Thursday, March 28, 2019

Birds

We had a good look at birds this week! From talking about trees to habitats and then to birds, we followed a natural progression.

Our big news was the discovery of owl pellets outside! We had many walks outside and looked through cardboard tubes to focus as we looked for birds in trees, flying, and their nests. We found the owl pellets beneath the pine trees after we were introduced to them by the primary science teacher.

While discovering birds outside, we were also constructing nests with paper shreds, making eggs from salt dough and painting them, and making paper owl puppets.  We read books about eggs, including "An Egg is Quiet."
















And finally, a few highlights of the INDUSTRY that we witness amongst the 4's at this time of year. The children are choosing and following through with their play ideas, trying new skills (cutting out an outline independently!) and working collaboratively to complete their projects.










Until Next Time,

Michele

Thursday, March 21, 2019

PreK4 Classroom Life

When Spring comes around, we begin to think about transitions, as well as celebrating the establishment of our classroom community. The children have been together for a long stretch, routines are established, and we are exploring new skills and interests every day!

Some of the indicators of  classroom community include:

collaboration 






collaboration means working together toward a common goal.





communication




 communication requires focus, the ability to listen and take turns, strength of purpose, and empathy and negotiation skills.  



self-directed play and self-regulation






self regulation and self directed play includes the ability to work independently towards an individual goal as well as wait for a turn when necessary. Self regulation includes the ability to participate in group discussions and activities cooperatively. 

And, finally, creativity


creativity: the use of imagination or original ideas. 


Until Next Time,
Michele