Week 1 of Pre-K: Back to School Theme
Spoede Pre-K Introduction and Overview
Dear Spoede Pre-K Families,
Welcome to Spoede Pre-K. This first week of school we focused on establishing a safe, trusting community, practicing routines and procedures, and introducing social emotional learning and some foundational academic skills we will use in Kindergarten. The foundational academic skills this year will include phonological and phonemic awareness, print concepts, letter recognition, oral communication, number sense and counting, spatial and geometric concepts, sorting and patterning, as well as fine motor skills such as grasp, tool dexterity and stroke control. We will also work on science inquiry, observation, cause and effect, as well as following multi-stepped instruction and sustained attention. Much of these skills we can work on through fun theme based activities and as well as play.
I will sometimes use coloring, tracing and cutting activities, as well as table manipulatives for morning work as the students arrive. This encourages independence, works on following directions, stamina, concentration and focus, as well as fine motor strengthening. We also practice writing our names on all of our papers.
Circle time (carpet time) provides an opportunity for oral language growth. This week we took turns telling about ourselves and what we like to do. We also sing morning songs, songs to help learn names, and songs about behavior expectations. From the carpet, we will continue to review rules and expectations, practice phonemic awareness skills, participate in social emotional lessons and read and discuss stories. We have already started practicing our letter/sound connections as well as letter recognition using our Alphabet Chant: (Aa, Apple, /a/ ; Bb, Bike. /b/;..). Each week we will have a different student whose job it is to lead us through the alphabet chant. We also will have a different student each week whose job it is to lead us through a calendar routine, discussing the days of the week and counting the numbers on the calendar, as well as learning and predicting the pattern on the calendar cards.
Throughout the year, every student will have a classroom job. We switch every week so each student will have more many chances to have a job they really want. The jobs include two door holders, two office messengers, two table washers, a light monitor, a book monitor, a weather monitor, a calendar leader, alphabet chant leader, lunch cart driver, white board eraser and paper passer.
We will go over more curriculum information during Curriculum night on Sept. 22. I just wanted to give you an idea of what we will be working on this year. If you ever have any questions, please contact me through ParentSquare.
What we did this week:
Monday: All of the students did surprisingly well separating from their grown-ups and getting into the Pre-K routine. We did have a few emotions on Monday; However, all of the students recovered quickly and we had no tears by the middle of the week. We read happy, fun stories on the first day of school, saving the Kissing Hand for later in the week. We learned a song about how to listen on the carpet. "Eyes are watching; Ears are listening; Voices quiet; Body Calm. This is how we listen; This is how we listen; At group time: At group time." These words are common language throughout the school and they are part of our buildings Universal Expectations.
Tuesday: At circle time we continued to talk about expectations in the classroom and throughout the building. At center time, we offered choices for creative and fine motor activities, including making First Day of Pre-K Crowns and Chester the Raccoon Puppets. A table activity included counting dots on locks and matching it with the correct numeral on the key in order to open the lock. Working cooperatively putting together floor puzzles were also a choice. It was so exciting watching the students get along together, sharing markers and other writing tools, taking turns with puzzle pieces, allowing others to join in their activities. Lots of kindness and cooperation already. Such a great start. Normally, we would have Music class at 2:40 - 3:20 every Tuesday. However, Music had to be canceled this week. Hopefully we will have music with Ms. Li from the LECC starting next week.
Wednesday: We participated in our first all school assembly in the gym. We went over Universal Expectations with Dr. Koenig, our Assistant Principal. The Pre-K students did an excellent job of paying attention and showing Spoede R.O.C.K.S. (Respect, Ownership, Cooperation, Kindness and Safety). We read the Kissing Hand and made Kissing Hand Art with paint and handprints on paper with a special poem. Another center was dot painting a pair of scissors or a pencil, working on fine motor, eye-hand coordination, and creativity. We also worked on a page for a class book about how we felt on the first day of school. Currently during writing centers, students are writing or tracing their own names and teachers will add the words that the students dictate to their writing assignments. As the year progresses (or as we observe readiness), we will encourage the students to write some of the sounds that they hear.
Thursday: We practiced our first Earth Quake Drill after rest time. We read Pete the Cat Rocking in his School Shoes. At center time, the students colored a pair a shoes which will be used for our Pete The Cat bulletin board. They were able to use their creativity as the picked their favorite color or colors. They also used fine motor skills and stamina as they completed the project. Another center started by identifying three shapes. Then, they practiced cutting out a circle, triangle and rectangle and glued it onto a matching dotted shape form. A third center had the students practice tracing their names.
Friday: For morning work, we tried a color by number activity and the kids "knocked my socks off!" We practiced our first Fire Drill after morning snack. We also enjoyed some creative artwork with our LECC art teacher, Ms. Tara. We learned about different lines, including thin, thick, zigzag, wavy, curly, pointy, horizontal, vertical and fancy. Then, the students completely filled their paper with all of the different kinds of lines. Next week in art, we will paint them. Ms. Tara will come every Friday at 10:30 - 11:00 for art. After art, we had Friday Fun centers. Some students started making a turtle, practicing making dots with glue and putting small pieces of paper to make the colorful shells. "We practiced the saying, "A Dot is not a lot", for practic with Elmer's glue control. We will continue to work on the turtles next week. Some students finished their Pete the Cat shoes and others put together puzzles, built towers or played in the dramatic play area. At the end of the day, we did an activity with Magic playdough. I used a medium ball of white playdough and rolled it out into a "pancake". Inside I hid a smaller ball of colored PlayDoh. I covered the colored playdough with the white and shaped it back into a ball. Each student picked a baggie with a poem and a ball of white playdough. Then I read the poem. "Magic Playdough, oh so white, I make this wish with all my might. If another color does appear. We're sure to have a GREAT school year!" Finally, we each started squishing our playdough and the magic color appeared. The kids were so excited. It was also a great assessment for determining our need to strengthen our fine motor muscles.😀 Playdough is great for fine motor.
Upcoming Events
(I will update and modify, in necessary, with my weekly blog)
Sept. 1 - Tornado/Severe Weather Drill (Our room is a storm shelter so we stay put and Kindergarten join us.)
Sept. 4 - Intruder Drill (Educate - Will play age appropriate video provided by the Ladue S
Sept. 7 - Labor Day, NO SCHOOL
Sept. 15 - Picture Day
Sept. 21 - Dance-a-thon Kickoff (SSA Fundraiser - More information to come)
Sept. 22 - Curriculum Night - 5:00
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We hope you enjoy the photographs from this week!
Monday
First Recess on Pre-K Playground
Exlporing the Classroom Materials During Centers
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First Lunch in the Cafeteria
Lunch Recess
Playing Cooperatively during free Choice.
Tuesday
Morning Recess
Working Cooperatively on a floor Puzzle during center time
Making Crowns
Making Chester Puppets
Lunch Recess
End of the Day Free Choice
Morning Work
First All School Assembly
Morning Recess
Kissing Hand Poem and Handprint Art
Writing/ Illustrating class book: How I Felt on the First Day of School
Dot Painting a Pencil or Scissor
Afternoon Choice Time
Thursday
Morning Work: Coloring by number. Match the number has a special color.
Morning Recess
Cooling down after a hot recess.
Pete the Cat: Rockin' in my School Shoes
Cutting Shapes Practice and Assessment
Practicing Writing Names
After Lunch Recess
Choice time playing with PlayDoh
Friday
Practicing the Alphabet Chant with the class during circle time.
Art with Ms. Tara. We learned to make different kinds of lines.
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Centers after Art
Making turtle shells with a glue and small paper squares. Using technique, "A dot is not a lot" glue practice which is great for working on fine motor strengthening and control.
Magic PlayDoh: If the White PlayDoh turns a color, we are going to have a great year.
P.E. in the gym.
