Hip to the hop

We had so much fun during our spring celebration! I hope the kids came home talking about what fun they had.  We started the day with our circle routine to find out the date and weather....it was fun to watch the kids work so hard to not mind the hundreds of eggs "hiding" all around the classroom.  We played a name recognition game (which they all know by now) and as I held up their baskets they came and go it. Once it was game on the kids were allowed to gather 8 eggs. What was REALLY adorable is I said "ok little bunnies go find your eggs" and some of the kids were actually hopping around the room like bunnies while they collected their eggs!

After they found 8 eggs we all gathered back at the rug to count and see what goodies were inside (they loved this)!

You may have noticed that something that seems like pure fun is also a learning experience! They were given a number. They had to practice one to one correspondence by collecting and counting up to 8 during the hunt, then checking their "work" by recounting at rug to make sure they had 8!!! Little things like this can be excellent ways to reinforce and practice skills! Get creative!

We also played 

✔️bunny ear ring toss

✔️watched Max and Rubys chocolate bunny episode and had a teddy graham snack

✔️had a dance party

✔️other fun centers which included spring patterns, Easter egg sand table, easter water color painting and much more!

Enjoy spring break! 

~Mrs. Miller

The search continues

That little leprechaun got away again! Thank you to all the families for helping your child dive into their imagination and create such awesome traps. They had so much fun leading up to St. Patricks Day. 

The traps were laid out the night before St. Patrick's Day. When the kids arrived the following day there were rainbow streamers hanging from the doorways and the traps were all closed with gold and red tinsel sticking out of them and confetti trails! 

The leprechaun left us a special message! The kids made sure to behave extra special and work extra hard. At the end of class we opened up the surprise to see the leprechaun left us all shamrock necklaces and gold coins!

During the week we also had some St. Patrick's day themed fun, we:

-clapped syllables to words related to St. Patrick's Day

-painted rainbows

-sang a silly leprechaun name rhyme

-played math games such as number recognition and graphing with St. Patrick's Day themes

-searched for gold and jewels in the sand table.

The kids also learned:

-St. Patrick's Day started in Ireland 

-we located Ireland on the globe 

-we compared our flag to Ireland's

-myth is a story

  -if you don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day you'll be pinched by a leprechaun 

-clovers have 4 leaves and shamrocks have 3

-leprechauns are fairys 

So we blamed so much on the leprechaun that you may be hearing him as an excuse at home too! The kids are still blaming things on him...now on to the Easter Bunny! Next month I am putting together a classroom Easter egg hunt! 

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Miller

I am back!

Happy Friday!

I am so happy to be back!  The best feeling was returning to school and seeing the kids faces on my first day back, I love what I do! 

The kids did great with Mrs. Reese ad Ms. Marissa. 

Today we had our much anticipated Charlie and Checkers magic show and let me tell you, the kids had a BLAST!  It was so awesome watching them laugh uncontrollably at Charlie (Checkers could not make it today).  I cannot recommend them enough!  www.charlieandcheckers.com 
They visit places all around WNY and many of the shows are at events that are free!  I had some of the kids asking me when or if we would be able to see them again. 
These guys are really good for this age group but honestly adults enjoy them just as much. 

On a personal note, my son is 5.  For his birthday I hosted his first friend party at our local fire hall. Even though I handle multiple children for my living I was nervous to host a party with so many little ones.  I hired Charlie and Checkers and it was amazing!  The kids were completely engaged for half of the party and the cost was about the same as you would pay at a bounce house or Chuck E Cheese.  The fact that I did not have multiple kids running around screaming the whole time was worth it ha ha!  So not only can you see them around town but I think personal parties would be great too, if able.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Play is so much more

Play isn't just play, it's so much more than that. During center time I have two Teacher directed centers in which the children work on an art project and a specific skill each day. The other centers in the classroom are left to the children's device. I layout various games and activities that support skills we are learning, critical thinking, motor skills, support imagination and creativity, independence and so much more...I always survey the room while the children are interacting and engaging in the centers not controlled by teachers and I see and hear so much. Even when children may be playing in a center that focuses on a math or phonics skill and I see they are not quite "doing it right" I can see the wheels turning, they are thinking, problem solving, exploring, socializing perhaps with other peers who are helping or working together. In my classroom we have a structured teaching time at the rug that kids think is "learning time" which it is but if you come into my room and the room is buzzing with little voices, there's movement and games, activities and toys all happening at once this too is learning time! Every teacher has a philopsphy and part of my philosophy is that I believe children learn through play. I provide them with an environment that supports their learning, growth and development. So, if you ever pop into my room during a time other than when we are at our tables practicing writing or "learning time" at the rug remember just how much kids can learn through play! 

Videos

Well Friday came and went...

Desktops have really become a thing of the past for me other than at work and when I am at work I really do not have time to update my blog.  I know I mentioned in my last post, last Friday that I would hop on a desktop and load some videos but that did not work out.

As I have explained, each week the kids get videos based on our letter, sight word and occasionally our number or other theme related topic.  The kids really enjoy these videos.  A majority of the video time is spent during snack to keep the kids engaged and learning.  The kids are constantly socializing in my classroom so during snack the videos also provide a good distraction...more eating less talking which turns into snack time over without much of snack consumed.

I will start this week with some videos they will be using during snack and as a support of what we are doing in the classroom:

Letter Q:

Sesame Street has a podcast that is generally 6 min. long. There are podcasts for each letter of the alphabet.

 

This is by Have Fun Teaching. Have Fun Teaching is an awesome site with activities and videos for each letter, math skills, sight words and other subject areas and themes.  The songs are very catchy!

 

 

Storybots are one of the kids favorites also. Storybots have videos for all letters and nursery rhymes/kids songs remade by them as well.

 

 

On Thursday we switch up videos and watch Olive and the Rhyme Rescue Crew.  Olive has a video for each letter but also focuses on Rhyme.  Remember rhyme is a very important skills and helps support emergent reading skills.

 

Our sight word this week is I, this is also by Have Fun Teaching.

 

 

These are just a few of the videos we use consistently for the whole year.  Each week we use the letter or sight word we are working on and occasionally another topic or subject.  The kids really love these videos.  If your child needs practice or they talk about our videos, throw these on for them at home.  These are all from YouTube but they all could be found in an internet search under videos as well.  The repetition and rhythm of the songs are a really good way to learn.

 

Stay warm, Stay Safe...the Groundhog saw his shadow, winter weather is here to stay!

 

~Mrs. Miller

Updating

Happy weekend! 

I just realized that I haven't been posting all of the awesome songs as videos we do each week during snack time (mostly)! My phone is to blame, I actually post from the app on my phone and I can't post the videos from YouTube so I will be updating on this post again later with our songs from this week. I'm hoping that time allows for future posts to post from my desktop more often so I can include our songs of the week (the kids really love them)!

As for now, I am quickly updating on my phone so I'll share some pictures of your child's center time adventures:

Arctic water play!

The kids were being assessed this week on number to counting correspondence and how many numbers they could correctly match to objects.

We love watercolors!

This was a race to the top game. The kids had to roll the die and each time they would trace the number they rolled once. They had to do this until one number reached the top and won!

Sight word play doh mats

Polar animal sand play

Non standard measuring arctic animals with marshmallows 

The kids got such a kick out of this game! They had to "shovel the snow" into the big bucket. This was great for fine motor and hand/eye. It's not as easy as it looks, transferring cotton balls with small plastic spoons. A lot of laughs were had at this table.

Sorting seasonal objects and animals to habitits! 

I will update this weekend with videos once I have w moment to hop on my desktop.

Until then...enjoy your weekend! 

Peace, Dream, Hope

Happy Friday!

We are trying to still pull ourselves together from winter break as our first week back already had ended in a snow day!  It has been crazy around here to say the least BUT everything is getting done and the kids are slowly getting back into our routine, even though it has been a bit off still.

I am EXTREMELY proud of how much the kids have learned and showed understanding of one of many important historical people, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  This week we spent a lot of time learning about how a long, long time ago people were not allowed to go in the same places or be friends just because of the color of our skin.  We learned that it doesn't matter what color our skin is because inside we all have a heart that cares.  I explained that Dr. King had a dream, but not like a bedtime dream but more of a hope.  A hope that one day all of the hate toward each other would stop and people could come together no matter what color skin we all have.  We learned that his dream came true and that eventually people were allowed to go to the same places and even be friends.  The kids learned that peace means calm and kind and that harmony means together and happy.  The kids watched a video about Martin Luther King, listened to a story, made a painting and the rhyme featured in their rhyme folder this week is also about Dr. King.

With the new year we also started some new things in our classroom:

Sight Words:
I will be picking a word of the week that we will practice.  The kids are learning that if there are words and you want to read them you can "make the sound of each letter and put it together" (blending).  Each day we look at our word and we sound it out, we read it, write it, spell it and use it in a sentence.  As you have noticed I have placed the word of the week at home in their folder as well for practice.  Learning sight words is like a memory game.  These are high frequency words, meaning very common words that you see a lot.  I do not expect your child to leave Pre-K reading sentences.  I introduce sight words as exposure and to give them a little extra so they are ready and rearing for Kindergarten.

In a few weeks you will be receiving your child's first report card!  Please use the report card as a guide to your child's strong points and areas that may need additional support.  I promise you that if you are able and do take the time to practice using the homework I send home you will see a lot of growth and it is excellent preparation for Kindergarten.  However, this is your choice as a parent.  The homework I do send home is not mandatory.

To the few parents who have yet to get their conference due to the November storm, please know I have not forgotten about you.  These months are the busiest.  If you know a date and time that works for you please just let me know, otherwise I will be in touch!  Remember you are more than welcome to come in before or after your child's class if that works too!

Have a GREAT weekend, Stay warm!
Mrs. Miller