Mr. Dan The Music Man!

Today during afternoon center time, Mr. Dan came in to do some music and movement with the children. The entire school gathered into the large motor room and participated in a variety of music and movement activities. The  children used egg shakers, rhythm sticks, and scarves.

                          Above, Children use the scarves while they move them to the music.

                          Jonathan waves his scarf in the air. He said, "I'm waving it slowly."

                                            Above, Michael taps the rhythm sticks together.

Michigan Standard of Quality:
Creative Development
Early Learning Expectation: Children show how they feel, what they think, and what they are learning through movement experiences.
Children typically: can respond to selected varieties of music, literature, or vocal tones to express their feelings and ideas through creative movement.

Kristen Nagl HDF 409 

There's so much to build!

Today in the Oak Room and the Maple Room there was a lot of building going on. Children were using different materials to build their buildings and structures. Around the classrooms the children are able to use legos, wooden building blocks, magnetic tiles and other materials to build with. It takes some time and focus to make some of the buildings stand up on their own, and the children seem very pleased with themselves when they figure it out. 

Andre decided he wanted to continue building a castle that he had previously built and Coen stacked his blocks up nice and tall.

"This is the police station. It has a slide and you go up here, and then you go down." -Gavin

 

"There's a surprise in here. But you can't look yet." -Daley    

 Teaching Strategies Gold 11: Demonstrates positive approaches to learning
Reina Kehoe

Big Smiles to End the Semester!

Through out the CDLL there are many positives relationships between children and adults who attend. Big smiles are found throughout the day at this school. During our time outside, even though the snow was melting there were still smiles on the children's faces. On the swings, I observed Favour, Graeme and Ms. SinClair enjoying the swings and then falling off of them. I could hear their laughter from across the playground. 

Braeden, Carter and Rohan collected different amounts of snowballs and compared them on a picnic table. Comparing their sizes, shapes and even the amount of dirt in the snow. 

"Look now we have a million!" -Braeden

"Not a million, just eight." -Carter 

"I have two." -Rohan 

Asher had a giant smile on his face when he got to smash the snow into smaller pieces. As he was on the bridge he would give the broken pieces to children walking by. Each child excited that they received another piece. 

"This is harder than it looks." -Asher 

Not only do we see happiness when experiencing new wether but we also see happiness through out the day here at the CDLL. By building positive relationships we are able to better understand the children's interests. Everyday the children are able to explore what interests them and that allows them to smile everyday. 

Michigan State Standards: 

Social-Emotional Objective 2- Establishes and sustains positive relationships. 

Palenske HDF 409

Clay in the Maple Room

This week during Mrs. Bristley’s small group, the children made clay beads. Throughout the semester the small group strung plastic beads and learned about shapes. While in the past two weeks they learned how to make pinch pots out of clay. This activity brought all aspects of their learning together. The children made different shaped beads out of their clay and after break they can paint and sting them.  The children were asked many questions like how the clay felt and what shapes they were making.

“I am making a circle bead.” –Lily  PJ

“I am rolling my bead.” –Lily K

Early Childhood Standards of Quality, Creative Development, Early Learning Expectation #1: Children show how they feel, what they think, and what they are learning through experience in the visual arts. (Children typically: #1 Can use their own ideas to draw, paint, mold, and build with a variety of art materials; e.g., paint, clay, wood, materials from nature such as leaves.)

Sarah Cramer, 409

Musical Chairs

In the indoor movement room the children played musical chairs. The children traveled in different ways around the chairs. The teacher asked, "What are different ways you can travel around the chairs?" Lilly P.J. replied, "Skip!" They traveled hopping, backwards, sideways, skipping and many more. They were laughing and having a fun time.

"Lets hop." - Asher

"We can go backwards." - Graeme

Teaching Strategies Objective #4 Demonstrates traveling skills

Jelonek, HDF 409

Let it Snow!

The children got the chance to play in snow today. Today the snow gear came out and did many different things. The first thing some children made were snow angels. The children smiled as they made there marks on the snow.

"This is so much fun." 

"Look at me. I'm making a snow angel" said Jace

Short while after, some children got shovels and helped with the snow. There where children that helped clear the snow from the bridge while others cleared the pathway for the bikes to pass. The children asked for help when they got stuck in the snow and someone with a shovel went to help.

"Do you know what I'm doing? said Alijah 

Other children decided that they wanted to shovel other areas. The children worked together to move the snow to help others build a snowman.

"I'm going to pick this up" Sarah said

"You have to pack it" said Jace

The children began making a snowman before it was time to go inside. A child explain that there needed to be more snow for the bottom of the snowman. A child brought snow over with the shovel he was using.

Teaching Strategies 11: Demonstrates positive approaches to learning

Lithuania Parra

Secret Agent Training

During PM center time in the Indoor Movement Room, the children participated in an activity called Secret Agent. The children maneuvered through strings of tissue paper which acted as lasers as themed music played in the background. They used gross-motor skills to crawl, climb, jump and step over the lasers. Once they all got through the course, the rock wall was opened up to add to the activity.

Ms. Sinclair telling the children about the activity.

"Let's go through it together!" -Evie

Children climbing up the rock wall.

Teaching Strategies:
#6 Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills.
#4 Demonstrates traveling skills

Musselman HDF 409

Measuring is FUN!

Today in the CDLL the children had a vast amount of items they chose to measure in different ways. Some measuring was led by small group teachers while others were pure inquisition of the children. Children had the opportunity to measure with measuring tape, rulers, and the most exciting part their bodies!

 "This is super big, I am going to make it bigger than me, I need one more piece I think." - Livy

 "Michael, look at this. We can see how big this piece of wood is." - Asher

"Can we use this?"- Michael (holds up a ruler)

 "This ruler says this wood is 5 inches."- Asher

 "WOW! Look how big this wall is, I might need some help to get to the top."-Alijah

 "This is bigger than my head."- Muadh

"I wonder how many of these I need to measure this rug?"- Jace

12/1/16

Teaching Strategies #22 Compares and Measures

Kaitlyn King 409

It's All About Kittens!

In the Pine Room, which is designated for our pretend room, the children all wanted to be kittens. They asked one of the teachers if she could be their owner and she was excited to have the opportunity to interact with the children. The children moved around the room, going to different areas and they talked about the importance of them having to eat, bathe, and sleep. 

"It's time for our nap." The children said.

Michigan State Standard

Creative Arts: 4. Early Learning Expectation: Dramatic Play. Children show how they feel, what they think, and what they are learning through dramatic play.

Tiara Lawrence

HDF 409

Ice Cream Store!

Today in the Hallway, an Ice Cream Store was in action! Rohan, Macrae, and John were putting their own flavors together and making sure there was enough ice cream for everyone.

"The whole table is melted in ice cream!"-Rohan

"I can hold this one!"-John 

Macrae set up the shop for people to take ice cream tops and cones.

"I'm making music for the ice cream truck."-John 

Teaching Strategies:

14b. Engages in sociodramatic play 

Rachel Dombrowski, 409 

Indoor Ice-Skating and Hockey

Indoor Hockey

The Indoor Movement Room offered the students a chance to simulate ice-skating indoors today using paper plates on their feet or shoes. After the students were given time to get used to how to move on their skate-plates, some decided it was easier to use bare-feet on the plates to move easier. The students were then introduced to swimming noodles to serve as hockey sticks and a ball to simulate the hockey puck. After the children were able learn how to control their swings and contact with the ball, another ball was introduced and passing was encouraged.

            

            "Pass it to me!" -Muadh              Above, Lily P.J. prepares
                                                                  to hit the red ball

Michigan Standard of Quality: Physical Development and Health
4. Children participate in activities that encourage self-motivation, emphasize cooperation, and minimize competition.

HDF 409, Scudder

Exploring Kidfetti!

In the Walnut Room, Kidefetti is located in one of the dry water tables. Inside of the Kidfetti are various fish, starfish, and shells for the children to search for. The tools that are available to the children while they engage at this table are tongs for looking for the plastic toys, a searching sheet to see what is hiding in the Kidfetti or may be already found, and plastic cups. Ever since it was added, there have been many different ways children have gone about exploring this discovery area in the Walnut room.

"This is a yellow fish swimming in the water. Look at how it's tail is above the water" -Pemisire

Graeme had a cup in one hand and tongs in the other. He used them to pick each fish up and place them into the cup he was holding. "I found all the fish in here!" -Graeme

"This stuff feels cool. Its hard and small and colorful." -James

Lily was pouring the Kidfetti from one cup to the next and missed part of the cup and spilled some on the floor. She saw the teacher grab the broom, asked if she can help, and then said, "I like picking this up. A lot spilled from my cup." - Lily P. J. 

"Can I help clean up too? I spilled some on accident" -Graeme

Berinti 409

Objective 7: Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination 

 Objective 26: Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

Black light Studio

This afternoon in the Walnut Room the children had the opportunity to explore the light study. In the light studio there are black lights and tinker towns that glow. The black light allows the children to see what objects glow when under black light. So far there has been glow beads, glow play dough, now glow tinker toys. The children are able to manipulate and use find motor skills with the tinker toys inside the light studio.

"Look my shirt glows." Graeme

Michigan Quality of  standard:

Early Learning Expectation: Curiosity–Inquiry-Questioning Tinkering-Risk Taking. Children demonstrate an interest and eagerness in seeking information (e.g., be able to see things from a different perspective, fiddling with something to figure it out or attempting a reasonable solution).Express a ‘sense of wonder.

Buck,409

Let's Get Moving! 

To finish off the day, many students learned how to jump rope while outside. The jump ropes were out and then two teachers volunteered to hold the rope while instructing the children when to jump. Many children tried this multiple times and were able to successfully jump rope.

 

"I wanna jump with Jace." - James

"Can I try?" - Stephen 

  

Teaching Strategies: Balances needs and right of self and others 

Aguilar, 409 

The Walnut Room

In the morning children have the opportunity to sign up for which classroom they would like to play in during the morning center time. Many children signed up for the Walnut Room also known as the discovery room. Today in the Walnut Room many children were engaged in playing with Magna-Tiles. Magna-Tiles are magnetic blocks that children can manipulate with.

"I'm going to build the lions home."  said Braeden. Soon Jonathan came over and joined him.

"I think I am going to need some more square ones, can you help me get more?" asked Braeden. "I need some more animals." he continued.

"Look, there are two huge ones!" Jonathan said excitedly after they worked together to create each animal a home. "There is a home for a turtle, porcupine, snake, lion, elephant and jaguar!" Braden explained.

Michigan Standard of Quality: Relationships with Others. Children develop healthy relationships with other children and adults. 

Ritter, 409