Preschool students work, play, and learn in various hands-on learning centers including: blocks, writing, reading, house (dramatic play), sensory, art, fine motor, math, technology, science, and music. During learning center time, students participate in both self-directed and teacher-directed learning activities. Our learning centers "choice board" provides choices and helps children learn how to make decisions. We also have "boards" in each learning center so that they can "sign in and out" by putting their "picture tag" on the "board." When there are four students in the center, there is no more room on the "board," and it is full. When a learning center is full, a child works on making a different choice, and can change their choice when there is space. Making choices that involve decision making will help grow preschoolers' executive function skills. Our learning centers include static areas, discrete activities, and dynamic areas. See the article below for more information on executive function.
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Preschool students started using Lexia Core 5 on the iPads at the tech learning center! Students brought home access, username, and password information so that they can work on Lexia on a device at home also. Lexia Reading Core 5 focuses on five core reading skills: phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Students have been learning about Thanksgiving and being thankful. Preschoolers have been thinking about and discussing things that they are thankful for in their lives. Each student made thankful feather for our Thanksgiving turkey!
Preschool students worked on learning letter "T"!
- Students worked on forming an uppercase "T" using our Handwriting Without Tears wood pieces. Preschoolers can write a letter "T": Start at the top!, big line, little line. - "T" is for train! We read train-themed books including The Little Engine That Could. We are working towards the growth mindset view. Growth mindset can be viewed as, "If at first you don't succeed, try again." The growth mindset view creates perseverance and resilience (Carol Dweck). The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper is a story about a little engine that overcomes obstacles with her positive mindset. Throughout the story, the little engine says, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…" We reflected on the story, and talked about how we work hard and don't give up on things. We talked about always remembering how the little blue engine said, "I think I can…" Students shared with the class things that they can do, and received "I can" necklaces with a picture of The Little Engine That Could book! We will continue to focus on growth mindset, working hard, and trying our best throughout the school year. Preschoolers learned about veterans, and painted American flags. Preschoolers also made poppy flower gifts for veterans that visited JMS for the Veterans Day Luncheon. Happy Veterans Day!
Our preschoolers are so excited to begin a partnership with the Bucks Hill Pre-K at the Annex in Waterbury, CT! We wrote and drew each other pictures. We included our name, our age, and something that we like to do for fun! We are looking forward to getting to know our new preschool friends this school year!
Preschoolers participated in many hands-on learning letter "D"-themed activities! Some of the learning activities included:
- Alphabet ducks at the water sensory learning center - A Dunkin' Donuts literacy center, where students practiced letter identification and letter sounds - Counting, sorting, patterning, and linking ducks together at the fine motor/math center - Music and movement breaks with the song "We are the Dinosaurs" by the Laurie Berkner Band - Singing and counting with the song "Five Little Ducks" - Various "D"-themed read alouds during whole group circle time - Creating a dinosaur picture in our journals We always have a pretend "duck tail" when we walk in the hallway so that we do not touch the walls of the school! Our preK word wall is a very hungry caterpillar!! It has twenty-six green circles for it's body; one for each letter of the alphabet. Our word wall will help preschoolers learn the first letter of their name, recognizing and spelling their own name, recognizing and spelling names of other preschool friends. There are pictures of each student next to each name if students need help!
We had so much fun on Halloween!!! Preschoolers shared about and showed their costumes, and participated in a costume parade. Mrs. Greenwood visited from the Morris Public Library, and read us The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. This week, we also read Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly, which quickly became a favorite! Students explored green slime at the sensory center, and made candy corn monsters at the creative art center. Students loved singing the "Witches Brew" song. For snack time, students made and ate banana ghosts, and witch hats!
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Mrs. Hodgkinson's Pre-K ClassRegion 6 Early Childhood Learning Center Archives
September 2019
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