We are looking forward to the lessons this week – the children are excited to learn about different animal homes! The children enjoyed the materials that came with the ‘Beaver Lodge’ activity during Lesson 16 – Lodges & Dens. The teacher set out all the materials and the children got to decide how they were going to use the materials to create a beaver den. Some children decided to use all the materials that they were given while some only used a few to create their beaver den. It is fun to see how the children decide to use the materials with each activity. Thank you, Mother Goose Time, for the wonderful materials that you send with the curriculum! We really enjoy all the materials we are given and the prompts that you put with each lesson. It really helps us get a great conversation going!

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Now that we have a covered space on our playground the children have been enjoying their outdoor classroom. We have a table, easel, and a drying rack under one of the shelters and the children have enjoyed making art outside. Our older students enjoy looking around at their surroundings to get inspiration on what they would like to paint or draw. The children enjoyed spraying paint with the squirt bottles and watching the paint drip down creating a waterfall effect. They come and go, running around playing and then they will take a break to come and do some art. We have enjoyed taking our Mother Goose Time lessons outside as well. If you can create an outdoor classroom, do it! The children have fun getting creative outside while enjoying the fresh air. It is a nice change of pace from doing our lessons inside!

 

 

We love nature! Now that the weather is nicer, we have been enjoying the outdoors even more.
We recently hosted our June Family Night, and we all met at the park for a picnic and a nature scavenger hunt. We had a great turnout, and we all had a blast! It is important to teach children about nature and how to respect animals in their habitat. As part of our Alphabet House theme (Mother Goose Time- June) we have learned about all types of homes, including habitats for animals. During the scavenger hunt we searched for different things in nature such as spider webs, leaves, animal footprints and ants. We talked about where animals might build their homes and what they might use. After our scavenger hunt the children enjoyed Otter Pops and playground time, of course.

If you host family nights, consider planning a picnic in the park with your families and get everyone outside. This summer take your children out for a nature walk. Talk about where they might find a spiderweb, and search for different birds. Look for different shapes in the clouds with them. It is important to get out and enjoy the fresh air!

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We love to have discussions about our “Daily Topic” during circle time. For the ‘Beans’ topic (week 4, lesson 18 in the “Growing Gardens” Teacher Guide) we tied in a diversity discussion with our Math. We went around the circle and compared each other’s differences and similarities. We talked about the different clothing everyone was wearing, how tall we are, and what our hair color is. The children enjoyed comparing their color of socks and would point out who had the same colors and who’s were different. We emphasized how wonderful it was that we were the same and different!

The “Measuring with String Beans” activity tied in perfectly with our conversations about diversity! Mother Goose Time sends us Math Manipulatives with each new unit and for the month of May, we received a set of counting cubes. We brought in fresh string beans and the children enjoyed comparing the similarities and differences of each bean. We talked about how long they were and their different shapes and colors. We used cubes to compare the different lengths of our beans. They counted their cubes and told us how tall their bean was based on the number of cubes they had stacked up next to it. Then we laid out the beans on the floor to measure each other’s height.

 

 

It is important to teach children about diversity- To see and honor the ways we are different and unique, but also the similarities that tie us all together. This activity was an example of some of the similarities and differences that not only string beans have, but people too!

We have an amazing parent volunteer who helps us by organizing a Family Night once a month for our school. Our theme for family night is different each month, and usually ties into our current Mother Goose Time unit in some way.

In December (Winter Wonderland), we enjoyed a visit from a local storyteller. She shared the story of the “Christmas Spider” with our families. Blankets, pajamas and homemade cookies is a great way to end the day with friends!

Our family night in February tied into Valentine’s Day and we learned how people from all over the world celebrate Valentine’s Day, which correlated with “It’s a Small World”.

 

We had pizza available, so the families that joined us did not have to worry about dinner, and then everyone participated in a scavenger hunt. Each family had a different country, and the children visited each “country” and asked questions that were on their worksheet to gather the clues. We learned some fun facts about the different countries. We also had a Valentine’s photo booth- so fun!

 

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Game night was another fun family night we hosted. One of our families is very knowledgeable about a variety of fun games, so they brought in some of their favorites and we enjoyed playing together. We try to include some sort of snack/meal for those families that come straight from work and haven’t had time for dinner yet.

 

Our Family Night for May, we spent the evening on our playground, planting seeds and fresh flowers. Our families helped get our gardens ready for Spring planting (part of our “Growing Gardens” unit). The children also helped mix up a healthy and tasty trail mix. We enjoyed a fun evening outside together pulling weeds, planting flowers, and watering everything.

 

Our school is its own little community, and family nights are a great way to bring everyone together. Parents have time to interact with each other and the children enjoy having their parent(s) at school. 

We love dramatic play! This month for our “Growing Gardens” unit (May 2018 Mother Goose Time), we set up a Farmer’s Market for our dramatic play center. Many of our families attend the local Farmer’s Market, so it is a lot of fun for the children to pretend that they are the farmers supplying the food and sharing it with their friends. We talk about where our food comes from, what a farmer’s job is, and how they help our community by sharing their fresh food with us. We have color sorting buckets and different foods to match each color. The children enjoy sorting the different foods into the correct buckets. This is a fun way to combine sorting colors and dramatic play. We also can tie in money counting skills, and taking turns in each role. Do you love activities like the Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Buckets? Mother Goose Time puts together toy boxes for each unit and this is a great resource for building a quality educational toy collection.

 

We have a garden on our playground where we are growing strawberries, some veggies and flowers. The children have fun being gardeners and taking care of the plants, digging and watering are the best! They enjoy watching the garden grow and eating snacking throughout the summer!

It is so fun to see how the children’s writing improves throughout the year. The name tags are a great way to keep track of the progress that the children have made with their writing each month. With the name tag activity during our Ocean Commotion unit, came a fun discussion topic about swimming. The curriculum always includes an activity and we really enjoy them during circle time. The children had a fun discussion with their teacher about swimming, and then they got to show us what swimming looks like by moving their arms and legs. They really enjoy these movement activities and discussions with their friends. After they pretended to swim they got to write their names on their name tag. They use their name tags during circle time to see who is here for the day and who isn’t. The children get to use their name tag as they work on name recognition and identifying the letters that are in their name. These name tags have many uses and we love the different name tags Mother Goose Time sends us each month!

Each month with Mother Goose Time, we receive an “I can Read” book. During OCean Commotion, the book was called “What am I?”

 

 
The teachers read the book a few times as the children followed along. As the teacher read the story, the children enjoyed looking at the animal that was hiding and guessing what it was.

 

After the teacher was done reading, the children got the chance to read the book back to the teacher. The teacher worked with the children to sound out any words that they did not know. At the end of the story they got to draw their favorite ocean animal. The teacher wrote the name of the animal for them and they worked on tracing over the letters. Some of the older students were able to write the name of the ocean animal themselves. This was a fun way to combine writing and reading.

This is only one example of how the “I Can Read” books have been used in the classroom. Sometimes we hunt for letter/words, sometimes we practice following directions with underlining or circling. The most important part is that interaction between the child and the words.

We really enjoy the “I Can Read” books. The children get to take their books home and read it to their parents. Many parents mention how their children have the book memorized and how excited they are to be reading!

One of the most valuable lessons we can teach our children is the awareness of their own emotional state. Each month with mother Goose Time, we focus on a different character trait, such as Being Kind, Patient, Loving, etc., and sometimes we need space to be those things for ourselves. In our Preschool/Pre-K classroom, we have been working on the development of a space for children to be when the world just feels too big. Permission is given to all children to visit our “Quiet Cubby” anytime, and if they are particularly upset, a teacher can go with him/her. 

On the shelves, we placed a variety of items to use as tools for calming/comfort. We found car wash mits at the Dollar Tree that are great for soft sensory. There are things to squish, thinking putty, mini calming jars that can be shaken and then watch as the glitter all settles. We made a weighted pad out of some soft fabric and rice.

One of our favorite tools is “Smell the Flower, Blow out the Candle”. This strategy comes from the Applebaum Training Institute, and if you haven’t been to one of their trainings, I highly recommend you do. We added a little “Stress Away” essential oil blend from Young Living to our Dollar Store flowers and the battery-operated candle is extra fun.

When introducing something new that is for everyone, but specifically designed for one or two children in particular, we begin by allowing everyone to check it all out. This reduces the stigma and creates an atmosphere where everyone is safe.

When the excitement begins to fade, we set a timer and allowed children time to explore one at a time. This is a great chance to explain the purpose with those it is intended to help, but what is good for one is good and available to all. This way the child who needs it is more likely to use it.

Now we are entering the second week with this new space, and it is working beautifully. Children are taking time to visit the quiet cubby, play with some thinking putty with the rice pack on their laps, and they love it. The classroom is more calm and productive. We love having a safe space where we can talk about our feelings, use calming strategies, and seek comfort when needed. Time-Out is not a term we use, but it is completely acceptable and encouraged to take space for ourselves. Hopefully these children will grow into adults that have a better understanding of how to handle emotions appropriately and safely.

For more information about this technique and how we handle guidance and discipline at Wonders, please follow the link!

We are so fortunate to live less than and hour from the ocean. Although it was a big adventure, it was worth it to give our children a hands-on ocean experience, rainy day and all!

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Each child had a different favorite- from the sharks, the sea lions, otters, the touch pool, or even getting to ride the big bus. Thanks to Mother Goose Time for developing such a fun Ocean Commotion unit. Our children learned so much and it was really neat to hear all the things they remembered during our day at the aquarium.