What Did You Do At School?

Valentine's Day: TK

The TK class has a Valentine decorating tradition.

It involves choosing supplies...

 
and placing them with intention.

 
(Can you tell that this five year old, like most, really likes symmetry?)

The project involves stickers,

 
glue,

 
and remembering to write your name on the back of your creation.

 
And when you're finished,

 
attach it

 

to the
 
hula hoop

 
to form

 
a beautiful wreath

 
for the classroom door.

Then, when the big day comes, you're ready for your Valentine Party.

"Who wants to hand out their Valentine cards first?

 

If there are no names on the envelopes, passing out Valentines is a good exercise in one-to-one correspondence.
 

If there are names on the envelopes, it is good practice for name recognition and matching.

 
And either way,

 
from the first card to the last, it's just plain old fun!

Thanksgiving Feast: TK

The table was prepared.

The children came.

They used their good manners...

and raised their hand when asked whether or not they wanted a particular food.

With their plates piled high,

they bowed their heads and thanked the Lord for his bountiful blessings...

before digging in to their plates full of amazingly healthy food.

Saving room for dessert,

of course. :)

 

Pumpkin Making: TK

Pictures from October 14, 2010.

 
I came in after they had already cut their construction paper strips and punched holes in each end, but here is the step-by-step from there.

 
They are becoming experts at "take one and pass the rest."

 
As you can see, their ability to organize their workspace...

 
varies greatly...

 
as it does among adults. :)

"Hold your green pipe cleaner straight against your pencil...

 
and begin twisting the pipe cleaner around the pencil."

 
"Slide it off your pencil and put it aside."

 
"Hold your orange pipe cleaner up like this and bend it into an 'L' shape."

 
"Start adding your orange strips."

 
"Keep threading them on one at a time...

 
until you are all done...

 
then wait."

 
"Measure like this...

 
then...

 
make another 'L' ...

 
and tie a knot."

 
"Now start bending up your orange strips...

 
one at a time...

 
until they are all threaded on."

 

"Put one of your short green strips on top

 
and then loop it around like you did with the orange ones."

 
"You're almost done. Now do the same thing with your other green strip."

 
"These are your leaves."

 
"Tie your curly green pipe cleaner around the orange one. This will hold your pumpkin together."

 
"Inspect your work,

 

spreading your strips so you have a nice pumpkin shape."
 
"Be proud."

 

Letter Recognition: TK

Last month the TK teacher spent a little time informally assessing her class' letter recognition skills...

 
during a friendly game of Alphabet Bingo.

 
When she called the letters, she also showed them the letter cards -- so if they weren't sure about what the letter looked like, they could double-check.

 
When every letter on a child's card was covered they jumped up...

 
and called out, "Bingo!" Their cards were checked and then the game continued until every letter of the alphabet had a turn.

 
And if everyone was paying close attention, everyone was a winner during the first TK Alphabet Bingo game.

A Lesson in Self-Control: TK

One of the first lessons in the TK class had to do with self-control.

Each child was given a super ball. A very fun, very bouncy super ball.

They took them outside and played with them. Their job was to keep their eye on their ball. To have control of it (as much as possible with a wildly bouncy ball). To not become distracted by the play of the other children. To not get their ball mixed up with another child's ball. To take responsibility of their own property.

When they came inside, each child's ball was placed in a baggie.

And they lined up to have their bag stapled shut -- with strict instructions that when they got home the parents were in charge of the ball. The parents could open the bag and tell the child if, when, and where it could be played with.

Besides the obvious self-control involved in being in charge of a very fun ball, other skills were practiced -- most notably, the skill of using their eyes to track the ball's movement. Tracking the movement of their ball (and only their ball) is part of training their eyes to track the print in a book when they begin learning to read in the next year or two.

First Thursday of School: TK

On Thursday the music teacher went around to the classes to introduce herself.

"Who likes to sing?" "Who likes to dance?" "Who likes to play instruments?"

Music starts next week and it looks like the TK class has children who like to sing and dance and play instruments. They're ready for some music fun!  

First Tuesday of School: TK

Mrs. Clary learned that TK has some champion jumping-jackers!

And the TK students learned that after lunch they have book time.