Announcements from Miss Cheryl, Miss Ginger and Miss Kelley’s Class
OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK
Our next story will be Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. Bear is sleeping through the winter when his forest friends meet in his cave to escape a winter storm. As they all gather in the den they share food and have fun together until Bear wakes up. After being awakened unexpectedly Bear is grumpy and mad that they are having fun without him. Then they assure him they will still have fun with him and all ends on a happy note. In this unit we will explore where bears live and hibernate, discover some new forest animals and practice friendship skills. Some of our activities will include going on a bear hunt (sometimes using a map to do so), playing hide and seek with our teddy bears, having a teddy bear picnic, measuring our class friends and the teddy bears and playing friendship games. Other key concepts will include rhyming words, prepositions, measuring, seriation (large medium and small), seasons and practicing listening skills.
*****Please send in a stuffed teddy bear (any size, color and gender is fine)on Monday. It is invited to spend the week at school. We will put it to bed every afternoon just as the children are leaving for the day. Please make sure this is one that your child can be separated from for a week. ******
Vocabulary Words:
bear cave winter mouse
badger mole popcorn nuts pepper sneeze
Homework:
- Read fiction and non-fiction books about bears with your child and discuss what you have read and see in the book. Don’t forget to look at bears in hibernation. The more you read with your child the more vocabulary, language development and desire to learn to read is nurtured in your child. Let your child retell you the story if they are able. Other fiction stories to read with your child include Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming, Big Black Bear by Wong Herbert Lee and Sleepy Bears by Mem Fox and Kerry Argent.
Higher Thinking Question-
If you were an animal that hibernates, where would you sleep?
2. Look online at bears, owls, rabbits, badgers, moles and field mice. These are some of Bear’s friends in the story.
Higher Thinking Question:
Which animals hibernate and which do not?
3. Using a stuffed animal demonstrate prepositions such as on, in, under, beside, then allow your child to demonstrate what you have done. Be sure you talk to your child about where the animal is to ensure they are learning the words and their meaning.
Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students (Letter Time)
Our letter this week is letter Bb. Make sure you review the vocabulary sheets with your child. One way you can make this fun by making up riddles or descriptions about the pictures. Another way is to make an extra copy, cut out all the individual pictures, turn them over and play Concentration or play a matching game. Be creative and have fun with your child.
More activities for increasing 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. Sing songs or nursery rhymes using only the letter sound instead of the words.
3. ALWAYS practice writing their names in upper and lower case letters—not just upper case (capital letters).
4. Practice writing the letters.
Strategies to use when writing the letters-
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.
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 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.
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 snakes and form the letters.
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 Pre-K Content Standards Link
Here is a useful link to the Ga. 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.
http://decal.ga.gov/Prek/ContentStandards.aspx
