Mrs. Ernst

January 30- February 3

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS

We enjoyed the snowman unit. I just wish we had snow to make it more real! We continued to work on rhyming words this week. This is a developmental concept so frequent exposure to rhyming words is the best way to develop this skill. We sorted and classified hot and cold items and which parts belong to snowmen versus which parts belong to people. In science we made frost in a can and we picked up ice cubes using just a string (and salt). They really enjoyed both activities. Did you know you can write on frost- they found out that you can?! Finally, for our food activity we made snowmen out of marshmallows. This was a great fine motor activity. They were yummy but, as one of the children pointed out, we were eating junk food, not healthy food. So precocious!

OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK

This will be the last story in our winter unit. Our focus this week will be the clothes we wear in the winter particularly when it snows. The story we are reading is The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel. In the story a little girl gets dressed to play in the snow, has a sledding accident while outside, then returns home to get undressed before she enjoys a warming treat. The main idea of this sequenced rhyming story is to describe what she is wearing and where each piece of clothing is worn. It is written using a form called rebus. The author first writes the word of the clothing then uses a picture to represent the word. This style makes it fun for the children to be able to "read" along. This technique also helps to increase their awareness that words represent pictures and that written words have meanings.

Some of the other key concepts include hot and cold, winter activities, seasons and sequencing. Our art projects this week will be centered on several of the items of winter clothing found in the story. In science we are going to make snow using a snow cone maker and do an experiment to discover how we can make ice melt. The children will predict if the ice melts faster in their bare hands or while wearing gloves or mittens.  We will play some dressing games, sing some winter songs and use scooter boards for classroom sled races. For our food activity we are going to make hot chocolate and oatmeal (instant)- yum! We are also going to make predictions before we melt large and small marshmallows in the hot chocolate to guess which will melt faster.

Vocabulary Words:

jacket   zipper  scarf  stocking cap  mittens  sweater  jeans  boots 

socks  long underwear  snow  wear  hot  cold  tears  sled

Miss Ginger and I want to welcome our new Georgia State intern, Miss Molly, to our class. She is excellent with the children! She will be with us for 5 weeks.

HOMEWORK:

• Help your child learn to put on his coats or other outwear independently if unable to do so.
• Practice learning to fasten and unfasten fasteners on clothing. Practice buttoning, zipping and snapping. This can be done while they are wearing the clothing or not.
• Look at pictures on the internet or in magazines of the way people dress during the winter and the summer. Discuss the different and the same pieces of clothing worn in the pictures.

• Higher level thinking questions:

What do you wear in the winter? What do you wear in the summer?

Is it hot or cold outside in the winter (in the summer)?

How would you feel if you wore a swimsuit in the snow? How would you feel if you wore a coat to the pool in the summer?

• Continue to work on prepositional words. Use a snowman or a snowflake and a box to begin to demonstrate these concepts. Have your child repeat what you have shown them or demonstrate by placing the object where you have asked. Repeated exposure to these concepts will help them begin to understand. Prepositional words include top, middle and bottom, on, in, under, in front, behind, next to, beside. 

• Songs and Poems

Below was another fun activity the children participated in this week. They log rolled off the snow one at a time as we counted down the snowmen. We practiced counting backwards also. Because we do not have 10 children we pracicted using the number of children present at the time we did the activity.

Ten Little Snowmen

10 little snowmen riding on my sled,

One rolled off, and bumped his head.

I called Frosty, and Frosty said,

"No more snowmen riding on that sled!"

Count down until you get to one snowman riding on my sled.

1 little snowman riding on my sled,

One rolled off, and bumped his head.

I called Frosty, and Frosty said,

"No more snowmen riding on that sled!"

Then

Zero little snowmen riding on my sled.

I jumped off and rubbed their heads.

One--Two--Three--Four--Five--Six--Seven--Eight--Nine--Ten!

 

10 Little Snowmen in a Row (Tune: 10 Little Indians)

1 little, 2 little, 3 little snowmen
4 little, 5 little, 6 little snowmen
7 little, 8 little, 9 little snowmen
10 little snowmen in a row.

 I’m  a Little Snowman (sung to I’m a Little Teapot)

 I’m a little snowman

Short and fat

Here is my scarf

And here is my hat.

When the sun comes out

 I melt away

 But when it’s cold

I’m here to stay.

Related Literature--- The Snowy Day- Ezra Jack Keats, The Snowman- Raymond Briggs; Froggy Gets    Dressed-Jonathan London; Snowball- Lois Ehlert; The First Snowfall- Anne Rockwell; The Mitten- Jan Brett

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students

 LETTER TIME-- Letter Review Bb-

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week is a review of  the letter Bb. I will emphasize the beginning sound found in words that begin with the “Bb” sound. Vocabulary words will be sent home for you to practice with your child to reinforce the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

Thursday- Music( full day students)- On Thursdays we will be going to Music with a kindergarten class.

During the month of February we will be going on THURSDAY  to the Media Center (full day students) —We will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)

Sing songs or nursery rhymes using only the letter sound instead of the words.

ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters

Practice writing the letters.

Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.

READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies to use-

a.       Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.

b.      Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  

c.       Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.

d.      While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters.   (These will be sent home when we begin letter formation.)

e.       Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   

f.       Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.

g.      Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

 Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

Georgia Preschool/ Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF you child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf

 

 

 

January 23-27

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS

Our hibernation unit is completed. The children enjoyed our movie on Friday and once more they were able to use their math skills (counting and money skills) by buying their movie tickets and popcorn. They were very interested in where the animal hibernated and used their new knowledge to construct some of those different places. As with some science experiments our shortening and ice experiment was not as successful as I wanted but the children were exposed to a great sensory experience- slippery and cold. And the shortening sure felt good on your hands!!!! We did watch ice change to water (solid to liquid) which many of the children were fascinated by.

OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK

Our winter unit continues this week. We are going to read the story “All You Need for a Snowman” by Alice Schertle. In this rhyming story children create a snowman starting with the first snowflake that flutters down to the last garment that goes on the snowman. We will concentrate snowmen this week We will use snowmen to learn about and practice prepositions, size concepts and sequencing. In art we will be making snowflakes and snowmen. Our songs and fingerplays will be about snowmen. Imagine even our food activity will involve us making snowmen. We are even going to have a snowball fight using tissues because we have no snow. But we will not be building snowmen or making snow in science this week. We are going to create frost instead.

Our vocabulary words include

snowman   snowflake  flutter/fall   small   medium   large   short   tall   round    top   middle   bottom/below

HOMEWORK:

• Work on prepositional words found in our vocabulary words. Use a snowman or a snowflake and a box  to begin to demonstrate these concepts. Have your child repeat or demonstrate where the object is. Repeated exposure to these concepts will help them begin to understand. Beside the concepts of top, middle and bottom or below try the following ones- on, in, under, in front, behind, next to, beside.  

• Songs and Poems

Ten Little Snowmen

10 little snowmen riding on my sled,

One rolled off, and bumped his head.

I called Frosty, and Frosty said,

"No more snowmen riding on that sled!"

Countdown until you get to one snowman riding on my sled.

1 little snowman riding on my sled,

One rolled off, and bumped his head.

I called Frosty, and Frosty said,

"No more snowmen riding on that sled!"

Then

Zero little snowmen riding on my sled.

I jumped off and rubbed their heads.

One--Two--Three--Four--Five--Six--Seven--Eight--Nine--Ten!

 

10 Little Snowmen in a Row (Tune: 10 Little Indians)

1 little, 2 little, 3 little snowmen
4 little, 5 little, 6 little snowmen
7 little, 8 little, 9 little snowmen
10 little snowmen in a row.

 

I’m  a Little Snowman (sung to I’m a Little Teapot)

 I’m a little snowman

Short and fat

Here is my scarf

And here is my hat.

When the sun comes out

 I melt away

 But when it’s cold

I’m here to stay.

 

Related Literature--- Ten on A Sled-Kim Norman; Snowmen At Night-Caralyn Buehner; Snow- Christine Ford; Snow- Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman; There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow- Lucille Colandro

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students

 LETTER TIME-- Letter Review Pp-

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week is a review of  the letter Pp. I will emphasize the beginning sound found in words that begin with the “Pp” sound. Vocabulary words will be sent home for you to practice with your child to reinforce the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

Thursday- Music( full day students)- On Thursdays we will be going to Music with a kindergarten class

Friday Media Center (full day students) —On Fridays we will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

1.      Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)

1. Sing songs or nursery rhymes using only the letter sound instead of the words.
2. ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters
3. Practice writing the letters.
4. Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.
5. READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies to use-

a.       Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.

b.      Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  

c.       Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.

d.      While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters.   (These will be sent home when we begin letter formation.)

e.       Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   

f.       Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.

g.      Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

 Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

Georgia Preschool/ Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF you child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf

 

 

 



January 17-20

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS

 We had a fun week learning about different aspects of winter and hibernation. The children loved exploring wind using a fan. And on Friday the weather cooperated so they could really understand the cold wind and winter!! They all loving playing in the big boxes with the puppets to pretend they were hibernating. This activity created much social interaction between ALL the children. What’s the value of big box play—priceless!!! In math we “bought” food to feed different animals featured in the story using pennies on the smartboard.  Also we exposed the children to estimation by having them decide how many scoops of bird seed were in a jar.

OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK

 The winter unit on hibernation continues with the story Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming. In this story a bear notices the change to winter and starts to prepare to hibernate. But she must first tell her friend the snail. This leads to telling all the animals that hibernate that it is “time to sleep”. Each animal’s hibernation area is described as they tell the other animal it is time, coming full circle back to the bear that is already asleep. We will focus on different animals that hibernate and where. We will also do a science experiment using ice and shortening to discover how animals keep warm in the winter time. In math and literacy we will sequence the story and work on ordinal numbers using the animals. The final day of this unit (Friday) will be Hibernation Day ( also known as pajama day). Please allow your child to wear APPROPRIATE pajamas to school. They will need to wear their sneakers but NO HOUSE SHOES, please. We will drink hot chocolate, make and eat popcorn and watch a short movie from Scholastic Books called Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. The children will buy tickets to the movie and the concessions mentioned above-- similar to the time we watched a movie in Mrs. Meadow’s class.

 IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

January 16- NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Holiday

January 20- HIBERNATION DAY  (otherwise known as PAJAMA DAY)  

 Our vocabulary words include

hibernation  snail  skunk  turtle  bear  woodchuck   ladybug   grubs   winter   spring

slither  crawl  dig   curl  under   

 

 HOMEWORK:

• Look up the animals from our vocabulary word list on the internet.

• Song and Poem

     Concept Poem--Frosty  Weather

Frosty Weather

Snowy Weather

When the wind blows,

We all go together.

     Song and act out the motions- Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Brown bear, brown bear turn around.

Brown bear, brown bear touch the ground

Brown bear, brown bear find some honey

Brown bear, brown bear sleep til it’s sunny.

Brown bear, brown bear growl real loud.

Brown bear, brown bear sit on the ground.

• Related Literature--- Bear Snores On- Karma Wilson; Sleepy Bears -Mem Fox and Kerry Argent; When Will It Be Spring- Catherine Watters; Ten Little Bears (A Counting Rhyme)- Kathleen Hague

 

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students

 

LETTER TIME-- Letter Review Dd-

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week is a review of  the letter Dd. I will emphasize the beginning sound found in words that begin with the “ Dd” sound. Vocabulary words will be sent home for you to practice with your child to reinforce the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

IF your child is becoming frustrated when writing his/her first name in upper and lower case letters I have chants for the lower case letters that I can give you. Please email me if you need the chants!!

 

Thursday- Music( full day students)- On Thursdays we will be going to Music with a kindergarten class

Friday Media Center (full day students) —On Fridays we will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

1.      Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)

1. Sing songs or nursery rhymes using only the letter sound instead of the words.
2. ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters
3. Practice writing the letters.
4. Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.
5. READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies to use-

a.       Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.

b.      Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  

c.       Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.

d.      While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters.   (These will be sent home when we begin letter formation.)

e.       Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   

f.       Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.

g.      Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

 Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

Georgia Preschool/ Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF you child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf

 

 

 

January 9-13

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS

 Miss Ginger and I hope that everyone had a safe and restful Winter Break. We both did!

 OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK

 Our focus for the month of January will be our winter units. The focus for the next 2 week will be changes in the weather and how that affects many animals including animals that hibernate. We will begin the unit with Nancy Van Laan’s story “When Winter Comes”. This rhyming story invites the children to think about the questions the author poses concerning how the weather changes affect the animals and the landscape. As a family is walking through the woods surrounding their home they notice and explore the different changes in the environment including leaves that are still falling, ice on a pond, snow in the air and the changes in different animals. We will be hoping that our weather cooperates in order for the children to experience some winter changes. We will also explore the wind (using a fan), explore ice, play in the “big boxes” to hibernate like some of the animals mentioned in the story and even work on money and estimation concepts when we discuss how birds adjust during the winter months.

 IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

January 16- NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Holiday

January 20- HIBERNATION DAY  (otherwise known as PAJAMA DAY) To celebrate the end of this unit we are going to have pajama day. Please allow your child to wear APPROPRIATE p.j.’s to school. They will need to wear their sneakers, however. We will have some hot chocolate, popcorn and watch  a short movie from Scholastic Books. You child will even get to buy concessions similar to the time we watched a movie in Mrs. Meadow’s class.

 

 Our vocabulary words include

hibernation   cold   winter   wind   blow  snow   cocoon   tunnel   deer   field mouse  petals  pond  fish

 

 

HOMEWORK:

 

• ·         Explore your yard, neighborhood or park looking for changes in plant life, animals, temperature. What are the birds doing? How do the plants look? Are there any seeds? Is there ice on the pond or lake?
• ·         Fingerplays

Here are the ones we will introduce this week.

Birds  (fingerplay)

Up in the sky, the little birds fly. (flutter outstretched hands)
Down in their nests the little birds rest. (lower hands into lap)
With a wing on the left, and a wing on the right, (wave left hand, then right)
The dear little birdies sleep all night. (fold hands under cheek)

The Wind (fingerplay)

Listen to the wind (Cup hand to ear)

Hear it blow? (Make "whoosh" noise)

What makes the wind blow?

Do you know? (Point at child)

Fill a balloon up full of air (Cup one hand to lips, blow; with each breath separate hands, like blowing up a balloon)

Let the air out and (Take hand away from mouth)

Wind is there. (Bring hand in front as if feeling air leave the balloon)

     Concept Poem--Frosty  Weather

Frosty Weather

Snowy Weather

When the wind blows,

We all go together.

 

• Related Literature--- Bear Snores On; The First Snowfall- Anne Rockwell; A Little Bit of Winter- Paul Stewart; Snowtime- Dave Saunders; It’s Winter- Linda Glaser

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students

 

LETTER TIME-- Letter Review Jj -

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week is a review of  the letter Jj. I will emphasize the beginning sound found in words that begin with the “ Jj” sound. Vocabulary words will be sent home for you to practice with your child to reinforce the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

IF your child is becoming frustrated when writing his/her first name in upper and lower case letters I have chants for the lower case letters that I can give you. Please email me if you need the chants!!

 

Thursday- Music( full day students)- On Thursdays we will be going to Music with a kindergarten class. I want to thank Mr. Savage for allowing us to participate in this activity as the students are only in preschool.  Friday Media Center (full day students) —On Fridays we will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

 

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)

ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters.

Practice writing the letters.

Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.

READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies to Use-

Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.

Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  

Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.

While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters

Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   

Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.

Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

 

Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

 

Georgia Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF your child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

Preschool Standards     http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

Pre-K Standards          http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf

 

 

December 19-22

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS

The children loved “The Gingerbread Man” last week. We even had some children singing The Gingerbread Man ( a variation on the nursery rhyme The Muffin Man ) while walking down the halls. The children measured each other using gingerbread men to practice this skill and to discover the longest and shortest child as well as the ones  in the middle. We used these gingerbread men to create a way to see smallest to biggest and biggest to smallest (seriation). Great hands on math lessons!  The children also enjoyed  playing Ring Around the Gingerbread Man and Gingerbread Man, Gingerbread Man, Fox (a variation of Duck, Duck, Goose).  Science this week was connected to the gingerbread  man crossing the river with the fox. They discovered  items which float and those that sink. They also discovered that gingerbread  men cookies will float, then sink, then they will start to dissolve. The children did not know why the gingerbread man did not want to get wet.

OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK

 This week we will be ending our theme on farm animals with a story called “Dream Snow”. This story is about a farmer who falls asleep and dreams about the first snowfall of the year. When he awakes he discovers that it really has snowed just in time for Christmas. He puts on his red suit, decorates a tree outside his barn and leaves presents for all the farm animals.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

December  22- School Sing Along

                         Class Holiday Party

December 23- January 9- Winter Break—NO SCHOOL

 

Have a wonderful, happy and safe Holiday Season! Happy New Year—See you in 2012!!!!

 

 Our vocabulary words are:

farmer   barn   stall   dream   snowflake   tree   sack   decorate   one 1   two 2   three 3   four  4   five 5

 

 

HOMEWORK:

Related Literature--- If You Take a Mouse to the Movies- Laura Joffe Numeroff; Clifford’s First Christmas- Norman Bridwell; Auntie Claus- Elise Primavera

 

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students

LETTER TIME-- Letter Review Gg and Ss-

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week is a review of  the letters Gg and Ss. I will emphasize the beginning sound found in words that begin with Ss and the hard Gg sound. Vocabulary words will be sent home for you to practice with your child to reinforce the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

IF your child is becoming frustrated when writing his/her first name in upper and lower case letters I have chants for the lower case letters that I can give you. Please email me if you need the chants!!

Thursday- Music( full day students)- On Thursdays we will be going to Music with a kindergarten class. I want to thank Mr. Savage for allowing us to participate in this activity as the students are only in preschool.  

Friday Media Center (full day students) —On Fridays we will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

 

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)

ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters.

Practice writing the letters.

Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.

READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies to Use-

Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.

Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  

Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.

While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters

Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   

Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.

Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

 

Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

 

Georgia Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF your child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

Preschool Standards     http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

Pre-K Standards          http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf

 

 

December 12-16

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

 

LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS

 

The story “Barnyard Song” by Rhonda Gowler Greene was a great introduction to teaching the children about germs, the flu and how to keep from spreading illnesses. Here are a few of their favorite activities. We practiced washing our hands by first creating “germs” by mixing a tiny amount of cooking oil with dried parsley (germs). Once the “germs” were spread all over their hands then they discovered how well you must wash to remove all the germs. Remember to encourage good hand washing at home by reminding them of this science activity. Another fun learning activity was creating a chicken sound using a cup. They were fascinated when they were able to make the cup sound like a chicken when they slid down the yarn using a wet paper towel. Finally everyone enjoyed helping to make soup similar to the soup the farmer fed the animals until they were well. Our soup consisted of frozen peas, dried noodles and seasonings. Everyone tasted the peas when they were frozen and when they were cooked in the soup. Some actually liked the frozen ones better than the cooked ones. They also made predictions about what would happen to the noodles after they were cooked (would they stay hard or get soft?) and how the noodles would look after they were cooked (wavy or straight). Happily everyone ate all the soup they were given and some even asked more! The week was full of other fun activities to encourage proper health procedures including practicing covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Most needed frequent reminders (this was a big week for both coughing and sneezing) but this is what learning is all about. Make sure you encourage good health care practices at home to reinforce these skills. I think the children loved singing the song in the story the best. It was to the tune of Old MacDonald. First the animals sang in “their usual voices, in their usual throats” but stopped singing after the sneeze spread the flu to each of them. Their song changed to sneezes, sniffles and unusual sounds which the children loved to make.

 

OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK

 This week we will be reading about the adventures of the gingerbread man. There are many versions of this traditional story so I have chosen the version by Eric Kimmel. He retells the story about the cookie that comes alive after being cooked, choosing to have him run away from an old man and woman, a sow (pig), a dog, and a horse and a cow. Finally it is the fox that enjoys a tasty gingerbread treat.

Some key concepts for this story will be sequencing the story, sequencing the way the fox tricks the gingerbread man, positional words, patterns and measurement.

 

Our vocabulary words are:

gingerbread man  sow  pigsty  dog   fox    tail   back    head   snout   

wagged   barked   grazing   behind   rising

 

HOMEWORK:

Play the Gingerbread Man game on Starfall.com. Click on the link below.

http://www.starfall.com/n/holiday/gingerbread/load.htm?f&n=main

 

Listen the Mox’s Shop on Starfall.com. This story emphasizes the short  “o” sound but it also features a fox which goes along with our story.  Click on the link below.

http://www.starfall.com/n/short-o/so/load.htm?f

 

Another fun computer game is Old MacDonald on Sesame Street.org. This can be used to teach beginning letter sounds by emphasizing the name of the farm animals and pressing the key that starts the animal’s name. It is also a science game emphasizing each animal’s sounds. You can also use this game to count by pressing the key to add the animals to the farm scene.

http://www.sesamestreet.org/game_player/-/pgpv/gameplayer/0/f6ec61d8-486b-11dd-bf7b-   df62be721a24/toddler_old_macdonald

 

Songs, Nursery Rhymes, Fingerplays and Poems

The Muffin Man (change the name to the gingerbread man)

Oh, do you know the gingerbread man?

The gingerbread  man? The gingerbread  man?

Oh, do you know the gingerbread man

 who ran down Drury Lane.

He said, "Catch me if you can,
If you can, if you can."
He said, "Catch me if you can,"
Then ran and ran and ran.
I can run like
the Gingerbread Man.
The Gingerbread Man,
The Gingerbread Man.
I can run like
the Gingerbread Man,
Now catch me if you can!!

http://web.archive.org/web/20080110232939/http://www.theteachersroom.com/gingerbread.htm

 

Ginger Kids (finger play sung to “10 Little Indians”- use your fingers as you add each ginger kid)

One little, two little, three little ginger kids.

Four little, five little, six little ginger kids,

Seven little, eight little, nine little ginger kids,

Ten little gingerbread kids.

(Now do back ward counting starting from ten to one)

 

Related Literature--- The Gingerbread Man by Harriett Ziefret;  Maisy Makes Gingerbread by Lucy Cousins; The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins; Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone; Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

 

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students

 

LETTER TIME-- Letter Ss-

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week we will introduce the letter Ss. I will emphasize the beginning sound found in words that begin with Ss. Vocabulary words will be sent home for you to practice with your child to reinforce the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

IF your child is becoming frustrated when writing his/her first name in upper and lower case letters I have chants for the lower case letters that I can give you. Please email me if you need the chants!!

 

Thursday- Music( full day students)- The class is going to start participating in one weekly Specials class with a kindergarten class. (What are Specials?- Music, P.E. and Art) On Thursdays we will be going to Music. I want to thank Mr. Savage for allowing us to participate in this activity as the students are only in preschool. We will start on a trial basis first to make certain they are ready to attend and participate. This will be a very beneficial activity for them.

Friday Media Center (full day students) —On Fridays we will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

 

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)

ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters.

Practice writing the letters.

Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.

READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies to Use-

Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.

Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  

Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.

While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters

Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   

Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.

Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

 

Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

 

Georgia Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF your child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

Preschool Standards     http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

Pre-K Standards          http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf

 

 

December 5- 9

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS

The children really enjoyed “Mrs. Wishy-Washy” by Joy Cowley. Many were heard repeating the recurring statements of ‘wishy-washy’ and ‘oh, lovely mud’ found in the story during structured play time and centers. I hope some of them came home and re-enacted the story for you. This would have been fun for them to do while in the tub. We made mud from dirt (actually it was cocoa but it looked and acted just like dirt when mixed with water); painted muddy animal pictures, reinforcing the actions of the animals from the story; and made “mud” pudding then used animal crackers to reenact the story before eating the whole activity.

OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK

This week we will continue our farm and healthy habits unit. We will be reading “Barnyard Song” by Rhonda Gowler Greene, a former preschool/elementary special education teacher. This story is a perfect introduction to teaching young children ways to keep from spreading illnesses. Using farm animals Mrs. Greene connects how one uncovered, seemingly innocent sneeze spreads germs that cause the whole barnyard of animals to become sick. The farmer then calls the veterinarian who diagnoses the barnyard flu and recommends soup and rest for them until they are well 7 days later. Some of the activities we will participate in this week will be practicing good hand washing techniques after visible germs (cinnamon or another spice or coffee grounds mixed with vegetable oil or lotion) are applied to the hands; an experiment with pepper, water and dishwashing detergent to demonstrate how germs are scared away when using soap to wash your hands; letting the children use colored water to spray construction paper while they pretend to sneeze to demonstrate what happens when one sneezes without covering; and making a cup sound like a chicken ( we are going to be making some farm animal pictures in art this week).

Other key concepts that we are focusing on this week include hand washing sequencing; prepositional words; patterns and farm animals.

 Our vocabulary words are:

sneeze   farmer  veterinarian   barn (barnyard)   tractor   kettle  

bee   rooster   mule   cat   pig   horse  cow   duck   turkey 

HOMEWORK:

•  Look up a barnyard, barn and the animals from our story this week on the internet- see the vocabulary words. Listen to the way the animals sound and describe how they look. Look up a barnyard and notice where the animals live. Also, look up veterinarians for both small animals (pets) and large animals (farm/zoo).

• Play the following Sesame Street game with your child on the computer. Please help them to learn how to use the mouse. This is a farm game about farm animals and the sounds they make.

http://www.sesamestreet.org/game_player/-/pgpv/gameplayer/0/402240e1-1528-47bd-bed3-d9fa1376ec9a/what_doesn_t_belong_animals

• A fun counting game is also on Sesame Street. Please reinforce how the numbers look to help your child learn their numbers also.

http://www.sesamestreet.org/game_player/-/pgpv/gameplayer/0/2fbff182-d44c-46d5-8bf3-29f95f665a40/dorothy_imagines_farms

• Another fun computer game is Old MacDonald on Sesame Street. This can be used to teach beginning letter sounds by emphasizing the name of the farm animals and pressing the key that starts the animal’s name. It is also a science game emphasizing each animal’s sounds. You can also use this game to count by pressing the key to add the animals to the farm scene.

http://www.sesamestreet.org/game_player/-/pgpv/gameplayer/0/f6ec61d8-486b-11dd-bf7b-df62be721a24/toddler_old_macdonald

•  Songs, Nursery Rhymes, Fingerplays and Poems

TRADITIONAL NURSERY RHYMES
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Baa-Baa Black Sheep
Little Boy Blue
To Market, To Market                                                                                                                                                           This Little Piggie Went to Market

Little Boy Blue (can change words to Little Girl Blue)
Little Boy (Girl) Blue
Come blow your horn!
The sheep's in the meadow,
The cow's in the corn.
Where is the boy (girl)
who looks after the sheep?
He's (She’s) under the haystack,
Fast asleep.
Will you wake him (her)?
No, not I
For if I do,
He's (She’s) sure to cry

BARNYARD SONGS
Old McDonald Had a Farm
B-I-N-G-O
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Baa-Baa Black Sheep
Five Little Ducks

Five Little Ducks (song and fingerplay)
5 little ducks went out one day (hold up 5 fingers)
Over the hills and far away, (make wave with arm like over over the hill)
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack, quack, quack, (flap elbows like wings)
But only 4 little ducks came back. (hold up 4 fingers)

4 little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
But only 3 little ducks came back.

3 little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack, quack, quack,
But only 2 little ducks came back.

2 little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack, quack, quack,
But only 1 little duck came back.

1 little duck went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack, quack, quack,
But  no little ducks came wondering  back.

No little  ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack, quack, quack,
And 5 little ducks came wandering back

•  Related Literature--- Big Red Barn- Margaret Wise Brown; Barn Dance- Bill Martin, Jr; Inside a Barn in the Country- Alyssa Satin Capucilli; Rosie’s Walk- Pat Hutchins; The Little Red Hen- Paul Galdone

 

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students

LETTER TIME-- Letter G-

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week we will introduce the letter Gg. I will emphasize the beginning soundfound in words that begin with Gg. I will be teaching the children the “hard G” sounds as in grape, green, and great. Vocabulary words will be sent home for you to practice with your child to reinforce the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

IF your child is becoming frustrated when writing his/her first name in upper and lower case letters I have chants for the lower case letters that I can give you. Please email me if you need the chants!!

Thursday- Music( full day students)- The class is going to start participating in one weekly Specials class with a kindergarten class. (What are Specials?- Music, P.E. and Art) On Thursdays we will be going to Music. I want to thank Mr. Savage for allowing us to participate in this activity as the students are only in preschool. We will start on a trial basis first to make certain they are ready to attend and participate. This will be a very beneficial activity for them.

Friday Media Center (full day students) —On Fridays we will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

1. Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)
2. ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters.
3. Practice writing the letters.
4. Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.
5. READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies to Use-

1. Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.
2. Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  
3. Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.
4. While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters.   (These will be sent home when we begin letter formation.)
5. Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   
6. Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.
7. Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

Georgia Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF your child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

Preschool Standards     http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

Pre-K Standards          http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 



November 28- December 2

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS

 I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday week. Thank you for visiting our class last week and watching our performance. Sorry so many of them experienced stage fright—they all sang it well the next day when they wanted to “practice” again. They are so cute.

I hope that you had time to watch some of a Thanksgiving parade with your child. This makes learning real and reinforces the concepts we learned. Also, I hope your child was able to help you make some of the Thanksgiving dinner. This is another way to reinforce the concepts we learned in our food unit.

OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK

This week begins our farm and healthy habits unit. We will be reading “Mrs. Wishy Washy” by Joy Cowley. This is always a favorite of the children. In the story the animals enjoy playing in the mud. This upsets Mrs.Wishy-Washy and she decides they all need a bath. The children love to see the animals get all dirty and watch how Mrs. Wishy-Washy reactions to their actions. Some of the activities we will participate in this week are making mud, having a mud snack and making muddy pictures.

The key concepts that we are focusing on this week include story sequencing; role playing and story retelling; healthy habit of taking a bath (clean and dirty); animals and their babies; sorting; prepositional words; patterns and farm animals.

 Our vocabulary words are:

pig  cow  duck  mud  tub  in  scream  roll  paddle   jump  dirty   clean

 Homework:

•  Look up the animals from our story this week on the internet- see the vocabulary words. Listen to the way they sound and describe how they look.

• Play the following Sesame Street game with your child on the computer. Please help them to learn how to use the mouse. This is a farm game about farm animals and the sounds they make.

http://www.sesamestreet.org/game_player/-/pgpv/gameplayer/0/402240e1-1528-47bd-bed3-d9fa1376ec9a/what_doesn_t_belong_animals

• A fun counting game is also on Sesame Street. Please reinforce how the numbers look to help your child learn their numbers also.

http://www.sesamestreet.org/game_player/-/pgpv/gameplayer/0/2fbff182-d44c-46d5-8bf3-29f95f665a40/dorothy_imagines_farms

• Another fun computer game is Old MacDonald on Sesame Street. This can be used to teach beginning letter sounds by emphasizing the name of the farm animals and pressing the key that starts the the animal’s name. It is also a science game emphasizing the animal’s sounds. You can also use this game to count by pressing the  key to add the animals to the farm scene.

http://www.sesamestreet.org/game_player/-/pgpv/gameplayer/0/f6ec61d8-486b-11dd-bf7b-df62be721a24/toddler_old_macdonald

• Play in the mud. Every child should get to experience this activity. Describe how the mud looks, smells  and feels.

•  Songs, Nursery Rhymes, Fingerplays and Poems

One, Two the Cow Went Moo  (tune: One, Two Buckle My Shoe)

One, two the cow went moo.

Three, four mud’s on the floor.

Five, six the duck does tricks,

Seven, eight Mrs. Wishy-Washy can’t wait.

Nine, ten the pig’s back in his pen.

Five Little Ducks
5 little ducks went out one day (hold up 5 fingers)
Over the hills and far away, (make wave with arm like over over the hill)
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack, (flap elbows like wings)
But only 4 little ducks came back. (hold up 4 fingers)

4 little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
But only 3 little ducks came back.

3 little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
But only 2 little ducks came back.

2 little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
But only 1 little duck came back.

1 little duck went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
But  no little ducks came wondering  back.

No little  ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away,
Mommy (daddy) duck called quack quack quack,
And 5 little ducks came wandering back

Little Boy Blue (can change words to Little Girl Blue)
Little Boy (Girl) Blue
Come Blow your horn!
The sheep's in the meadow,
The cow's in the corn.
Where is the boy (girl)
who looks after the sheep?
He's (She’s) under the haystack,
Fast asleep.
Will you wake him (her)?
No, not I
For if I do,
He's (She’s) sure to cry

•  Related Literature--- Big Red Barn- Margaret Wise Brown; Barn Dance- Bill Martin, Jr; Inside a Barn in the Country- Alyssa Satin Capucilli; Rosie’s Walk- Pat Hutchins; The Little Red Hen- Paul Galdone

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students

LETTER TIME-- Letter Review-

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week we will be reviewing the last 5 letters. I will emphasize the beginning sounds. I will send home vocabulary words for you to practice with your child to reinforce the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

IF your child is becoming frustrated when writing his/her first name in upper and lower case letters I have chants for the lower case letters that I can give you. Please email me if you need the chants!!

Thursday- Music( full day students)- The class is going to start participating in one weekly Specials class with a kindergarten class. (What are Specials?- Music, P.E. and Art) On Thursdays we will be going to Music. I want to thank Mr. Savage for allowing us to participate in this activity as the students are only in preschool. We will start on a trial basis first to make certain they are ready to attend and participate. This will be a very beneficial activity for them.

Friday Media Center (full day students) —On Fridays we will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

1. Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)
2. ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters.
3. Practice writing the letters.
4. Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.
5. READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies To Use-

1. Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.
2. Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  
3. Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.
4. While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters.   (These will be sent home when we begin letter formation.)
5. Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   
6. Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.
7. Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

Georgia Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF your child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

Preschool Standards     http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

Pre-K Standards          http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf

 

November 14- 18

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

Special Events This Week

November 17- Celebrate Families Day --Thanksgiving Feast

Please join your child at lunch time for a Thanksgiving Feast. Our Family Day is November 17. This is the day for you to join your child at lunch time. You will be eating in the cafeteria with them from 11:05 to 11:35. We will go through the cafeteria line and be seated at a special table just for you, your child and any other family members with reservations. REMEMBER YOU MUST MAKE A RESERVATION TO ATTEND- please. This is a very popular and crowded event. The children love to have their parents attend!

Before Lunch we are having a special song presentation for all those who will be attending!!!! Please arrive at our room (C-302) between 10:30 and 10:40.

November 21-25- Thanksgiving Break --- NO SCHOOL- Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS

The children all loved playing in the pretend grocery store and creating their own store with blocks. They re-enacted the story of using toy animals and pretend vegetables featured in “To Market, To Market”. In science they explored all different vegetables using all their senses. For our food activities last week the children peeled carrots, opened and tasted bean pods and made vegetable soup. On Friday the children cut up soft vegetables using popsicle sticks then added them to the “broth”. After a quick cook in the microwave we tasted some delicious vegetable soup. They discovered so much about vegetables during the week.

OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK

The week before Thanksgiving we are reading “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie” by Allison Jackson. This funny, rhyming story is about an old lady who visits a family on Thanksgiving Day and eats everything including the pot the food is cooked in. As the story progresses she becomes increasingly bigger and bigger. Finally she becomes so large she ends up flying as a parade balloon on Thanksgiving Day.

The key concepts that we are focusing on this week include rhyming words; story sequencing; Thanksgiving foods and family traditions; foods versus non-food items; functions of objects; nutrition and health; and seriation (in this story-from small to big). We will continue to play grocery store and in the kitchen to prepare for the Thanksgiving holidays as well as learn more about vegetables and fruits.  We will also be making some turkeys for Thanksgiving decorations.

Our vocabulary words are:

 pie    cider   roll   squash   salad   turkey   pot   cake   bread  

Thanksgiving    dry    swallow   rumble/grumble

 Homework:

1. Take your child grocery shopping. Find and look at the foods found in our vocabulary word list.  

Higher level thinking question -- What do you eat on Thanksgiving Day?

       2.  Check out the different departments found in the grocery store with your child. Look at the vegetable section, the fruit section, the bread section, the meat section, and the bakery. Do not forget to look at the turkeys!

Higher level thinking question—What foods are healthy and unhealthy for you?

1. Let your child help pay for the groceries or some other items. This will help them learn that money is exchanged for things you want or need.

Look at coins. Match and sort them. Make AB and ABC patterns with them. Start a pattern and let them extend it or match it if not able to extend it. See if they can create their own patterns.

Higher level thinking question--  What do you use to buy things with at the market? What can you buy at the grocery store?

1. Let them watch and help in the kitchen. What items do you use to cook with?  Is it safe to get near the store or oven when something is cooking? Let them measure and pour wet and dry ingredients. Use a vegetable peeler and peel some carrots or other vegetables. Please make sure an adult is watching at all times. Lay the vegetables on their sides before peeling and move the peeler away from the hand. Make sure you emphasize appropriate handwashing before cooking and eating.

Higher level thinking question—Can a person really eat a pot (or any cooking utensil)  like the old lady does in the story?

    5. If possible watch a Thanksgiving Day parade with your child to see the large parade balloons or view a parade with large parade balloons on Youtube.

Higher level thinking question- Can a person really turn into a balloon?

5. Nursery Rhymes and Poems

To Market, To Market

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig.
Home again, home again, jiggerty jig.

To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again, jiggerty jog.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns. Hot cross buns.

One a penny. Two a penny.

Hot cross buns.

Funny Turkey

The turkey is a funny bird.

His head goes wobble, wobble.

 And all he says is just one word,

Gobble, gobble, gobble.

7. Fingerplay

Five Fat Peas
Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed (hold hand in a fist)
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest. (put thumb and fingers up one by one)
They grew and grew (raise hand in the air very slowly)
And did not stop,
Until one day
The pod went POP! (clap hands together)

8. Related Literature--- Growing Vegetable Soup- Lois Ehlert; Lunch- Denise Fleming; Eating the Alphabet- Lois Ehlert; Today is Monday- Eric Carle

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students

LETTER TIME-- Letter Qq-

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week we will be learning letter Qq. I will emphasize the beginning sounds as in quail, quarter and quick. I will send home vocabulary words for you to practice with your child to reinforce the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

IF your child is becoming frustrated when writing his/her first name in upper and lower case letters I have chants for the lower case letters that I can give you. Please email me if you need the chants!!

Thursday- Music( full day students)- The class is going to start participating in one weekly Specials class with a kindergarten class. (What are Specials?- Music, P.E. and Art) On Thursdays we will be going to Music. I want to thank Mr. Savage for allowing us to participate in this activity as the students are only in preschool. We will start on a trial basis first to make certain they are ready to attend and participate. This will be a very beneficial activity for them.

Friday Media Center (full day students) —On Fridays we will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

1. Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)
2. ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters.
3. Practice writing the letters.
4. Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.
5. READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies To Use-

1. Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.
2. Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  
3. Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.
4. While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters.   (These will be sent home when we begin letter formation.)
5. Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   
6. Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.
7. Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

Georgia Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF your child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

Preschool Standards     http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

Pre-K Standards          http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf

November 7- 11

From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class

THIS WEEK IN OUR CLASS

I hope that all of your children had a great Halloween!! They loved our fun filled Halloween Day. I incorporated many skills we have been learning into all the fun activities we did. They did not even realize they were learning!! We made a cool ghost mask first as an introduction to our story. After the story we worked on measuring, fine motor skills, turn taking and had a total sensory experience making Monster Mash (a fruit and peanut butter treat). Then we conducted a spooky experiment using static electricity, a balloon and a tissue paper ghost to find out if it would float up and off the table! It worked and they were so amazed. Each of them participated in the experience. Finally, we went “Trick or Treating” in the classroom. We worked on safety rules and what to say when you knock on the door. And that was just Monday!! During the rest of the week we have been reading Mouse Mess. The children laughed out loud at the “messy” mouse and his antics. We have eaten and/or made many different foods such as different flavored milk (we graphed who liked the different ones), plain old corn flakes with and without milk (they thought they were “chips and liked them) and made PB and J sandwiches. We also have worked on other concepts such as pattern activities and positional words.

Our upcoming story continues this month’s theme of food and Thanksgiving. We are going to be reading To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda. This story is based on the traditional nursery rhyme To Market, To Market. In the rhyming story an old lady brings home different animals from the grocery store only to have her house destroyed and all of her food eaten. After experiencing all the crazy activities the animals carry out in her home she decides to go back to the store, buy some vegetables and make soup. So guess what we are going to make?? Vegetable Soup- of course! The children are going to discover different vegetables by using their senses plus through math concepts of weight, measurement, whole and part and ordinal numbers (first, second…). We will also introduce the concept of money in exchange for food (we are going grocery shopping in our classroom). Other key concepts include rhyming words, adjectives, parts and functions of a home, community places and graphing/sorting.

Below are some of the vocabulary words we will be exposing the children to during the week-

Animals-pig, hen, goose, trout, lamb, cow, duck, goat

Vegetables- carrot, onion, okra, cabbage pea pods, beets, celery, peppers, rice, potato, tomato

Places- home, market

Nouns- meat, fish, groceries, soup, money

Verbs- In, On, Buy

 Homework

1.Take your child grocery shopping. Find and look at the vegetables  found in our vocabulary word list.  

Higher level thinking question -- What do people buy at the market?

2. Check out the grocery with your child. Look at the vegetable section, the seafood section, the meat section, so on.

Higher level thinking question—Why do you go to the market?

3. Let your child help pay for the groceries. If possible allow them to use some currency to buy something.

  Look at coins. Match and sort them.

Higher level thinking question--  What do you use to buy things with at the market?

4.Nursery Rhyme

To Market, To Market

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig.
Home again, home again, jiggerty jig.

To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again, jiggerty jog.

To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,
Home again, home again. Market is done.

5. Poem

Vegetable Colors
There are many colored vegetables-
They are good for you.
Carrots are orange, I'll l eat a few,
Beans are green, I'll eat them too.

*Keep repeating and adding different veggies.

6.Fingerplay

Five Fat Peas
Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed (hold hand in a fist)
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest. (put thumb and fingers up one by one)
They grew and grew (raise hand in the air very slowly)
And did not stop,
Until one day
The pod went POP! (clap hands together)

7.Related Literature--- Lunch- Denise Fleming; Eating the Alphabet- Lois Ehlert; Don’t Forget the Bacon- Pat Hutchins; Jamberry- Bruce Degen; Today is Monday- Eric Carle

Important Dates in November

November 8- Election Day--- NO SCHOOL

November 17- Celebrate Families Day --Thanksgiving Feast

Please join your child at lunch time for a Thanksgiving Feast. Our Family Day is November 17. This is the day for you to join your child at lunch time. You will be eating in the cafeteria with them from 11:05 to 11:35. We will go through the cafeteria line and be seated at a special table just for you, your child and any other family members with reservations. REMEMBER YOU MUST MAKE A RESERVATION TO ATTEND- please. This is a very popular and crowded event. The children love to have their parents attend! You nor your child is required to buy a lunch for this event!!!!

November 21-25- Thanksgiving Break --- NO SCHOOL

Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students (Letter Oo)

Remember to continue to review the previous letters as we begin to progress.  Don’t forget to use the chants I sent home as you practice writing. The children enjoy saying the chants or hearing you repeat the chants as they write in sand, rice or flour using their pointer finger and on an upright chalkboard with chalk or on an attached paper with a crayon on an upright board.

This week we will be learning letter Oo. I try to emphasize the short sounds found in the letters that are vowels (October, octagon, octopus, olive…) I will send home vocabulary words for you to practice with your child to learn the letter sound. Try to follow the activities and strategies listed below. Please keep in mind that each child has varying abilities. I will expose your child to the standards that are age appropriate but will adjust each lesson to their individual levels and needs.

IF your child is becoming frustrated when writing his/her first name in upper and lower case letters I have chants for the lower case letters that I can give you. Please email me if you need the chants!!

 

Friday Media Center (full day students) —On Fridays we will visit the Media Center and check out one book. Please read this book with your child daily. The book needs to be returned by following Friday or your child will not be able to check out another book. Please help your child learn to respect the books he/she has brought home. Show them the proper way to handle the books and how to put them away.  We practice this at school in our classroom library and they need to know the same respect and treatment of books applies at home also.

 

 

More activities for increasing letter awareness, letter sound awareness and handwriting-

1. Go on a treasure hunt around your house (inside and/or outside) to find items that begin with each letter sound. (Use the vocabulary words I have sent home to help you.)
2. ALWAYS practice writing their first names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).  At this age children only need to learn to write the upper case letters (except in the first names). They should learn to recognize both upper and lower case letters.
3. Practice writing the letters.
4. Look in books, magazines, etc. to find both the upper and lower case letter of the week. Always go from left to right as you do when you read. They can even use a highlighter to mark the letters they find. This is also a great review exercise for the previous letters we have learned. For those students who can recognize the letters this is a great way to start exposing them to words. Have them find and highlight the word that has the letter in it.
5. READ to your child. Read a variety of books to them. Ask questions about what you are reading- use “what” and “who” questions at first. Then move on to questions that require higher thinking- where, when, how and why. Talk about the pictures. Point to the words as you are reading. All of these things increase awareness which will help them learn to read

Handwriting Strategies to use-

1. Using a shortened normal sized crayon or pencil will encourage the correct hand position when they are writing if this is needed for your child. The shortened length requires your child to have to hold the writing instrument using a more appropriate grasp.  A crayon helps the writer increase pressure when writing. Pencils tend to slip easily and may not be the best instrument to use for beginning writers.  Markers should not be used until they are established writers. Once your child is an established writer use regular length crayons and begin writing with pencils.
2. Writing on a slanted surface such a 3 inch binder helps to keep their hand and arm in the correct position if needed.  
3. Writing with chalk on an upright easel encourages correct arm and hand position PLUS it increases the need to add pressure.
4. While they are writing say the chants I sent home with your child will help remember the correct way to form the letters.   (These will be sent home when we begin letter formation.)
5. Have your child write while laying prone (flat) on his stomach.  This is another way to reinforce the correct position for the arm and hand when writing.                                   
6. Roll playdoh or other modeling clay into balls first and then snakes. Use the snakes to form the letters. Use a rectangle shape such as a picture frame with no glass as a guide to form the letters. ALWAYS form the letters starting from the top to bottom inside the rectangle shape using the edges as a guide.
7. Practice writing the letter shapes with their fingers on sandpaper; in rice, sand or flour; or hair setting gel in a sealed plastic bag. 

 Speech and Language- Miss Allison

Check out the Speech and Language page on the left side of this blog page.

 

Georgia Pre-K Content Standards Link

     Here is a useful link to the Ga. Preschool/ Pre-K content standards. As special needs preschool educators our lessons are planned around these standards and the individual needs of each student. You may find information on this site helpful when you are working with your child at home and in your community. This site will help you as parents become familiar with the standards your child will need know or be exposed to during their preschool/pre-k years. The standards are set up according to your child’s chronological age. IF your child is older than 4 they will still be concentrating on the 4 year old standards. To access the standards click on the top address for the preschool standards or click on the bottom address for the Pre-K standards.

Preschool Standards     http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/GELSSection6.pdf

Pre-K Standards          http://decal.ga.gov/documents/attachments/Content_Standards_Full.pdf