Monday, November 29, 2021

Language Leaps

 Over the last few weeks, we have really seen a language explosion in our classroom!  I'm sure you have seen it at home, too.  Our friends are using more and more words every day.  Friends who previously were using one word at a time to communicate are now stringing together multi-word phrases and sentences.  Friends who were using signs are now starting to vocalize their wants and needs.  New communication skills first show with caregivers and family members before they are used with peers.  As we prompt our children to use their words with friends during play, we will begin to see more independent conflict resolution appear during free play.

L: "More"

O: "Baby!"

E: "It's Ms. Rose's turn!"

L: "More!"

The Light Studio was decked out for Chanukah today! Everyone enjoyed spinning dreidels on the light box. watching the lights from the projectors and playing in our snowy winter scene.

Building a Menorah together out of translucent blocks


W: "Blue!"




Watching the dreidels dance on the partitions.

Putting new scenes on the projector.

O: "Wheel."

An on and off game.

Wintery scene on the train table.

Indiana Early Learning Foundations:

ELA1.1 Demonstrate receptive communication
ELA1.3 Demonstrate ability to engage in conversation
SE1.1 Demonstrate self awareness and confidence
SC1.2 Demonstrate awareness of the physical properties of objects
SC4.1 Demonstrate engineering design skills
SC5.1 Demonstrate scientific curiosity

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

 Monday and Tuesday of this short week, we introduced an exploration of Hanukkah. 









We worked on matching colors by placing pompoms on the colored "flames" of a Hanukkiah. 











Monday, we did a fun science experiment and mixed cranberry sauce with corn starch. It made a fun non-Newtonian substance that was crumbly when we tried to pick it up it small pieces, but ran like a liquid when we just let it sit. The children used straws to try to make Hanukkiahs with the substance.





Our sensory bin this week is full of wrapping paper, construction paper, and ribbon. The children have had a great time practicing ripping the paper. This is an important pre-cutting skill that our toddlers are quickly mastering. They have also mastered climbing into and out of the sensory table to expand their play. 





Tuesday, we used playdough and straws to make Hanukkiahs. Some of our friends felt like we needed the wooden candles from our provocation table to make it more realistic.






In the Atelier, we used pop beads dipped to mimic spinning dreidels. 

Indiana Early Learning Foundations:
ELA 3.1: Experiment with a variety of writing tools, materials, and surfaces
M2.1:Identify that an object has been added to a group
M3.1: Identify similarities and differences in objects
SC1.1: Use tools to explore the physical environment
SC1.2: Begin to identify physical attributes of objects
SC4.1: Begin to construct and deconstruct using readily available materials











 


Friday, November 19, 2021

Associative Play

Our play skills have really expanded these last few weeks.  Our children are consistently engaging in parallel play throughout the day and working on conflict resolution during those play opportunities.  Now that we are seeing parallel play consistently, Associative play is becoming more and more frequent.  Friends enjoy building together, playing in the dramatic play area and playing imitative games together.   


Turn taking with the magnifying glasses

L: "Hello"

E: "Look!"





Today at the art table we played with shaving cream paint!  This fun art and sensory activity was made mess free by putting the shaving cream into ziplock bags.  Friends enjoyed squishing the cream and watching it change colors as the water colors and cream mixed together.




The sunny weather has us enjoying outside play! We've enjoyed the see saw together the last few days and today we played in the bubbles!





Indiana Early Learning Foundations: 
ELA1.3 Demonstrate ability to engage in conversation
SE3.1 Demonstrate conflict resolution
SE4.1 Demonstrate relationship skills
APL1.1 Demonstrate initiative and self-direction
APL1.2 Demonstrate interest and curiosity as a learner
APL4.1 Demonstrate development of social interactions during play
SS5.1 Demonstrate awareness of citizenship
CA3.2 Demonstrate creative expression through visual art production



What a Year!

 What a year it has been! The children in Katon started out as "Covid babies."  They had grown up mostly around their families and...