We've survived the first week, heat wave and all. Thank you for being patient as we continue to work through the kinks of our new schedule. If you have any concerns, please do contact me so we can work to resolve issues together.
With 30 little bodies in our room, getting outside is very important. We use our yard in a variety of ways to facilitate our play based learning and we'll be outside in most weather. This week already, we've brought a water table for sensory play, bean bags and balls for building gross motor skills, and earth movers outside for imaginative play. Making sure your little one is dressed for playing outside is helpful to their learning.
(On that front, please do send back your forms, a spare set of clothes, and a pair of indoor shoes as soon as possible. Indoor shoes are good for rainy weather and for gym. They also help keep the classroom clean. )
I'm hoping to show you what play based learning looks like in our classroom as the year progresses. Kindergarten is all about following the mood and seizing the learning where it happens. For instance, this week, I started with magnetic letters and numbers as one of our centres, but it wasn't very popular. Some sorting was happening though.
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| L is sorting the letters by colour. |
So we expanded on that and have really been using our counting bears. First, we sorted them by colour.
Next, we compared the sizes and counted how many of each colour we had.
Then, individual students decided to see how many would fit on a couch or along a ledge, suggesting that we might use them to measure.
Teddy bears have also shown up in our songs, in our stories, in building, and at the sensory centres (They float, but play dough tends to stick to them). As kids use their imaginations, I'm interested to see where else they might head.
Sincerely,
Ms. Goegan
