Announcements from Miss Cheryl and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class
OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK
We made it through our first week and it was awesome. We all learned so much about each other and “BIG school”. This week we will continue to become more familiar with each other plus start center rotations. Center Time is a very structured activity in an SNP class. During this time the children learn to work independently, learn to transition between the centers independently and learn to work cooperatively with others (classmates, teachers). One helpful hint to parents when transitions are necessary is using a visual and auditory timer during these times. I use this daily for all the activities of our day. More transition ideas used in my class include visual schedules and providing advanced warning so the children are made aware the change is going to happen. Our weekly units are based on our story of the week. I base most, if not all, of our activities around the story we are reading that week. This week we are reading The Bridge is Up by Babbs Bell. This story introduces the children to different forms of transportation (bikes, cars, motorcycles, tractors, etc.) that must wait on a drawbridge presented in a sequenced, repetitive pattern. Other key concepts include ordinal numbers (first, second, third… or first, last), directionality, waiting/stopping/going and learning to sequence. This week we will begin science by investigating balloon powered cars and watching different vehicles roll down different ramps. Our transportation cooking activity will be with Mrs. Meadows’ SNP class this week. Of course we will have daily art projects that will be transportation based this week.
Important Dates—Mark Your Calendars
Monday, August 22 is Picture Day. We will be having our pictures taken at 8:00. If you are a part time student you can still have your picture taken. Just sign in at the office and meet us at the entrance of the media center This is where the cameras will be set up.
Monday, September 5 is Labor Day. School is closed.
Wednesday, September 7 is Open House. Please mark your calendars. This is for adults only. I will show you what your child does at school and how you can help at home. I can guarantee you will see great results when you become involved in your child’s education! ONE OR BOTH PARENTS PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND THIS MEETING!!!!
Vocabulary
bike bridge bus bulldozer car motorcycle tractor truck everyone nobody up down drive wait go
Homework (yes, even in preschool/pre-k)
If you have questions or you need more explanation please email me. I will take all your questions and explain answers in more detail at Open House.
• Look around your community for the different types of transportation found in our story. Have your child point to or label the type they see. Play “I Spy” as you travel through the community.
• Look on the internet for different types of transportation. Describe what you see and could hear.
• Line up toy cars and count them. Adjust this to your child’s ability. Next, count cars with certain attributes (ex. cars with red tops) then count other cars with a different attribute (ex. cars with blue tops). Then add all the cars together. This may be too advanced for certain children but it is good exposure to learning to add for everyone.
• Use cars and trucks to create an AB pattern (ex. car, truck, car, truck, car, truck). Use clapping/ stomping actions while saying the car, truck pattern in order to get movement involved in learning this pattern [ex. car(clap), truck(stomp)].
• Play London Bridge and Red Light/Green Light
• Sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat and The Wheels on the Bus
Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students (Letter and Number Time)
This week we will continue to draw Mat Man and assorted other activities as well as begin pre-writing strokes. This will be a review for some children. I will send home some helpful chants to say with your child when you work on these strokes with your children.
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 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
4. Practice writing the letters.
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. Miss Allison is out due to an unexpected surgery. She may return to school during the second week if she is released by her doctor.
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.
http://decal.ga.gov/Prek/ContentStandards.aspx
