Preschool Slow Start
First Week of Preschool
Free Choice Time Play
We have free choice time play in the morning and afternoons each day. The preschoolers choose where and who they want to play with. We as teachers play with them and extend their learning as well as keeping track of observations we see and hear during that play and learning! The areas the students have a choice to play in are the block, dramatic play, art, sensory, math/science, technology, literacy, fine motor/puzzles/games, and music/movement centers.
Table Time
Students come in to our classroom and participate in a table time activity working on different preschool skills through play. They may build their name using name puzzles or learn about patterning using various small manipulative toys for example.
Large Group Time
During our large group time we learn about many different things such as the weather, literacy, math, the food groups, and music/movement. We kind of hit it all during this time. I've posted a few pictures of use learning through movement using bean bags and wooden big lines from our Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum.
Outdoor Time
We have outdoor time in the morning and the afternoon. The preschoolers develop their gross motor skills by running, jumping, climbing, balancing, and throwing/kicking/catching balls. They explore the wild flower area with imagination, wonderment, and intrigue. If you ask most preschoolers this is their favorite part of our day!!
Patterning with Natural Materials
Learning Through Play
Homemade Applesauce
We had so much fun making our very own homemade applesauce. The preschoolers peeled, cored, and broke up the apples for our crock-pot applesauce. We then let the apples cook all day long and tried the applesauce during our afternoon snack time. We then graphed how many liked and how many did not like the applesauce.
Pattern Hunt Around the School
Writing Center
We introduced a very important center to our free choice time called the writing center. It is part of our literacy and listening center. The writing center includes many different materials and items to prompt literacy skills in preschool such as various writing utensils, word wall, whiteboards, different kinds of paper, scissors, glue, magnetic letters, environmental print, and chalkboards/chalk to just name a few.
Learning About Shapes
Preschoolers learned about various shapes using different kinds of tangrams.
Shaving Cream Play
Preschoolers had so much fun playing with the cold squishy shaving cream. They made lines, shapes, and letters using the shaving cream.
Homecoming Fun!!
October
Choice Time
Small Groups
Our Conservationist
Miriam, our conservationist, came to visit us for the first time this month. She taught us all about bugs/insects and how they use camouflage to stay safe. The preschoolers had so much fun!!
AEA Hearing Screenings
Yellow Watermelon
Kindergarten had some left over yellow watermelon they had received from the ILCC garden, so they shared it with us. We cut it up and had it with our afternoon snack. All of the preschoolers tried a no thank you bite, since none of us had had yellow watermelon before. We even created a graph with data about if we liked it or didn't like it!