The first instrument that we expose the children to, in the classroom, is egg shakers.  Egg shakers are an excellent tool to use during music instruction because it is easy to play and does not require previous experience.  Music in the preschool classroom obviously provides pure enjoyment for young children.  Music is a pathway that supports social-emotional, language, mathematical, cognitive, physical, and creative development.  Also, music experiences teach children to be part of a social group.  All children have music potential.  Our goal is to help build basic music competence (a sense of rhythm and tone) in all of them. 

This week’s big book is entitled, A Party.  It is a story about different things at a tea party.  It was only natural to put toys and props in the Dramatic Play area so that the children could make their own pretend tea party.

Today, Aunty Amy joined four children at the Writing Center.  During centers and seat work, we move around the room asking students questions, playing with them, participating in their activities, and so forth.  Our participation in the activities allows students to get the most out of the materials that are available.  Our goal is also to develop oral language and build vocabulary by engaged the students in meaningful conversation.  This participation serves to enhance the students’ involvement in the activities.

We did two collaborative art pieces today.  One with hand prints and one with feet prints.  Every child was persuaded to add to each piece.  Collaboration is defined as working with others to create something.  In the preschool classroom, we do collaborative art pieces because it encourages working towards a common shared goal, supports teamwork, helps promote a positive work ethic, and it provides an opportunity for children to engage in conversation with each other.  Throughout the year, we will continue to do many collaboration art pieces.  It will be displayed in the classroom.

This week, shaving cream replaced water in the water table.  We placed plastic gems in there too.  Sensory experiences all children to feel/smell/hear/see and sometimes taste the media they are using.  It allows children to extend play and can provide experiences that they would not normally do in a home environment.  And, of course, sensory play is lots of fun!

We have a mini lo’i kalo in our garden box by the Water Play area.  Since that ground area is always wet and the children love using water cans there, we wanted to take advantage of the water and plant something that grows well in a soaked ground.  The wind also blew in some tomatoes seeds and we planted one ti-leaf stalk there too.  If you have any kalo plants or kalo huli that you’d be willing to donate, we would welcome more plants for that area.

One of the most popular rug toys are the Magna-Tiles.  This toy is a magnetic building tile that connects with magnets.  Children usually start exploring the tiles with 2D flat shapes.  Then they begin to realize that flat shapes can transform into 3D objects.  Children can create cubes, pyramids, and other geometric shapes.  They can explore creativity, math, and spatial relations.  It develops spatial, tactile, patterning, and basic geometry skills.  Although we switch out the rug toys once or twice a month, the Magna-Tiles are usually a toy that holds the children’s interest and therefore remains a rug toy choice throughout the year.

Today, we were finally blessed with a full morning tranistion time outdoors without Ko’olau showers.  Several of the children asked us to tie the colored scarves around their necks.  Scarves make great capes allowing imagination to take flight!

Today Aunty Naomi, our Outreach Counselor, visited our classroom today.  She  brought three “friends.”  Pua, the bear puppet, Malama, the girl puppet, and Pono, the boy puppet.  She did a short guidance lesson on “How to be a Good Friend by Taking Turns.”  She discussed how we show Aloha to our friends.  After the large group lesson, Aunty Naomi worked with all the children in pairs to practice the words and strategies to take turns.  The children each had a chance to use Malama and Pono.  Aunty Naomi put a letter for families to read in your parent mailbox.

This week, the children are experimenting with color mixing using liquid water color and water.  They call it “magic.”  Three year olds do not have much experience focusing on specific characteristics of objects.  Tools (such as magnifiers, lenses, and eye droppers) can help them attend to a particular object or specific aspect of an object. A simple science activity like this one can provide minutes of fun and wonder.  What you need:  a glass jar, eye droppers, liquid paint or food coloring or primary colors (red, yellow, and blue).