Week in Review (10/10-10/14)

Week in Review (10/10-10/14)

Exploring Pumpkins

Many students have been telling us about pumpkins they have at home or have been noticing in their neighborhoods. We brought pumpkins into the classroom for the children to explore further. First, we offered them small pumpkins to explore in the water table, They observed how the pumpkins looked and they way they floated in the water. Later in the week, the children were able to work with a large pumpkin. They guessed what they would find inside and then got to explore the inside of the pumpkin. They talked about what they saw and compared the pulp and seeds to what they thought would be inside. 

24. Uses scientific inquiry skills 

25. Demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics of living things 

26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials 

27. Demonstrates knowledge of Earth’s environment

 d. Shows curiosity and motivation . 

e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking

 7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination 

a. Uses fingers and hands 

Testing Ramps

To extend on the children's work with ramps, Mrs. Lovejoy added items to the large ramp that would change the movement of the balls rolling down. The children tested this on the ramp and watched how the ball bounced and had a different path of movement compared to the flat ramp. They tried adding different materials to manipulate the ball's movement in new ways. 

11. Demonstrates positive approaches to learning
a. Attends and engages
b. Persists
c. Solves problems
d. Shows curiosity and motivation .
e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking 

22. Compares and measures
24. Uses scientific inquiry skills 

Drawing Boats

To extend on the children's interest in boats, we read "The Boat Book" by Gail Gibbons at group time. We learned about several new boats. Afterwards, the children had an opportunity to draw these boats. Children looked at the different boats from the book and chose what to draw. Some chose the sail boats or kayaks while others were interested in drawing a submarine. 

7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination 

a. Uses fingers and hands 

b. Uses writing and drawing tools 8. Listens to and understands increasingly complex language 

a. Comprehends language 

b. Follows directions 

9. Uses language to express thoughts and needs 

a. Uses an expanding expressive vocabulary 

b. Speaks clearly 

12. Remembers and connects experiences 

a. Recognizes and recalls 

b. Makes connections

Week in Review (10/3-10/7)

Week in Review (10/3-10/7)

Trying New Ways to Paint 

The children are always excited to paint in the classroom. Because of this, we offered them a few new ways to paint this week. Children were able to create paintings with new tools like cardboard tubes and sponges. We talked about the marks they made and noticed they were different from normal paintbrushes. They also tried foam paint, a new type of paint they used with their hands. This offered new colors and textures for students to explore. 

7a. Uses fingers and hands 

7b. Uses writing and drawing tools 

8b. Follows directions 
33. Explores the visual arts

Boat Investigation

We extended on the children's interest in boats by incorporating both construction materials and dramatic play opportunities. We noticed children bringing chairs into their boat play so we offered them chairs and large wooden blocks outside on the building platform. The children immediately began designating drivers and fixers in the boat. Many of them were concerned about "blocking the water" and creating boundaries around the boat to "keep the water out". They found a round block to use as a steering wheel and extended blocks from the side of the boat to create "stairs". We are eager to see how the class continues to explore boats. 

1b. Follows limits and expectations 
 3a. Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations 
7a. uses fingers and hands 
10a. Engages in conversation

Building Pathways

The students in our class enjoy building roads and driving cars. We have explored wooden roads, waffle block roads, and train tracks and have used problem solving skills to construct roads that were big in size and connected in many different places. The students have recognized the various modes of transportation and roadways and we are excited to build more roads and learn how cars move. The students have applied real world concepts to their building such as stop signs, construction work caution, bridges and tunnels and are really making connections from what they have already learned from their own experiences and connecting it with their play.  The students are working together to build a community of learners who are kind and share information, space and toys!

1. Regulates own emotions and behaviors
a. Manages feelings
b. Follows limits and expectations
c. Takes care of own needs appropriately
2. Establishes and sustains positive relationships
a. Forms relationships with adults
b. Responds to emotional cues
c. Interacts with peers
d. Makes friends
3. Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations
a. Balances needs and rights of self and others
B. Solves social problems

Week in Review (9/26-9/30)

Week in Review (9/26-9/30)

Exploring the Garden

Our class explored the different plants growing in the garden. They observed how different vegetables such as tomatoes and zucchini grew. Children noticed the red, orange, and yellow flowers growing. They also felt different textures such as soft, fuzzy leaves and "pokey" leaves. We enjoyed running through the garden and investigating each new plant we saw. 

24. Uses scientific inquiry skills

25. Demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics of living things

26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

27. Demonstrates knowledge of Earth’s environment

Pretending to be Firefighters

We have noticed the class being interested in firefighters lately. We set out the firefighter hats and jackets and also included flexible tubes they could use as "fire hoses". They quickly started incorporating the materials into their play. We saw them "putting out fires" around the classroom and "rescuing" each other. 

 29. Demonstrates knowledge about self
30. Shows basic understanding of people and how they live
31. Explores change related to familiar people or places 36. Explores drama through actions and language14. Uses symbols and images to represent something not present
a. Thinks symbolically
b. Engages in sociodramatic play a. Engages in conversations 

Sailing Boats in the Water

To build on the interest in boats we have observed, we introduced new boats to the classroom. The children were very curious about how they moved and floated in the water. They floated them on top of calm water and then made the water "wavy" and made the float that way. We will continue to research boats.

24. Uses scientific inquiry skills
26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

Dissecting Flowers

After painting flowers, we gave the children a chance to explore them in a new way. They were able to look at the flowers up close and see how they felt. Some children were interested in how all of the petals felt in their hands. Others noticed they could pull of the petals and worked hard on that. 

7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination
a. Uses fingers and hands 24. Uses scientific inquiry skills
25. Demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics of living things
26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials 27. Demonstrates knowledge of Earth’s environment
28. Uses tools and other technology to perform taska

Week in Review (9/19-9/23)

Week in Review (9/19-9/23)

Building Boats

We have noticed a consistent interest in boats while playing with the children. They often pretend to be on a ship while they are on the play structure or building platform outside. This week, we offered them large blocks to build with and saw them creating boats and ships again. We extended on this within the classroom with foam blocks and listened to students tell us about how to keep water out of the boat, where the propellers go, and how to add sails to boats. We will continue to explore the children's interest in boats in the coming weeks. 

Painting on an Easel

Painting is often an exciting choice for the children during the day. We changed their painting process by putting their paper on an easel. They experiment with the paint and noticed how a vertical surface changed their painting. It allowed them to test different strokes and use larger movements while painting. 

Playing with Dinosaurs

Of course the class loves dinosaurs! After hearing students talking about them and pretending to be them, we offered the children large toy dinosaurs to explore with. While playing with the dinosaurs, children shared some of their knowledge with us. They knew that some dinosaurs ate meat while others ate plants. Some children thought that dinosaurs only ate food all day. Other children shared that dinosaurs sleep and take care of their babies as well. 

Dancing with Ribbons 

The class enjoyed an opportunity to move their bodies and dance in the classroom. They listened to different songs and used ribbons while they jumped, hopped, spun, and danced with each other. They especially enjoyed songs that gave fun dancing directions like "Bop Til You Drop" and "The Freeze Dance".

Student Teachers

Meet Our Student Teachers 

Hi! My name is Alicia Lovejoy and I will be interning in your child's class on Wednesdays until December. I am so excited to be apart of your child’s learning experience and wanted to let you know a little about myself. I have been married for 11 years and have two children in elementary school. When my son started school, I knew it was time for me to finish my degree and that is what has lead me to the University of Michigan Dearborn. I currently have my associates degree from Washentaw Community College in Child Development and my CDA which is a national certification in child care.

I currently work as a kindergarten paraprofessional at my local charter school in Ypsilanti.  I will be graduating in December with my bachelors in child and family general studies. After graduation, my goal is to attend the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor and receive my masters in elementary education and to become a kindergarten teacher.

I am very excited to be partnering with you over the next few months as your child transitions into our classroom. I know that we will do many fun things as we learn and grow together. If you ever any questions or concerns please feel free to ask!  I look forward to getting to know you all!

Sincerely,

Alicia Lovejoy

alovejoy@umich.edu

My name is Farah Farhat, and I excited to be interning in Ms. Fennessey and Ms. Phee’s classroom on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. I am a senior at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. I am working to earn a major in Early Childhood Education.

Some hobbies of mine include reading, baking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. I have two brothers, and a sister. I do not have any pets (yet)! As a family, we spent most of our summer relaxing, playing sports, and traveling to different areas of the world!

My experiences with children began during high school. I enrolled in a childcare course. I had the opportunity to work alongside my teacher and classmates in a preschool setting. This experience is what has driven me to really become intrigued with child development, as it is such an important time for children. Throughout my college experience, I have completed many practicums here at the ECEC, as well as other various school districts. My goal for the term is to provide your children with a strong, stable, and positive foundation for education. When a child has a positive view or attitude towards a particular topic they are more likely to succeed!

I am excited to have the opportunity to work together this semester. The start of a great education starts with building strong relationships with those at home!