WWF 07/24/2018

Happy Tuesday!

“Happiness is homemade!” ~Author Unknown

The dramatic play center was a very happening place today! Our friends love to use their imaginations and find interesting clothing items to put on themselves. Whether it is a hat, a dress or a cape, it is a fun filled dress up party!

According to, kaplanco.com, “Dramatic play can be defined as a type of play where children accept and assign roles, and then act them out. It is a time when they break through the walls of reality, pretend to be someone or something different from themselves, and dramatize situations and actions to go along with the roles they have chosen to play.”

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Friends asked for the tunnels this morning during our indoor play! Two tunnels are always better than one, so we went all out and had double the tunnel fun! Our little guys love to crawl through really fast to get to the other side and then do it all over again.

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Breakfast: Whole grain Chex cereal with PPC banana.

Lunch: Whole wheat flatbread with hummus, corn, and PPC banana.

Snack: Whole grain bagels with butter and cinnamon, and PPC blueberries.

Wee Sprouts: Fresh Cucumber.

Have a wonderful evening.

Marty

LINK TO PICTURES:   https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljMJ1HLVGX18PnQMKLw

WF, 7/23/2018

Good Afternoon!

What is emergent writing? According the NAEYC, emergent writing is “young children’s first attempts at the writing process”. There are several stages of emergent writing. Most of our pre-k/k group children are in the ‘invented or phonetic spelling’ (or kid spelling as we call it) or the ‘beginning word and phrase writing’. We have journal time everyday after group time which is a time where I can evaluate their writing readiness while pushing them slightly outside of their comfort zone.

Today, Lucy finished her journal and gave it to me so I could dictate her words. Instead, I asked if she’d want to write it and I’d help her with the sounds of different letters. She kid spelled ‘litneg bolt’ for ‘lightning bolt’. Most children hear consonant sounds before vowels sounds so each child’s kid spelling is unique to them and their development at that time. Not every child writes at the same pace; every child is unique and once they’re ready, that’s the time to explore and strengthen their written language skills.

In the article I’ve posted below, it suggests different activities to do in the classroom where children are exposed to written language.

At Wee Friends, reading books is a crucial and main part of the day. Teachers read a variety of text including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Children see letters and words in every book they read along with working on comprehension and understanding different parts of the book (characters, setting, etc.).

Every morning, children are asked (if they want) to sign in on the message board. Children often notice different letters that they recognize as well as working on their name by signing in!

“Both preschool writing instruction and home writing experiences are essential components of helping children develop writing skills. A major advantage of the home-school connection is that children see the value of what they learn in school when parents actively participate in the same type of activities at home.”

**The article is longer but has some good ‘emergent writing’ information Smile.

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2017/emergent-writing

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The rest of our day involved a science class where different children took on the role as ‘the teacher’ while their peers played ‘the students’.

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Franklin became frustrated when his train track wasn’t hooking together so with the help of a teacher and a few peers, we were able to complete the track! Several peers ran over to his train track while attaching trains together as they went around the track.

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Our morning ended with fresh kale from our garden: YUM!

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Breakfast– Whole wheat toast with peanut butter and fresh apples.

Lunch– Whole grain noodles with butter and kidney beans, PPC pears, and PPC broccoli/cherry tomatoes.

PM snack– PPC banana with whole milk yogurt.

Wee Sprout– PPC broccoli/cherry tomatoes.

Have a great night!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 7/23

WWF 07/23/2018

Hello and Happy Monday. We hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

“They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

WWF receives a magazine called YC (young children) and the current issue is all about Infants and Toddlers. I was so excited to read some of the articles and learn more about the ever changing times we have in the infant/toddler world.

The most important article I read was called, “The Heart of Serving Infants and Toddlers.”

There were several bolded sections I read that we at WWF strive for every day in our classroom.

1. Careful, peaceful observations. ~ Recognize that infants and toddlers need to develop a strong and reciprocal relationship with at least one other person in the environment and have a low enough child-to-teacher ratio to address the need. Interpret children’s intentions by carefully and peacefully observing, paying close attention to body language, cues, and gestures.   

2. Teachers invite children to engage. ~Invite infants to engage and then wait for their approval, asking again later if necessary.

3. Unhurried time. ~ Recognize that infants may prefer an unhurried approach to their individual care routines, learning, and development, and adapt to their pace.

4. Offering choices. ~ Offer infants and toddlers choices about what is going to happen to them, and wait for their response.

5. Supporting rather than intervening. ~ Support infants and toddlers in their learning and be available, but resist the urge to intervene unnecessarily. 

6. Resecting the whole team. ~ Recognize the need to deeply respect children, families, and the whole teaching team.

ENJOY THE PICTURES FROM OUR DAY.

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Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with Sunflower butter and oranges.

Lunch: Whole grain pasta with butter and kidney beans, corn and PPC blueberries.

Snack: Whole milk yogurt with graham crackers.

Have a wonderful evening.

Marty

LINK TO PICTURES:  https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljMIOl_6AmMIRq9wacQ

WWF 07/20/2018

Happy Friday!

“Let me love you a little more before you’re not little anymore.” ~MTBottles.ca

Today we utilized our fine motor skills, our hand-eye coordination, our color recognition skills and painted at the easel. Mack asked for the color blue, while another friend asked for “lello”(yellow). We also love to mix the paints together to see what color we end up with. That’s the best part!!! Smile 

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Outside play is always one of the best parts of our day, especially when it’s so beautiful out. We had tons of fun in the sand box, playing with the little people and trucks and in the kitchen center.  Mingling with our older WF friends is ALWAYS a plus as well.

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Breakfast: Whole grain English muffins with cream cheese and oranges.

Lunch: Whole grain oven baked English muffins with ham slices and shredded cheese, corn and apples.

Snack: Graham crackers and block colby cheese.

Wee Sprouts: Corn

Have a fabulous weekend, we’ll see you on Monday morning.

Marty

LINK TO PICTURES:  https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljMFI66guA8-LzjwQBw

WF, 7/20/2018

Good Afternoon!

One of our kindergarteners wrote a story this morning that he wants to turn into a movie. He sounded out majority of the words by himself, only needing a small teacher presence. He was over joyed every time he finished a sentence, running to peers and teachers to share his work. The amount of pride and excitement just radiated from his face.

One of our most important jobs as a Wee Friends teacher is to listen. We listen to what children are saying and listen to what they’re NOT saying. As our kindergartener was writing his story, he came up with all of the sentences using his imagination but a teacher sat to extend or help with the process of writing a story.

He created a cover and we transformed his words and thoughts into a book!

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Here are a few pictures from our Friday!

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Breakfast– Rice cakes with peanut butter and PPC mango.

Lunch– Whole wheat english muffin with ham and shredded cheese, PPC banana, and PPC cucumber/fresh carrots.

PM snack– Block cheese and pretzels.

Wee Sprout– PPC cucumber/fresh carrots.

Have a great weekend!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 7/20

WF, 7/19/2018

Good Afternoon!

Our Wee Friends spend a lot of time together, giving them the opportunity to form strong bonds resulting in friendships that last longer than their time here at Wee Friends. Since our classroom is multi-age, children play with peers that are younger and older than themselves. For our children who have been here since infancy, they’ve had years to form bonds with peers as well as teachers.

There are sibling pairs that are at WF and WWF so when we go outside, they are so excited to see their sibling!

Forming positive relationships at this age is important to development. We cherish the bonds we have with one another and make sure that every child’s social/emotional development is at the forefront.

You make each day a special day, by just your being you.”

-Mister Rogers

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Breakfast– Whole grain Cheerios with PPC banana.

Lunch– Brown rice with shredded beef, fresh oranges/PPC banana, and fresh carrots/PPC cucumber.

PM snack– Triscuits and sunflower seeds.

Wee Sprout– Fresh carrots/PPC cucumber.

Have a fantastic night!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 7/19

WWF 07/19/2018

Good Afternoon.

“Sometimes the littlest things take up the most room in your heart.” ~Winnie the Pooh

Today we had a puff ball party! We talked about the feel of the puff, the color of the puff and if we could eat the puff! Friends were very giddy about the question, “Can we eat the puff. Smile I quickly received the answer of “NO!!!”

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While we were enjoying the beautiful day outdoors, our friends were very enticed by the teeter-totters. Whether they decided to make it group fun or all by themselves, they had a blast! While engaging in group teeter-totter play our little ones learn about how to share their hand space while holding on and also needing to rock their bodies and keep themselves in rocking motion to keep the momentum going. “Teamwork makes the dream work” is the Wee Wee Friends motto!

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Breakfast: Whole grain Cheerios with PPC banana.

Lunch: Whole grain pasta with shredded beef, corn, PPC watermelon and blueberries.

Snack: Pretzels and mozzarella string cheese.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots.

Have a fantastic evening.

Marty

LINK TO PICTURES:  https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljL8bw00OFOgcSBS_pA

WWF 07/18/2018

Good Afternoon, what another gorgeous day!

“Ten little fingers, ten perfect toes, fill our hearts with love that overflows.”

Our friends little hands and fingers were very busy building train tracks and engaging in the farm house this morning. The cognitive ability our friends display while they are building and placing the tracks and animals in just that perfect spot, is phenomenal. Their imaginations run wild and we as teachers enjoy watching them create away!

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Breakfast: Whole grain Chex cereal and PPC banana.

Lunch: Scrambled eggs with shredded cheese, carrots and PPC banana.

Snack: Whole wheat Ritz crackers with hummus.

Have a fantastic evening!

Marty

LINK TO PICTURES:  https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuljL4cKJgccit0_l2C5w

WF, 7/18/2018

Good Afternoon!

Here are a few pictures from our Wednesday!

“Children are born musicians, dancers, artists and storytellers and the opportunities for healthy development are endless. We just have to provide the canvas, the paper, the paints, the materials and the welcoming environment, setting the stage for creativity, learning and fun.”

Gari Stein

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Breakfast– Whole grain oatmeal with honey and PPC banana.

Lunch– Scrambled eggs with whole wheat english muffins, PPC watermelon/fresh oranges, and PPC cherry tomatoes/fresh carrots.

PM snack– Air popped popcorn with butter and PPC banana.

Wee Sprout– PPC cherry tomatoes/fresh carrots.

Have a wonderful night.

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 7/18

WF, 7/17/2018

Good Afternoon!

Summer time is a time for family vacations, the occasional sleeping in, and adventure. These things can occur throughout the rest of the year but summer is special Smile.

In just a few short weeks, we’ll start back up the ‘school year’ again and our peers who have been travelling or away for an extended period of time are coming back to Wee Friends! Our schedule and predictability will be a little more in tact. I wanted to dedicate a blog to routines and schedules and how they fit into a child’s day.

Majority of children require structure, routines, and predictability at home and at school. While our daily schedule is looser in general here at Wee Friends, children know what to expect for the most part. For instance, children know once we clean up breakfast, they’re welcome to open the art table. When it’s a nice day and we’re able to stay outside for a longer period in the morning, once we hear those bells down the road at noon, we know it’s time for lunch. These small periods of predictability offer children a safe space and comfortability in those moments.

Schedules happen at home whether it’s a bedtime routine or certain steps you take in the morning before heading out the door. If even one step is missed of forgotten, some children can break down. Even as adults, once our routine is broken, it can be challenging to get back on track.

Even though predictability and routines are important, there’s something to be said for spontaneity too Smile. I’ve attached an article about how we can work together to create transitions and routines for our Wee Friends that are beneficial to each child and their development. Routines are very individualized to each child because at the end of the day, each child is completely and beautifully different!

https://childmind.org/article/how-can-we-help-kids-with-transitions/

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All areas of the house were appealing to our friends today as they occupied every part of the environment!

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When we went outside this morning, Miss Melinda asked five friends to help her water our flowers in the backyard. We have a lot of children who love offering their assistance!

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Our garden is on the brink of offering us wonderful veggies! We’ve tried a few yellow peppers but today, we got to try the kale and rhubarb. Friends loved the kale! It offers a yummy, healthy outside snack.

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Breakfast– Kix and PPC blueberries.

Lunch– Hummus on whole wheat bread, PPC watermelon, and PPC broccoli/fresh carrots.

PM snack– Whole grain bagels with cream cheese and block cheese.

Wee Sprout– PPC broccoli and fresh carrots.

Have a fantastic night!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 7/17