What We Did This Week
April 23rd, 2024
Our Spanish vocabulary of the day was “jardin-garden.” Our friends learned about Earth Day. During circle time, we talked about the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Then, we sorted different items into the recyclable categories of metal, glass, paper, and plastic. We talked about why it’s good to recycle and reuse things and how we don’t want to pollute the planet! In honor of Earth Day, we worked with our lights off and used the natural light let in from our windows. We also talked about where the wind comes from. We learned that wind is the movement of air! We also discussed how wind helps pollinate flowers. Our friends showed us different ways to produce wind. Some friends flapped their arms, some blew their breath, and we even had a friend use a piece of paper to fan themselves! For their craft, our friends made an Earth project using green and blue paint to represent land formations and water.
April 24th, 2024
Our Stars learned a new Spanish vocabulary word: “hierba- grass.” Today the students participated in pin poking work. The Montessori pin poking work is essentially, a giant pin, like you’d use on a bulletin board, a piece of cork, a tray, and a piece of paper with a shape drawn or printed on it. The child takes the tray, puts the piece of paper on top of the cork board, and then proceeds to punch tiny holes along the outline of the shape, essentially making a perforated edge that can be “punched” out. Then the child gets to decorate their shape. Pin poking work helps children develop hand-eye coordination, helps develop the muscles in the hand that are crucial for handwriting, sharpens their pencil grip- because of the way that the child grasps the pin, and encourages the child to concentrate on their work.
April 25th, 2024
Today we focused on the practical life skill: pouring. Pouring activities help children learn to pour dry ingredients. It also helps develop fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, and visual discrimination. Many practical life activities promote the use of both hands. The material in the container is usually transferred with the dominant hand and then returned to the original container with the non-dominant hand. Dry pouring is a prerequisite for wet (liquid) pouring.
