Friday, August 29, 2014

Camp Elim 2014!

What a great Voyage!  We stayed dry, we challenged ourselves, and we made memories for a life time.


Sunday, August 17, 2014

Read / Write / Explore Time

I wanted to give you a peak into the classroom during Read/Write/ Explore time.  The children are offered choice in reading, writing, word work and math.  We will be adding iPads and laptops to the mix this week.
We also have a popular Create/Science station. If you have anything that we could use during this time I'd love to borrow them or hear about them!

For the first month or so I am out with the children observing and getting to know them as people and learners.  After this, I will be teaching Guided Reading during this time and Ms. Dana and hopefully parent helpers will assist the children's learning. Check out the pictures below.

Clara is our owl expert.

The boys are showing their heartbeats like the EKG's they saw in the hospital! 
 
Sorting letters by font


Create Center:  Building, balancing, using math skills.

Puzzles develop our math brains.

Practicing writing our numbers with no reversals!




Thursday, August 14, 2014

Our Personal Space

The Hoola Hoop Lesson

We are learning the importance of keeping our hands to ourselves and to mind our own business.  This is the lesson that I taught the children to help them with this.  I use the visual of a hoola hoop.

1.  We all have a hoola hoop around us. (I let them think of what theirs might look like...maybe purple with sparkles or maybe decorated with soccer balls:)
2.  Inside our hoop is our own business.  What we think, what we say, what we do.  Our only job is to take care of our own business and hoola hoop.
3.  We do not get into someone else's hoola hoop unless invited in.   

Now all I have to say to the children when problems arise is this:  "Are you in your own hoola hoop?"  Works like a charm.
You might want to use this at home too!