Working With Patterns

We talked about how patterns are things that repeat.  We assigned letters of the alphabet to the colors, and a red, blue, red, blue pattern became an ABAB pattern.  The children made patterns with their bodies too.  Clap, Clap, Shoulders, Shoulders, Thighs, Thighs became an AABBCC pattern.  Then we practiced making patterns with unifix cubes.  There was great excitement in the classroom as we discovered, explored, and celebrated the myriad of possibilities! 

Nature Journals

Our “Nature Journals” are finally done! Connecting with nature and bringing our learning outdoors was the motivation behind this handiwork. Learning experiences that facilitate development in every domain such as math, language arts, writing and reading should not be limited to the indoor classroom solely.  Using recycled cereal boxes, the Kindergarteners now have their very own Nature Journals.

What is a Nature Journal you might ask?  It is for creatively recording one's observations of nature. As the Kindergarteners use their Nature Journals, they can deepen their understanding about the intricacies of nature. They learn to express their responses to nature through illustrations and writing. Through these experiences, they are developing visual discrimination skills, fine motor skills, and their spatial awareness.

Yesterday the Kindergarteners were given the choice of “trying them out.” Some friends chose to take their journal out with them during their Outdoor Play time. From the particulars of the playscape, to the surrounding trees and bushes, the Kindergarteners were quickly immersed in deep observation of their surroundings.

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¡Noticias de Alicia!

¡Saludos a todos; familia, amigas, y amigos! Greetings to all! I bet you have been wondering why I wear that gorgeous vest. Well, you see language acquisition happens naturally and subconsciously when we are surrounded by another language. My goal is to spend the first few minutes of each class speaking in English to the children as I explain the day’s activity. As the children gain some comprehension of the Spanish language, I will then present the introduction of the day’s activity in Spanish. I have presented to the children my red sequin vest and explained that when I put this vest on, it indicates that I am the Spanish teacher, and therefore I will be speaking solely in Spanish. We will volar (fly) to Spain and other Spanish speaking countries at the beginning of each class session and once we land, we will all do our very best to speak in the language of that country, Spanish. This transitioning activity also allows for the children to gain an awareness of the 21 countries where Spanish is the official language.

During our clase de Español, we have been practicing using the Spanish vocabulary words to describe the parts of the tree.  

Tree - árbol

Crown – copa

Branches – ramas

Stick – ramita

Leaves – hojas

Trunk - tronco

Roots - raíces  

To support our learning of these new vocabulary words, we sang the following song. And, to help with the kinesthetic learners, there are hand motions with the song. Ask us how it goes...

Hojas,

Ramas,
Tronco
Raices
  
Hojas
Ramas
Tronco
Raices

Son las partes del árbol

Son las partes del árbol
Son las partes del árbol
Son las partes del árbol

¡Hasta nuestro proximo viaje! (Until our next flight.)

Paz,

Alicia

A Thanksgiving MfW

This morning, the Kindergarteners gathered with their 3rd grade partners, and hand in hand they walked together. When we arrived at the Meetinghouse, we came together with the rest of the LS community for our traditional Thanksgiving Meeting for Worship. What made this an extra special MfW was that our youngest AFS members, the 3/4’s, joined us. It was such a gratifying experience to have all of us in union in this wonderful place of spiritual focus. Not only did we have the grand pleasure of having the youngest members of our community join us, but families too were present. The incredible sense of community was certainly felt. What a joy!

From our families to yours, we would like to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. ¡Feliz día de Acción de Gracias! May the day be filled with peace, love, and harmony!

The Kindergarten Team

Integrating Technology

The Kindergarteners’ interest on trees continues to grow and we were so excited to have the opportunity to look at some different types of trees during our Technology class. Using our classroom SMART board, Michelle displayed a few photographs of some “cool” looking trees. They were some amazing sights! Some trees looked like “mushrooms”, others looked like “upside down canes” or “upside down question marks” and yet others looked like “they’re dancing Hawaiian.” One tree was so big that it had “a big hole in it” and a car was driving through it. Wow!

After our viewing, Michelle invited us to the SMART board to draw all the parts of the tree. We each took turns at drawing one part; the crown, the trunk, the branches, and the leaves. Some friends decided to draw some of the things that “help the trees grow bigger” such as dirt, the sun and rain.

After that activity, we were encouraged to sit and draw from memory one of the trees we liked the most from those shown on the screen.  Drawing from memory helps us to think visually and confront our artistic vision, as we each think of which elements of the tree we select to actually sketch. Ask us which one we choose.