We had a great Wednesday in preschool!
Two quick reminders:
Yellow “Highlights” Paper…came home with your child last week. Please take a few minutes to read over the paper, decide whether or not you would like to order the magazine for your child, sign and return to school by this Friday, 9/9 (even if you decide you would rather not order, or you already get the magazine). If 15 students return the signed forms (with “yes" or “no" checked), we will receive some fun free items for our classroom!
Bahama Bucks Benefit Night...Get to know other Zion preschool families while enjoying some yummy treats on Thursday, September 15 from 6 - 8 pm!!!
And...here we go...
Our friends not here yesterday began with a special check-in! Each child completed his/her "September My Name" for his/her portfolio. Each friend could choose whether or not he/she wanted to use his/her name tag for guidance! While each friend wrote his/her name I took special note of :
pencil grip
right or left hand
copied name or wrote from memory
did he/she know the letters in own name
To wrap up morning meeting, a special friend arrived for his second day this year...Tricky Mouse! Tricky Mouse brought shapes with him today. You see, Tricky Mouse, hid under a shape (while we squeezed our eyes shut tight). We then had to figure out which shape he was hiding under. If a friend chose "square" we would say together...
Tricky Mouse, tricky mouse are you in the square house?
If yes...woo hoo, we found him. If not, a friend would choose a different shape, until we found that sneaky mouse! Identifying/recognizing shapes is an early math skill.
We enjoyed hearing Miss Bethany Andrews, from Zion's Children's Ministry, lead our chapel service this morning. We learned that Jesus is kind of like a s'more! A s'more has 3 parts...the graham crackers that are brown remind us of the brown cross made from 2 pieces of wood. The chocolate is an even darker brown, reminding us of our sin that Jesus saved us from. The marshmallow (most important) is white, pure...just like Jesus is pure and sinless. The marshmallow is the glue that holds the s'more together like Jesus is the glue that holds us together!
We enjoyed outside time after doing a GREAT job sitting quietly at chapel!
We LOVED getting to meet mat man! First I built mat man as we all listened to the mat man song!
Then, our friends helped build mat man all on their own while listening to the mat man song! Mat man helps children to learn body awareness (body parts, body functions). Putting him together as a class improves socialization skills (participating, following directions, and taking turns).
Way to go Mrs. Mudd's class...a GREAT mat man is born!
Time for small groups (centers)!
With Mrs. Mudd, each friend had the opportunity to draw his/her own mat man! I did sing the song and drew my mat man at the same time in case some friends needed a little guidance! Drawing mat man teaches how to organize and place body parts correctly!
We tried our best at sequencing beach balls in order from smallest to biggest or biggest to smallest (or both)! Comparing and sequencing is an early math skill.
In our journals, we had to recall something fun that we did over the long weekend. Each friend then drew pictures or "wrote" a story telling all about the fun they had while not as school! Writing in journals enables children to feel a sense of pride in their development of writing skills.
With Mrs. Dose we played a fun game of Alphabet BINGO! She showed a letter, each friend said the letter name and letter sound. Then, found that same letter on their BINGO board and covered it up! Identifying letters and their sounds is an early literacy skill!
I'm very, very TALL...
I'm very, very small...
TALL...
small...I'm a little ball!
We made one lap around the gym taking turns tiptoeing, skating...
marching, galloping, soldier kicking, walking sideways and walking backwards!
Our friends then enjoyed some free choice time in the gym, exercising how he/she chose!
