Print Making with Clay

We invited the children to create their own prints with classroom materials (shells, rocks, plastic animals, building blocks) and fast drying clay.

First the children had to form a small, smooth surface that would be the original shape of their printing surface. Next children selected their printing materials and had to firmly press their object into the clay. Once the object had been pressed deep enough into the clay, it had to be carefully removed so it didn't disturb the print.

We let the prints dry over night and turned them into necklaces!  Beautiful!

Encouraging Drawing and Writing

In order to encourage letter awareness (recognition, sound/letter relationships) we placed a number of writing materials out at our centers today.

One of the children's favourites is using the overhead machine. Today we gave them transparencies and non-permanent markers and invited them to draw and write their ideas and then share them with others using the overhead machine.

We also placed foam floating letters in the water table.  The children quickly realized that the wet letters would stick to the sides of the table. They spelled many words but the most common was their name!

After reading the book "The Jacket I Wear in the Snow" we placed mini-booklets with the same cover, writing materials, and a chart with felt pieces and words at the writing area. Many children spent time creating their own version of the book by copying the various clothing words and drawing their own pictures to match. This was a great way to encourage them to retell and discuss the text, match pictures to words, and practice writing familiar words.

Paper Whites

The paper white bulbs bloomed over the winter holidays and this is what we returned to find!

Matching Objects to Numbers

To help our children learn mathematical concepts we use a number of hands-on manipulatives. Children learn in different ways - seeing concepts in action, listening to verbal instructions and key words, manipulating objects in various ways. In order to help our students learn that written and oral numbers can represent a certain set of objects, we use five and ten frames in our small group activities.

A five frame is a grid of five squares.

A ten frame is a grid of ten squares.

You can use them to represent numbers.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

We have been using the frames to help children count out math chips for various numbers from 1 to 10.  We hold up a card with a certain number written on it, orally say the number, and invite the children to represent the number on their frames.

In order to challenge children, we encourage them to think of the various combinations of numbers that compose new numbers (beginning addition). For example, the five and three on a ten frame equal 8.

5 + 3 = 8

You can help your child practice counting, representing, and adding at home by using your own five and ten frames available at these websites Five Frame PDF and Ten Frame PDF.

Thank you!

A BIG thank you to those families who generously donated from the wish list sent home from before the holidays!  We have received a large collection of used greeting cards, paper rolls, wrapping paper, bows, and odds and ends to help supplement our science, math, literacy, and art centers. We have also received some wonderful writing materials to be used for Valentine's Day activities.

Your support of our children and program is greatly appreciated!

Arctic Playscape

What a wonderful first day back after the holiday break!  Our children came into the classroom happy, rested, and eager to learn!

We set up two centers today that provided children with an opportunity to explore cold habitats.  The first we envisioned as an Arctic setting and contained small Arctic animals (snow hare, polar bear, seal, walrus, whale), snow and 'ice' mountains to help establish the setting and inspire creative play. The children were very excited upon seeing the playscape and it was one of our most popular morning centers.

The second center had three play polar bears. We invited the children to imagine how they might want to set up this habitat. After a discussion about what we knew about polar bears and where they lived, a few children used white styrofoam and paper to create an ice cave for their bears to use. These children spent the whole play time first creating and then using their Arctic setting with the polar bears.

Some Ontario Curriculum that this activity fulfilled included:

4.4 select and use tools, equipment, and materials to construct things using the design process