Pretend Play is FUN
The children are very excited for our winter concert and have been practicing very hard to learn the songs and movements.
Children are focusing on Holiday music this week in preparation for the “Winter Concert.” Please practice at home with your children.
Highlights of the week:
The children celebrated one of the their friends birthday this week. They all love to celebrate birthdays and are thankful for the cupcakes they get to enjoy and eat. Throughout the day, you can hear the voices of all the children wishing their friend a Happy Birthday.
The children have discovered an interest in airplanes. They have had discussions about the different parts of an airplane, where they many want to travel, what are the items they need to bring on a trip, etc.
They even had the idea of setting chairs up in two rows so they could imagine they were on an airplane. They used a prop we have in the dramatic play area for the pilot. The children showed great turn-taking skills during this time.
The children used their imagination to think about the different things we may see as we are up in the sky flying.
Such as: mountains, oceans, the different animals depending on their habitat.
As you all may have seen in brown bear classroom we have two pumpkins, a big one and a smaller one.
The children have noticed that the smaller one is changing. They have hypothesized about the change and why the smaller one has started to look different compared to the bigger pumpkin.
We read a book called The Grouchy Lady Bug by Eric Carl. Children talked about the main character (Grouchy ladybug) and his actions towards everyone he encountered. The children displayed great interest in the story and wanted the teacher to reread it.
Many of the children are displaying good social skills, children are learning to work with one another and take turns. It is interesting and great to observe the children when they are trying to solve problems together.
Atelier (Art Studio)
The children designed a birthday card for one of their classmates this week. The material they were given are construction paper, makers, colored pencils, and glitter glue.
The children also did an activity where they practiced their fine motor skills using an aluminum tray full of pom-poms, tongs, and a toilet paper roll. The purpose was for the children to pick up the pompoms using the tongs and placing them into the toilet paper roll. The children practiced their mathematical skills by counting the pompoms individually and commenting to the teacher how many they were able to fit.
Our Pony ride and pictures day will be on Thursday December 14th, it will begin between 9:15am- 9:30am. Parents you are welcome to join your child in the pictures. Please REFRAIN from taking any pictures with your camera or cell phone. Personal pictures with cameras or cell phones will not be allowed. A photographer will be taking photos and will be available for purchase later.
Winter Concert is next week Friday, on December 15, 2017 at 5:30pm. Children will be wearing: Boys- Black slack pants, white bottom-up shirt, red tie or bow tie, red or black suspenders Girls- Dress: red, gold, white/silver
Parents need to provide the Antler/Santa hat and outfit fee by no later than Monday, December 11, 2017.
This week we will be introducing avocado to the children. Parents, please be reminded to participate with the encouragement of eating various vegetables and provide them with a good role model by demonstrating healthy eating habits.
Here, at Twinkle Tots, we practice good hygiene which includes: discussing about showering daily, wiping themselves, washing their hands after using the restroom, before eating, covering their mouth with the inside of their elbow while sneezing and coughing. By teaching, modeling, and reinforcing these habits daily, they will ingrain in the child. Please clip your child’s nails on a regular basis as they are the big carrier of germs to make them sick.
It is VERY important to have conversations with your children. This enhances their verbal skills and choice of words. Please avoid or limit technology use. Parents should try to ask open-ended questions as much as possible. By doing this, it gives the child an opportunity to practice their language development. This is also beneficial as it expands and forms your child’s curiosity and ability to reason. Studies have shown children who are taught to think about things through open-ended questions are better equipped to understand the world around them, which helps the child relate to new information from past or present experiences. There are is no correct or incorrect answers through open-ended questions which will allow your child's thinking process to broaden. Additionally, this will develop their speech and language skills and build self-confidence to express themselves verbally through words.
When asking your child open-ended questions, you may begin by saying
What do you think about …
Tell me about …
How did you …
Why do you think …
How can we …
It is very important to give your child some quiet time so that he/she may be able to think before responding to your comment or question. A great way to start a conversation with your child is to ask “How was your day?” Help them to answer in detail and complete sentences.
