Dear Families,
It has been another fun week in the Owl classroom, as we have continued our study of bread. We have baked two more kinds of bread: crumpets and pretzels. Our crumpet recipe uses a lot of baking powder and gets very puffy! This was a great way for the children to see how baking powder reacts in baked goods, creating bubbles and air. The children also enjoyed sculpting their own pretzels into various shapes. They feel a great sense of pride in being able to create something “real.” As four- and five-year-olds grow and build new skills, they often develop a renewed interest in doing things independently. Allowing children to do “real work,” such as cooking, setting a table, or working with real tools, can nurture this independence.
The children are very curious about yeast, and we have read several non-fiction books about how bread is made and sold. On Wednesday, we began an experiment with the yeasted pretzel dough. We measured it during our project time, and discovered that it was two inches high. We are curious about how big it will be when we come to school on Thursday! The children are learning that an experiment is “what we do when we want to learn about something.” They have each made a hypothesis about what they think will happen. Some of the children thought the dough would grow to be four inches, and others thought it might become a million inches high!
The children continue to enjoy playing in the “bakery” that we have set up in dramatic play. This week, we added a new set of toy cupcakes that the children can decorate with wipe-off markers. These have been quite a hit! We decided to name the bakery, and the children generated a few ideas based on places that they had been. We wrote down all of the ideas and then voted. The winner was “The Cheesecake Factory.” The children then collaborated on a sign to hang up in the dramatic play area. Collaborative art opportunities help children to learn how to cooperate on a task. They also nurture the way that young children learn from each other. For example, one child might experiment with a particular technique using glitter glue, and another might learn from this experiment through verbal interactions as well as imitation.
We have also added change purses with pennies in them to the dramatic play area, so that the children can pretend to pay for things at the bakery. Learning about money is one of the Massachusetts state standards for math education in prekindergarten. Introducing it during dramatic play was a fun way for the children to learn to recognize a coin and to practice their counting. We also played a matching game one morning using photocopied images of coins and real coins. The children selected dimes, nickels, and pennies, and tried to match them to their image on a piece of paper. This helped the children to notice the different sizes of the coins as well as the different images on each coin. Finally, a new favorite game to play at Circle Time or Morning Meeting is a visit to “Morah Larissa’s World Famous Bread Bakery.” The children are individually invited to sit in the middle of the circle, and to select one or two kinds of toy bread. They are then told the price, such as “five cents.” When they select two kinds of bread, they need to add together the price of each kind of bread to arrive at the total. This has been much fun for everyone, as the children enjoy an opportunity to pretend. It has also been a great way to challenge the children by trying out some simple addition!
We have continued to learn new ways to “calm down” at school. During Morning Meeting and Circle Time, the children take turns picking a card out of the “calm down” bag. We have introduced a few different techniques, such as a chart that tells them to count slowly and calmly, a series of pictures that show them how to take deep breaths, and muscle relaxation techniques. Using a “calm down card” before a group time helps the children to transition to a quieter time of the day. They learn to become aware and mindful of their bodies. These cards also teach them routines that they can use throughout the day. Four- and five-year-olds can often become too active (running or moving too fast) or too loud at school, and when this happens we invite them to take a break. Teaching a variety of “calm down” techniques teaches the children self-regulation. In many ways, children’s ability to calm down and regulate their activity level is more important than knowledge of concepts in terms of kindergarten readiness.
We were very sad to say good-bye to Arturo this Wednesday. We gave him a book filled with photographs of his time at the Trust Center and pictures created by the children. We have told the children that he is not going to come back this year, and that we are all sad about that. Additionally, we told them that we would all always remember the nice times that we had with him, and that he would always be our friend. We had a great time reminiscing over some of our favorite times with Arturo. He and his family will be missed, and we wish them the best as they settle back into life in Italy.
We wish you the best for the vacation. Happy 2011!
-Morah Larissa and Morah Kate
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Bread Making!
Dear Families,
We have enthusiastically begun our new unit this week, “Bread Around the World.” This unit will grow to incorporate science, mathematics, literacy, and social studies as the children explore the different processes used to make bread, different types of bread, and the different ways that bread is eaten around the world. We would love to include some of your own family traditions surrounding bread into our studies. Please e-mail Morah Larissa at LHalfond@ohabei.org if you would like to get involved! You could share a family recipe for a bread product (such as banana bread, muffins, pita, pizza, rolls, or bread) or even come in to prepare your recipe with the children. We will continue with this unit on the week that we return from vacation.
This week, our conceptual focus has been to introduce the children to the unit and to introduce them to two of the processes by which adults make bread: quick breads and yeast breads. We launched our unit with a wonderful book, Bread, Bread, Bread, by Ann Morris. This book uses photographs and text to teach children about the many ways that bread is prepared and eaten by children throughout the world. We have also read an old favorite, Bread and Jam for Frances, by Tana Hoban, as well as It’s Challah Time, by Latifa Berry Kropf. Now that it is December and the children are increasingly able to sit and attend during read-alouds, we have begun to ask the children more questions about the texts that they listen to during these times. The children are invited to make predictions about the books, to talk about how a character might be feeling, or to share what they remember about the text. These questions help us to build the children’s comprehension skills. Comprehension is equally important to decoding (the ability to sound out words) in the children’s success as future readers.
The first kind of bread that we prepared together as a class was corn bread! Morah Larissa demonstrated how adults use a table of contents in a large book to find the right page. We read the recipe together, and then wrote a list of all of the things that we needed. This was a wonderful opportunity to teach the children the ways that adults use writing. Then it was off to the kitchen for the ingredients! The children carefully carried everything back to the classroom, and enjoyed preparing the cornbread together. Cooking and baking in the classroom offer so many rich opportunities for learning. The children practice sequencing and measuring. They experience text outside of the more familiar realm of picture books. Cooking and baking can also be a rewarding sensory experience, as the children look at and smell the ingredients while they are preparing them.
The children noticed how much the cornbread rose as we cooked it, and we explored the science behind quick breads. We tried mixing vinegar with baking soda, and the children loved watching their cups overflow as the mixture reacted. We also experimented with vinegar and baking soda in a pitcher of water with corn kernels. The children loved watching the corn kernels dance!
We have begun to transform our dramatic play area into a bakery. We have added bowls, mixing spoons, aprons, menus, pretend bread, and additional cooking tools. It has been wonderful to watch the children become excited about this area of the room. Dramatic play supports the children’s social and emotional skills as they learn to negotiate with each other over roles and the sharing of materials. It also nurtures their growing ability to engage in abstract thinking.
To support the children in their excitement over the new materials in dramatic play, Morah Larissa created a “Social Story” for the class. This is a teacher-made book written from the children’s perspective that introduces, step-by-step, the expectations for this area. For example, the children learn that while there are some toys where there is enough for everyone to use at once, there are other toys where the children need to take turns. The book reads: “We can tell our friends that we are waiting for a turn. Then we can ask a teacher to help us make a waiting list.” This is a direct way of introducing the children to the routine of waiting for a turn with a toy. By creating a routine around what is sometimes a stressful situation for children, we can alleviate the anxiety and excitement that can result in grabbing and hurt feelings.
We have also introduced a new routine about “calming down” in the classroom. We’ve posted a “Calm Down” chart in the book area, where children are often invited to take a break if they become too loud or active in the classroom. This chart gives the children a series of steps, in text and in pictures, to calm themselves down. The children are asked to take three deep breaths and count slowly to ten. We have also introduced this routine (using the chart) as we begin Morning Meeting and Circle Time. This is a great tool to teach the children to become aware of their own bodies and excitement level, and to learn to develop self-control.
On Thursday, we began making challah, and are looking forward to finishing it Friday morning. The children will each take home their own small loaf of challah to share with you during your family Shabbat dinners. The children will also make a challah plate on Friday. We will keep these at school until all of their Shabbat items are ready to be taken home.
We are sad to be saying good-bye to Arturo and his family on December 22nd. The children know that this will be his “good-bye day.” We are preparing a small gift for him and will have a small party on his last day.
Finally, we are looking forward to sharing some pajama day pictures with you next week! The children could not possibly be more excited!
L’shalom,
Morah Larissa and Morah Kate
We have enthusiastically begun our new unit this week, “Bread Around the World.” This unit will grow to incorporate science, mathematics, literacy, and social studies as the children explore the different processes used to make bread, different types of bread, and the different ways that bread is eaten around the world. We would love to include some of your own family traditions surrounding bread into our studies. Please e-mail Morah Larissa at LHalfond@ohabei.org if you would like to get involved! You could share a family recipe for a bread product (such as banana bread, muffins, pita, pizza, rolls, or bread) or even come in to prepare your recipe with the children. We will continue with this unit on the week that we return from vacation.
This week, our conceptual focus has been to introduce the children to the unit and to introduce them to two of the processes by which adults make bread: quick breads and yeast breads. We launched our unit with a wonderful book, Bread, Bread, Bread, by Ann Morris. This book uses photographs and text to teach children about the many ways that bread is prepared and eaten by children throughout the world. We have also read an old favorite, Bread and Jam for Frances, by Tana Hoban, as well as It’s Challah Time, by Latifa Berry Kropf. Now that it is December and the children are increasingly able to sit and attend during read-alouds, we have begun to ask the children more questions about the texts that they listen to during these times. The children are invited to make predictions about the books, to talk about how a character might be feeling, or to share what they remember about the text. These questions help us to build the children’s comprehension skills. Comprehension is equally important to decoding (the ability to sound out words) in the children’s success as future readers.
The first kind of bread that we prepared together as a class was corn bread! Morah Larissa demonstrated how adults use a table of contents in a large book to find the right page. We read the recipe together, and then wrote a list of all of the things that we needed. This was a wonderful opportunity to teach the children the ways that adults use writing. Then it was off to the kitchen for the ingredients! The children carefully carried everything back to the classroom, and enjoyed preparing the cornbread together. Cooking and baking in the classroom offer so many rich opportunities for learning. The children practice sequencing and measuring. They experience text outside of the more familiar realm of picture books. Cooking and baking can also be a rewarding sensory experience, as the children look at and smell the ingredients while they are preparing them.
The children noticed how much the cornbread rose as we cooked it, and we explored the science behind quick breads. We tried mixing vinegar with baking soda, and the children loved watching their cups overflow as the mixture reacted. We also experimented with vinegar and baking soda in a pitcher of water with corn kernels. The children loved watching the corn kernels dance!
We have begun to transform our dramatic play area into a bakery. We have added bowls, mixing spoons, aprons, menus, pretend bread, and additional cooking tools. It has been wonderful to watch the children become excited about this area of the room. Dramatic play supports the children’s social and emotional skills as they learn to negotiate with each other over roles and the sharing of materials. It also nurtures their growing ability to engage in abstract thinking.
To support the children in their excitement over the new materials in dramatic play, Morah Larissa created a “Social Story” for the class. This is a teacher-made book written from the children’s perspective that introduces, step-by-step, the expectations for this area. For example, the children learn that while there are some toys where there is enough for everyone to use at once, there are other toys where the children need to take turns. The book reads: “We can tell our friends that we are waiting for a turn. Then we can ask a teacher to help us make a waiting list.” This is a direct way of introducing the children to the routine of waiting for a turn with a toy. By creating a routine around what is sometimes a stressful situation for children, we can alleviate the anxiety and excitement that can result in grabbing and hurt feelings.
We have also introduced a new routine about “calming down” in the classroom. We’ve posted a “Calm Down” chart in the book area, where children are often invited to take a break if they become too loud or active in the classroom. This chart gives the children a series of steps, in text and in pictures, to calm themselves down. The children are asked to take three deep breaths and count slowly to ten. We have also introduced this routine (using the chart) as we begin Morning Meeting and Circle Time. This is a great tool to teach the children to become aware of their own bodies and excitement level, and to learn to develop self-control.
On Thursday, we began making challah, and are looking forward to finishing it Friday morning. The children will each take home their own small loaf of challah to share with you during your family Shabbat dinners. The children will also make a challah plate on Friday. We will keep these at school until all of their Shabbat items are ready to be taken home.
We are sad to be saying good-bye to Arturo and his family on December 22nd. The children know that this will be his “good-bye day.” We are preparing a small gift for him and will have a small party on his last day.
Finally, we are looking forward to sharing some pajama day pictures with you next week! The children could not possibly be more excited!
L’shalom,
Morah Larissa and Morah Kate
Friday, December 10, 2010
The Toy Jar for Good Choices
Dear Families,
It was with great joy that we continued to study Chanukah this week. We continued to reinforce the story of the Maccabees, and the children have enjoyed pretending to be Maccabees by fleeing Antiochus and “defending themselves” with invisible shields. They have also enjoyed pretending to build the ancient temple in Jerusalem in the block corner and trying to defend it from “Antiochus” (also known as Morah Kate). These games are a fun way for the children to deepen their understanding of the story of Chanukah, but we do continue to reinforce classroom rules such as “no pretend fighting” and “no pretend shooting.”
We also explored various elements of the Chanukah story and celebration this week. We recalled that the Maccabees burned oil (not candles) when they re-dedicated the temple and we experimented with oil and water in the water table. The children noticed that the oil floated on top of the water!
We examined Chanukah candles in further detail this week. The children used them to do “relief” paintings with watercolors at the art table. First, they drew a picture on paper using a Chanukah candle. Then, they used watercolors to paint on top of it. They were excited to discover that they could see the picture once they painted on the paper, and we noticed how the water and the wax (from the candle) did not mix. This was a great way to make a connection to our earlier experiment with water and oil in the water table. The children also used candles to draw in trays of salt. Salt trays are a fun sensory experience, but they can also be a great way to practice writing. For some children, the tactile stimulation of touching salt supports the learning of letters more so than papers, pencils, and books. This can be a fun activity to try at home!
In addition, we created a Venn diagram at Morning Meeting on Monday, comparing a Havdalah candle to a Chanukah candle. This was a fun way to learn to use a Venn diagram to build critical thinking skills. We also tried organizing Chanukah, Havdalah, and Shabbat candles into size order, examining both length and thickness. This activity built connections for the children across Jewish celebrations, and also reinforced math skills including size, measurement, and vocabulary words including “longer,” “shorter,” “thinner,” and “thicker.”
Latkes were an important part of our week. On Tuesday, we used paper shreds (recycled from the Temple office) to make paper maché latkes. On Wednesday, we discovered a new favorite book, The Flying Latke, by Arthur Yarkins. This book has funny photos combined with illustrations, and a hilarious storyline about a latke being mistaken for a UFO. It had the children and the teachers on the floor in laughter! Come in and check it out. We enjoyed this book so much that we read it twice in a row! Later Wednesday morning, we made real latkes. The children grated the potatoes, cracked the eggs, and stirred away. They even ate appetizers in the kitchen (while seated in chairs far away from the pan) while Morah Larissa fried the latkes. Later we tasted them with applesauce.
This week we have introduced the children to two strategies to help them when counting and doing mathematical word problems. On Tuesday, the children found a challenging question posed to them on the wipe-off board at Morning Meeting: “How many candles are there in two Chanukiot?” They each made a guess, and then learned to draw a simple picture of two Chanukiot to find the answer. On Thursday, we played dreidel, and learned to use tally marks to count how many times the dreidel landed on each letter.
We have introduced a new positive reinforcement strategy with the children as they work hard to master sharing, turn taking, helping, and other social skills important to them as they become part of a community. We have introduced a “Good Choices Jar.” Each time the children are spotted by a teacher (or by each other) making a good choice, they get to put a small toy in the jar. When they have so many small toys in the jar that it fills up to a tape line created by Morah Larissa, they will get to have a pajama day at school. They are very excited by the prospect of wearing pajamas at school. This behavior management strategy helps the children to focus on the positive and to come together as a team to work towards a common goal. It also helps them to learn more concretely how to make “good choices” in their interactions with each other. We use the phrase “good choices” because it reinforces the notion that children can think about their behaviors. It also places the emphasis on children’s behaviors and away from whether or not they are “good” or “bad” girls and boys.
Next week, we are kicking off a study of “Bread Around the World.” Do you have any family recipes for bread that you might want to share or even demonstrate? We would love to have some parent participation in this unit!
Shabbat Shalom,
-- Morah Larissa and Morah Kate
It was with great joy that we continued to study Chanukah this week. We continued to reinforce the story of the Maccabees, and the children have enjoyed pretending to be Maccabees by fleeing Antiochus and “defending themselves” with invisible shields. They have also enjoyed pretending to build the ancient temple in Jerusalem in the block corner and trying to defend it from “Antiochus” (also known as Morah Kate). These games are a fun way for the children to deepen their understanding of the story of Chanukah, but we do continue to reinforce classroom rules such as “no pretend fighting” and “no pretend shooting.”
We also explored various elements of the Chanukah story and celebration this week. We recalled that the Maccabees burned oil (not candles) when they re-dedicated the temple and we experimented with oil and water in the water table. The children noticed that the oil floated on top of the water!
We examined Chanukah candles in further detail this week. The children used them to do “relief” paintings with watercolors at the art table. First, they drew a picture on paper using a Chanukah candle. Then, they used watercolors to paint on top of it. They were excited to discover that they could see the picture once they painted on the paper, and we noticed how the water and the wax (from the candle) did not mix. This was a great way to make a connection to our earlier experiment with water and oil in the water table. The children also used candles to draw in trays of salt. Salt trays are a fun sensory experience, but they can also be a great way to practice writing. For some children, the tactile stimulation of touching salt supports the learning of letters more so than papers, pencils, and books. This can be a fun activity to try at home!
In addition, we created a Venn diagram at Morning Meeting on Monday, comparing a Havdalah candle to a Chanukah candle. This was a fun way to learn to use a Venn diagram to build critical thinking skills. We also tried organizing Chanukah, Havdalah, and Shabbat candles into size order, examining both length and thickness. This activity built connections for the children across Jewish celebrations, and also reinforced math skills including size, measurement, and vocabulary words including “longer,” “shorter,” “thinner,” and “thicker.”
Latkes were an important part of our week. On Tuesday, we used paper shreds (recycled from the Temple office) to make paper maché latkes. On Wednesday, we discovered a new favorite book, The Flying Latke, by Arthur Yarkins. This book has funny photos combined with illustrations, and a hilarious storyline about a latke being mistaken for a UFO. It had the children and the teachers on the floor in laughter! Come in and check it out. We enjoyed this book so much that we read it twice in a row! Later Wednesday morning, we made real latkes. The children grated the potatoes, cracked the eggs, and stirred away. They even ate appetizers in the kitchen (while seated in chairs far away from the pan) while Morah Larissa fried the latkes. Later we tasted them with applesauce.
This week we have introduced the children to two strategies to help them when counting and doing mathematical word problems. On Tuesday, the children found a challenging question posed to them on the wipe-off board at Morning Meeting: “How many candles are there in two Chanukiot?” They each made a guess, and then learned to draw a simple picture of two Chanukiot to find the answer. On Thursday, we played dreidel, and learned to use tally marks to count how many times the dreidel landed on each letter.
We have introduced a new positive reinforcement strategy with the children as they work hard to master sharing, turn taking, helping, and other social skills important to them as they become part of a community. We have introduced a “Good Choices Jar.” Each time the children are spotted by a teacher (or by each other) making a good choice, they get to put a small toy in the jar. When they have so many small toys in the jar that it fills up to a tape line created by Morah Larissa, they will get to have a pajama day at school. They are very excited by the prospect of wearing pajamas at school. This behavior management strategy helps the children to focus on the positive and to come together as a team to work towards a common goal. It also helps them to learn more concretely how to make “good choices” in their interactions with each other. We use the phrase “good choices” because it reinforces the notion that children can think about their behaviors. It also places the emphasis on children’s behaviors and away from whether or not they are “good” or “bad” girls and boys.
Next week, we are kicking off a study of “Bread Around the World.” Do you have any family recipes for bread that you might want to share or even demonstrate? We would love to have some parent participation in this unit!
Shabbat Shalom,
-- Morah Larissa and Morah Kate
Friday, December 3, 2010
Learning by Making a Web
Dear Families,
Happy Chanukah! We have had so much fun with the beginning of our study of Chanukah in the Owl Room this week. The major concepts that we focused on were the story of the Maccabees, who fought for the freedom of the Jewish people, and the fact that we celebrate Chanukah with our family and friends.
On Monday, we began our study of Chanukah by using a web to record what the children already knew and remembered about Chanukah. They remembered many details, including some of the songs that we sing. Perhaps not surprisingly, they easily remembered that on Chanukah last year they received chocolate gelt at school! Using a word web helps children to broaden and deepen their vocabulary and to see the way that ideas are related to one another. It is an excellent tool to help children learn to organize their thinking.
We have been very busy preparing for our Chanukah party that we had at school today! The children made cinnamon-scented Stars of David, using cinnamon sticks to draw on sand-paper. We even incorporated our study of Chanukah at the easel, where the children tried painting with Chanukah candles instead of paintbrushes. At the art table, the children used oil pastels to decorate paper dreidels. They then painted over the dreidels with oil, creating a beautiful stained glass effect. This was a great way to introduce the children to oil, a substance that plays a major role in the story of Chanukah. The children also built an exceptionally long paper chain. Making paper chains builds children’s fine motor skills and coordination, as they must try to coordinate both hands. In addition, the children explored important math concepts including patterns, measurement, and comparing objects of different sizes.
Chanukah provides many wonderful and fun opportunities to practice counting skills. One day at the math table, the children used index cards, each labeled with a numerical digit and a corresponding number of dots. They used that number to set up the Chanukiah (Hebrew word for a Chanukah menorah) for that night of Chanukah. For example, when they picked the number two, they would set up the Chanukiah with two candles (counting out two) and then add the Shamash (or “helper candle”). Another day, the children practiced counting out paper latkes and gluing them onto plates labeled with numerical digits from 1-10. We have even learned the fun poem,“Five Little Latkes” and have used felt latkes to practice counting backwards from five to zero. It is important for children to have many experiences counting objects both forwards and backwards before kindergarten to develop their number sense. Felt sets are a fun way to do this!
Exchanging gifts has become a very traditional way to celebrate Chanukah in the United States. The Owls have been very busy preparing gifts and cards for their family members this week. They take great pride in creating real things that adults can use. This nurtures the way that fourand five-year-olds feel independent and like “big kids.” The children were very excited to decorate an apron to create a Chanukah gift for Morah Kate one morning before she arrived at school. It turns out that there are some major security leaks among the Owls. Morah Larissa “hid” the gift in the teachers’ closet and as soon as Morah Kate entered the room, the children immediately starting telling her NOT to look in the closet. Luckily, Morah Kate delivered a performance worthy of an Oscar and feigned surprise when opening her present before the first night of Chanukah.
We have been having a lot of fun building phonemic awareness this week (the awareness ofthe many different sounds in spoken language). We are always listening for rhyming words in poems and generating our own rhymes. The children are often invited to line up or take a turn by using rhyming (for example, you may line up if your name rhymes with “Pashley”) or words that begin with the same initial sound (you may line up if your name starts with the same sound as “apple’). The children also have been using a fun new phonemic awareness set to find rhyming words, to count out syllables, and to match beginning sounds. Being aware of the different sounds that words make builds a great foundation for the children’s reading skills.
We are all so excited to welcome Noah Grossman and his family to our classroom. It has been so much fun to have him here! It is wonderful to see all of the children building their senses of empathy as they invite him to play, show him where to find things in the classroom, and explain their favorite games to him. His enthusiasm for school and joyful nature, make Noah a wonderful addition to our classroom community.
Shabbat Shalom,
Morah Larissa and Morah Kate
Happy Chanukah! We have had so much fun with the beginning of our study of Chanukah in the Owl Room this week. The major concepts that we focused on were the story of the Maccabees, who fought for the freedom of the Jewish people, and the fact that we celebrate Chanukah with our family and friends.
On Monday, we began our study of Chanukah by using a web to record what the children already knew and remembered about Chanukah. They remembered many details, including some of the songs that we sing. Perhaps not surprisingly, they easily remembered that on Chanukah last year they received chocolate gelt at school! Using a word web helps children to broaden and deepen their vocabulary and to see the way that ideas are related to one another. It is an excellent tool to help children learn to organize their thinking.
We have been very busy preparing for our Chanukah party that we had at school today! The children made cinnamon-scented Stars of David, using cinnamon sticks to draw on sand-paper. We even incorporated our study of Chanukah at the easel, where the children tried painting with Chanukah candles instead of paintbrushes. At the art table, the children used oil pastels to decorate paper dreidels. They then painted over the dreidels with oil, creating a beautiful stained glass effect. This was a great way to introduce the children to oil, a substance that plays a major role in the story of Chanukah. The children also built an exceptionally long paper chain. Making paper chains builds children’s fine motor skills and coordination, as they must try to coordinate both hands. In addition, the children explored important math concepts including patterns, measurement, and comparing objects of different sizes.
Chanukah provides many wonderful and fun opportunities to practice counting skills. One day at the math table, the children used index cards, each labeled with a numerical digit and a corresponding number of dots. They used that number to set up the Chanukiah (Hebrew word for a Chanukah menorah) for that night of Chanukah. For example, when they picked the number two, they would set up the Chanukiah with two candles (counting out two) and then add the Shamash (or “helper candle”). Another day, the children practiced counting out paper latkes and gluing them onto plates labeled with numerical digits from 1-10. We have even learned the fun poem,“Five Little Latkes” and have used felt latkes to practice counting backwards from five to zero. It is important for children to have many experiences counting objects both forwards and backwards before kindergarten to develop their number sense. Felt sets are a fun way to do this!
Exchanging gifts has become a very traditional way to celebrate Chanukah in the United States. The Owls have been very busy preparing gifts and cards for their family members this week. They take great pride in creating real things that adults can use. This nurtures the way that fourand five-year-olds feel independent and like “big kids.” The children were very excited to decorate an apron to create a Chanukah gift for Morah Kate one morning before she arrived at school. It turns out that there are some major security leaks among the Owls. Morah Larissa “hid” the gift in the teachers’ closet and as soon as Morah Kate entered the room, the children immediately starting telling her NOT to look in the closet. Luckily, Morah Kate delivered a performance worthy of an Oscar and feigned surprise when opening her present before the first night of Chanukah.
We have been having a lot of fun building phonemic awareness this week (the awareness ofthe many different sounds in spoken language). We are always listening for rhyming words in poems and generating our own rhymes. The children are often invited to line up or take a turn by using rhyming (for example, you may line up if your name rhymes with “Pashley”) or words that begin with the same initial sound (you may line up if your name starts with the same sound as “apple’). The children also have been using a fun new phonemic awareness set to find rhyming words, to count out syllables, and to match beginning sounds. Being aware of the different sounds that words make builds a great foundation for the children’s reading skills.
We are all so excited to welcome Noah Grossman and his family to our classroom. It has been so much fun to have him here! It is wonderful to see all of the children building their senses of empathy as they invite him to play, show him where to find things in the classroom, and explain their favorite games to him. His enthusiasm for school and joyful nature, make Noah a wonderful addition to our classroom community.
Shabbat Shalom,
Morah Larissa and Morah Kate
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