From Miss Cheryl’s and Miss Ginger’s SNP Class
LAST WEEK IN OUR CLASS
Our winter unit has concluded but the children enjoyed it –even if it was between 69-70 degrees during last week. As I mentioned in the last blog we were going to sledding. We sledded on scooter boards around our classroom. The children found out that it is not as easy as it looks to sled by yourself. That may be why the little girl in the story ran into the snowman. Even if it was not easy to propel the sled it sure was fun! The children created snow using ice cubes and the snow cone maker. They experimented with the “snow” by first making it into snowballs then holding it in their bare hands and in a “mitten-ed” hand to find out which way the snow melts faster. The children learned about the clothing you wear in the snow and why we wear that clothing instead of other clothing such as swimsuits. They enjoyed choosing items of winter clothing to dress their teacher in what they chose. They also got to choose a piece of winter clothing and put on that piece of clothing either by themselves or with assistance from the teachers. Please work on dressing skills with your child if they continue to have challenges with certain items. One fun way is by placing clothing pictures face down and allow your child to choose a card and put on that piece. Make dressing a fun game!
OUR FOCUS THIS WEEK
This week we are reading “The Napping House” by Audrey Woods. This repetitive story sequences a crazy, rainy night at Granny’s house. Everyone ends up sleeping in her bed sleeping until the wakeful flea’s bite starts a hilarious chain reaction that wakes everyone up to a beautiful sunny morning. Our key concepts for this unit will include prepositions, sequencing, seriation, day/ night, and weather. We will be playing counting games using raindrops and moons: playing in big box bedrooms with blankets and flashlights and seeing if we can make a rainbow using water and a mirror during our science time. It should be another fun week.
February 9 is Picture Day. We will be eating in our classroom that day. The children will not be having the usual lunch choices. IF your child does not eat sandwiches please send in an appropriate lunch – if you choose. Thanks J
Vocabulary Words:
rainbow raining night day sleeping snore dreaming breaks child everyone flea bed house
dog cat mouse claw bite scares
Upcoming Important Dates:
1. February 9 (Thursday)- Class and Individual Pictures
2. February 10 (Friday)—International Festival Night sponsored by the PTA at 6:30
3. February 13- 17- Tune Out T. V. Week
4. February 14 (Tuesday)- Valentine’s Day- Send in Valentines with ONLY your child’s signature on the card-please. Do not write individualize each card.
5. Family Fitness Night (Tune out TV Week) – Monday, February 13th 6:30 – 7:30
6. Talent Show (Tune Out TV Week) – Wednesday, February 15th at 6:30
7. Foundation Art Show – Thursday, February 16th – 5:30 to 7:30
HOMEWORK:
- Here is a finger play to do with your child. Finger plays help increase fine motor skills and motor planning as well as increase vocabulary and knowledge. The finger play below is one we are learning in class this week.
Little Raindrop
This is the sun, High up in the sky (Hold hands in a circle high over your head)
A dark cloud suddenly come sailing by. [Slide hands (can use the sign for cloud) to side]
There are the raindrops, pitter-patter down, (make raining motions with fingers)
Watering the plants (pouring motions)
Growing in the ground. (hands pat the ground)
Higher Thinking Question-
How can you tell it might rain?
- Use a stuffed animal demonstrate prepositions such as on, in, under, beside, for your child. Make a game of it. A perfect connection to our story would be to use your child’s bed with the stuffed animal or your child. 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. The animals in The Napping House are a cat, dog, mouse and flea (technically an insect but …).
- Related Literature--- The more you read with and to your child the more vocabulary, language development and desire to learn to read is nurtured in your child. Point to the words while you read to them. Let your child retell you the story if they are able. Related stories to this week’s theme include Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown; Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak; Time For Bed by Mem Fox; The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins; and Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathman. Remember children love to have the same stories read to them over and over.
Higher Thinking Question-
1. How do you know someone is sleeping?
2. What do you do before you go to bed (or to sleep) each night?
Pre-Academic Activities for the Full Day Students
LETTER TIME-- Letter Review Rr-
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 Rr. I will emphasize the beginning sound found in words that begin with the “Rr" 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 to the Media Center on THURSDAY. (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
