Kari & Molly's Pre-Kindergarten Class
Welcome to Kari & Molly's Pre-Kindergarten Class!
Teacher:
Kari Richards Right Outside Our Door
One of the most important things that children learn is how to interact with one another. They have to negotiate, collaborate, share, listen to others and understand the importance of their own voice being heard. It is natural to want to step in and fix problems when children are upset. However, giving them the tools to express themselves and allowing them to resolve conflicts independently will enable them to become confident and continue to use those same tools as they move through the world. At Giddens, we protect time that children have to work and learn through this uninterrupted play, because we know through research that it is precicely at these times that children learn to take risks, role play, and LEARN more about themselves.
Emergent Curriculum and School Theme
Emergent Unit In the Buffalo Class: An Autumn Walk
On a crisp fall day, the Buffalos went for a neighborhood walk to observe changes on the trees we have been keeping track of in class. In just 2 hours our hunt for new fall leaves turned into a rich learning experience, a deeper curiosity of our neighborhood, and an adventure!
School Theme and Announcements
Autumn has provided a perfect palette to inspire children to paint, draw, and be curious about the changes in the world around them. We have been taking walks around the neighborhood, collecting leaves, pinecones and seeds. When we returned to school we had piles of nature to sort count and categorize: “I bet we have over even one hundred pinecones, and if we go back outside tomorrow I bet we can get enough to make a thousand.” Kids have been learning about plants, including chlorophyll, deciduous, and evergreen trees. The kids have been painting leaves full of autumn colors. They have had a great time using oil pastels, blending colors to make realistic looking fall leaves.
Emergent Curriculum
A few weeks ago a student came running over saying, “Somebody stepped on an ant and killed it.” He was crying and couldn’t understand why anyone would kill a living thing. After he calmed down I assured him that we would take time to have a conversation about the event. During circle time I had him share his feelings withthe group, “I am really mad, because people were stepping on ants and that’s not nice, now they are dead,” he said. After kids had a chance to share their thoughts, I read a book called Hey Little Ant. The story begins with a boy lifting his shoe, preparing to squish an ant.
Curriculum Night: Observing and Learning
Wow, these young Pre-K kids never cease to amaze me. Each year I look forward to Curriculum Night. I get really excited about sharing what our kids are up to each day. At Giddens we understand the importance of “learning through play,” but also know that it is equally important to educate parents on what that really means. After teaching for 20 years I know firsthand not only what it looks like but how crucial this philosophy is for early child development. Curriculum Night gives me the chance to spend time with families and share what a young learner is doing when they are engaging in play. Because we have two teachers in the preschool classrooms, we are able to focus on classroom management and give individual attention to students.
Working with Specialists
Our weekly specialist classes provide wonderful ways to learn and participate individually as well as in a group. These classes also give me the opportunity to observe behavior and growth outside of the classroom setting. When Molly are in the classroom we take time to observe and take note of each child’s experience and interests, but being able to sit back and observe uninterrupted is a very valuable tool for all teachers. I will not be reporting on each of these classes in my newsletters all the time, as each teacher will have their own letter on the website as well. But as a start…
Community and Colors
Community
The votes are in; we are officially the Buffalo class. Each year we get together and brainstorm ideas for a class name. This year we had some very creative input and after 2 days our list generated over 80 names. A few of my favorite names were the Letter B class, dinosaur unicorns and the piranhas. After narrowing the choices down to the tigers and the buffalos, the buffalos won. The tiger fans were quite disappointed and almost demanded a recount, but we were able to have a lively discussion about democracy. The conversation began when one boy said, “Tigers are so much cooler than buffalos.” Next I heard 2 kids saying, “You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.” Democracy at its finest.
Learning Through Play
In the last couple of weeks our kids have been exploring the garden, challenging their bodies on the rings and monkey bars, and another exciting event emerged from a group of kids working in the sandbox - to my surprise I saw an archeological site in full swing!
Beginning The Year
The year has just begun and already new friendships are being formed. The children that were in my classroom last year have been showing our new students around the school and filling them in on the school rules. As one of our students remarked, "Ok, well, you should know that we have to share at our school and there are no left outs. I can share my friends with you because I have a lot of them and that way we can all play on the monkey bars.”
School Theme - Colors
Last week, Nadia, Sophie and Audrey were drawing together when suddenly, Audrey said, “Hey, we all have the same hair, like puffy ponytails.” A great conversation emerged while they compared curl size and color. As the girls talked Nadia commented, “Look, we have different colored arms too. Let’s put our hands out and see who has the darkest or the lightest.” Sophie said, “I think I have the darkest, like more chocolate but you guys still have chocolate skin too. Kari’s son, Jordan, has kinda chocolate skin like you, but his daddy is dark chocolate like me, isn’t that cool?” I smile every time I hear children connect and make observations about themselves in such a positive manner.
Specialist Adventures & Upcoming Events
Specialist Adventures
Twice a week we have time to enjoy music, Spanish, library, P.E. and gardening. Our group has been excited to meet and participate in all wonderful activities!
