Hello Families,
We ended our "Winter" theme by talking about the much-loved "mitten" books, including a fun book called
The Missing Mystery Mitten. We used these books to ask questions, recall information, sequence, predict what would happen and to discuss the feelings of the characters by looking at their faces and asking why they felt that way. We had many wonderful activities planned for the students that allowed for pretend play, graphing, comparing numbers, drawing, lacing, counting, identifying letters, matching, observing, predicting and painting. Other mitten activities included predicting how many blocks would fit in a large mitten and a little mitten and then counting the objects, playing a singing mitten letter game and using grabbers to pick up paper snowballs and pick up mittens. Our coffee shop continued with order forms, trays, cups, lids and stirrers. The sensory box was filled with beans, coffee cups, marshmallows (white pom poms) and tongs. The students used the tongs to put the beans and marshmallows in the cups.
This week we also learned about cardinal birds. We began by showing pictures of real cardinals and Fredbird, of course. We also learned the red cardinal is a boy and the brown cardinal is a girl. During centers we made a bird feeder for home and tore paper to make a cardinal's nest for our birds on our bulletin board.
During our week we signed in (used our last names) by asking, "Do you wear mittens or gloves?" We counted and compared the numbers. We learned a finger play called MITTENS and spelled the word several times, which worked on letter identification. The hippos also listened to a book in which animals hid in a mitten. They had to guess which animal it was based on a part of each animal (i.e. a tail was sticking out of the mitten and the students guessed it was a mouse). After reading this book, we hid different items in a mitten and gave clues as to what it was. Everyone enjoyed guessing the objects! We later wrote in our journal what we would hide in our mitten. The hippos worked their hand muscles by hanging wet mittens (foam mittens which had letters on them) on a clothesline with clothespins! Letter B was the letter of the week. We went over the sound, thought of words that begin with the B and how to make the letter B.
Other centers included matching letters to a giant mitten on the easel, decorating small snowflakes, making snowballs out of paper after we recited the number and letter, finishing our snowmen we painted last week, making a class snow globe with water and glitter, lacing mitten cards, practicing positional concepts with a real mitten and a partner, hammering bears out of ice using a golf tee and a hammer, patterning winter pictures, making a snow globe using q-tips to paint, skiing on the carpet using carpet slides and poles, sequencing the steps of making a snowman, matching real mittens and gloves, playing air hockey, making a hockey stick, using a sit and spin as a pretend dryer spinning the mittens dry, dot painting a mitten, counting stars on a mitten and matching it to the correct number and making matching mitten by painting one side of the mitten then folding the paper over to rub and opening it to see the matching mittens. During gym we followed several directions such as glide like an ice skater, jump like a ski jumper, stomp your boots in the snow, etc.
Our 2nd Steps lesson involved things we can do when we are exited and need to wait. Some involved counting different colored objets, counting to 20 and reciting the alphabet song. WE also practiced the calm down steps. First, we place our hands on our tummy, then say stop. Next, we name the feeling and then take 3 deep belly breaths.
All of our learning activities focused on the following learning goals: fine and gross motor, letter and numbers, counting, sequencing, making predictions, recognizing our last names, building hand strength, name writing, contributing to a group, following 2 step directions, positional concepts, comparing numbers, drawing representational pictures, answering questions about our stories, sensory, safe behaviors, asking to take turns, using language, confident behaviors, voice volume, and respectful and responsible behavior!
Questions to ask your child:
1. What is the date of your birthday?
2. What job did you have this week?
3. In The Missing Mystery Mitten book, did they find the mitten in the snow or was it the heart of the snowman? (it was the heart of the snowman, as it melted they could see the missing mitten) Why did the snowman melt?
4. What would you hide in a mitten?
5. What color is the boy cardinal? What color is the girl cardinal?
Books
The Missing Mystery Mitten
The Mitten- 2 different books with the same title
Things To Do At Home:
As mentioned above, we hid a few classroom objects inside a giant mitten, described the object, and asked if students could guess what it was. It would be great practice if you could hide an object and describe it with your child at home. Take turns and have them try and describe what they are hiding.
Next week:Penguins
Reminders:
Monday, January 19th-No School
Monday, February 2nd -please send in a shoe box for your child to decorate and collect their class valentines at our party. Please send in an adult shoe box or one that is of similar size. Smaller boxes will not hold all the valentines.
Thursday, February 12th-Friendship party at 11:00 in the hippo room-all are welcome
Below are all the pictures of our winter fun!
