with boxes. We had to add to the fun by throwing balls at our tower and I even took a few videos (that they of course loved to see).

As for the videos:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7477474392073444728&hl=en
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9183088384399887495&hl=en

Circle Time:

We updated the Calendar, sang the “Rainbow Song” (having the boys pop up when the color of their shirt was called), read “The Snowman’s Annual Ball,” a wonderful wintery story about food festivities, dancing, and skating. They loved this book, and the poetic prose. Off to wash our hands, singing the “dirty” song.

Snack:

I love watching the boys and their routines. Jack and Carsten are always the first to the snack table, where Ray and Mason love to spend a bit more time washing their hands. Jack and Carsten helped set out the napkins and glasses at everyone’s seat. Then we enjoyed some cookies with frosting, and pears.

Showing excitement for the letter "Ww!"

The Letter “Ww”

This week we are learning about the letter “Ww.” As the boys were eating their snack, we used the chalkboard again and talked about familiar words that begin with W: window, water, wave, & whale, as I drew them, or pointed to them. Then they took turns pointing to a “w” and we sang our phonics song together.

Letter Game

I cut out letters from magazines the other day and put them all over the dining room to help all the kiddos. We played a game where the boys would run and point to a letter of their choosing. When it was their turn they would tell me which letter they chose and the sound that it makes. They loved this. I’ll put up some new letters for next week.

Music & Movement

The boys were very excited for music & movement. We passed out the scarves and sang & moved to “Jonny Brown,” quickly becoming a favorite. They even made a train with their scarves and ran down the line together. Then we chose instruments and sang as we rowed “Row row row your boat.” As we row up hill, our tempo slows and our tone lowers. Then when getting to the “merrily” part, we ride quickly down a hill and sing higher. They love this song. Finally, we took a train ride and followed eachother through the house singing “Engine Engine #9” (another favorite). We sing “A-way” (high then low tones) as we put away our instruments…they think this is funny.

Our Activity:

For today’s main activity: we have been talking about recipes, so we read Hudson Talbott’s O’ Sullivan Stew’s together. The overall theme is “Everyone is one of us.” There are tall tales, magic, fantasy, sea dragons, wailing wolves, a king, and a heroine. After reading this fun story together. We came up with our own recipe. One for a cake, filled with a dragon, fairy, leprechaun, king, sneezing Kate… The boys drew as they felt comfortable, but mostly dictated the crayon I was holding.

Then we talked a bit about setting the table. (They are getting better at helping during snack time). They were each given a napkin, plate, spoon, fork, knife, and glass. I quickly showed them the basic layout, and we sang and danced to a fun song about setting the table. Hoping for some table setting confidence and willingness for those cute moms out there! Maybe next week we’ll set our tables again and have a dinner party with our play food (during Centers).

Outside Time:

Another trip to the petting zoo. Along the way, the boys scooped up snow and ate it merrily. Annelisa even found us at the petting zoo. :)

Thanks for the fun day and for all the help offered!

Dentist Day

The boys enjoyed doing a few new centers today in addition to the kitchen and grocery store center. One was a "doctor" center where Ray checked Carsten's blood pressure and the kids got to explore medical tools.



Next we read some books about what to expect when going to the dentist and what kind of foods keep teeth healthy. We gave the kids carrots and pears to start off snack time and let them look at their teeth in a mirror to see that healthy food doesn't stick to their teeth. Then everyone got to eat an oreo and look at their teeth again. They were pretty quick to try and clean up with water and Mason even asked for another carrot (he was pretty embarrassed by his black teeth).


Next we ventured to the dentist office (Sprink Creek Dental with Dr. McNaughtan). The boys were instantly captivated by the "space" table in the waiting room. Promises of the magic chair got them into the back where they did a great job of sitting in the chair, opening their mouths wide, and even taking a turn with the cleaning instruments.




They all did such a great job and got treat bags afterwards. A special thanks to Mrs. Carol and Mrs. Tamara for helping us with this fun field trip!!

Valentines Day

We got off to a great start today by making cutting out sugar cookie shapes and making valentines for our fellow preschool pals during centers.


During Center Time we read books that had to do with Valentines and how they are delivered by the Post Man. When the cookies were finished the kids got to frost them and eat them for snack while we read a book about making Valentine cookies.

Next we had music and movement and the kids enjoyed making a train while singing Engine Engine Number 9 and using their instruments.




Finally, we decorated our own Valentine "mailboxes" and let the kids deliver the Valentines they had made earlier. We had a great and yummy day. Sorry we missed you Mason.

February 5

Another successful day learning about food and nutrition. The kids loved the kitchen and grocery store centers and especially enjoyed loading all the food up in a box and hauling it over to the kitchen (great teamwork guys!)

Next we moved on to circle time where we read "The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food," and "I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato." The boys were really interested in talking about muscles and bones and even blood. During snack time we read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," which most of them could recite from memory and also "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs."

For music and movement we did a portion of the movie "Happy Healthy Monsters" called "jump." The boys loved jumping along to the music and listening to their heartbeats before and after exercising. Next we did an activity where the boys sorted healthy and junk food into smiling and frowning faces. A great exercise for making good choices!!

We practiced our U words "up" and "under" with a little more movement including London Bridge is Falling Down. The boys had lots of wiggles today so we headed outside for a walk to the corner petting zoo.

Tues Feb 3rd (healthy food)

Centers for the day:

• grocery store
• kitchen
• measuring table
• literacy table

Mason's favorite area was the cash register. We decided that he was the official shop keeper. Thanks to Sara for bringing money for the kids!

Ray enjoyed shopping, cooking in the kitchen, and using the cash register

Mason was wondering if these spaghetti o's were real...yup, thx to Aunt Kathryn :)

Jack really enjoyed setting up the store. He's quite the organizer.

Even the babies had a great time during centers

Anneclaire measuring noodles in the measuring center

Carsten seeing how many noodles will fit in the measuring cups

Sorry, I didn't take pics after Center Time. Here is the rest of our session:

Our activity: We read An Edible Alphabet and discussed good food: veggies, fruit, our favorites. We then baked some whole wheat bread in the bread maker and ate some grapes for our first snack.

Our activity time continued as we began a science experiment with potatoes and clean/dirty hands. We played hot potato to get one of our potatoes good and dirty. It was a lot of fun. We'll be watching our potatoes over the next month to see what happens when we do or do not wash our hands.

Then we learned a new song (signing time volume 2) about washing our hands...

Oh woah, look at my hands

Look at my hands, they're dirty

Oh woah, look at my hands

Look at my hands they're dir-rty

A little soap and water,

A little soap and water,

Oh woah, look at my hands

Look at my hands they're clean

ASL signs we learned/reviewed today:

• bread
• grapes
• clean
• dirty
• water
• soap

During Circle Time we enjoyed the new calendar days (thx Heather), and read a couple more books about good food: Apples to Oregon & The Cock, the Mouse, and the Little Red Hen.

For our letter of the day, "U," we sang our phonetics song and then I drew items on the chalk board that begin with the letter "U," and had the boys guess what I was drawing...they even got "underwear!" I liked using the board...a nice change.

We danced and sang, Jonny Brown, as we moved with the scarves.

Outside, the kiddos drew with chalk, hunted for cat poop and pine cones, trudged through the snow (or fell, as was the case with Carsten). Ray wanted us to know that he didn't push Carsten. So funny.

They ate their bread outside with a bit of butter and our only fatality was Anneclaire getting stuck in the garage (so sorry sweety!).

Overall, a great day. A huge thanks to Sara for helping in so many ways...you rock girl! See you all Thursday!