Good Afternoon!

First, we danced fast. Then, we danced slow. Finally, we danced however we would like! Our bodies moved at different speeds throughout the morning. When we were tired, we moved slower than usual. A few friends had extra energy and their bodies moved fast.

Lu Lu sat up and reached for toys around her. Her friends do a great job at surrounding her with toys.

Dr. Clara looked in P.K.’s ears to see if he was sick! She said, “Ouchy!” as she looked into his ear.

Daniel headed into the kitchen where he worked with connectors. The fine motor skills needed to connect the different pieces is high! We need to use our strength to connect one piece to the other.

P.K. stacked the cubes one on top of the other. He loves looking through the colored glass to see how the world looks in different colors.

He then wanted to get the magnatiles out. He built a BIG tower! When it finally got to the seventh layer, it crashed! He tried again! It’s lovely to see when our friends have the persistence to try and try again!

Zoey smiled as she slid down the slide with Miss Mindy!

Friends came into today to find our new bouncy balls blown up. They are pointy but soft at the same time. We found out that they bounce when you throw them on the ground. We like that .

Clara used her upper body strength to pull the white scarf.

When Daniel woke up from nap, he constructed a tower out of magnatiles! He took excellent notes from when P.K. did it earlier in the day.

“Rub Lu Lu’s head,” stated P.K. as he sat with his friend.

Breakfast consisted of whole wheat toast with cinnamon and banana. AM snack was a mixture of green peas and carrots. We smiled during lunch! It was whole grain rice with beef, mixed vegetables (carrots/peas), and mixed fruit (pineapple/banana). PM snack was oatmeal/blueberry bread with string cheese.

Have a great night!

-Mindy

Very quickly this morning the momentum of the day and for today’s blog became clear to me.  In early childhood work, we see over and over again the full cycle of the multiage  classroom.  We take your beautiful children into our realm as very young preschoolers and we watch them move through the beginning, then the middle,  and finally to the end of the cycle when they move into elementary school.  And it is wonderful to see.  This cycle is what keeps it fresh and exciting for teachers.

It’s hard for parents (and at times, for us teachers) to be patient.  To not compare our kids to other kids. To enjoy each stage as it passes without saying, “why isn’t my child doing that yet?”  At Wee Friends, we use a developmentally appropriate approach to teaching which involves teachers meeting young children where they are (by stage of development), both as individuals and as part of a group; and helping each child meet challenging and achievable learning goals (National Association for the Education of Young Children).  This means for us that we only involve children in work that is appropriate for their level of interest and ability.  This keeps us on our toes figuring out how to keep the work interesting for all ages and often, like today, taking one work and transforming it into completely appropriate work for children spanning 3 to 5.5 years old.

Today our sewing work started with one child.  Then it was two children.  Then three.  Then four.  Then five children.  Then six.  And finally a seventh and eighth child joined.  All of them were different ages and at completely different sewing abilities.  All of them had different ideas of what they wanted to sew.  There were children in the beginning stages of sewing, the middle, and the end stage.  

BEGINNING Children used foam and thicker (not sharp) needles. Technique focused on going back and forth through the right sides and the right amount of tension on the thread so the foam would not bunch.  Product was not important to the children.  They were completely absorbed in the process. 

MIDDLE Children used felt and thinner needles. Technique also focused on going back and forth through the right sides and the right amount of tension on the thread so the foam would not bunch. Children had a definite product in mind, but it completes with still being completely absorbed in the process.   There are varying levels of precision in the work.

END Children have mastered the technique and only need small bits of advice as they move through the work. While children clearly still enjoy the process, they are absolutely focused on the product. Their concentration, attention span, and dedication to their work is clear.

It’s not often we have such a clear example of how different children move through a specific work based on their ages and experience.  Even better yet, this really is how they move through everything: math, literacy, social interactions, impulse control, attention span, gross motor skills, and so on.  In early childhood, there is a beginning, middle and an end.  For every child. 

For breakfast we had bran flakes and bananas.  WeeSprouts were carrots/cukes/and sweet peppers.  Lunch was brown rice with shredded beef, carrots and peas, and fresh apples. To celebrate my birthday (which is tomorrow, and I’m turning 29!  Just like Lisa!) I brought in some homemade blueberry bread. 

Have a great day!

Tami

http://superhealthykids.com/healthyrecipes/oatmealblueberrybread.pdf

OATS AND BLUEBERRY BREAD

· 1 Cup whole wheat flour

· 1 cup white flour

· 1 cup rolled oats

· ½ cup sugar

· 1 ½ tsp baking powder

· ½ tsp baking soda

· ¼ tsp allspice

· ¼ tsp salt (optional)

· ¾ cup 1% milk

· ½ cup melted coconut oil

· 2 eggs

· 1 ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen-thawed)

Mix dry ingredients (flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, allspice, and salt). Mix wet ingredients into dry. Fold blueberries in gently. Pour into bread pan. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes

Happy Wednesday!

Even with the late start, friends headed to the kitchen where they whipped up breakfast. Zoey used her spoon to mix up her ingredients in the bowl while Daniel got his juice ready. Clara called ‘pop-pop’ to see if he was on his way!

Daniel and Zoey sat together in the chair where they worked on pouring different ingredients into Zoey’s bowl. Great team work occurred and the outcome was fabulous!

We worked with our stackable blocks again today. Friends are loving all of the options they have to build with. There are some children who built with the blocks lying down and some who choose to built with the blocks upright.

Zoey relaxed on the chair for a little bit! She loves being able to sit in the rocking chair and rock back and forth.

When her older friends were napping, she had a great time on the habitrail. Between giving herself kisses and working with our new ball, she was quite busy! Children are loving our new ball. It’s a red ball with different slots for smaller balls that fit in the holes perfectly!

Lu Lu was all smiles today! She worked on pushing up with her arms. Her baby push ups were quite impression and really demonstrated her growth physically! We love the smiles!

Wee Wee’s gathered to listen to a book. P.K.’s choice was ‘My Big World Book’ and it was a hit! Friends enjoyed looking at these books so they can point out different items that they know such as ‘train!’

“Zoom, zoom, zoom” went the tire trucks and school buses today!

“Where’s Clara?”—There she is!

“Peek-a-boo!”

Since we had a late start due to the weather, breakfast nor AM snack was served. For lunch, we had wonderful homemade chicken noodle soup with carrots and celery along with a pineapple/craisin salad! It was a BIG hit! For PM snack, friends enjoyed cottage cheese and cheerios. We’ve tried cottage cheese before and it wasn’t really a favorite. Now after some time, we found that friends LOVE cottage cheese. Yay for changing taste buds .

Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!

-Mindy

We were glad to see friends make it safely to school today! With the late start, we jumped right in to finding our balance!

A paper puzzle collage was sort of interesting….

Play-Do is always an inspiring material…

But it was balancing objects onto Buckaroo that kicked us into gear. First we defined balance.

We remembered The Napping House, a story about a house full of nappers who nap, one on top of the other. The teachers discussed: “Should we have the kids stack their bodies to experience the TRUE feeling of being balanced? ”. Better not, we decided….no sense in getting them hyped up, knowing we couldn’t go outside. So we gathered in the reading area to listen to this book by the fabulous Audrey Wood.

And we tried a few balancing things…..

 

But one teacher really wanted to stack bodies. No….we better not, we all concurred.  We don’t want anyone to get hurt. So we had each friend disperse and find an object to stack on the tabletop.

We shuffled objects around to achieve balance: large and small objects, soft and hard objects, square and rectangular objects. But one teacher still really wanted to stack the bodies. Ok! Let’s do it, we all agreed! And so we safely, with great excitement, found perfect balance being together…in a mumble jumble pile…one of us on top of the other.

And the compromise….music meditation. The End.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Lunch: Lisa’s homemade chicken and rice soup, carrot sticks and pineapple/Craisin fruit salad. Snack: Hard boiled eggs and apple slices.

Happy day.

Good Afternoon! Hope everyone has a safe drive home.

Our Tuesday started off with exploring our new baby dolls! They are smaller than our old one but we love them! Eve enjoyed dancing with her baby doll.

Miss Melinda danced and held hands with our friends as we listened to music. P.K. held Clara’s hand and said, “Ring around the Rosie…”

We took a relaxation break after dancing.

Friends also enjoyed our new stackable pyramid. We had an old one but different pieces had broken over time and we’re so happy we were able to get a new one! We love looking through the glass while seeing our world in different colors.

Listening to our favorite stories occupied most of our morning.

Zoey worked on walking while Eren explored the habitrail.

A few of our friends tried hiding from us! Where did they go?!

The rocking chair is a great place for friends to sit and relax while rocking back and forth.

Children are enjoying taking our new baby dolls to the mirror where they can see their reflection.

Smiles brightened up our day.

We went sliding, sliding, sliding down the slide!

P.K. and Clara sat on one another’s lap while zooming down the slide.

For breakfast, children had kix and apples. AM snack consisted of peas and carrots. Lunch was wheat tortillas with melted cheese and turkey, peas, and banana. PM snack was graham crackers and string cheese.

Have a terrific snowy evening!

-Mindy

Our day started with a yummy breakfast. Our swimmers departed and a quiet morning filled with a continuation of projects began.

Our swimmers know the drill of getting out of the classroom and into the Weehicle. They dress in their outer gear to the extent that they are able, wait patiently for additional help and then gather on the porch and wait for their ride!

This morning, Lisa recognized an opportunity to read Mr. Brown Can Moo-Can You? by Dr. Seuss. They created a cacophony of animal sounds as they waited to leave.

 

Yesterday, we set out various scraps of wood onto a rectangular felt board. Friends were decidedly interested in figuring out how to piece the wood scraps together and cover the whole board. Then they began coloring the wooden blocks with markers. This work continued today.

After lunch, our older Wee Friends dumped all the blocks into a pile and reconfigured their puzzle, examining and naming the shapes as they pieced it back together.

When we see that our friends have finished their work on it, the puzzle’s  final destination (to celebrate the culmination of our Puzzle Study!) will be a 3D work of art!

The Magna Doodle is also holding attention. It is a ‘one friend at a time’ learning tool and friends have done a great job sharing and waiting patiently for their turn.

Macy discovered if you attract two of the magnets, they will spin like a top.

Arleigh drew a treasure map and Ellie joined her to look for hidden treasure.

Tami made Irish Play-Do! We squished, rolled, pounded and sang as we worked with the green dough. Leo filled six cups and counted 1-2-3!

Lunch: Whole grain bread with turkey and melted cheese, peas and pineapple/banana fruit salad. Snack: Craisins and peanuts.

Enjoy your day.

Happy Monday!

Today was a day of firsts for us! We got our new camera that we used this afternoon (Thanks Tami!) and we also got a few new toys in.

One of our favorites so far are the magnatiles! We had a blast building different structures. It really worked our fine motor skills because since they are magnetic, sometimes they automatically cling together when we don’t want them too! Friends also enjoyed their new baby dolls!

For breakfast, children had eggs with cheese and whole wheat toast with soy butter. AM snack was carrots. Lunch consisted of whole grain noodles with kidney beans, mixed vegetables, and apples. PM snack was goldfish and hard boiled eggs.

Have a terrific evening!

-Mindy

On the Blue Bus, our Wee gymnasts worked with an obstacle course. They ran circles around an octagon, crawled under the bridge and swung over a hot lava pit! They also had a forward roll contest and did all their jumps. At the end of class, they made a big crash!

Today’s Magna Doodle was a big hit. We talked about how the magnetic pen tip and magnetic shapes draw the colored magnetic liquid parts to the surface to create a drawing.

Other friends caught Magna Tiles with their magnetic sticks.

Still, others used our river to catch fish.

One magnetic stick made a handy anchor.

Ada used the magnetic drawing board as a sketch for what became a permanent marker work of art.

Marina and Ellie shared a meal.

Marta helped fold clothes.

After choosing a book, Leo climbed on Lisa’s lap for a read-aloud.

Elizabeth found Angelina Ballerina.

Melinda read an Arthur book in which D.W. was being bossy. Friends talked about what it is to be bossy.

What is a sentence? Literacy FAB K.7.2 invites friends to “share information and ideas, speaking in complete, coherent sentences”. We decided to explore the idea of a sentence a bit.

Finn requested salt dough. We added pink sparkles and shaving cream for more sensory delights!

Wee Sprouts: Cucumber slices. Breakfast: Raisin Bran and apple slices. Lunch: Whole wheat penne pasta with red beans, apple slices and mixed veggies. Snack: Cheddar cheese and multigrain crackers.

Have a great day.

Mel introduced our Wee Friends to “All that Jazz” from the fabulous musical Chicago. They danced their tooshies off, eventually moving on to “Head Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, the Hokey Pokey and a medley of The Wiggles.

This puzzle has been worked by Macy and Jane everyday this week.

Finn decided it was time to switch out the pirate flag.

Using the old local campaign magnets that Lisa donated, friends created their own magnet designs and stuck them to the fridge.

Robert Munsch is a favorite Wee Friends author. After Mel read his “Stephanie’s Ponytail”, she and Lisa asked friends what their favorite type of pony was. Then we invited Marty over (hair designer extraordinaire!) to make our friends favorite hair styles come to life!

The Pirate ship set sail and this time there was a pirate princess aboard.

It started as an “I can’t do this.” and ended with a big I CAN and I DID!!

We’re taking our time getting Thumbelina off the ground and added new costume pieces today.

Wee Sprouts: Broccoli. Breakfast: Corn Chex and bananas. Lunch: Slices of turkey and cheddar cheese with whole wheat bread, corn and apple slices. Snack: Cottage Cheese and raisins.

Have a great weekend.

Friends at Wee Friends love Magna Tiles. Day in and day out we watch as friends build with, count, stack, arrange, demolish and share Magna Tiles. To support and build on this interest, we’ve decided to probe further into the world of magnets!

Mel started off with a question: “What is a magnet?” She demonstrated and discussed how magnets work.

As a large group discussion continued, she began stringing magnets to yarn to make fishing poles.

And then we went fishing!

She explained north/south and experimented with how opposite poles attract and like poles do not.

Lea began her day interested in a nursery rhyme book. We laid out our felt boards and felt nursery rhyme story pieces for friends to explore. Lots of storytelling and singing took place.

Elliott made a three compartment cargo plane and described that cars were the cargo being transported.

Finn set up his pirate ship and we got his pirate music going. Other friends enjoyed working on their own projects while on the ship. We wondered:

So Lisa asked the question.

Lisa continued reading and singing nursery rhymes in her small group.

Today was Finn’s day to lead large group with Ada as his assistant. Finn began with leading the group in singing “Calm Your Bodies”, “Thumbelina”. Then, using 1001 Pirate Seek and Find book, he asked his friends, “Ok, who are you in this picture?”.

Wee Sprouts: Celery sticks. Breakfast: Cheerios and bananas. Lunch: Cous-cous, fruit salad and broccoli. Snack: Whole wheat crackers and cream cheese.

Have a great day.