You probably didn't think hammers and nails would have been involved in our Halloween activities! Carving a pumpkin...been there, done that. What else can you do with a pumpkin? Hammer nails in it! No, I am not crazy to let 5 and 6 years wield a hammer. I think we don't give kids enough credit these days. Kids can have a glass cup instead of a plastic one, they are capable of using a real knife to help chop some veggies for dinner, and yes they can use a real hammer. Teach them how to do these things safely and let them learn from their mistakes. If they hit their thumb with a hammer, I guarantee they will learn from it! We talked about how to hold the hammer so they have more control over it. Everyone had a go, hammering in a few nails. Some stuck around and chose this activity over playing with the toys at centre time. One student said "I just can't stop, I want to keep doing it over and over." And everyone left with all fingers intact! Where is the learning here? Well, hand-eye coordination got a real workout, and we were building strength in the hands, arms and shoulders (all necessary for writing).
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We used this fancy tool to peel, core, and slice the apples. You end up with a spiral of peeled apple, and then the littles cut that up into smaller pieces. After adding some water, a little brown sugar, and cinnamon we let it cook away. This led us to a sequencing activity where we used the key words...First, Then, Next, and Last to sequence the steps of making the applesauce. Why is this important? This important skill can be applied in science (experiments must follow a specific sequence) and writing (stories, letter writing, essays, etc., all must follow a sequence in order to make sense). When children begin to write they often have trouble relating an experience in the correct sequence and get the order of the details mixed up. It helps to get them used to using sequencing words in their writing. Do you cook with your children? They can learn SO much through cooking!
Mrs. Mellenger worked on this gorgeous art project with our littles this week. Spectacular! What a great way to learn about shades of colour.
Owls, bats and other nocturnal animals have been on our minds these last few weeks! Through this study the little scholars have explored non-fiction (information) books and some of the features in those types of books. For example, a fact box, which you can see in the pictures above. Listening to the books for the purpose of identifying facts about nocturnal animals was a main part of this study. This study also gave them a chance to expand their drawing skills. Learning to draw first with a pencil, then outlining with a marker, and filling in with pencil crayons is new for these scholars. Learning to add details to our drawings was also a major focus.
The littles used mirrors to look at their faces and did a pencil sketch of their facial features, and then went over it with a black marker. We talked about how difficult it is to draw the human face. I was proud of their efforts. Aren't they so great! I love them!
I always struggle when we make a craft at school and the littles ask me if they can take it home. They are so proud of their turkeys and want to share them with you. I really want to let them, but I also really want to save them for their memory scrapbook! To make me feel a little less guilty, I thought I would share them with you via our website. Ask your child to point out their turkey to you. Ask them how we made the colourful feathers.
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AuthorMrs. Turner loves gardening, drinking tea, and curling up with a good book! All of these things are squeezed in between spending time with her husband and two children! Archives
November 2017
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