3/27/2006 3:30:42 PMClay Play
Clay and playdough are important tools used to help children express themselves on a daily basis. As they create with their hands, they are free to let their minds wonder, and allow their brains to control the movements of their fingers. Dawson and the children enjoy playing trains, and on this particular day at the playdough table, he created a Thomas train using different colors of dough. He worked on this project for almost one hour, concentrating on his masterpiece. Upon its completion, he said, "I'm finished. Now can you take a picture of it?" He understood that his work is important and valued, and wants a photograph of his work to be included in his portfolio.
3/27/2006 3:25:12 PMMusic Time
Everyone loves music, especially our baby girls! Their favorite songs are by Lori Berkner, whose CD we recently purchased for the children. Here, the class plays on pots and pans (you don't need to go out and buy expensive instruments to do this) to the song, "I Know A Chicken." I am thankful for the children's energy and the neighbors who don't mind a little racket from time to time!
3/27/2006 3:14:40 PMHappy Valentines Day!
To celebrate Valentines Day, the children exchanged special notes and placed them inside boxes they decorated themselves using colored paper, stickers, and foil. They also enjoyed a special snack, heart pancakes with berry syrup and pink milk inside special pary cups. It was also a special day because we celebrated Dawson's 5th birthday with a Thomas the Tank Engine party.
3/27/2006 3:10:09 PMPretend Play
Allowing children the opportunity to explore an environment invites them to use their imaginations! Without using a set curriculum, the children are encouraged to express their interests. Then, as their teacher, it is my responsibility to place items in their play area that will go along with their interests and inspire their play to develop further. At the same time, I extend their knowledge by encorporating literacy, math, science, and social studies into their "play." It is amazing to see how much children can learn without realizing it when they are excited about a topic. In this photo, the children are playing "black hole." They say that the mirror isn't a mirror, but a "doorway to outerspace."
1/25/2006 10:56:12 AMPeek-A-Boo
Madison is trying her best to keep up with Dawson and her brother, Cade. "Peek-a-boo!" Cade calls. Madison wonders what happens as the boys descend into the box...then "POP!" The boys emerge once again and she laughs.
1/25/2006 10:51:04 AMBabies
At Blessed Wonders, the babies are allowed to freely roam and discover their interests. It is funny though, that they are social little beings and frequently end up together for much of their day. In this photo, Madison and Rylan decide that working together is kind of fun. They giggle and take turns pressing the buttons and watching what happens.
1/24/2006 5:41:35 PMbox exploration
One thing I have come to realize in my years as a teacher is to never throw away a good box. Children love to explore things that are new and mysterious. Anything that they can get into is amazing to their minds. The box I put out for the children to explore attracted the children from youngest to oldest and provided a great opportunity for multi-age play.
12/14/2005 2:01:41 PMDeveloping a sense of community...
Something struck me today about the way the children were interacting. As I observed them, they tended to move around the house as a group. Today we had all 6 children, and it was amazing to see how the dynamics change when all the children are in group setting. They seem to feel complete and to know their purpose. They each have a special part of our "school family" and they were truly happy and having fun. From our youngest baby at 7 months to our oldest child at 5, they each are important to one another. The older children are learning so much about themselves as caregivers, and the infants adore the attention. What a great thing to watch unfold...
12/14/2005 1:55:02 PMMaking Ornaments
On December 12 we made plans to make ornaments for our families. We added together flour, salt, and water to make the dough. At first it was too squishy, so the kids decided to add cornmeal. It worked pretty well. After mixing the dough, the children used a rolling pin to flatten the mixture, and then a cookie cutter to cut out the shape of the gingerbread. They got very messy and enjoyed themselves. They also learned a lesson about liquid, powder, dough, and patience.
12/5/2005 1:03:29 PMDecorating Our Tree
Today we brought in a Maple tree branch and secured it in a crock filled with rice and stones. The children were given Christmas ribbon, ornaments, and hooks. They began to place the items carefully on the tree. Then they decided that it needed something more! Train decorations! They figured out that the tracks wouldn't stick to the tree but that the bridges would. They were very proud of their work and they continued to decorate the rest of the house. Their second project involved building a train station at the kitchen table equipped with evergreen trees from paper tubes and a Christmas star from a pinwheel toy. Each day the children will have decorations available to use as they want.
11/15/2005 7:00:44 PMA train trip to Mexico
Today, November 15, Miss Jenny read a story about trains. She told us about a trip she took to Mexico too! After looking at the book, we let the children try on a real sombrero. It was heavy and decorated with gold rope and sequins! After snack, we went outside and we were surprised by the warm temperatures. Because we were enjoying the weather so much, we took a walk to the end of the road by the railroad tracks. The kids looked at the sign that read: Stop. Private Railroad Crossing. Look
Just as we were heading home, we heard a rumbling sound. A train! The kids saw two trains today...ask them what the engine looked like! Also, check out the latest pictures at the bottom of the Pics section to see the kids trying on the Mexican sombreros.