Monday we started sending home the Favorite Book Bag. Throughout the year, your child will have an opportunity to share his/her favorite book with our class when he/she receives the favorite book bag. I encourage you to choose one of your child’s favorite books, and read the book with your child at home. Then, complete the sheet included in the favorite book bag and return the bag, book, and completed sheet to school. (There also is a classroom book in the bag for you to read with your child. Please return this book with the bag as well.) We will read your child’s book in class, and your child will be able to share with the class why he/she loves the book. The book will be returned to you after we read it in class.
This activity is one way to encourage the love of reading. Also, this activity allows the children (and teacher) to be introduced to new books! Furthermore, it helps to continue to build home and school connections!
Speaking of fostering a love for reading- did you know that your child can read? When your child recognizes different signs and labels, they are reading environmental print!
Because children have a concrete connection to environmental print, ("I've been to Mc Donald's before!" "Oh I love to go to Target!" "Frosted flakes- that's my favorite cereal!" etc.) it bridges the gap between the functional print of school and the print outside.
We practiced reading today in our new literacy center! We read different signs and labels. This not only lays the foundation for future learning, but also builds the children's confidence that they are successful readers!
Blake, Alma, and Megan worked with puzzles. They are practicing spatial relationships and cooperation!
Alma returned the Favorite Book Bag today; she read the whole book to us by herself!!
We looked at what is under the hood of the car once again.
We then saw the same parts of the car in our classroom! We investigated the different parts together.
Children need to discover and construct their own ideas, therefore it is important to provide active, hands on learning for young children. It is through their investigations and inquiry that children are able to learn!
We investigated brake pads, a muffler, a tire, an oil filter and much much more!
(A HUGE thank you to Bruce over at Gray's Automotive in Richmond Heights who donated all of the items you see PLUS more for us to investigate throughout the project!!! What a blessing! For more information on Gray's Automotive, click HERE)
We discussed how we have to be so safe and gentle with the parts so we don't hurt anyone or ourselves. :)
We discovered that all of the parts were dirty. The children had different ideas why they were dirty. Here were a few of our thoughts:
"Because the road is dirty!"
"Because the car needs a car wash!"
"Because of the grease!"
We solved the problem of the dirty parts by using smocks to protect our clothes and baby wipes to clean our hands.
As the first small group investigated the tire, they asked the question "Is this tire bigger than the tire on your car Mrs. Douglas?" We predicted which tire was bigger and tested our prediction.
We then learned that the tire on my car was bigger. The children are learning to use comparative language.
This is a motor that helps the car window go up and down!
This is a muffler! We learned that the muffler makes the noise of the car softer.
The second small group of friends was concerned about how dirty the parts were. They used the baby wipes to clean the parts. As they cleaned, they were also discovering more about the different parts!
We worked together to make a huge thank you sign for Bruce at Gray's Automotive. The children helped to write the letters for the Thank You card!
During Jesus time, we reviewed the story of Noah and the Flood. We played a game in which I whispered a different animal to each child, and he/she acted it out for the friends. The friends then guessed what animal it was. What a fun game! We used our hands to make a rainbow in the air and remembered that God keeps His promises!
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