Hello Fall!

This week we started to talk about Fall and apples. I made apple pie scented playdough- it was my first time making playdough and I was shocked at how easy it was to make! I will definitely be making playdough for our class several more times throughout the year (cheaper and isn't as crumbly as store bought playdough). The kids had fun pretending to make apples pies using the scented playdough, rolling pins, baking trays, fake apples, and pie tins. We are discussing "more" and "less" with a poem and felt apple tree (we take away apples and add them back later on) and we are learning the colors of apples (red, yellow, green). Next week we will read more about apples and will do a taste test to see which color apple we think is the tastiest (we will also graph this as a class). I am also thinking we may make applesauce as a class (another first for me!).

We also talked about friendship this week and how to be a good friend. We talked about sharing, compliments, using nice words (please, thank you, excuse me, may I have a turn, etc.), and giving hugs when someone is sad. We are also working on learning all of our friends' names and the letters they start with. We are making a class book modeled after Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See but it will be __(child's name)__________, ______________, Who Do You See? Everyone drew a picture of themselves and traced their name on their book page. I will also put a small headshot of each child on their page so that we can read this book together as a class and put friends' names with faces.

Here are a few pictures, I will add more tomorrow!

Making apple pies with scented playdough

Shape designs

Circle art with different size circles and paint

The first week of school we read David Goes to School(which basically shows what not to do at school) and talked about the rules in our classroom, the hallways, the cafeteria, and the playground. We review the rules each day and we are really doing well with getting into a routine. These are a few of the rules that the kids drew:

We listen to the teacher. 

We raise our hands to talk.

On the playground we go down the slides on our bottoms, and keep our hands to ourselves.

When sitting on the rug we sit criss cross applesauce hands in our laps.

We clean up after ourselves.

Friends on the playground

Tomorrow I will post some of the pictures we drew of our families.

Expanding Center Choices

This week we talked about families (who is in a family, what families do together). During center time we opened up the sand table (more of a dry sensory table), the writing center, and the computer center. The kids were also allowed to choose their own centers instead of rotating to each one. Once they choose a center they have to stay at that center for 10-15 minutes (until the timer goes off and it is time to switch). The following are pictures from center time. Next week I will be posting pictures of our rules pictures, family drawings, and other class and center activities.  We will be talking about friends (how to be a good friend, learning our friends names, etc).

Red color of the week collages at the art center

Tracing/learning to write  our names at the writing center!

Sorting pompoms by color using tongs at the sand table (dry sensory table)

Cutting practice at the art center

Making designs/copying designs with shapes

Learning to use the computers

Friends playing on the playground!

Building houses at the block center

Have a great weekend! See everyone on Monday!