Why won't we allow children to "W" sit?

"W" sitting is when a child (or an adult) sits with their legs out to the side. The following will link to an awesome article that explains why children should NOT sit this way! 


Click here to view the article

Why Are We Standing?

We are finding that many of the students aren't able to stand for more than 5 minutes without complaining and they are not able to sit, unsupported on the floor. In our classroom we have gotten rid of the chairs around the craft table! When we look at a typical class session, kids spend a lot of time sitting. When a child stands at a table, they have better leverage for performing those fine motor tasks that we are asking them to do such cutting, coloring and gluing! We are working on strengthening our muscles to make us successful learners! What can you do at home? If you have a small table, encourage your child to stand and do some coloring or cutting. Encourage your child to sit on the floor criss-cross-applesauce without leaning back on their hands. Have your child sit on a stool that doesn't have a back on it. All of these activities will help your child strengthen their core muscles.

Beautiful Oops!

Beautiful oops! What a wonderful book for our classroom!  Next week we are going to read the story, Beautiful Oops! This story reminds us that mistakes can be beautiful! Look for the beauty that comes in every mistake! A spill, a stain, a folded or crumpled piece of paper; everything can be something wonderful! Just like us! Sometimes we feel like we are folded, stained or creased in our lives.  Make something beautiful!

We are going to need YOUR help!!  We will be creating some collaborative art work! The kids will do the painting at school and when it is dry, they will bring it home.  This is where YOU come in! I will send home a black marker. I want you to turn those paint splotches into something fun! 

Maybe they look like flowers or monsters or puppies or something silly! Ask your child for help if you are stuck! HAVE fun with this activity! Don't think too much! Just DO!

Back To School!

I know this is a lot of information. Please take the time to read it.

Wow! Back to school is here! This is a big transition for parents and children! Especially for your 3 year olds. Your child may be frightened and anxious about starting school. This is perfectly normal. It is okay for your child to experience these emotions. When you drop off your child, please make your good-byes short and sweet. We are used to this and know how to handle these situations. 

Please take the time to read through the Adventure Preschool flip book that you received at back to school night in your child's green folder. (If you weren't there, you will get the folder on the first day of school.) Most questions will be answered by reading this flip book. 

A skills practice sheet will be coming home in your child's kiwi pack this week. Please help your child color the crayons. Use these practice sheets every night to practice these skills with your child. Go slow, they have all year to learn these items! Try and make it fun. Point out colors, shapes, numbers and letters that you see around you! Practice counting items in your environment; cars on the road, boxes of cereal, items in your mailbox etc. 

You are also going to receive a sheet to sign up for Class Dojo. This is an app that I use for behavior recording and attendance. I encourage you to use the code to sign up in order to view your child's record. If there is ever a severe issue with your child, you will receive a phone call or a note home or an email. Please sign and return this form.

Book orders: Please make checks out to Scholastic 

Highlights: Please sign and return this form even if you don't want to order. Our classroom receives bonus supplies for ever form returned...even if it is checked no. 

I can't wait to get to know all of your children and you this upcoming year!

Changes!

We are looking at some very fun changes in ECFE for 2015-2016 school year! We would like to thank everyone who took the time to fill out our survey and return it to us! Stay-tuned for details! Registration for Fall/Winter sessions will begin at Big Wheels! Stay tuned!

Developmentally Appropriate Preschool

In Adventure Preschool, we strive to provide children with developmentally appropriate activities that help to teach core knowledge. There has been a lot of publicity about how we are pushing children too hard to learn too much too early. 

What we cover in Adventure Preschool is not new. It is the same skill set that was taught 20 years ago to a 3-year-old. We work on social skills; getting along with friends, sharing, saying our name, using our manners. We work on Small Muscle coordination; cutting, coloring, and pre-writing. Academics in a three-year-old room look very different from what most people think of as true academics. 

We cover Math, Science, Language, Literacy, and Large and Small Muscle development.

Math - block play, counting, patterning, shapes

Science - sensory play, exploration, practice with "tools" such as magnifying glasses, tweezers and magnets, learning about colors

Language - vocabulary, speaking, having a conversation

Literacy - Letters in their name, rhyming, alliteration

Muscle Development - coloring, cutting, using stickers, stacking, running, playing outside or in the gym, obstacle courses. 

Most of all, we have a lot of fun! We play and the children learn! We color and the children learn! We explore and the children learn! If you have any questions regarding the skills that your child is learning, please feel free to contact me! 

Hand Preference

Children can begin choosing a hand preference as early as 1-2 years old. Around the age of 4-5 this choice has been made. Handedness is NOT a choice. It is predetermined in the brain. We should never force a child to use one hand over the other. This could lead to further issues in the future! 
Some tips for children who haven't yet "chosen" a hand:
Put the scissors, crayon, pencil directly in front of the child. Whichever hand they pick up the utensil with, this is the hand that they should use for the entire time. If they choose the crayon with their right hand to color, they should use that hand until they are done with that color. If they pick up the scissors with the left hand, they need to finish the cutting with that hand. Typically, a child will pick up a crayon, marker, scissors etc. placed in front of them with their dominant hand.  A child will switch hands mid-task due to hand fatigue. Their hand gets tired so they switch to the other hand. It is important for children to build up their hand strength.
Encourage your child no matter what hand they have "chosen" for their dominant hand. 

Build up strength in hands:
1. Play with play-dough. Encourage children to squeeze it, squish it and roll it in their hands. Have your child mix colors to make new colors. By mixing the colors completely, your child will need to use a lot of hand strength!
2. Give your child scissors! (Always supervise your child with scissors.) Allow them to cut.
3. Give your child crayons and coloring books or blank paper. This is an important skill to have. It not only works on hand strength but also concentration and color recognition as well. Encourage the use of LOTS of colors, not just one and work on not scribbling. Use little hand motions to fill in a spot completely. Outline different areas with a brightly colored marker so your child can see the lines and have a clear stopping point.
4. Do finger plays.
5. Hang paper on the wall and let your child color, paint and glue things to this paper. A vertical surface helps to build arm muscles and proper crayon grips. 
6. Stickers are great for fine motor practice! Let them peel and stick them to paper.