FAB (Framework for Academic Balance) Week of February 6

Literacy: K.1.13 Count the number of syllables in words, K.7.1 Understand and follow one and two-step directions – Math: K.1.1 Match sets of objects one to one, K.1.9 Record and organize information using objects and pictures.

Stemming from the feedback we received at last week’s curriculum meeting, we are going to start including weekly FAB objectives. These objectives, taken directly from the Indiana Academic Standards for kindergarteners, will serve as the underlying framework that we use to stay academically balanced without compromising the emergent curriculum already in place at Wee Friends. Be assured that the activities that emerge are always met with a developmentally appropriate approach to include all of our Wee Friends!

Melinda started the day by inviting friends to join her in the reading area for a read aloud of two books: Curious George and the Boat Show (thank you Elliott!) and Goat’s Book of Making and Doing Things.

Afterwards, everyone gathered at the art table to create their very own soap bar sailboats! Melinda guided friends through four steps:

• Measure and cut a straw 6″ in length
• Cut a triangular sail out of construction paper
• Tape the straw to the sail
• Place the straw sail into the bar of soap by whatever means possible!

Among the many singular directives given was Melinda’s request “Please, don’t shout out when you are ready for a bar of soap, but raise your hand so I know.” A few friends managed their impulses by covering their mouths as they raised their hands.

There were many discussions had as friends created their sailboats. The first question was “Will our sailboat float?”. We compared/contrasted a bar of soap and an empty glass and determined that, yes, the soap will float. Wee Friends explored how the soap smelled and what it felt like after it got wet. After their boats were finished, they tested, again, if it would sail. There was lots of scissor work and lots of collaboration as older friends assisted younger friends. Elliott and Jane were buddies during this activity and stayed on after the boats were completed to further explore the fabulous smelling ooey gooey soap!

Tami spent time with a few friends reading Bob Books.

We began our Spring Concert rehearsal with a warm up:

“Macy is here today, Macy is here today. Let’s all clap together, Macy is here today. Ma-cy…one, two”, exploring how many syllables (claps) are in each friend’s name.

We sang through eight nursery rhymes!

Parent/Child Dialogue Starters: (Open ended questions to inspire daily conversation with your child. *Our aim is to avoid asking questions that elicit a “yes” or “no” response)

• When you held the soap in your hand, was it slippery?
• When you saw that your boat was floating, how did it make you feel?
• When Melinda read Curious George and the Boat Show, how did you feel when George broke his friend’s boat?
• What would you do if someone broke your boat?

Today, Wee Sprouts were broccoli and carrots. For breakfast Mel served whole wheat bread with peanut butter and bananas. Lunch was homemade mac/cheese with whole wheat penne pasta, bananas and mixed veggies. Snack will be whole wheat crackers and apples.

Have a terrific day!

Laurie

Thanks to Tami and everyone who attended the curriculum meeting last night! Our dialogue was inspiring, informative and fun!

A princess tea party started the day for a few friends. To the Disney tune “Cups and Saucers”, Jane and Macy balanced cups/saucers on their heads, standing as tall and still as they could to keep them on top. Umi demonstrated a princess ballet move “like Angelina Ballerina!”

Nate donned new pirate wear and brought Pirate Pete’s Giant Adventure by Kim Kennedy to share with his friends. Finn found a long red ribbon that became a rope on board the ship.

We discussed briefly the concept of a stained glass window. After showing our friends 2 illustrations, we dove into an art project using tempera paint and wax paper to create our own translucent windows.

Umi asked for pink paint. We discussed which colors, when combined, would create pink. She mixed them together and created her color of choice.

Crazy Eights are still the rage as we end the week! Young mathematicians continued to work on number recognition and matching. Lisa also invited friends to roll a dice and identify the number they rolled. They chose that many gold coins out of the treasure chest.

Simon was also interested in working on math today. He chose three questions to ask: How many pirate ships are at WF? How many fish are at WF? How many gold coins are at WF? Using a clip board and chart, he drew a line for each item he found. He then counted the lines out loud. A teacher drew the number he counted and he traced over it.

We are watching our older friends and observing how, for the last week, they have used the workbench as a hair salon, of sorts. After a week of using the work tools, Melinda offered them our barrette/twists and brush basket. We are excited to see how this interest will unfold.

We finished our classroom work this morning with music meditation. After a year and a half, we are still enjoying “What A Wonderful World” to calm our bodies and our minds…..all in preparation for running and jumping outdoors! 🙂

Today our Wee Sprouts are broccoli and carrots. Breakfast was Cheerios and raisins. For lunch, Lisa made pulled pork quesadillas with cheddar cheese and refried beans, avocado slices and pineapple. For snack we will serve pumpkin bread and bananas.

Have a terrific day and a restful weekend.

This morning, Lisa introduced Wee Friends to ribbon rings! Many friends spent many moments (on our new oval rug!) exploring all the different ways to interact with the rings. They danced with them, twirled them, used them as earrings, shoes, hats and ties!

Another small group began their day doing alphabet yoga on the oval rug! After yoga, a few friends sang “Pony Boy” (on the oval rug!) galloping on each others legs and laps! We moved forward/backwards and side to side as we sang.

We are really enjoying our oval rug.

All week long, Wee Friends have been choosing to work floor puzzles. Today, Melinda discussed elements of the farm yard picture, pointing out details as the picture came together.

It was a morning filled with many small group interactions filling each corner of the classroom! There were trains (of all sizes!) in motion, valentine card scissor work, card games and Caribbean music!

We also squeezed in a Spring Concert rehearsal. “Baa Baa Black Sheep” remains the favorite song to sing and act out. We are working very hard on “Sing a Song of Sixpence” and created beautiful choreography today to use as we sing it.

Our Wee Sprouts today were broccoli and carrots. Breakfast this morning was a bagel with cinnamon and apple slices. Lunch was melted ham and cheese on whole wheat tortillas, cucumber slices and a fruit salad with apples/mandarin oranges.

It’s not too late to join us this evening for our 7pm curriculum meeting. If you haven’t RSVP’d to Tami, feel free to email her today!

Have a terrific day!

Laurie

A small group of friends gathered this morning at the light table to work with plastic translucent rocks. We sorted the rocks into like colors and counted how many were in each pile. A few friends worked at creating patterns with the assortment of colors.

Finn inspired us to revisit last year’s pirate study. With scarves, a treasure chest filled with gold coins and our pirate music, we set sail!

Simon brought in a tornado in a bottle. He showed us how to create a funnel and when we played “Storm at Sea”, Simon shared his science experiment with his friends, who took turns creating a tornado as the music played. Finn, as Captain, used the housekeeping loft as a lookout, where he spotted crocodiles, dinosaurs and many other creatures. The ship docked and friends went on a treasure chest hunt. They found the hidden treasure box and brought it on deck, counting and exploring the texture of the coins inside.

After admiring our Work of Art Cake, we decided we should bake a real cake. Friends took turns cracking, pouring and stirring all the blueberry muffin ingredients together. We discussed opposites thick and thin, and added a tub of water to stir. Friends explored a bowl with thick batter and a bowl of thin liquid. We discussed which muscles were needed to stir the thick batter and asked “Which bowl is easier to stir?”

Each friend stirred 20 strokes as Melinda helped friends count to 20 out loud.

Our classroom buzzed with experiential learning moments: Kai examining the tornado bottle wondering how water gets from one side to the other and “will it spill?”: Elliott stretching his gross motor muscles as he climbed up and down the habitrail: Through painting, Marta and Annie exercising fine motor finger muscles that cultivate the strength they will need in writing: Nate (after 2 days!) building up the courage and confidence to slide down the fireman’s pole independently: Umi cultivating compassion as she tenderly works with her baby doll.

Each day, we view our classroom through the lenses of possibility and together, with our Wee Friends, get excited about the educational moments that, as we say, naturally SPARK!

For breakfast, we served grits and oranges. For lunch, Lisa made chicken salad served in a whole wheat pita, cucumber slices and applesauce. For snack we will eat blueberry muffins!

Have a great day!

Laurie

Cameras Standby………..ACTION!

Wee Friends had a great time this morning with the Neverending Productions, the camera crew who came out to capture video for the commercial 4 C’s is producing on quality childcare in St. Joseph County.

They captured many great moments of our busy morning!

A small group of friends gathered around the felt board singing through nursery rhymes. We talked/sang through several and talked about story sequencing, placing felt numbers to felt pictures of the corresponding action. Humpty Dumpty captured their attention so we stopped, cracked a real egg, saved the shell, cracked it and then tried to piece it back together, all the while, talking about how the soldiers must have felt, how Humpty fell off the wall and how the texture of egg shells in their hands.

Lisa worked with Finn, Umi and Nate on sequencing the alphabet letter people. After working a while, Finn suggested that they create a pigeon out of the cards.

Later, she and Nate sorted puzzle pieces as Melinda and Jane ate an imaginary meal together.

The habitrail continues to draw Wee Friends up and down and all around! Friends are becoming comfortable with how their bodies move throughout the structure (teachers too!).

The princesses spent a lot of time running between their castle and the workbench where they continued to brush hair and play with a variety of construction tools. We learned a new vocabulary word: bed chamber, for the princesses were so tired they created a large mattress to lay upon.

Tami added paint to the light table this morning.

Today, Wee Sprouts are yellow bell peppers and carrots. For breakfast Lisa served Total Cereal and bananas. Lunch was Tami’s delicious farm fresh egg, potato and ham casserole, whole wheat toast, green beans and apple slices. Snack will be hummus and whole wheat pita bread.

Enjoy the warm day!

Laurie