Observe and Report- Fall Leaves

The leaves are changing before our eyes!  We collected some leaves from a few different species to examine in Small Group.  First we used magnifying glasses to study the leaves from White Oak, Redbud, and Tulip Magnolia trees.  We looked at the veins, the emerging colors and spots, and edge serration.  We talked about our observations, generating words like: bumpy, green and brown, crunchy, orange and brown, fan-shaped, etc.

Then we used glue to adhere the leaves on a large sheet of paper to make a Leaf Poster.  To finish this activity, Ms. Harmony wrote the child's words on the paper near the leaves that they described.  Modeling writing allows the children to learn that spoken ideas can be recorded with letters in writing.  See it, think it, say it, and then write it!  This is a great way to actively practice memorization.

Pipes Project

Friend "Sandwich" engaged with these pieces of pipe for quite awhile today.  After identifying these new toys in the Toy and Puzzle Area during Greeting Time, he knew exactly what he wanted to do when it was Work Time!  His plan was to go and work with pipes.  He figured out how to connect them on his own.

We talked about how pipes bring water to our homes, like the kitchen sink, bathtubs, toilets, and even the garden hoses.

We used these pictures during Recall Time to invite Friend "Sandwich" to tell his friends about his work.  After completing his pipes project, he said, "Ta-da!  Come take a picture!"  During Recall Time he told us about how this pipe system is for the sprinklers.

Cool engineering brain right?!

Recall Time

"It's Recall Time!  It's Recall Time!  It's Recall Time right now!  Where did you work?  Where did you work?  Where did you work and how?"

During Recall Time, the friends choose one plan that they remember working on and really enjoying. We also use this time of day to remember problems we encountered, and how they were solved.  We can also remember the process of how we accomplished something, like setting up tracks, doing art, or building a structure.  We practice listening to our friends before responding or asking questions.

This part of the day works our mental muscles to remember details, practice language, and social skills.  Sometimes we also draw pictures of what we worked on as well to practice visual representation.

Last week, these are the plans that our school friends chose to remember and draw.  Friend "H" worked really hard to line up wooden ramps and send balls down the tracks.  He especially likes to include the tubes for the balls to make tunnels.

 

Friend "K" chose to recall her Block Area plan where she found the princesses and furniture she wanted to use and arranged it in the castle.  Some of the furniture pieces did not fit in the rooms she wanted and so she had to rearrange things or choose different furniture to accomplish her plan.  During Recall, she was able to remember all of the princesses that she chose for the castle.