Construction project

The teachers have been talking and since there is such a huge interest in construction- we would like to offer the children the chance to construct a more permanent structure. We are thinking of constructing a dollhouse of our own- starting with cardboard and making it stronger with paper mache.

To help us with this- we would like to put the word out that we want to start collecting cardboard boxes and tubes. Anything from empty (and clean) food boxes to empty cardboard tubes. If you have anything to donate, please bring it in!

Classroom Update

This semester we have noticed that the children are much more comfortable with the classroom routine, with each other, and with classroom practices.  At the beginning of the school year, there was a large interest in the kitchen, dress up, and movement.  This term the focus has shifted quite a bit. 

The children have shown a huge interest in building, shapes, construction, and creating connections.  We noticed right away that the block area was a huge area of interest after getting back from winter break.  They were creating structures, and building tall.  This posed a problem sometimes when their structures were falling down – so we talked a lot about stability and helping things to stay up when building.  Ms. Kat has brought the incline slide into the classroom as a building surface for the children.  She is currently exploring with them which types of blocks are easier to build with when their building surface is tilted.  The children utilize a variety of problem solving strategies to get their structures to stabilize on the angled slide and we have noticed that they have a preference as they build with the types of blocks they will use – because they know those blocks are more stable on an angled surface.  We want to continue exploring the surface of the incline – if that changes in texture will their structures change?  Will the angle of the incline impact their building?

Ms. Sharesse noticed that as the children built, they started to talk about different shapes in their structures.  She began introducing them to different types of structures to see if they could pick out the shapes that created the structures.  They spoke extensively about the ideas of “tall”, “short”, “wide”, and “long.” The children then focused a lot more in depth about shapes and where they could be found in their everyday life.  The children began creating with shapes – using them not only in the context of building but in collaging as well.  What types of shapes are used for creation?  How will this continue to factor into making structures?

We would like to work with the children to figure out if there is a type of permanent structure (house, castle, roads, trains) that we could create in our classroom specifically intertwining all of the above mentioned concepts.  How will the children use what we have been talking about together to create a common goal?

Ms. Carrie and Ms. Hailey are also beginning to implement lessons in the classroom working on robots and clay respectively.  Ms. Carrie would like to see what the children know about robots, what they know about more “unconventional” robots (i.e. not transformers) and what the purpose of different robots might be.  Ms. Hailey has noticed that the children have been engaging with clay and making imprints.  She recently had a provocation of snake photos out with the clay to see how the children would react.  She noticed that the molding of the clay was something they practiced, but the children were more interested in the patterns and designs on the snakes – how might they start to represent that with clay?

As always, we will continue to keep you updated through ClassDojo, blog updates, and conversations!  Please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns!

Building in different ways

This term the children have really continued with their interest in building.  We have noticed that certain concepts are more interesting than others to the children, but the children are all excited about building in general.

Ms. Sharesse has been working with the children on shapes related to building.  She noticed the children are interested in different shapes in structures, so she specifically worked with them to point out how structures have shapes in them.  She would like to further explore this idea.  She also noticed that the children were using words like "tall" and "short" as they built, but wants to see if they are truly able to represent these ideas as they create their own structures.

Ms. Kat has been working with the children on Mondays and Fridays.  She has also noticed a large interest in building.  Ms. Kat brought in a ramp for the children to create on.  She wanted to see if the idea of building on a inclined surface impacts how they create their structures.  She took it a step further the other day by adding carpet squares to the incline.  The rough surface wasn't something the children were used to building on in addition to the incline, so she noticed that it may have changed their strategies.

As the weeks progress, it will be interesting to see how the children change up the strategies they use as they work on different concepts.  We are also curious to see if the ideas that they work on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Ms. Sharesse transfer to the ideas that Ms. Kat is working on with them Mondays and Fridays.

Regie Rainbow!

Regie Rainbow!

Over the next few weeks the children in our room will be trying some new foods as part of the Regie Rainbow program!  Each week we talk about foods from a different color of the rainbow, how the fruits and vegetables help their bodies, and we get a chance to taste them!

Over the past couple of weeks we have tried red peppers, tomatoes, orange squash, starfruit, and yellow squash!  We have some more colors to explore (green, blue, brown/violet) as the weeks go on so it will be fun to see what the children are interested to try and how adventurous they get with trying new things!

Early Childhood Intern - Mondays and Fridays

Hello Parents and Family,

My name is Katherine Nealy and I am a senior at the University of Michigan Dearborn studying Early Childhood Education. This semester I will be working with your children in room 7 as an internship student from now until April. During my time in Room 7, I plan on getting to know your children while helping them learn as well as learning from them. My goal this semester is to engage your children in learning activities that will enhance their creativity, and knowledge towards specific subject areas. I will be working hands on with the children and teachers in Room 7 to give and receive the best experience from my internship as possible. I will be in attendance every Monday and Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. I look forward to meeting you all soon.

Thank you,

Ms. Kat

Our Early Childhood Intern - with us Tuesdays and Thursdays this term!

Hello Parents,

My name is Sharesse Turner and I will be student teaching in classroom #7 with Ms. Stone and Ms. Eunice this semester here at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Early Childhood Education Center. I graduated from Henry Ford Community College with my Associates degree in Early Childhood Education and this spring I will be graduating with my bachelor’s in children and families.

I am a native of Detroit. I am a wife and mother of a fifteen-year-old daughter, Kierra who is in her first year of high school. I also have a dog, Pepper. In my spare time I enjoy bowling and singing. One of my most favorite things to do is to help children learn and evolve. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you in the next few months.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Sharesse Turner

Classroom Updates

Hello!

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  We just wanted to take a minute and update you on what's been going on in the classroom.  We have been recording and observing the ideas of the children to continue to expand on in the classroom.

 We have noticed that animals, their habitats, and their lifestyle have been very interesting to some of the children.  We have been talking about pets, looking a lot at the animal figurines we have in the room, and moving/acting a lot like various animals.  We have also noticed that the idea of movement of our bodies has been an ongoing interest with the children - how can we dance in different ways, how can we move across obstacles in different ways, and how can we challenge ourselves to move in new ways?  There is also a core group of children who have been very focused on construction with the blocks.  They are building with various types of blocks, working to create stable structures.  We would like to begin to challenge them to construct with a building goal in mind. 

We are going to create a concept web in the classroom - a web of things we are exploring with the children, their ideas, and what we would like to continue to expand on.  If you have any ideas you would like to add to the web, you are more than welcome!  We would love input from our families and look forward to hearing what you think!