Manipulating loose materials

The children used the table with tape as their canvas for designs this morning. 

Can you see patterns?

Sorting and classifying 

Sorting

The children were sorting beans and asking many questions about what is each type of beans.  The children hit many goals with this activities.  They sorted by color, size and type of bean. With sorting  the beans, using the twezzers, the children strenghten the fine motor skills for writing.  Playing is fun and developmental at the same time.

Let's build a house

A small group of children worked at the light table to build a house. 

"I'm working on the garden. My dad is mad at the squirrels because they are always eating the flowers." - PW

"I'm building a porch and these are the steps." - LB

As the children finished their house, they began to talk about things you might find inside.

So we brought over transparency paper with markers to represent some of those ideas. 

"You need people. I have flowers in my house."- JB

"We need something really important- a pet." -LB

"We need a piggy bank." -PW

The children then began to play family with people. There was a mom, dad, and a son.

Mapping our a Community

The children used tape today to create a community.  The tape represented the streets where they live.  They used blocks, paper and signs to designate where they lived and what is in their surrounding area.

Slime.....

Manipulation of sensory materials offer many opportunities for children
GOLD, our online assessment portfolio, objectives include:
-Use fingers and hands
-Uses and expanding expressive vocabulary
-Engages in conversation
-Shows curiosity and motivation
-Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

We can make bubbles

It streteches

And bounces

And makes lots of shapes

Visitors from the High School

The children were visited by some of the Webster Groves High School band members.  They inroduce the children to different types of instructments and styles of music.  Our children found their own expression with the music.  They started to clap and tap their feet to the music. (I'm sure this was confusing to the band members since our children had many different beats to the music). 

After the music was done, the students opened areas where our children could come and learn more about the instructments.  Our children had a great time learning and playing some of the instructments.

Capers

                                                Every Thursday, we will be participate in Capers with
                                                 the neighboring classrooms in our hallway. The goal of
                                              Capers is to exchange ideas and wonderings with other children
                                  to help move learning forward. Here are some happenings from this morning:
                                                                               

Able to explore the worms

Helping to prepare worm food

Engages in sociodramatic play

Building in the collaboratory

Magnet explorations vertically

Pulley system