2/3-1 Families,
This month the children have shown an increasing interest in letters. In the classroom, we have added letters to the library area in order to accommodate this interest. We have also brought in two different letter puzzles on multiple occasions that the children have enjoyed. One of the puzzles has the picture directly above the letters that make up the word and the pieces are the individual letters with a piece of the picture. With this puzzle, the children were able to use the picture to piece together the letters of the word. The other had letters for puzzle pieces with a picture on each board as a reference. We also had a few teacher directed activities focusing on letters as well. During one group time, the children each had a turn flicking a spinner to find a letter and then placing a bean bag over that letter on a mat. Allie, one of our interns this semester, also implemented a small group activity where the children matched the letters on the stickers to the letters drawn on a paper towel roll. We worked on having the children repeat the letters when they find their fit in these activities and the next step will be identifying some letters from their names.
We have also been doing a lot of art with sensory activities that includes toy cars, paint, bubble wrap, hands and even their feet. Painting can be one of the many ways the children are able to express themselves. One of the teachers did a small group with bubble wrap and paint. She taped down some bubble wrap on the big table and had the children smear the paint with their hands and trying to pop the bubbles. On two different occasions, the children were able to paint with their feet. One had bubble wrap with paint underneath and the children were able to jump up and down on it. The other, there was taped paper onto the floor and their feet were dipped into some paint. The teacher then put music on and had the children dance around the paper, making foot prints and smearing the paint around.They also got to paint with some toy cars, there was bubble wrap taped on a table with some paint and the children got to drive their cars around. Smearing the painting around watching the car leave “tire tracks” on the wrap. All these different things include some kind of sensory whether it was with their hands or feet. The children always enjoy some messy paint.
